It felt like the college baseball season just started, but unfortunately, the regular season is already in the books. Some schools have secured postseason spots, but for others, the Big 12 tournament was a final opportunity to make a statement for the selection committee.
D1Baseball recently released its final field of 64 projections of the year, and here is where the Big 12 stands heading into selection Monday.
Projected Regional Hosts
None
For the first time this year, D1Baseball doesn’t have a single Big 12 team projected as a regional host. That would be a real shame if that happened and it would be the first time since 2008 that the conference failed to get a single hosting bid in the field of 64.
Related: Top Three Takeaways from the Big 12 Baseball Tournament Championship
Projected No. 2 Seeds
TCU Horned Frogs
It’s really unfortunate that TCU went from a team who was predicted to host a regional, made it all the way to the conference championship, and still is expected to end up as a two-seed. Sure, they lost against Arizona in the big game, but I felt like they did enough to earn a hosting bid. Especially with a top 20 RPI.
West Virginia Mountaineers
It’s unfortunate that the Mountaineers won the regular season conference championship yet are really on the outside looking in when it comes to hosting a regional. Their RPI is at 28, which is not great for a hosting bid, but they did win a game in Arlington this week which should help there case. However, they needed to win the tournament this past week to really have a strong case to bring a regional back to Morgantown.
Kansas Jayhawks
If the Jayhawks would have made a run in the Big 12 tournament then we could be having a completely different conversation about this team. Their RPI is inside the top 25 and with a record of 43-15, they could have had a slight chance to host a regional which would have been incredible for this program.
Arizona
After winning the Big 12 tournament this past week, the Wildcats are guaranteed a spot in the postseason. There is absolutely no need to worry about a single thing if you are a Wildcat fan on selection Monday outside of where they end up.
Kansas State Wildcats
Much like the other two-seeds, Kansas State has nothing to worry about on Monday. But they are the lowest rated two seed in the Big 12 which means I would be interested to see what regional they end up in.
Projected No. 3 Seeds
Cincinnati Bearcats
Winning a game in the conference tournament seemed to go a long way for the Bearcats. Their RPI is in the 30’s and for the first time in a couple of weeks, I feel great about their chances to make the postseason with no worries.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Much like Cincinnati, Oklahoma State won a game in the Big 12 tournament which I felt was necessary for them to secure a spot in the postseason. However, their RPI is in the high forties which could be a slight cause for a concern on selection Monday. But as of this very moment, they are safe.
Arizona State Sun Devils
After falling to BYU in the opening game of the Big 12 tournament, the Sun Devils are near the chopping block. In fact, D1Baseball has them as one of the last four teams in which is a list no team should want to be on. Plus, their RPI is almost at 50 which doesn’t help their case either.
