The 20th season of Big 12 baseball featured a memorable campaign as three league teams advanced to the NCAA College World Series in a historic postseason run.
Represented by Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech, the Big 12 sent multiple teams to Omaha for the sixth time in league history and three teams to the CWS for just the third time, including the second time in the past three seasons (2014). The Big 12 is the only conference to send three or more teams to Omaha in two of the past four years.
It was the 14th time one conference had sent three or more teams to the CWS in the same year. Of those occasions, the Big 12 became the second league to advance 100 percent of its bids (1990).
All three teams ranked in the top five nationally to close out the season with OSU at No. 3, TCU at No. 4 and TTU at No. 5. It’s the fourth time in conference history the league has had three or more teams finish in the top 10, including in 2014. It was the highest final finish for OSU and TTU while members of the league. TCU has finished ranked in the top five each of the past three seasons.
The Conference finished the 2016 postseason with a 20-9 record, including a 9-1 regional mark, 6-2 Super Regional record and a 5-6 showing at the CWS. The league defeated opponents from 12 different conferences during its postseason run. Oklahoma State and TCU went 2-0 to open the CWS, marking just the third time both teams to start 2-0 were from the same conference (1979, Southwest Conference and 2011, SEC).
The .750 Super Regional win percentage tied for the best in league history (in years with multiple teams) while the .900 regional mark is the highest produced by the conference.
Big 12 teams outscored their opponents 117-27 in the 20 postseason wins including 67-15 in 10 regional wins and 34-6 in six Super Regional victories.
The Big 12 knocked off three national seeds in the postseason, including the tournament champions from the ACC and SEC – Oklahoma State eliminated No. 7 Clemson, TCU eliminated No. 4 Texas A&M and Texas Tech eliminated No. 1 Florida.
The Big 12 became the second conference to win two Super Regionals on the road in the same year (ACC – 2006).
Oklahoma State (1999, 2016), TCU (2010, 2016) and Texas (2003, 2005) are among eight teams to win a road Super Regional twice since 1999. All-time, the Big 12’s five Super Regional series wins on the road are the most among all conferences.
TCU and Texas Tech are just two of six programs nationally to have advanced to the CWS twice in the past three seasons, while the Frogs are the only team to appear in the past three events.
The Big 12 has advanced seven of its 11 postseason teams to Omaha over the past three seasons – 64 percent.
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 years (2016 – Texas Tech, 2015 – TCU, 2014 – Oklahoma State, 2013 – Kansas State, 2012 – Baylor, 2011 – Texas/Texas A&M).
In 2016, Texas Tech claimed the Big 12 regular season title for the second time in league history and became the fifth team to win multiple crowns. Picked to finish fifth in the coaches’ preseason poll, it marked the third time a team picked to finish fifth or lower went on to win the regular season (2013, Kansas State and 1997, Texas A&M).
Tech posted a school-record 11-game conference winning streak, which ranked as the fifth-longest in league history. The Red Raiders’ 47 wins were the most by TTU during its time in the Big 12, while their .792 conference win percentage ranks as fourth highest all-time.
TCU won its second Big 12 postseason championship in the last three years setting the championship record for hits while at the event. With the exception of the Frogs’ two titles, a different team has won the event since 2011.
TCU topped the league in hitting, slugging percentage, runs, hits, triples, home runs, stolen bases, ERA and fewest walks allowed. This was the fifth season in league history in which the same team led the conference in batting and ERA. TCU, which accomplished the feat in 2015, is the only team to do so twice. The Frogs became the first league team to lead the league in batting average in back-to-back seasons since K-State in 2009-10. TCU also became the first team to lead the conference in hits for three straight seasons and also led the league for the third straight year in stolen bases, ERA and fewest walks allowed.
The Big 12 totaled 46 All-America selections, including five first team honors, eight second team selections and four third team distinctions plus 29 freshman All-America honors, including a conference-record 13 Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger distinctions. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma, 4), Thomas Hatch (Oklahoma State, 4), Eric Gutierrez (Texas Tech, 4) and Luken Baker (TCU, 3) earned multiple All-America honors on the season.
Oklahoma State (11, tied third most) and Texas Tech (10, fifth most) ranked in the top five for most players selected in this year’s MLB Draft as the Big 12 totaled 45 draftees.
The Big 12 finished with the third-best conference RPI in the nation as TCU, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State all ranked in the top 25.
Oklahoma State and Texas Tech both finished the year with a 10-2 conference road record, marking just the third time in Big 12 history that multiple teams had double-digit win totals on the road in conference play. It was done by the same two teams in 1997 and also by Missouri and Texas in 2007.
Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma), Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and Eric Gutierrez (Texas Tech) all became three-time All-Big 12 First Team selections with their 2016 honors. Prior to this season, only seven other league players had earned first team recognition in three years.
The Red Raiders set a Big 12 single-season record for double plays, turning a nation-leading 83. For the third straight season, Texas Tech topped the Big 12 in doubles, ranking second nationally with 146.
Eric Gutierrez collected a pair of Player of the Week honors to finish his career with five total – a Big 12 record. Gutierrez finished with 244 career games played, ranking him seventh on the Big 12 career chart, while his 873 career at-bats ties him for 10th on the list.
Thomas Hatch became just the fifth Big 12 pitcher to throw four or more shutouts in their Big 12 career with four total on the year. He is only the second league pitcher to turn in four shutouts in a single season, joining Nebraska’s Jamie Rodrigue (2000).
The Cowboys set a league record for most Pitcher of the Week selections in a single season with seven and combined for 12 overall weekly award honorees on the year, also a league record. For the first time in Big 12 history, Oklahoma State led the league in strikeouts and shutouts with its 10 shutouts ranking fourth nationally.
J.R. Davis became the 18th player to hit for the cycle when he achieved the feat on April 2. It marked just the sixth cycle in a league game in Big 12 history.
WVU’s Jackson Cramer’s 50-game reached base streak dating back to the 2015 season placed as the fourth longest in league history. He also became the fifth player in league history to win the Player of the Week honor three or more times in the same season.
Luken Baker was the league’s batting champion, hitting at a .379 clip, which places him on the Big 12 career leaders chart at No. 7. He also led the league in runs, hits and RBI becoming the first player in league history to finish first in all four categories in the same season.
Sheldon Neuse was awarded the Brooks Wallace Award from the College Baseball Hall of Fame in recognition as the best shortstop in the nation. He finished his career ranked in a tie for 10th on the Big 12 career triples list.
Texas’ Travis Duke’s 2.11 career ERA ranks 10th on the Big 12 career chart while his 116 career appearances put him fourth all-time.
Texas head coach Augie Garrido concluded his 20-year career in the Big 12 with a final record of 321-210-1 in conference games. He is the only league coach to win 300 or more Big 12 games and coached a total of 1,253 overall games while a part of the league.