College Baseball Preseason Rankings: SEC, Big 12 Teams Litter Top 50
College Baseball is one of the most underrated and under appreciated sports in the world. For those who live in the south and west, it's the first hope of warmer weather and spring. And, if you're not into the College World Series, well, I can't help you.
If you're new to college baseball and are unsure about how into the sport you want to get, allow me to help you along (note: start at 1:10 if it doesn't automatically):
Okay, now that we've got you hooked, let's look at where some of the Big 12 programs and teams from around the state of Texas rank for this coming season.
TCU Baseball
Infielder Brayden Taylor earned Freshman All-American honors by several media outlets in 2021.
In 2021, the TCU Horned Frogs hosted their own regional, but were bested by Dallas Baptist. The Frogs aren't strangers to the postseason and even hosting their own regionals; over the past 13 years, TCU has made five appearances in the College World Series (2010, '14, '15, '16, '17).
Perfect Game is the highest on TCU, putting them eighth nationally, second in the Big 12. College Baseball is a bit more reserved, placing TCU 13th overall. College Baseball Nation's top 50 clocks the Frogs in at No. 31 overall. That puts them fourth in the Big 12 and fourth among Texas schools.
D1 Baseball ranks TCU 17th in the nation, behind three Big 12 teams (Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech).
Kirk Saarloos begins his first year as head coach of TCU baseball with a talented and experienced roster.
For more on TCU baseball, including their schedule, check out our latest baseball article.
Big 12: Baseball's Other Powerhouse
Texas DH Ivan Melendez celebrates a home run with his teammates in the College World Series.
When it comes to college baseball, the SEC reigns supreme. A mixture of more temperate weather and recruiting access to both Texas and Florida gives a major leg-up when it comes to the league.
The Big 12 isn't far behind. The Texas Longhorns are a popular choice as the nation's top team, per D1 Baseball, Collegiate Baseball, and College Baseball Nation. At Perfect Game, they rank second. A powerful young corps returns to a team that made it to the College World Series semifinals before being bested by eventual-champion Mississippi State.
Last season, three Big 12 teams hosted regionals: TCU, Texas, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Under consensus All American Jace Jung, Tech comes in ranked fourth by Collegiate Baseball, 12th by Perfect Game and D1 Baseball, and 20th by College Baseball Nation.
The Big 12 runners-up Oklahoma State Cowboys are the only other Big 12 team to be selected inside the top 25 by the three aforementioned sources (as highly as seventh per D1 Baseball). Oklahoma comes in at 32 with College Baseball Nation and 45th with Collegiate Baseball.
While not a part of the Big 12, Dallas Baptist has established themselves as a baseball dynasty just 45 minutes from TCU's campus. College Baseball Nation ranks them 22nd, D1 Baseball ranks them 22nd, and College Baseball at 32.
The Top 10: SEC Reigns King
Rankings are pulled from College Baseball Nation and the full list can be found here.
- Texas Longhorns
- Vanderbilt Commodores
- Mississippi State Bulldogs (reigning champions)
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Stanford Cardinal
- LSU Tigers
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Florida State Seminoles
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