The month of March is one of the best months for sports. 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, Big 12 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.
How Good is UCF?
This probably seems like a silly question to some since the Knights are number one in my weekly power rankings, but I feel like it is a fair question since it’s still so early in the year. UCF started out conference play with a clean sweep over Oklahoma State and then went to Fort Worth to take two out of three against the most talented team in the conference with TCU.
Now they get Arizona, who is struggling but are also a team with no shortage of talent. UCF’s pitching has been surprising so far this season as they are second in ERA in the Big 12 sitting at 4.43. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have been struggling to score runs so that will be something to keep an eye on.
If UCF can get another series win this weekend that means that they will have beaten the Big 12 preseason number one and number two already and it’s not even the end of March. Nobody else in the conference can say that and it would show that the Knights truly are the number one team in the Big 12.
Battle for the Saddle
Last week we saw UCF come into Fort Worth and take two out of three from TCU and this weekend the Frogs welcome the Red Raiders of Texas Tech. Things haven’t gone well since conference play began for TCU as they have dropped their first two series of the year.
One of the biggest disappointments so far for the Frogs has been their pitching with a team ERA of 6.59. The good news for them is that Tech is right there with them at 7.36, which means neither team has been great on the mound.
However, Texas Tech has one of the best offenses in the Big 12 and if there’s one thing they can do it’s put up a lot of runs in a hurry. TCU has struggled at the plate mightily and if there was ever a time for the bats to break out of a slump, it would be this weekend. I expect a ton of runs this weekend and it’s anyone’s guess who comes out on top.
Two Contenders, One Winner
Out of all the matchups this weekend, none excites me more than the one happening in Tempe, Arizona where the Sun Devils are hosting the Mountaineers. Both teams pitch well and have been exceptional at the plate this season. In fact, you can make an argument that these are maybe the two most complete teams in the conference.
Arizona State got some welcomed news this week with Nu’u Contrades returning vs. New Mexico State and going 3-4 with a home run. That could be a game-changer for the line up. Also, Arizona State already has series wins over TCU and Kansas State while West Virginia has beaten Baylor and BYU. Even though the Sun Devils may be more battle tested up to this point, don’t sleep on this West Virginia team.
Call me crazy, but it wouldn’t shock me one bit if we saw these two playing in late May for a Big 12 title when the tournament rolls around.
