The month of March is one of the best months for sports. The NBA is going on, MLB is in spring training and of course, March Madness speaks for itself. Even though this month is more known for basketball, it also is the start of conference play in college baseball. And as basketball is starting to wind down, baseball is just starting to ramp up.
For those not familiar with college baseball, it truly is an underrated sport. There’s always plenty of action and upsets going on during any given day. With the start of conference play in the Big 12, here are several things to keep an eye on this weekend.
Desert Showdown
Out of all the matchups this weekend, one clearly stands out above this rest. Of course, I am talking about TCU heading west to Tempe to face Arizona State for a three-game series. The Horned Frogs were the heavy favorites to win the Big 12 this year and Arizona State was picked fourth.
While TCU had some early bumps against some tough opponents, they have managed to win eight out of their last nine games which included a series win over Tulane last weekend. Their stats may not look great on paper, but they still have the most talent on their roster from top to bottom. Plus, they had the toughest non-conference out of anyone in the Big 12.
As for Arizona State, they haven’t had that signature win yet this year. They have played a decent schedule, but they went 1-4 against SEC opponents. Offensively they have been great at the plate hitting .338 but they are going to face a tough battle going up against the arms of TCU. This weekend should tell us if TCU really is the best team in the Big 12 and how far Arizona State is from them.
Could West Virginia Make a Run?
One of the best stories out of the Big 12 right now is West Virginia. The Mountaineers are one of the best teams in the conference and were picked to finish third in the preseason poll. So far, they have delivered and then some with their impressive 11-3 record which leads the Big 12.
They have three road series wins against Georgia Southern, Liberty, and Kennesaw State which tells me that they that are ready. West Virginia has a top three offense in the conference and actually lead the Big 12 in team ERA at 3.10.
Now they will go on the road once again to face a scrappy Baylor team. West Virginia is better but it will be important for them to get off to a great start on the year if they truly are going to make a Big 12 title run.
Can Cincy Sweep?
You could make a case that the Bearcats are one of the most fun teams to watch in the conference. They pitch well, and they have one of the best offenses in the conference as well. In fact, as a team they have hit over the .300 mark and they have the third most homers thanks to Quinton Coats who has hit 12 so far this year.
At 14-4, they have the most wins in the Big 12 and while they may not have the most impressive resume out there, they did manage to complete a four-game sweep over UC San Diego which is was good.
This weekend they head west to take on a subpar BYU squad. A series win shouldn’t be a problem however, I believe this team is more than capable of sweeping the Cougars. Question is, can they do it? I say yes.
