Big 12 Roundup: Boomer Sooner, UCF Rolls
Two weekends into the 2024 college baseball season, the Big 12 standings have some... well... notable points. The #17 Oklahoma Sooners (13-7, 6-0 Big 12) are alone atop standings while the #18 TCU Horned Frogs (16-5, 1-5) stand alone at the bottom. Unranked Houston, Kansas State, and West Virginia contend for the top spot while previously-ranked Texas Tech tumbles near the bottom.
The conference will certainly balance out and continue to shape its landscape in the coming weeks, but it's undeniable just how bizarre the lay is at this moment.
So, how did we get here? Let's take a look.
Sooners, Knights Roll
Oklahoma made headlines this weekend, walking into Fort Worth and sweeping #12 TCU. The Horned Frogs were already coming off a series loss at Kansas, but were previously unbeaten in 17 straight games at Lupton Stadium. That 3-0 sweep also pushes Oklahoma to 7-2 against TCU since 2022 and 17th in the national rankings.
OU left little doubt about the result, too. They once again stifled opposing bats, now holding opponents to six or fewer runs in 15 of their 20 games on the season. The Sooners also have won eight of their last 10 games after starting 5-5. With seven straight home games against West Virginia and Lamar on tap, Oklahoma might not be relinquishing its grip of the conference standings anytime soon.
The UCF Knights (13-5, 2-4) made a nice rebound this weekend, taking two of three from Oklahoma State in Orlando. Three of UCF's five losses were to Oklahoma the previous weekend.
Friday night starter Ben Vespi (2-0, 3.20 ERA) continued to be excellent. In his last four starts, the senior righty has not allowed more than two earned runs in any game and surrendered just six total runs. Though his strikeout count won't be stopping anybody in their tracks, Vespi forces batters to swing at pitches he wants, resulting in weak contact and easy outs for the field.
About Those TCU Horned Frogs...
It's foolish to make definitive statements in mid-March. It's been brought up multiple times on this site, specifically in articles I've written, but TCU finished just 13-11 in Big 12 play last year and had a stretch where it lost 8 of 10 games. Series at Kansas – a team I maintain is better than expected, but we'll get to them in a bit – and against a red-hot Oklahoma team is a tricky start.
But TCU is not a top-25 team today.
Concerns about starting pitching and batting with runners in scoring position ring loud after this series sweep. The Big 12 Conference slate doesn't get any easier for these Horned Frogs, so something has to be done.
But, no, I'm not ready to declare them done for the year.
...And About Those Jayhawks, Longhorns, and Red Raiders
Kansas, Texas, and Texas Tech can all sum their weekends up into the same word, "whoops."
Kansas dropped two of three to Cincinnati. Texas shockingly dropped two of three (almost all three) to a Washington team ranked 83rd in D1Baseball's DSR metric. Texas Tech dropped two of three in a weather-delayed series at (previously) last-place Baylor. The losses sent Kansas and Texas Tech tumbling down the standings and now make the Red Raiders 2-4 in league play.
Tech (15-6, 2-4) lost an ugly series marred by constant weather delays. The previous-top scoring team in the country mustered five runs total on the weekend – again, easily chalked up to start-again, stop-again play reminiscent of red light, green light.
After taking Friday's game 14-4, Kansas (11-8, 3-3) scored one total run in Games 2 and 3 at Cincinnati. Saturday's contest was particularly discouraging, with Dominic Voegele (2-1, 2.08) allowing just one run, but KU's bats recorded two total hits and the Jayhawks lost 1-0.
Fortunately for Texas (12-8, 2-1), its series loss to Washington doesn't count in the Big 12 standings. But the Longhorns scored 10 total runs and were fortunate to escape with a 4-3 victory Sunday.
Team That Impressed Me The Most
Hello, Oklahoma! Every year, an impressive series win at the start of the season turns out to be less-than-stellar by season's end. Could that be the case with OU's sweep over TCU? Perhaps, but in the moment, it's a victory worth celebrating.
Brothers Malachi and Kyson Witherspoon each tallied a win in solid relief efforts. Kyson stepped in Friday after four innings and took it the rest of the way. He held TCU to three hits, no runs, and he also rung up eight batters. Malachi allowed two runs in two innings, but sealed the seal Saturday and recorded a win.
Senior Michal Snyder hit a pair of homers and two other Sooners knocked one over the fence. But this was good, old-fashioned baseball – hold your opponents to peanuts and score with RBI singles and doubles.
Currently, Oklahoma is a buzzsaw nobody in the Big 12 wants to face.
Notable Performances
Tommy Boba, RHP, Cincinnati: When you can sneak out a victory with just one run in support, you deserve a callout. Boba, a sophomore, went eight innings Saturday, allowing four total baserunners (only one by a hit) and striking out eight Jayhawks. Christian Mitchelle came in to seal the deal.
Owen Boerema, LHP, Kansas State: Boerema also went eight innings, shutting out Missouri State in the process. Although he delivered just five strikeouts, the grad student allowed just two hits and issued no walks. Kansas State won all three games in its weekend series.
Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma: There wasn't much by way of offense in the Big 12 this weekend, due large in part to outstanding performances on the mound. Witherspoon took over in the fifth inning down 3-2 and didn't allow TCU to cross home plate after then. He struck out eight and allowed just three hits in five innings.
Jaxon Jelkin, RHP, Houston: The pitching performances were so good this weekend, I had to add a fourth in here. Jelkin rung up 13 in just six innings of work Saturday, allowing just one run in the process. Although Houston wasn't able to notch the win, Jelkin dazzled with exceptional control, walking just a single batter, too.
Big 12 College Baseball Standings
Rankings courtesy of D1Baseball. Records accurate as of Wednesday.
1. #17 Oklahoma Sooners (13-7, 6-0 Big 12)
2. Kansas State Wildcats (14-6, 2-1)
3. Houston Cougars (13-6, 4-2)
4. Texas Longhorns (12-8, 2-1)
5. West Virginia Mountaineers (11-9, 2-1)
6. Kansas Jayhawks (11-8, 3-3)
7. Cincinnati Bearcats (12-9, 3-3)
8. BYU Cougars (10-8, 3-3)
9. UCF Knights (13-5, 2-4)
10. Texas Tech Red Raiders (15-6, 2-4)
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (13-8, 1-2)
12. Baylor Bears (7-13, 2-4)
13. #18 TCU Horned Frogs (16-5, 1-5)
Upcoming Weekend Series
Conference Play
Baylor at Texas: Austin, TX
BYU at Texas Tech: Lubbock, TX (Thurs-Sat)
Kansas State at Houston: Houston, TX
#18 TCU at Oklahoma State: Stillwater, OK
UCF at Kansas: Lawrence, KS
West Virginia at #17 Oklahoma: Norman, OK
Non-Conference Play
Cincinnati at Saint Louis: St. Louis, MO
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