Dallas Baptist Joins Pac-12 For Baseball in 2027 Season
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First reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel, and then confirmed by other outlets, the Pac-12 will add Dallas Baptist as a baseball-playing affiliate in 2027.
Since moving up to NCAA Division I in 2004, the Patriots have become one of college baseball's most consistent contenders, with a daunting 791-414-1 record (.656 win percentage). They have qualified for 14 NCAA Regionals in that span, and won two regionals (2011, 2021).
Notably, Dallas Baptist has had several memorable matchups with Oregon State: in 2015 they eliminated Pat Casey's Beavers at the Dallas Regional with a 7-1 win, and then eliminated the orange & black again with a pair of wins at 2021's Fort Worth Regional.
Not only do Dallas Baptist boost the profile of the Pac-12's baseball slate, they also are a natural travel partner for the league's eighth full member, Texas State. Compared to faraway opponents in Corvallis, Pullman, and Boise, the three-hour trek from Texas State's San Marcos campus to Dallas Baptist's campus is practically across the street.
Perhaps the greatest benefit to adding Dallas Baptist as a baseball program is a simple number: eight. The Pac-12 Conference would like to feature eight baseball-playing member schools, but several of its nine members do not field a varsity baseball program. The Covid-19 pandemic wiped out Boise State's team, while Colorado State dissolved its squad in 1992, and Utah State only competes at the zero-scholarship club baseball level in the National Club Baseball Association (NCBA).
According to multiple reports, a formal announcement of Dallas Baptist's addition to the conference baseball slate could come as soon as Thursday.
Will the Pac-12 continue to add more affiliate members in the coming months?
Dallas Baptist Patriots Baseball: At A Glance
Current Head Coach: Dan Heefner, entering his 19th season (Overall Record: 693-344-1), four-time Conference Coach of the Year, .668 win percentage ranks as the ninth-highest in the nation among active NCAA Division I coaches, 11 consecutive NCAA tournament berths
NCAA Regional Championships (DI): 2011, 2021
NCAA Tournament Appearances (DI): 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Conference Tournament Championships: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021 (Missouri Valley Conference), 2024 (Conference USA)
Conference Regular Season Championships: 2016, 2019, 2021 (Missouri Valley Conference), 2023 (Conference USA)
Notable Major Leaguers: Ryan Johnson, Seth Elledge, Colin Poche, Chance Adams, Drew Smith, Ryan Goins, Ben Zobrist (All-Star), Freddy Sanchez (All-Star), Jason LaRue
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.