Going in order from projected standings, I will break down the Big 12 Conference below:

(2018 record and conference record)

Texas Tech (45-20, 15-9)

Texas Tech comes in off another College World Series trip and is returning a solid portion of their core. 3rd baseman Josh Jung is one of the favorites for Player of the Year for all of college baseball. They are returning starters Caleb Killian and reliever John McMillon who both have experience in conference play. They also return 5 starters in the field. They come in with postseason experience from the older guys and look to have another strong year. They have started the year 12-5, losing two of three this last weekend in Austin to open conference play. The Red Raiders have also swept Wichita State and Kentucky. The team currently sits at #11 in the rankings.

Baylor (37-21, 13-11)

The Bears look to build on a Big 12 Tournament title and a postseason berth. The team is returning 8 starters from last year in the field. Led by catcher Shea Langeliers, who is the number three overall college draft prospect but has been banged up to start the year and since returned. Reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Cody Bradford got shut down for the year already, but that hasn’t stopped the Bears solid start. Strength of schedule may be a question for this team so far as they are winning against bad teams and going about .500 against teams their caliber. The Bears are 13-6 to start the year and have swept Holy Cross and Cornell. They lost to A&M and Rice in Houston just as the Frogs did. They lost two of three to Nebraska and won two of three against Cal Poly. The team is looking to get past the injury bug and build their program after a solid 2018 season.

Texas (42-23, 17-7)

The 10th ranked Longhorns look to build off a trip to Omaha. The team lost leader Kody Clemens, and starters Nolan Kingham and Chase Shugart to the MLB draft. The Longhorns are returning Fort Worth native and starter, Blair Henley. Henley was taken in the 22nd round of the draft out of high school but opted to honor his commitment to the Longhorns. Henley leads this pitching staff after being named second team All-Big 12 his sophomore year in 2018. The team is sporting a 15-8 record so far while facing some premium competition. The Longhorns opened the year winning two of three against the Ragin’ Cajuns, then won three of four at home against Purdue. The Horns then swept #2 LSU in Austin, and then went on to lose three of four when they traveled to Palo Alto to face top 10 Stanford. The team won two of three at home against Tech this weekend to open conference play and split a weekday series at home against #11 Arkansas the last two nights. The team looks to take their leadership and strong tradition of winning to mold their new look team just as the Frogs are.

TCU

TCU has had an up and down season so far. The Frogs have gotten stellar performances from Maurcelo Perez, Nick Lodolo and Brandon Williamson on the mound, but the questions around Jared Janczak still remain. Alex Isola has led the new faces on offense as TCU's bats have come to life in the last week before conference play.

West Virginia (29-27, 9-15)

West Virginia failed to reach the post season last year after making a regional appearance in 2017. The Mountaineers are led by former TCU assistant Randy Mazey. The team has been in the Big 12 Semifinal the last three years and is just a step away from being serious contenders. The team is returning starter Alek Manoah, who TCU’s Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle called “one of the best Friday night pitchers in the league.” The offense returns a trio of experienced outfielders and honorable mention All-Big 12 catcher Ivan Gonzalez. The Mountaineers have started the year 13-7 and swept Kent State and won series against William & Mary and Georgia Southern. The Mountaineers dropped two of the to defending National Runner Up Oregon State. The team opens conference play this weekend in Waco and looks to have another competitive year and break through as a Big 12 contender.

Oklahoma State (31-26-1, 16-8)

The Pokes are sporting a new weekend rotation this year and look to get back in the groove early after a 16-8 record in conference play last year. The team returns a group of four starters who combined for 43 home runs last year. Pitcher Jeremy Elliot is finally healthy after sitting out the better part of his sophomore and junior seasons. The Pokes are also throwing a transfer in their weekend rotation with 6’ 9” Logan Gragg. Catcher Colin Simpson returns for his senior year after earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors last year. The Pokes have started the season with a 12-7 record and victories against Iowa, Wichita State, USC, Michigan, and Missouri State. They have also won series against UTRGV, Wright State, and Southeastern Louisiana.

Oklahoma (38-25, 14-10)

The Sooners come into conference play ranked in the top 25 and have an 18-4 record. The Sooners have won series against Columbia, Rice, Missouri State, and New Mexico. The team returned starter Nathan Wiles, and two relievers who converted to starters this year. I would say the conversion is working considering their incredible record. The team is replacing all three starters in the outfield with the losses of studs Kyler Murray (1st), Cade Harris (10th), and Steele Walker (2nd) to the MLB draft. The Sooners have big shoes to fill in 2019 but it seems the young team has stepped up to the challenge so far.

Kansas (27-30, 8-15)

While being picked 8th in the conference, the Jayhawks have a 13-7 record coming into conference play. The Jayhawks have series wins against Texas Southern and Northern Illinois. The team enters conference play in Norman this weekend after getting swept by St. Johns and losing Wednesday against Wichita State in extras. Ace and Preseason All-American Ryan Zeferjahn leads the way on the mound and will be a tough Friday night game for everyone. Kansas is throwing two new starters, and being anchored in the field by catcher James Cosentino, who hit .313 last year. The Jayhawks could be a tough matchup for teams and could scratch away some wins as a sleeper.

Kansas State (23-31, 5-19)

The Wildcats were picked to finish last in the conference and are certainly playing like it. They start conference play with a 11-10 record and having a win against Utah being their only noteworthy game. The Wildcats have a new head coach this year in Pete Hughes who has bounded around the conference before at Oklahoma and in the ACC with Virginia Tech. Hughes is looking to turn this program around and bring them to the post season like he did with the Hokies. Two-way star Will Brennan leads the way on the mound and also has a .359 season batting average under his belt. The Wildcats look to shake up things in the conference and prove people wrong.