MUSINGS FROM THE DISCH
Well, the last Big 12 conference series of the season and for Texas, the last Big 12 series EVER is upon us. All that stands between Texas and the SEC is a three game series between Texas and Kansas, the Big 12 Tournament, and of course, the little ol thing called the NCAA Tournament.
The Horns enter this week having won five conference series in a row and have now won 8 of the 9 conference series played. In fact, if it weren't for rival Oklahoma having recorded an impressive six sweeps this season, albeit against the middle to bottom of the Big 12, the Horns would be in outstanding position to challenge for a conference title.
The good news for the Horns is that they have not been swept this season. The bad news is that the Horns have only swept one team this season and that was Cal Poly all the way back in February. Over the first 26 games of the season, the Horns went 15-11, whereas during the last 26 games, the Horns are 17-11.
Looking at the last weekend series of the season, I think the safest thing to assume is that Oklahoma State sweeps a poor Houston squad to solidify the 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, especially given the fact that the Pokes have a half game lead on both Texas and West Virginia due to the cancelled game against Texas Tech. That then pits the Horns v. West Virginia for the 3 and 4 seed, seeing as how Cincinnati, who is just a game behind Texas and West Virginia, plays Big 12 champion Oklahoma.
Texas will host Kansas, while West Virginia travels to TCU. Seeing as how Texas has not been able to sweep a single team this season, I expect that the Horns will come away with a 2-1 record against Kansas, leaving the Horns with a 19-11 record. TCU has not played great this season, but can be dangerous at home, especially as they will be playing for their NCAA Tournament lives, while West Virginia is playing better as of late. Should be a very interesting series to determine the 3 and 4 seed in the Big 12 tournament.
Overall, based on the pitching staff, I still feel like the Horns ceiling is NCAA Regionals, unless they can simply out hit the other teams in a Regional.
While the season is not complete, I think it is safe to say that the overall season would be graded a B-.
USELESS STAT(S) OF THE DAY
BIG 12 RECAP
BIG 12 STANDINGS:
BIG 12 RPI
TOP 25 RANKINGS
Horns are back in the Rankings at #25...well well well
NCAA TOURNAMENT PROJECTIONS:
Likely that the Big 12 still gets 7 teams into the NCAA Tourney (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, West Virginia, Kansas State, TCU, and UCF)
TEXAS NIL UPDATE
For those that complain about the Horns activity in recruiting the top high prep players and more importantly, kids in the transfer portal, consider donating to the Texas One Fund. There are some outstanding candidates to join the program as Texas enters the SEC and donations are needed. TEXAS ONE FUND
Well, the last Big 12 conference series of the season and for Texas, the last Big 12 series EVER is upon us. All that stands between Texas and the SEC is a three game series between Texas and Kansas, the Big 12 Tournament, and of course, the little ol thing called the NCAA Tournament.
The Horns enter this week having won five conference series in a row and have now won 8 of the 9 conference series played. In fact, if it weren't for rival Oklahoma having recorded an impressive six sweeps this season, albeit against the middle to bottom of the Big 12, the Horns would be in outstanding position to challenge for a conference title.
The good news for the Horns is that they have not been swept this season. The bad news is that the Horns have only swept one team this season and that was Cal Poly all the way back in February. Over the first 26 games of the season, the Horns went 15-11, whereas during the last 26 games, the Horns are 17-11.
Looking at the last weekend series of the season, I think the safest thing to assume is that Oklahoma State sweeps a poor Houston squad to solidify the 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, especially given the fact that the Pokes have a half game lead on both Texas and West Virginia due to the cancelled game against Texas Tech. That then pits the Horns v. West Virginia for the 3 and 4 seed, seeing as how Cincinnati, who is just a game behind Texas and West Virginia, plays Big 12 champion Oklahoma.
Texas will host Kansas, while West Virginia travels to TCU. Seeing as how Texas has not been able to sweep a single team this season, I expect that the Horns will come away with a 2-1 record against Kansas, leaving the Horns with a 19-11 record. TCU has not played great this season, but can be dangerous at home, especially as they will be playing for their NCAA Tournament lives, while West Virginia is playing better as of late. Should be a very interesting series to determine the 3 and 4 seed in the Big 12 tournament.
Overall, based on the pitching staff, I still feel like the Horns ceiling is NCAA Regionals, unless they can simply out hit the other teams in a Regional.
While the season is not complete, I think it is safe to say that the overall season would be graded a B-.
USELESS STAT(S) OF THE DAY
- Batting - Horns rank 4th in the Big 12
- Pitching - Horns rank 5th in the Big 12
- Fielding - Horns rank 5th in the Big 12
- Hitting Average: Jared Thomas (6th) and Jalin Flores (10th)
- Slugging%: Max Belyeu (3rd), Jalin Flores (4th), and Jared Thomas (7th)
- OPS: Max Belyeu (3rd), Jared Thomas (8th), and Jalin Flores (10th)
- Hits: Jared Thomas (1st), Jalin Flores (3rd), and Peyton Powell (6th)
- RBIs: Jalin Flores (7th) and Max Belyeu (9th)
- Doubles: Jalin Flores (5th)
- Home Runs: Jalin Flores (1st), Max Belyeu (2nd), and Jared Thomas (9th)
- Stolen Bases: Jared Thomas (6th)
- ERA: Max Grubbs (5th) and Ace Whitehead (9th)
- Saves: Gage Boehm (3rd)
- Hits Allowed: Ace Whitehead (2nd)
- Runs Allowed: Ace Whitehead (2nd) and Max Grubbs (10th)
- Walks Allowed: Max Grubbs (1st) and Ace Whitehead (9th)
- Wild Pitches: Lebarron Johnson Jr (1st)
- Hits: 39th (524)
- Doubles: 13th (117)
- Home Runs: 10th (103)
- ERA: 53rd (4.94)
BIG 12 RECAP
- Baylor (21-29, 9-18 Big 12): Bears got swept by the Sooners, helping eliminate them from Big 12 Tournament contention
- Next Up: Bears travel to TCU on Tuesday for a non-conference matchup and then host UCF for the final conference series of the season
- BYU (19-29, 6-21 Big 12): Cougars got swept by Cincinnati at home
- Next Up: Cougars host Grand Canyon on Tuesday and then travel to Kansas State for the final conference series of the season
- Cincinnati (30-21, 16-11 Big 12): Bearcats swept BYU on the road, keeping their very slim NCAA Tournament chances alive
- Next Up: Bearcats host UConn on Tuesday and then host Oklahoma for the final conference series of the season
- Houston (25-26, 7-19 Big 12): Cougars beat Kansas for the first game, but then lost the next two to Kansas
- Next Up: Cougars will play Sam Houston on Tuesday and then host Oklahoma State for the final conference series of the season
- Kansas (29-18, 15-12 Big 12): Jayhawks lost the first game, but bounced back to win the series against Houston
- Next Up: Jayhawks travel to Austin to face Texas for the final conference series of the season
- Kansas State (29-21, 13-14 Big 12): Wildcats won the first game against West Virginia, but then dropped the next two to lose the series
- Next Up: Wildcats host South Dakota State on Tuesday, then host BYU for the final conference series of the season
- Oklahoma (32-17, 21-6 Big 12): Sooners swept a hapless Baylor squad to win their first outright Big 12 regular season championship
- Next Up: Sooners travel to Xavier on Tuesday and then travel to Cincinnati for the final conference series of the season
- Oklahoma State (34-16, 17-9 Big 12): Cowboys won their first two games against Texas Tech, before having the third cancelled by weather
- Next Up: Cowboys travel to Houston for the final conference series of the season
- TCU (30-17, 13-14 Big 12): Frogs split a pair of games with New Mexico State, before having the finale cancelled due to weather
- Next Up: Frogs host Baylor for a non-conference game on Tuesday and then host West Virginia for the final conference series of the season
- Texas (32-20, 17-10 Big 12): Horns travelled to Orland and won the series, their 8th conference series
- Next Up: Horns host Kansas for the final conference series of the season
- Texas Tech (30-22, 12-17 Big 12): Red Raiders lost both games played against Oklahoma State, with the third being cancelled, likely ending any chance of an NCAA Tourney berth
- Next Up: Red Raiders travel to Arizona to play two games against Arizona State and a game against UNLV
- UCF (31-17, 12-14 Big 12): Knights hosted Texas over the weekend and came away with a series loss
- Next Up: Knights host Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday before travelling to Baylor for the final conference series of the season
- West Virginia (31-19, 17-10 Big 12): Mountaineers lost the first game of the series to Kansas State, before bouncing back to the win the final two home games of Coach Mazey's career
- Next Up: Mountaineers travel to Fort Worth to take on TCU for the final conference series of the season
BIG 12 STANDINGS:
- Oklahoma (21-6)
- Oklahoma State (17-9)
- West Virginia (17-10)
- Texas (17-10)
- Cincinnati (16-11)
- Kansas (15-12)
- TCU (13-14)
- Kansas State (13-14)
- UCF (12-14)
- Texas Tech (12-17)
- Baylor (9-18)
- Houston (7-19)
- BYU (6-21)
BIG 12 RPI
- Oklahoma - 15
- Oklahoma State - 17
- Kansas State - 36
- TCU - 38
- UCF - 40
- West Virginia - 41
- Texas - 44
- Cincinnati - 53
- Texas Tech - 54
- Kansas - 65
- Houston - 107
- BYU - 130
- Baylor - 128
TOP 25 RANKINGS
Horns are back in the Rankings at #25...well well well
NCAA TOURNAMENT PROJECTIONS:
Likely that the Big 12 still gets 7 teams into the NCAA Tourney (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, West Virginia, Kansas State, TCU, and UCF)
- Oklahoma - Top 16 host
- Oklahoma State - possible Top 16 host (need to sweep Houston and win two in Arlington)
- Texas - 2 seed
- Kansas State - 3 seed
- Kansas - would need to make a deep run, if not outright win the Big 12 tournament
- Texas Tech - they are out of the tournament, likely need to win the Big 12 tournament to get in
- Cincinnati - a series win would certainly help get them in the tourney, otherwise, likely need to win a couple games in Arlington
- TCU - a series win over West Virginia and a couple of games in Arlington and the Frogs should get in as a 3 seed
- West Virginia - 3 seed
- UCF - 3 seed likely, but need to win the weekend series and potentially win a game in Arlington
- Baylor - did not qualify for Big 12 tourney
- Houston - did not qualify for Big 12 tourney
- BYU - did not qualify for Big 12 tourney
TEXAS NIL UPDATE
For those that complain about the Horns activity in recruiting the top high prep players and more importantly, kids in the transfer portal, consider donating to the Texas One Fund. There are some outstanding candidates to join the program as Texas enters the SEC and donations are needed. TEXAS ONE FUND
