The West Virginia University baseball team has impressed in its first 25 games of the season, as the Mountaineers stand at 19-6 and currently ranked No. 24 in the country.
The Mountaineers have made their money in non-conference play, winning four out of five three-game series, including two series wins against Power 5 opponents against Arizona and Minnesota.
Despite the early success out of conference, the Mountaineers are about to face challenge after challenge as they dive head first into Big 12 conference play.
The Big 12 is among the best conferences in college baseball every year, but the big dogs in the conference such as Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State have taken their fair share of beatings this season. While each of these teams are in the top 25, the highest ranked Big 12 team is Oklahoma State at No. 17.
Before WVU begins Big 12 play, let’s take a look at each team in the conference and what threats they can pose to the Mountaineers.
Oklahoma State Cowboys:
Oklahoma State had a strong season in 2022, going 42-22 overall. The Cowboys were able to host a regional in Stillwater, but Arkansas ended up advancing from the region.
Oklahoma State knows how to win, as the Cowboys won 12 straight at one point in the young season, while also sweeping Baylor in conference play.
Oklahoma State has a truly intimidating hitter to round out its order, as freshman 1B/OF Nolan Schubart is batting .402 with eight home runs and 31 runs batted in. Outside of Schubart, Oklahoma State has five other hitters batting at least .300, so getting outs against this Cowboy lineup will be a challenge.
Oklahoma Sooners:
As for the Cowboys’ counterpart, the Oklahoma Sooners have struggled a bit in 2023 after making it all the way to the finals in the College World Series last year. The Sooners are currently 13-12.
The Sooners have played two Big 12 series’ thus far, winning two of three games against TCU, but a recent sweep at Kansas State has halted any momentum they might have picked up.
Kansas State Wildcats:
Kansas State has gotten off to a steady start in 2023, posting an 18-9 record in 27 games. While West Virginia is the known base-stealing team in the Big 12 with the “Mazey-Ball” style of play, Kansas State may be challenging the Mountaineers in that field this season, as the Wildcats are currently seventh in the nation in stolen bases with 69.
Kansas Jayhawks:
The Jayhawks were not picked to finish last in the Big 12 conference this season, but they were picked eighth, and that pick seems to be accurate, as the Jayhawks have struggled through 23 games, only accumulating nine wins so far. In one Big 12 series, Kansas was swept on the road at TCU.
Texas Longhorns:
Texas, who comes into Big 12 play ranked No. 21 in the country, brings a 19-7 record into conference play after starting the season 0-3 after playing SEC blue bloods such as Arkansas and Vanderbilt. The Longhorns are one of the hottest teams in America, with a 15-game winning streak going on that includes a sweep of No. 22 Texas Tech and a win over SEC rival Texas A&M.
Texas has some premier athletes at the plate with Peyton Powell leading the way with a .416 batting average with five homers and 19 runs batted in. The Longhorns also have Eric Kennedy and Porter Brown, who both have six or more homers with batting averages over .350.
Texas Tech Red Raiders:
Texas Tech comes in ranked right behind Texas at No. 22 in the country with an 18-8 record thus far. While talented, the Red Raiders have proven to be streaky, but when they are on their game, this squad can be tough to derail. The Red Raiders started the season 10-0, and took down Oklahoma State in a three-game series in mid-March, but since then, Tech has lost four straight games.
Gavin Kash is the leader at the plate for the Red Raiders, as the sophomore infielder is currently batting .417 with nine home runs and 38 runs batted in. The Red Raiders also have two other hitters (Kevin Bazzell and Gage Harrelson) who hit over .300 in at least 100 at-bats.
TCU Horned Frogs:
TCU, like most years, is a very daunting team to face, as the Horned Frogs are currently 16-9, despite not being in the national rankings.
The Horned Frogs have proven they can play with the best of them, as SEC powers Arkansas and Vanderbilt fell to TCU in Fort Worth to start the season. In Big 12 plat, TCU lost a series at Oklahoma, but made up for it with a sweep over Kansas at home.
As many West Virginia fans know, former Mountaineer standout Austin Davis is now a member of the Horned Frogs. In his senior season, Davis is batting .286 with six home runs and 21 runs batted in.
Baylor Bears:
Out of nine teams, Baylor was picked ninth in the preseason Big 12 poll. The Bears are currently 9-16 on the season but did account for a series win over Kansas State to begin conference play.
