TCU has been selected as the unanimous preseason favorite to win the Big 12 baseball regular season title in a vote by the Conference’s head coaches. The Frogs were picked to finish second each of the past two seasons and claimed the runner-up spot in the standings a season ago before winning the 2014 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship.
Reigning champion Oklahoma State checks in at third, while Texas sits at second. TCU and UT were two of three schools to finish in the top five in the nation in ERA and shutouts in 2014.
Texas Tech, which along with Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas appeared in the NCAA Super Regional field in 2014, was picked to finish fourth. It is the highest preseason poll ranking for the Red Raiders since 2003 (tied fourth).
TCU is the first team to earn a unanimous vote since 2012. Since 1999, the preseason favorite has gone on to claim the regular season title on five occasions (last in 2010 by Texas). A different league team has won the regular season title in each of the past four years with Texas being the last squad to repeat as champion in back-to-back campaigns (2010 & 2011).
The Frogs return 13 letterwinners from last year’s College World Series team. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech return over 20 letterwinners each, while Texas welcomes back seven returning position players.
The 2015 Big 12 baseball season begins on Friday, Feb. 13, with conference play starting the weekend of March 13.
2015 BIG 12 COACHES PRESEASON POLL
- TCU (8) 64
- Texas (1) 55
- Oklahoma State 47
- Texas Tech 46
- Oklahoma 38
- West Virginia 22
- Baylor 18
Kansas 18 - Kansas State 16
