OSU baseball faces uphill climb to Big 12 Tournament
The All Sports Association is sweating out Oklahoma State’s descent to ninth place in the Big 12 baseball tournament. Of course, Cowboy fans and coach Frank Anderson’s squad are on the anxious side, too.
The top eight teams qualify, and with three weeks left in the regular season, the Cowboys face an uphill climb to get to eighth. Since OSU had a game rained out earlier in the year, and since eighth-place Texas Tech has only two series remaining while OSU has three still to play, the standings are a little harder to follow. But here’s an easy way to gauge how OSU’s hopes rest.
Go straight by the win column. When teams are under .500, the win column is the most important category. OSU right now trails Tech by three in the win column.
OSU hosts Kansas State, plays OU in the Bedlam Series and then goes to Tech. Tech goes to K-State next week, then hosts OSU.
The Cowboys have to make up three games, and since it’s unlikely (but not impossible) OSU could make up four games the next two weeks, that means Oklahoma State will have to win the series at Lubbock.
Winning at Lubbock would make up one of the three needed. So OSU needs to make up two wins the next two weeks. Beat K-State as many times as Tech does, and the Cowboys would have to win the Bedlam Series. Beat K-State one more time than does Tech, and OSU would have to win just one Bedlam game.
Another way to look at it is this. With Tech idle from Big 12 competition this week, this week is free bats for the Cowboys. Get a couple of wins, and OSU is back on Tech’s heels. Win just once this week against KSU, and OSU would have to beat OU one more time than Tech beats KSU in order to go to Lubbock not needing a sweep. Sweep the Wildcats, and we’re all even. Get swept by the Wildcats, and the situation becomes dire.
It’s really strange for OSU to be in this position. No way should an Oklahoma State baseball team ever be in ninth place in the Big 12. No way should it below — well below — both Kansas schools, who never have gotten too serious about baseball.
Anderson has done a good job with OSU baseball over the years, but this is a major step back. This will hurt fund-raising and crowd support and general belief in the program. Not to mention the turnstiles at the Big 12 Tournament.
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
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OSU is ranked 25th in boyds world and 23rd in the rpi. Barry your beloved sooners were in worse shape last year and made the NCAA tournament. We could miss the B12 and make the NCAA based on our wins and strength of schedule.
Go back to worshiping at the alter of stoops and leave Cowboy baseball alone.