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Oklahoma State holds on to top spot | Big 12 baseball power rankings

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

When last weekend's slate of Big 12 games wrapped up, Oklahoma baseball and surging West Virginia shared first place in the conference standings.

The Mountaineers have won seven Big 12 games in a row, including series sweeps of Kansas and Central Florida. The Sooners swept Kansas State over the weekend.

We aren't obligated to follow the standings, though, in the weekly Big 12 power rankings. Oklahoma State is one game out of first place, but the Cowboys have won four conference series in a row, including winning two of three at West Virginia and at home against Oklahoma.

Big 12 newcomer Cincinnati has given some legacy teams trouble, but that wasn't the case last weekend in Stillwater. Oklahoma State swept the Bearcats.

You can make a case for any of three teams to be atop the Big 12 power rankings. We're sticking with OSU for the second week in a row.

Here's how we put them in order this week. Records and rankings are as of Monday.

1. Oklahoma State (25-11, 10-5)

Oklahoma State's Brian Holiday (14) pitches during a Bedlam baseball game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the Oklahoma Sooners (OU) in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, April 6, 2024.

Last week: 1

What to know: The Cowboys, up to No. 17 in this week's USA TODAY Sports Top 25 coaches poll, lead the Big 12 in strikeouts and have eight pitchers with earned-run averages under 3.75. Top two starters Sam Garcia (4-3, 3.47) and Brian Holiday (3-2, 3.13) have combined for a 0.93 WHIP and 133 strikeouts to 18 walks.

2. West Virginia (22-13, 11-4)

Last week: 2

What to know: Lefthander Derek Clark sports a Big 12-best 2.15 ERA and threw nine innings for his fourth start in a row. The Mountaineers swept UCF 7-6, 7-5 and 11-10 and moved into the poll at No. 24.

3. Oklahoma (21-14, 11-4)

Last week: 3

What to know: Freshman shortstop Jaxon Willits hit his first five home runs of the season in his past seven games, and junior second baseman Jackson Nicklaus has five homers in his past 10 games. Nicklaus finished the weekend on the shelf with a hamstring injury, though.

4. Texas (22-15, 9-6)

Last week: 5

What to know: Last year, Lebarron Johnson Jr. was 8-4 with a 2.91 ERA. As the Longhorns' No. 1 starter this season, he's 1-3 with a 5.57 ERA and hasn't lasted more than three innings in his past four appearances.

5. Central Florida (21-12, 8-10)

Last week: 4

What to know: UCF is second in the Big 12 in team ERA, first in fielding and third from the bottom in slugging and home runs. The upshot: The Knights play a lot of close, relatively low-scoring games. Helps explain how they won series against Oklahoma State, Kansas, Texas Tech and Kansas State and got swept by Oklahoma and West Virginia.

6. Texas Tech (26-11, 9-9)

Last week: 7

What to know: Tech bashed its way to winning eight games in a row, a season-best streak. Then the Red Raiders dropped the last two in a three-game series at TCU, making them 3-8 in their past 11 games in Fort Worth.

7. Kansas State (21-13, 7-8)

Last week: 6

What to know: K-State, after getting off to a hot start in Big 12 play, is 1-7 in its past eight conference games. Oh, and up next in conference are Oklahoma State and preseason favorite TCU on the road.

8. Cincinnati (20-16, 7-8)

Last week: 8

What to know: Getting swept at Oklahoma State dropped Cincinnati from a tie for third to a tie for seventh in the Big 12 standings. That sounds a little more believable.

9. Kansas (19-14, 7-8)

Last week: 9

What to know: Third baseman Michael Brooks had two home runs and seven RBI in an 18-7 rout of Pacific. That touched off a three-game sweep of a non-conference series.

10. TCU (22-12, 7-11)

Last week: 10

What to know: TCU won only its second of its first six Big 12 series, taking two from Texas Tech. Struggling starter Kole Klecker struck out the side in the ninth for his first save in Saturday's 4-2 victory.

11. Baylor (16-18, 8-7)

Last week: 13

What to know: That Baylor is below .500 more than 30 games into the season isn't surprising. The surprise is the Bears finished last weekend in fifth place and above .500 in the conference after sweeping Brigham Young in Provo.

12. Brigham Young (14-18, 6-12)

Last week: 11

What to know: Cougars produced the eye-opening outcome of the week two weekends ago by taking two of three at Texas. Then they came home and got swept by Baylor.

13. Houston (17-18, 5-13)

Last week: 12

What to know: Good news is, Houston snapped an 11-game conference losing streak in the series opener at Texas. Bad news is, the Cougars lost the last two in Austin, blowing an 8-5 ninth-inning lead in the finale.