Around the Big 12: Sun Devils Gain Ground on Mountaineers
Arizona State’s taking this race to the final weekend.
Brandon Compton and Isaiah Jackson both homered for the second straight game, and the Sun Devils got RBIs from eight of their nine starters, blasting Houston 13-1 on Sunday in Phoenix.
To win the Big 12 regular-season title outright, Arizona State would need to sweep Oklahoma State in Stillwater and have Kansas sweep West Virginia. The Sun Devils do not control their own destiny; they need the Jayhawks to win the series in Morgantown to have any chance at winning or sharing the Big 12 title.
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Easton Barrett pitched 5.1 innings to help the Sun Devils gain ground on West Virginia, scattering three hits and only allowing a solo home run to Xavier Perez. Perez’s homer was the only extra-base hit the Cougars got in seven innings. Big 12 games usually don’t include a mercy rule, but the league does use one for Sunday contests and implemented it here.
Houston finishes the regular season against Arizona. The Cougars need a win or losses by both BYU and UCF to clinch a Big 12 tournament spot.
Read More: Sun Devils Gain Ground on Mountaineers
Bearcats Damage Frogs’ Title Hopes
Derrick Pitts singled in the final run, one of three RBIs on the day, and Cincinnati salvaged its series finale with a 9-8 win over TCU on Sunday in Fort Worth.
The Frogs could have closed to two games back of West Virginia with a victory and had a chance to win the title outright. Instead, TCU’s best hope is a three or four-way share of the crown. The Frogs sit tied for third with Kansas and three back of West Virginia, but because Kansas must sweep West Virginia for TCU to win a share, the Frogs can do no better than a three-way tie for first.
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Pitts also homered in the sixth inning and was one of four Bearcats to do so. Max Bergmann held TCU to one hit in the ninth for a four-out save. With one more win, the Bearcats will ensure a top-eight finish in the league.
Sawyer Strosnider had two doubles and two RBIs to pace TCU. The Frogs will visit Utah to end the regular season, while the Bearcats will host Kansas State.
Knights Pound Red Raiders
Andrew Williamson hit for the cycle and stole a base, and Antonio Jimenez homered twice in a 15-6 UCF rout of Texas Tech in Lubbock.
The win put the Knights in control of their own destiny for making the Big 12 tournament. Central Florida can qualify by matching or bettering BYU and Utah’s results on the final weekend.
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Jimenez got the Knights started with a two-run homer in the first inning, and Williamson showed exactly why Texas Tech took the bat out of his hands Saturday by homering in the second. Logan Hughes and Damian Bravo both homered for Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders never got closer than three runs.
UCF will host Baylor to conclude the regular season. Texas Tech, which must win the Big 12 tournament to reach the NCAA tournament, finishes at BYU.
Error Costs Cowboys Against Bears
Wesley Jordan doubled in a run to help Baylor tie the game in the eighth, and Oklahoma State’s throwing error won it in the 10th, as Baylor claimed a 5-4 win on Sunday in Waco.
Oklahoma State held a 4-1 lead after its turn in the sixth, but Baylor slowly battled back from there. The Bears scored in two of their final four turns at bat before extras.
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In the 10th, Tyriq Kemp singled and reached second on a balk. Oklahoma State’s Hunter Watkins then got Jordan to fly out to right and walked Pierson Riebock, bringing Hunter Simmons to the plate. Simmons grounded to Drew Culbertson at short, but Culbertson mishandled the ball, allowing Kemp to score the winning run.
Baylor needs one more win to seal a Big 12 tournament spot. The Bears finish with UCF, while Oklahoma State meets Arizona State.
Wildcats Edge Utes in Finale
Easton Breyfogle’s RBI single in the eighth lifted Arizona past Utah, 8-7 on Sunday in Tucson.
The loss leaves Utah anchored to the bottom of the Big 12 with three games to play. The Utes must better BYU and UCF in the final series to make the conference tournament.
Drake DiGiorno gave Utah a chance with a two-run home run in the eighth, tying the game. But Arizona responded by bringing in Tony Pluta, who got the final six outs to close the door on the Utes.
Utah will play TCU to end the season. Arizona, which is playing for a first-round bye, closes against Houston.
