Around the Big 12: Cougars Clinch Tournament Spot
Cooper Vest homered and drove in two runs, and BYU battled past Texas Tech on Saturday, winning 6-5 in Provo. With the win and UCF’s loss to Baylor, BYU officially secured the final spot in the Big 12 tournament in Arlington, Texas.
The Cougars entered the week needing to match or beat Utah’s result and better UCF’s result to seal a spot. With the Utes splitting with TCU and the Knights falling twice to Baylor, BYU has achieved both goals. Regardless of what happens Saturday, BYU will be the No. 12 seed in the Big 12 tournament and face the No. 5 seed on Wednesday.
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Jake Porter only pitched one inning for BYU, but Garrison Sumner and Ashton Johnson held Texas Tech to eight hits and three runs over the final eight innings. Neither side scored after the sixth, when BYU took the lead for good on a Ryder Robinson two-run single.
Damian Bravo homered and drove in two for Texas Tech, which can finish as high as ninth if it wins the series finale on Saturday. With a loss, the Red Raiders will secure 11th place.
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Bears End Knights’ Tournament Hopes
Pearson Riebock hit a two-run home run during a four-run sixth inning, as Baylor overcame some early struggles to beat Central Florida 5-4 in Orlando. The loss eliminates the Knights from the Big 12 tournament going into the series finale.
Caleb Bunch and Grayson Murry combined to allow just three hits and one run over the game’s final 5.1 innings. The Bears are trying to hang on to the ninth seed and will secure it if they complete the sweep.
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Andrew Williamson and Antonio Jimenez both homered for Central Florida. The Knights got five shutout innings from Russell Sandefer, but he couldn’t get an out in the sixth before coming out of the game. The teams conclude the series Saturday.
Bearcats Shut Down Wildcats
Kerrington Cross led off with a home run, and that was all the offense Cincinnati needed. The Bearcats got plenty more in the first two innings, winning 7-0 over Kansas State at home.
Michael Quevedo, normally a reliable starter for K-State, didn’t have it on Friday. Quevedo lasted just 1.2 innings before getting chased. Tanner Duke pitched admirably well, scattering three hits and shutting out Cincinnati over the final six innings, but the damage was done.
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Carson Marsh pitched four scoreless innings before exiting. Brandon Scheurer got the win in relief, allowing two hits over 2.2 innings. The normally powerful Wildcats showed no punch, managing just seven hits with only two of them going for more than singles. Cincinnati won its second game in the series and looks to complete the sweep.
The winner of Saturday’s meeting will be the No. 6 seed in the Big 12 tournament. The loser will drop to the No. 7 seed.
Cowboys Clinch No. 8 Seed
Oklahoma State claimed its second straight win over Arizona State, sealing eighth place in the process. The Cowboys broke the game open with a three-run Nolan Schubart homer, and Oklahoma State earned a 9-6 win at home.
Few teams have helped themselves as much as Oklahoma State, which has now won eight of nine and climbed into at-large discussion. The Cowboys would play West Virginia in their second game if they win the first, not an exciting prospect for the Mountaineers.
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Neither Oklahoma State’s Mario Pesca nor Arizona State’s Jack Martinez appeared to have their best stuff, as each struggled with the opposition. Pesca did make it through five innings to earn his sixth win of the season.
Isaiah Jackson homered for the Sun Devils, who lost a three-run lead in the fifth inning. Arizona State needs either a win or an Arizona loss Saturday to secure one of the first-round byes available.
Arizona Explodes for Nine-Run Second
Easton Breyfogle and Garen Caufield both homered and drove in three runs each, lifting Arizona to a 13-4 rout of Houston.
The Wildcats now have a chance to steal one of the Big 12’s four byes in the conference tournament. The Wildcats sit a game back of first, trailing both TCU and Arizona State.
Aaron Walton had a game-high four hits for the Wildcats. Other than Tre Broussard, who homered and doubled, Houston got little going against Arizona. The Cougars did cash in four runs in the eighth, but by then, they already trailed by more than 10 runs.
Houston will finish somewhere between ninth and 11th in the league. Arizona’s most likely position is fifth.
Utes Eliminated Despite Beating Frogs
Tyler Quinn homered in a seven-run first inning, but it wasn’t enough to keep Utah alive. The Utes bested TCU 8-6, but BYU’s win elsewhere helped the Cougars clinch a tournament spot and meant Utah fell short of reaching the Big 12 tournament.
Merit Jones held TCU to four runs over six innings, good enough to claim the victory. The Frogs slowly battled back after opening the game in a 7-0 hole, which saw starter Caedmon Parker chased after getting one out in eight batters.
Noah Franco’s homer pulled the Frogs as close as one run, but an insurance marker in the eighth sealed TCU’s fate. The Frogs must win Saturday to secure a first-round bye. Utah’s season will be over after Saturday.
