Every baseball team in the Big 12 has played at least two conference series now. West Virginia (23-9, 3-3 Big 12) was the last team to reach that threshold. In fact, all other teams in the league have played at least three intra-conference series.
The Mountaineers, picked to finish sixth in the conference’s preseason poll, currently sit in fifth place in the Big 12 standings. With the program’s late start to league play, West Virginia is the odd case of being tied for the most overall wins among Big 12 teams but is also tied for the fewest wins against conference opponents thus far.
Here is what the conference standings look like as of now:
- 1. Texas (23-10, 6-3 Big 12)
- 2. TCU (20-12, 7-5 Big 12)
- 3. Oklahoma State (23-10, 7-5 Big 12)
- 4. Kansas (15-15, 5-4 Big 12)
- 5. West Virginia (23-9, 3-3 Big 12)
- 6. Kansas State (20-14, 6-6 Big 12)
- 7. Texas Tech (22-10, 4-5 Big 12)
- 8. Baylor (12-20, 4-8 Big 12)
- 9. Oklahoma (17-16, 3-6 Big 12)
It’s no surprise to see the top three teams sitting atop the league. Oklahoma State and Texas boast arguably the two best pitching staffs in the Big 12. Seeing Kansas that high, however, is a surprise. The Jayhawks were picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll, and after being swept by TCU have bounced back to sweep Baylor and take two of three games from West Virginia.
The two other surprises so far have been the somewhat slow starts in league play by Texas Tech and Oklahoma.
The Sooners, fresh off a trip to the College World Series in 2022, started conference play with a series victory over TCU. Oklahoma has since been swept by Kansas State and dropped a series against Baylor in Waco.
The Red Raiders were picked to come in third place in the preseason poll. TTU has played three series against Big 12 teams. Tech won a home series against Oklahoma State, was then swept on the road at Texas, but responded by taking two of three from TCU. Luckily for the Red Raiders, they have likely gotten the toughest part of their schedule out of the way.
West Virginia, meanwhile, is entering one of the most difficult portions of its regular season slate. Beginning this Friday, the Mountaineers will face Oklahoma State and TCU on back-to-back weekends, with the series against the Cowboys to be played in Stillwater.
A new team has claimed the Big 12 baseball regular season crown each of the last four seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 season). The last repeat regular season champion was Texas Tech in 2016-17. A team from the Lone Star State has claimed each of the last seven regular season titles, with Oklahoma State being the last team not based in Texas to be atop the Big 12 standings at the end of the regular season.
TCU took the regular season title in 2022.
