Big 12 Baseball: Three Must-Watch Games for Week 4
A few weekends of baseball are already in the books for the 2023 season, and the action continues to heat up as Big 12 Conference season play nears. A pair of teams now are in the D1Baseball Top 25, and they’re the expected suspects, with preseason league favorite TCU leading those at No. 10 and Oklahoma State just behind at No. 13. Some others are receiving votes in polls.
With that said, there are some intriguing matchups for weekend No. 4. Here are three games that you absolutely cannot miss if you are a Big 12 baseball fan.
3. No. 10 TCU (7-5) vs. San Diego (5-6-1)
Date: Friday, March 10 | Time: 6:30 p.m. CT | Location: Fort Worth, TX | TV: ESPN+
You can’t just wipe it away, but this matchup looks a lot different if the Toreros didn’t endure an awful showing in the Pacific Northwest over the past few days. They were swept in four games by Oregon in Eugene, then also lost in the mid-week to Oregon State in Corvallis. That dropped them below .500 after they won five of their first seven, with a loss and a tie.
San Diego brings with it to the Lone Star State a pair of really solid starters in James Sashin and Garrett Rennie. The Horned Frogs, of course, counter with the likes of Ryan Vanderhei and Cam Brown. For the sake of this discussion, we’ll eye a probable series opening matchup of Sashin vs. Vanderhei. Who will have the upper hand? Can Vanderhei slow down Toreros’ team-leading slugger Jack Costello, who already has six bombs, and can TCU’s offense figure out Sashin?
2. Oklahoma (8-5) vs. Houston (5-7)
Date: Friday, March 10 | Time: 6:30 p.m. CT | Location: Houston, TX | TV: ESPN+
It’s figure it out as they go for the Sooners’ offense, and they’re doing that with each passing game. They’ve now scored at least eight runs in six straight games and racked up a combined 19 runs in a two-game sweep over UNLV in the midweek. Key cogs Anthony Mackenzie, Dakota Harris, Easton Carmichael and Jackson Nicklaus are really getting going.
Now it’s about continuing that momentum against a less-than-stellar Cougars pitching staff. On paper, Oklahoma should keep the train rolling in, but that’s not always the case. Kale Davis, who transferred from Oklahoma State in the offseason, will get the ball. He’s compiled a 1-0 record with a 4.40 ERA, striking out nine to five walks in 14.1 innings thus far.
1. Texas Tech (12-2) vs. No. 23 Iowa (10-1)
Date: Sunday, March 12 | Time: 1:00 p.m. CT | Location: Lubbock, TX | TV: ESPN+
This is a premier matchup and one we could easily see in the postseason. The Red Raiders slipped out of the ranks after dropping two of three in the Shriners Children’s College Classic, but don’t let that fool you. This is a very good team and a squad that has a prime chance to bounce back this weekend in a big way.
Iowa, though, is a very formidable foe, boasting flamethrower and potential MLB first round draft pick Brody Brecht. In fact, Brecht has so much potential people are questioning why he’s playing football at Iowa as well as a two-sport star. The Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American from a year ago has a 1-0 record with a 2.19 ERA and 22 strikeouts to 11 walks in 12.1 innings. He’ll be the Red Raiders’ task in what could be a rubber match, unless the Hawkeyes elect to throw him a day earlier. So, the boys from West Texas better bring their lumber on their home diamond.
