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Some coaches play up a big conference series; others take it another direction.
But there’s no denying this is a huge weekend in Big 12 baseball. On the line are first place, NCAA regional hosting possibilities and inclusion in the NCAA and Big 12 tournaments.
For Kansas State coach Brad Hill, whose Wildcats stand in eighth place, the trip to Oklahoma means everything. K-State is one-half game ahead of the Sooners, and the top eight teams qualify for the league tournament.
“It’s us and OU sitting there in a must-win situation for both,” Hill said.
Texas A&M coach Rob Childress takes a different approach. The first-place Aggies travel to second-place Nebraska. Both are ranked in the top 10 in the three major baseball polls, with Nebraska as high as No. 5 and A&M as high as sixth.
“It’s just another conference weekend,” Childress said. “This one won’t count any more or less than the others.”
No, but there are some reasons this weekend might be a tad bigger for Childress and the Aggies. First, Childress is returning to his former home. He was a Cornhuskers assistant, along with current Nebraska coach Mike Anderson, when the program started taking great strides about a decade ago.
Childress took over at Texas A&M three years ago and had a dismal first season. The Aggies rebounded to reach a super regional last year, and this year they are riding a Big 12-record 15-game winning streak in league games.
Also, the series will have a postseason feel. More than 5,000 reserve tickets have been sold for each game, and it wouldn’t be unheard of to have as many as 8,000.
“It’s been charged-up in anticipation of this for a few weeks,” Anderson said.
Kansas State is coming off consecutive victories over ranked teams, Missouri and Arizona State. With an RPI that has steadily climbed, it’s not impossible for the Wildcats, 23-25, to rally for an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. But getting at least eighth place in the Big 12 is the main objective.
“The hard part is getting through the Big 12 — it’s such a grind,” Hill said.
Then there’s Missouri-Kansas at Lawrence. Both recently have played their way into firmer tournament footing, with the Tigers looking like a solid NCAA Tournament selection and the Jayhawks, after sweeping Oklahoma last weekend, sitting in seventh and in good position to qualify for the league tournament.
| Team (Big 12 rec.) | Weekend opp. | Comment |
| 1. Texas A&M (18-3) | at Nebraska | Hasn’t lost conference game since March 23 |
| 2. Nebraska (15-5-1) | Texas A&M | A series victory would help super regional host chances |
| 3. Okla. State (14-7) | Texas Tech | Cowboys have won 12 of last 14 |
| 4. Missouri (11-10) | at Kansas | Tigers owe Jayhawks after loss at Kauffman |
| 5. Texas (12-12) | open | No Big 12 series sweep this season |
| 6. Baylor (10-14) | open | Slipping on the at-large bubble |
| 7. Kansas (8-13) | Missouri | Jayhawks face Topeka’s Aaron Crow in opener |
| 8. Kansas State (7-14) | at Oklahoma | Wildcats hope to catch Sooners while they’re reeling |
| 9. Oklahoma (6-14-1) | Kansas State | Once-promising season has gone south |
| 10. Texas Tech (6-15) | at Okla. State | One Red Raiders victory would be a miracle |
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