Big 12 Baseball Power Rankings: Texas Tech On Top; Hello, West Virginia

Where does our panel of fans rank each of the teams in the Big 12?

Twitter: @TTU_Baseball

Conference play is well underway, with all teams having played anywhere from two to four of their eight series with other Big 12 schools. And before this weekend’s games get underway, West Virginia sits at the top of the Big 12 standings at 5-1 with a win over TCU and a sweep over Baylor.

Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Texas are all powerhouses that sit in the Top 10 of all the national polls. West Virginia got the biggest bump in our weekly power rankings, jumping from seventh to fourth, forcing TCU, Oklahoma, and Baylor each to drop down one spot. The only other change week-over-week was Oklahoma State flipped with Texas and moved up to second place.

National rankings listed are based on current rankings by D1Baseball. Team records are through Sunday, April 10, and do not reflect any of this week’s midweek games.

Power Rankings

9. Kansas (13-17, 1-5), last week #9

The Jayhawks didn’t play a Big 12 series last week. They get a struggling Baylor team this weekend, so even winning a couple of games may not be enough to move them up. However, the difference between eight and nine in our poll is very thin, and given that KSU hosts a hot UT team, there’s hope for Kansas.

8. Kansas State (15-16, 1-8), last week #8

See above! Kansas State is barely hanging on to the eighth spot. They need not be swept by the Longhorns this week to stay in this position.

7. Baylor (16-15, 2-7), last week #6

The Bears got swept by West Virginia last week, breaking their pattern of going 1-2 in a conference series. They host Kansas this week, so who knows what will happen. Will they finally win a conference series? One of those teams will win their first.

6. Oklahoma (18-12, 4-5), last week #5

Oklahoma has been a great offensive team as of late. They won one in Stillwater but could have won another if it weren’t for three runs by the Pokes in the bottom of the ninth. They get their Big 12 bye week this weekend, so look for them to improve their overall record.

5. TCU (21-11, 7-4), last week #4

The Horned Frogs went 2-2 last week, which sure was better than the 1-4 from the week before. But their two-week slide dropped them out of all but one national poll (Perfect Game, #21). They played a tough, competitive series against Texas but still fell 1-2. It’s not getting any easier for the Frogs, who face Tech this weekend at home and then go to OSU next week. It’s time to see what these Frogs are really made of!

4. West Virginia (20-10, 5-1), last week #7

Don’t look now, but the Mountaineers sit at the top of the Big 12 standings. Sure, they were late to start and have only played two series, while every other team has played three, if not four. But for now, they are at the top with only one conference loss. They jumped the most this week, up three spots. They host the Cowboys this weekend—time to see if WVU is good or if the Pokes will send them tumbling.

3. #7 Texas (24-10, 5-4), last week #2

Last Friday night, Pete Hansen was on fire, pitching a complete game shutout over TCU. The Horns went 3-1 last week, but our voters still thought OSU was slightly better and moved UT down a notch. They get a struggling KSU team this weekend, so they could move back up next week, depending on what happens in Morgantown.

2. #5 Oklahoma State (23-9, 7-2), last week #3

It was Bedlam last weekend in Stillwater, and it lived up to its name for the first two games. Both the Friday and Saturday games were determined late in the game, with each team winning one of them. OSU certainly seems to be setting up a collision course for when they meet Texas Tech in a few weeks.

1. #4 Texas Tech (27-8, 7-2), last week #1

Once again, the Red Raiders find themselves at the top of our rankings. And this week, it wasn’t even close. They have a decent cushion in the voting between them and OSU. They are at TCU this weekend. If the Horned Frogs’ slide continues, look for Tech to easily stay right here.

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Note: Power Rankings are determined by a group of fans representing most of the ten schools currently in the Big 12 Conference.

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