Why Every TCU Fan Should Be Watching the Super Regionals This Weekend

Why the Super Regionals Matter to TCU

Similar to the regional round, teams in the Big 12 advancing to the College World Series can bring prestige and impact on preseason rankings. TCU’s baseball season is over, but that doesn’t mean that next season’s narrative is set in place. If the Big 12 can send multiple teams to Omaha, it would impact how the committee sees the Big 12 when it comes to bubble teams. TCU was one of the first four out, and it could have been due to how the conference was perceived. After the regionals, what went right and what went wrong for the Big 12?

Kansas and West Virginia Kept the Big 12 in the Fight

The Big 12 conference had six teams make the NCAA tournament, two of which were hosts: the University of Kansas and West Virginia University. The Lawernece regional was a smooth ride for the Jayhawks until they fell down 5-0 in the regional final. Even though the Jayhawks could afford to lose a game, they responded with a six-run fourth inning to take the lead, and they never looked back, advancing to the regional without losing a game.

West Virginia, on the other hand, had a much tougher path. After a 10-1 victory over Binghamton to open the regional, they lost to Kentucky 9-11. With their season on the line, Morgantown brought the energy, and the Mountaineers beat Wake Forest 10-5 and were matched up with Kentucky once again. Needing to win two games in a row, their season was on the brink of ending, but a miracle five-run ninth inning gave West Virginia an 11-9 lead, and then they forced a win-or-go-home game. The regional finale went to extras, where an Armani Guzman walk-off single would send the Mountaineers to the super regionals.

Unfortunately for the Big 12, these were the only two teams to advance.

Four Big 12 Teams Fell Short of Omaha's Doorstep

Arizona State dropped its first regional game against Ole Miss. However, the Sun Devils made the work of the loser side of the bracket, winning 17-0 against South Dakota State and eliminating the host team, Nebraska, 11-8. The Rebels proved to be the Sun Devils ' Kryptonite as Ole Miss walked off Arizona State in the first game of the regional final, 5-4.

UCF started the Auburn Regional with a win over NC State 9-3, but fell to Milwaukee 13-5. The Knights faced the host, the Auburn Tigers, in an elimination game, and the Tigers were victorious 9-3, ending UCF’s season.

Cincinnati similarly won its first game of the Starkville Regional, defeating Louisiana 12-2, but then fell to host Mississippi State, 10-5. In the team's first elimination game, the Bearcats fell to Louisiana 8-6.

Finally, the Oklahoma State Cowboys traveled to Tuscaloosa. The Cowboys dropped their first game to USC Upstate 8-5, but with their back against the wall, Oklahoma State defeated Alabama State 8-7 in 11 innings to move on. Another matchup against USC Upstate, but this time the Cowboys won 12-1. In the regional final, Oklahoma State’s run would end as Alabama won 9-7 in extras.

Was the Big 12's NCAA Tournament Performance Good Enough?

PLAY COUNTRY ROADS 🎶 @WVUBarstool pic.twitter.com/m7JS21cqAF
— Barstool Big 12 (@BarstoolBig12) June 2, 2026

Two teams moving on to the next round, while four teams got eliminated, but was it a positive showing for the conference? Kansas and West Virginia moving on was a must for success; both teams finished one and two in the conference standings and met in the conference tournament championship game. Their advancement validates the Big 12's top strength.

For the other teams, both Arizona State and Oklahoma State making the regional final was great; if one or two plays had gone differently, they could have been headed to the super regional. UCF and Cincinnati didn’t make the regional final, but both won a game. As a whole, the conference avoided the disappointment of the two-and-done.

Who Should TCU Fans Root for This Weekend?

Mentioned last week in the Regional Rooting Guide, both West Virginia and Kansas were headed to a potential matchup with the top two national seeds: UCLA and Georgia Tech. After a crazy first week, both of those teams are eliminated, which means West Virginia and Kansas will host the super regionals. The Jayhawks are hosting Oklahoma, and the Mountaineers are hosting Cal Poly. Both Big 12 teams advancing would look great for the conference.

It was important for the Big 12 that the other Power 4 conferences struggled in the regional. The SEC had seven teams make the super regionals, the ACC had one, and the BIG 10 had two. Overall, the Big 12 had similar success to the other conferences, outside of the SEC. However, the SEC has two super regional matchups with conference teams facing each other. Auburn hosts Ole Miss, and Georgia hosts Mississippi State.

The maximum number of programs each Power Four conference can have in the College World Series is 2 Big 12 teams, 2 Big Ten teams, 4 SEC teams, and 1 ACC team. The SEC is the only conference with a guaranteed program making it to Omaha, but in this case, the SEC has two guaranteed programs making it.

TCU fans should be rooting for the Big 12 and the other conferences to beat the SEC. St. John over Alabama, UNC over USC, and Oregon over Texas.

What Happens Next for the Big 12 and TCU Baseball

Four years ago, Kansas baseball finished last in the Big 12.

Today:
⚡️Big 12 regular-season champions
⚡️Big 12 Tournament Champions
⚡️Dan Fitzgerald back-to-back Big 12 Coach of the Year
⚡️3-0 in first-ever hosted Regional
⚡️Will play and host in first-ever Super Regional

Wow.… pic.twitter.com/OCEWJPDC7r
— Kole Emplit (@KoleEmplit) June 1, 2026

The Super Regionals won't change the fact that TCU narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament, but they could help shape the conference's national perception heading into next season. Every win by Kansas and West Virginia strengthens the argument that the Big 12 remains one of college baseball's premier conferences. For a program that finished among the first four teams left out of the field, that conference's reputation could matter the next time the selection committee evaluates a bubble team wearing purple.

Stay Tuned to TCU on SI for all Super Regional Action

TCU on SI will break down how the Super Regionals will impact TCU baseball from the transfer portal to conference prestige. Make sure to follow along so you don’t miss a thing!

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