Big 12 Baseball Roundup: How Did The Conference Fare In Opening Weekend?

Opening Day is in the books, and we have our first look at each of the 14 teams in the Big 12 Conference. Given baseball's arduous schedule that spans from now until Memorial Day, there's little reason to overreact to what this opening weekend brought. But that doesn't mean we can't take some things away. After all, we're all fans, right?

Seven teams came away from the weekend unblemished – some in impressive fashion. Others fell well short of their expectations. Both Cincinnati (2-1) and Kansas (4-0) appear to be early teams to note for underdog contention in this league while Arizona (0-3) may have fallen off the wagon already.

With one weekend in the books, let's take a look at how the Big 12 faired on the baseball diamond.

Getting Off To A Hot Start

Cincinnati notched the series win of the conference. Coming into 2025 with minimal expectations makes the Bearcats, who play a unique and effective style of baseball, dangerous. We saw this early last year, too. UC jumped into D1Baseball's top 25 poll for the first time ever thanks to a 2-1 series win at No. 11 Duke.

Those who come away from the weekend surprised about Arizona State (4-0) just weren't paying attention. But that doesn't mean we can't give the Sun Devils their flowers. Three wins over Ohio State and another over Austin Peay is a solid start to the season. Neither club constitutes a pushover. Although their in-state rival received the preseason accolades, ASU might be the newcomer to watch this season.

Last season's darkhorse surprise was, without a doubt, Kansas. The Jayhawks (4-0) are off to another good start, sweeping Texas A&M-Corpus Christi without breaking much of a sweat. OK, so it's TAMU-CC. But with Tarleton State, Omaha, Milwaukee, and a two-game midweek stint against Minnesota, KU could be looking at a 13-4 or better start come league play.

To buy TCU (4-0) or not to buy? That is the question. The Horned Frogs started a program-best 13-0 last year before falling flat, going worse than .500 in Big 12 play and missing the NCAA Tournament. But the new faces to this year's squad made an immediate impact and TCU beat a sound San Diego team four times despite being in a position not to do so a couple times. Expected win or not, the Frogs looked impressive.

Honorable Mentions

West Virginia (3-0) notched a nice series sweep at Jacksonville. While favored in every game, Jacksonville is a conference favorite and likely postseason team. A fourth game for WVU was canceled due to weather.

Baylor (3-0) swept Youngstown State at home, UCF (4-0) went unbeaten against Siena, and Utah (4-0) swept its series at Pepperdine.

Houston (2-1) rebounded nicely after a 13-4 opening night loss to take the series against Minnesota. BYU (2-2) split its Opening Weekend with Fresno State – a tough opponent and Mountain West favorite.

Slow Out Of The Gate

Arizona (0-3) entered a tough tournament field in the Shriners Children's College Showdown this past weekend. While we didn't expect them to win every game–or even demand coming away with a winning record against a loaded field–Arizona was noncompetitive. It went 0-3, was out-scored 31-7, allowed 13+ runs twice, and was run-ruled on Sunday. Yikes.

Another tournament team might want to consider the alarm bells in Kansas State (1-3). The Wildcats dropped their opening night game to Washington, losing 9-2, and then dropping both games against Coastal Carolina a combined 17-5. K-State saved its weekend with a 12-7 win over Saint Joseph's but the pitching staff looked abysmal. Its upcoming schedule includes teams with a combined 18-0 and four inside the top 25.

Texas Tech (0-3) lost a couple top players to the transfer portal this offseason. The Red Raiders traveled cross-country to play a national championship contender in North Carolina and were beaten soundly in all three games. The biggest concern has to be offensively. In the not-so-distant-past, Tech was one of the premier hitting teams in the entire country. This past weekend, it was held to six total runs.

A 1-2 start is far from panic-worthy in the same tournament field Arizona went 0-3 in. Oklahoma State was far more competitive, being a nose away from 2-1, dropping Friday's contest to #15 Clemson, 6-5. A 12-3 win over Louisville was a good statement on the weekend, but the Pokes allowed 14 runs to #19 Texas on Sunday.

Team That Impressed Me The Most

Welcome to your first top-25 ranking, Cincinnati! The Bearcats pulled off maybe the most impressive series win in the country, taking two-of-three from No. 11 Duke. Their lone loss came Saturday in a 12-inning thriller where Duke walked it off, winning 6-5. Sunday put an emphatic cap on the series as Cincinnati dropped 19 runs on Duke – a club known for its pitching prowess.

Last year, the Bearcats pulled off a handful of upsets, namely over TCU and a tournament win over Texas. However, they finished just 10-15 away from the Queen City and failed to make the NCAA Tournament.

Star Cross Karrington notched seven hits and six RBI, including two home runs. Like last year, Cincy utilizes a number of pitchers each game, leaning on a bullpen with surprising depth.

Could this be a peek into 2025 Cincinnati being a darkhorse to contend for the Big 12? At the very least, they'll continue being a tough out and royal pain in the rear to the top teams in this league.

Notable Performances

Ethan Calder, LHP, Baylor: In five innings, Calder rung up 13 batters, walked just one, and allowed a run in a 10-4 Friday night win over Youngstown State. Sure, overmatched opponent, but Calder's 13 Ks accounted for all but two total outs he was on the bump for. He also faced just 18 batters.

Cole Cramer, INF, TCU: The Washington State transfer hit two home runs Monday and clinched a 7-6 win over San Diego thrice – with the go-ahead homer in T9 and two terrific defensive plays. In four games, Cramer notched seven hits in 17 at-bats, including four that went for extra bases.

Skylar King, OF, West Virginia: This weekend was full of double-headers as a massive winter storm disrupted college baseball's opening weekend. In two games Friday against Jacksonville–far from a pushover mid-major opponent–King logged five hits in seven at-bats, including a home run. He also hit a triple and recorded five RBI.

Big 12 College Baseball Standings

Rankings courtesy of D1Baseball. All conference standings are 0-0, as no Big 12 teams played each other.

T1. Arizona State Sun Devils (4-0)
T1. Kansas Jayhawks (4-0)
T1. TCU Horned Frogs (4-0)
T1. Utah Utes (4-0)
T1. Baylor Bears (3-0)
T1. UCF Knights (3-0)
T1. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0)
T8. Cincinnati Bearcats (2-1)
T8. Houston Cougars (2-1)
10. BYU Cougars (2-2)
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-2)
12. Kanas State Wildcats (1-3)
T13. Arizona Wildcats (0-3)
T13. Texas Tech Red Raiders (0-3)

Upcoming Weekend Series

Conference Play

No series.

Non-Conference Play

Arizona vs. San Diego: Three-game series, Tucson, AZ

Arizona State vs. Oral Roberts: Three-game series, Phoenix, AZ

Baylor vs. Gonzaga: Three-game series, Waco, TX

BYU at Cal State Northridge: Three-game series, Northridge, CA (THU-SAT)

#25 Cincinnati at UNLV: Four-game series, Las Vegas, NV (FRI-MON)

Houston at Cal: Three-game series, Berkeley, CA

Kansas at Tarleton State: Three-game series, Stephenville, TX

#19 Oklahoma State vs. UT-Arlington: Three-game series, Stillwater, OK

Texas Tech vs. UC Irvine: Three-game series, Lubbock, TX

UCF vs. Bryant: Three-game series, Orlando, FL

West Virginia at Lipscomb: Three-game series, Nashville, TN

Tournament Play

Kansas State: Amegy Bank College Baseball Series, vs. #5 Arkansas, Michigan, TCU

#22 TCU: Amegy Bank College Baseball Series, vs. Michigan, #5 Arkansas, Kansas State

Utah: Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament, vs. San Diego State, Seattle, UC San Diego, Long Beach State (FRI-MON)

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