Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech have punched tickets to the 2016 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship field with the Frogs and Red Raiders serving as regional hosts.
Competition is slated for Friday, June 3 through Monday, June 6 (if necessary) with all games on ESPN3 (at a minimum).
Overall, the Big 12 has totaled 101 NCAA appearances and is 203-147 in regional games.
The Big 12 has sent multiple teams to Super Regional action in 13 years, including in five of the past six seasons. The league had four Super Regional squads host in 2014 (Oklahoma State, Texas, TCU and Texas Tech).
Additionally, the league has had 19 teams advance to the College World Series, including three in 2014 (Texas, TCU and Texas Tech).
The Red Raiders and Frogs enter the week ranked in the top 15 nationally on five lists, with TTU as high as No. 7 and TCU as high as No. 9. The Cowboys rank as high as No. 18.
Picked to finish fifth in the coaches preseason poll, TTU won the conference regular-season championship for the second time in league history after winning the inaugural title in 1997. It marks just the second time a team picked to finish fifth or lower has gone on to win the regular season (2013, Kansas State - 7th and 1999, Texas A&M - 5th).
The Big 12 is the only “Power Five” conference in which a different league team has won the regular season each of the past six seasons (2016 - Texas Tech, 2015 - TCU, 2014- Oklahoma State, 2013 - K-State, 2012 - Baylor, 2011 - Texas/Texas A&M).
TCU earned the league’s automatic qualification following a dramatic 10-inning 11-10 win over West Virginia in the Big 12 Championship finale. The Frogs have reached Omaha each of the past two years and have a conference title three of their four seasons in the Big 12.
This marks Tech’s first national seed while a member of the league. The Big 12 has totaled 18 national seeds.
18 of the league’s 19 CWS teams have hosted and won a home super regional to advance to Omaha.
Each of the 16 regionals features four teams, playing a double-elimination format. Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced on www.NCAA.com/cws, Monday, June 6, at approximately 10 p.m. CT.
CLEMSON REGIONAL SCHEDULE (OKLAHOMA STATE)
Oklahoma State opens against Nebraska on Friday at 11 a.m. CT. No. 7 national seed Clemson and Western Carolina also make up the regional field.
Oklahoma State makes its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Baseball Championship in 2016.
OSU is making its 42nd appearance all-time, which ranks as fourth most, and the Cowboys own a 140-89 (.611) record in the tourney, with the 140 wins seventh all-time. The Cowboys have also made 19 CWS appearances, which is tied for sixth all time.
OSU is seeking to advance to its fourth NCAA Super Regional (1999, 2007, ‘14).
The Cowboys’ coaching staff is no stranger to the College World Series, with Josh Holliday and Rob Walton combining for nine CWS appearances as either a player or coach.
OSU finished 2016 with 12 conference weekly award winners, the most by a team in a single season in Big 12 history (previous record was 11 by Baylor in 2012). The Cowboys also set a record with seven pitcher of the week honorees.
Nearly half of the Cowboys’ games this season were decided by two runs or less (27 of 56).
Plays winner of Columbia Regional - Duke, Rhode Island, South Carolina, UNC Wilmington.
FORT WORTH REGIONAL SCHEDULE (TCU)
TCU faces Oral Roberts Friday night at 6:30 p.m., while Gonzaga and Arizona State meet earlier in the day from Fort Worth.
The TCU Horned Frogs, hosting their sixth regional in program history, are back in the regionals for the 12th time in the last 13 years.
This is the Frogs’ 14th overall trip to the regionals. The previous 13 trips came in 1956, ‘94, 2004-12, ‘14 and ‘15.
TCU is one of just 12 teams nationally to play in 12 of the last 13 regionals.
The Horned Frogs are one of just seven schools to serve as a host for the third consecutive season.
The Frogs’ 22-inning regional contest against Sam Houston State on May 31 last season marked the second-longest postseason game in NCAA history.
TCU has won a conference championship each of the last three years (2014, 2016 postseason championship; 2015 Regular Season).
The Frogs are one of five teams in the Big 12’s history to make multiple appearances in the CWS as a member of the league with Texas the only other current member who can make that claim.
Plays winner of College Station Regional - Binghamton, Minnesota, Texas A&M, Wake Forest.
LUBBOCK REGIONAL SCHEDULE (TEXAS TECH)
Tech takes on Fairfield in the first game from the Lubbock Regional on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. New Mexico and Dallas Baptist square off that evening.
This is the fourth time in school history where Tech has been selected as an NCAA Regional host.
TTU is 20-21 over 10 appearances in the NCAA Championship.
The Red Raiders previously hosted the regional round in 1996 and 1997 when six teams traveled to one site and then again during the 1999 season.
The Red Raiders have made eight previous NCAA appearances while members of the league (1997-2002, ‘04, ‘14).
En route to its 2014 College World Series appearance, Tech won the Coral Gable Regional, shutting out Miami (Fla.) twice. TTU would then blank College of Charleston, 1-0, twice in the Lubbock Super Regional.
The Red Raiders, the Big 12 regular-season champions, head into the postseason with a 41-16 overall record, the 13th 40-win season in program history.
Texas Tech became the fifth team to win multiple regular season crowns in the league’s 20-year history.
Tim Tadlock served as an assistant on the 2010 Oklahoma team that advanced to Omaha.
Plays winner of Charlottesville Regional - Bryant, East Carolina, Virginia, William & Mary.