Killer Frogs

Houston Leads Big 12 Baseball Power Rankings, but TCU Sends Early Message

Houston takes the early No. 1 spot, but TCU's two ranked wins keep the Horned Frogs firmly in the national conversation.
Ryann Zeller|
Sawyer Strosnider doubles into the gap vs the Fresno State Bulldogs.
Sawyer Strosnider doubles into the gap vs the Fresno State Bulldogs. | Brian McLean/KillerFrogs On SI (TCU On SI)

Welcome to baseball season! Now, opening weekend doesn't pave the entire Road to Omaha, but it does reveal the first signs along the way.

One could argue that these first few games have revealed who's ready to accelerate and who needs to recalibrate.

How We Rank the Big 12 This Week

This year's Big 12 Power Rankings, provided by KillerFrogs.com | TCU On SI, are built on a resume-first formula that awards series wins and ranked victories above all else. Run differential and clean play matter (errors and home runs allowed). But, let's be real: winning and who you beat matter most. It's why we love playing and watching sports. Winning is fun.

This weekend marked the first mile. So let's see who's built for the drive and who may need to adjust before the tolls get too expensive.

Tier 1 - The Early Standard

1. Houston (20.5) 4-0 record

Pre-season unranked Houston opened up against ranked No. 21 Wake Forest in the Puerto Rico Baseball Challenge, beating the team, 8-2. Houston also defeated Boston College, Manhattan, and Washington. Coaches, players, and fans alike got to enjoy a sweep with zero errors and only 1 home run allowed.

2. TCU (15.5) 2-1 record

TCU vs Vanderbilt at Shriners Children's Showdown. Sawyer Stronsider hit a home run a his first at bat.
TCU vs Vanderbilt at Shriners Children's Showdown. Sawyer Stronsider hit a home run a his first at bat. | On Assignment, Brian McLean for KillerFrogs.com | TCU On SI

The pre-season #10 TCU Horned Frogs opened up at the Shriners Children's College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. TCU beat the preseason No. 23 Vanderbilt, 5-4, Friday night. On Saturday, the Frogs played in front of a record-breaking 22K+ fans (mostly Arkansas) and hung on to beat the pre-season #7 Arkansas, 5-4. However, on Sunday, the Frogs were not able to break OU's winning streak against them. The Frogs fell to the Sooners, 2-12. Despite the detour on Sunday, it was a great weekend for the Frogs. How many teams out there can say they beat a top 10 and top 25 team their first weekend out?

Tier 2 - Strong Positioning

T3. Baylor (12) 3-0 record

Baylor opened their weekend at home, sweeping New Mexico State University. They were seeing the ball well, totaling 15 runs over the weekend. Tyce Armstrong tied the NCAA record with three grand slams in one game. With only one error and one home run allowed, they couldn't have asked for a better start.

T3. UCF (12) 3-0 record

Another sweep for the Big 12. UCF opened up at home against Siena. They totaled 25 runs and allowed 7 on the weekend. They, too, had a clean game with one error and one allowed home run.

5. West Virginia (11.5) 3-0 record

Continuing with cleaning house, West Virginia started out the season with a sweep on the road against the Georgia Southern Eagles. These games were fun for the fans as both teams together accounted for 46 runs!

T6. Arizona State (10.5) 3-0 record

This team could hit last season, and it appears they aren't going to skip a beat this year, despite losing nine players to the MLB draft. The Wildcat fans were treated to a home series sweep opening against Omaha. Game 1 included a grand slam and several home runs.

T6. Kansas State (10.5) 3-0 record

Kansas State opened up on the road against a Power Five foe, Iowa, at the MLB Desert Invitational. I'm sure Iowa was a little stunned after losing to Kansas State 15-6 (14 hits and 11 walks). They went on to beat UConn 7-3 and Penn State 24-5. Short Stop, Dee Kennedy, had two grand slams over the weekend.

Tier 3 - Incomplete Resume

8. Kansas (4) 2-1 Record

The Kansas Jayhawks won their opening series on the road against UT Rio Grande Valley. Kansas' Friday night ace pitcher was just a little off his game, resulting in their first loss (7-4). Saturday was all about the six runs in the 6th inning, leading to a 10-3 Jayhawk win. On Sunday, Kansas came back in the 8th to win by one run, 8-7. The bullpen was the key to this game, allowing only 3-runs over seven innings.

9. Cincinnati (2.5) 2-1 record

Cincinnati hit the road for its season opening. They stunned the Jacksonville State fans with seven stolen bases and 11 walks in their Friday night game, winning 11-5. Jacksonville State gave them a scare on Saturday, only losing by one run, 6-5. The Bearcats had no more left in them by Sunday. Jacksonville State won the last game of the series 0-1.

10. Utah (0.5) 2-1, record

The Utes started their season on the road against Fresno State, winning the series. While scoring first in all three games played, Utah won two of the three. Monday's game, game 4, was cancelled due to the weather. Game 3, Utah lost 8-14. That was the only game that got out of hand. Utah outscored Fresno State 13-7 in the first 2 games combined.

Tier 4 - Work To Do

11. BYU (-4.5) 2-2 record

BYU split its opening day doubleheader on the road against Western Kentucky. They went on to lose their 3rd game but came back to beat Western Kentucky 12-8 on Monday.

12. Oklahoma State (-8.5) 1-2 record

Oklahoma State was part of the Shriners Children's College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. They faced three ranked teams. The first two games didn't go well. The Cowboys lost 2-12 in only 8 innings against preseason No. 7 Arkansas. Game 2 didn't go any better. To add injury to insult, it was Bedlam. They lost to OU, 1-10. The Cowboys did bounce back on Sunday to beat preseason 17th-ranked Vanderbilt 11-1, also in 8 innings. It's always good to end on a good note. We'll see where they go from here.

13. #24 Arizona (-10.5) 0-3 record

Yes, the preseason #24 Wildcats got swept. Time to recalibrate. I expect they will course correct by their next series. Arizona lost to Stanford, preseason #12 Oregon State, and Michigan. The games weren't as lopsided as the weekend record. That's the glass-half-full outlook.

14. Texas Tech (11.5 ) 0-3 record

Texas Tech was the only team in the Shriners Children's College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, to not make the NCAA tournament last season. They were also the only team to go winless at this tournament. In game 3, the Raiders rallied in the 9th to take the lead but lost in 11 innings, 6-5. That hurts to even write. That's a terrible drive back to Lubbock. Hide all the water bottles.

Biggest Surprise

Can there be two? Arizona was a shocker, but let's keep it positive. The biggest early surprise is Houston coming in at #1. They did hit the road, beat a ranked team, and ended the weekend 4-0. That's not easy. They have UTRGV next weekend, against whom the Kansas Jayhawks just went 2-1. I expect Houston to fall slightly, even with a series win, because they aren't playing a ranked team

Sleeper

The sleeper is Kansas State. They swept their opening series, outscoring their opponents, Iowa, UConn, and Penn State, by a combined 46-14 runs. K-State has a tough weekend ahead as they play #9 Auburn at the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington. On Saturday, they play the Big 10's Nebraska, followed by Michigan on Sunday. If they survive that gauntlet, they will surge into the top tier.

It's only been three games (four for some), the road to Omaha is long, and it's already setting up to be an exciting ride.

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Ryann Zeller
RYANN ZELLER