LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD BIG 12 SPOTLIGHT 8B A weekly look inside the conference Wednesday, May 21, 2008

COLLEGE SORRENTINO SCALE

Didn’t look Big 12 title up for grabs 1 like Big 12 champs last weekend 42-14 overall 19-8 Big 12

No. 1 in Big 12 in team bat- ting, fielding 2 and pitch- ing...scary 40-15 overall 18-9 Big 12

Dangerous after a con- vincing 3 sweep of Nebraska 37-17 overall 16-11 Big 12

Six complete games from 4 starting pitching staff 39-12-1 overall 17-9-1 Big 12

Sweep of Aggies huge 5 confidence builder 34-19 overall 15-12 Big 12

On the right side of the pool to make 6 surprise move 27-27 overall 11-16 Big 12

Lost two of three to 7 Texas Tech over the 31-24 overall Stuart Villanueva/AP Photo, Bryan College Station Eagle weekend 11-16 Big 12 TEXAS’ KYLE RUSSELL, CENTER, IS CONGRATULATED by teammates after hitting a two-run against Texas A&M on Saturday. The Longhorns swept the top- seeded Aggies over the weekend and will take that momentum into today’s Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City. 3 tournament opponents: 8 A&M, MU, UT ... it’s a long- 32-23-1 over. Top eight fight for postseason championship shot 9-17-1 Big 12

By Eric Sorrentino arguably the two hottest teams in the No. 2. Oklahoma State vs. OKLAHOMA Journal-World Copy Editor Big 12. The Longhorns closed the reg- No. 3 Nebraska STATE’S RIBEL Sunflower ular season by sweeping conference- When: 4 p.m. Saturday RIDLING HOISTS Showdown In case anyone’s keeping track, leading Texas A&M, while the Tigers Player to watch: Ribel 9 the Bedlam tro- unkind to KU 30-27 overall Texas A&M leads the Big 12 in post- ended the regular season with a sweep Ridling, Oklahoma State. If phy after OSU this season 9-18 Big 12 season conference championships of Nebraska. you want to see a college took two of this academic year with five. Local connection: Crow grew up masher/slugger, check out three from There have been 19 postseason around KU and attended Washburn the Cowboys’ No. 5 hitter Oklahoma Look at the sports titles played out in the Big 12, and Rural High School. Kansas in the lineup. Ridling, a last week- bright side, one more remains, lingering into the Ritch Price recruited him, but could- first baseman, leads the end. 10 Red Raiders: summer after college students have n’t lure him to Lawrence. Big 12 in total bases with You get to hit vacated their respective campuses. 141 and is second in home 25-30 overall the links early Baseball is the only sport still taking runs with 16. 9-18 Big 12 No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 5 Texas this summer

J place on college campuses across Season series: Okla- o When: 4 p.m. Thursday. h n

America. The Big 12 baseball tourna- homa State leads, 2-1. C

Player to watch: Jose Duran, Texas l a ment begins today, when Texas A&M Developing story: n t A&M. The shortstop is a hitting o

n will try to defend its title at AT&T The Huskers batters / machine. He leads the conference A P

Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. could have their hands P with a .397 average and 94 hits (in 56 h o

Eight of the conference’s 10 teams full. Nebraska is sec- t games). Duran, the younger brother of o make the tournament. Kansas and ond-to-last in the Big 12 What second/third baseman Texas Tech started their summers in hitting (.279 team German Duran, hits cleanup for the early. It’s fair to say it’s anyone’s title average, league-low 198 Keegan Aggies. for the taking. The Big 12 has five walks), while Oklahoma Season series: Texas leads, 3-0. teams ranked in the State leads the league in says Developing storyline: The Aggies Top 25 poll, more than any other pitching (league-low 3.81 may have won the regular-season Big major conference in the nation. team ERA). Tyler Lyons (10- The good news: Kansas 12 title, but the Longhorns just swept Here are four games to watch in this 2, 3.06 ERA) is a big part of the University baseball coach them to close the season. Two of the week’s tournament: equation for the Cowboys. Ritch Price has developed three games were played in College Local connection: Nebraska in-state recruiting con- Station, Texas. Erik Anderson (1-0, 4.11 tacts to the point he now No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Missouri UT freshman Chance Ruffin ERA in 15 appearances) played is the man to beat for the When: 9 a.m. today. anchored a Longhorns pitching staff baseball at Shawnee Mission East best prospects in Kansas. Player to watch: Aaron Crow, Mis- that held the Aggies to an average of Local connection: Kansas won the High School and Barton County Com- The bad news: He will souri. The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year is 2.33 runs in three games. Big 12 tournament in 2006, but hasn’t munity College before heading to Lin- have to continue to mine an absurd 12-0 with a 2.66 earned-run A&M averaged 7.77 runs per game qualified for the tournament since. coln, Neb. area talent because warm- average. He has 111 in 91 on the season. What’s particularly frustrating for KU weather still shy innings. If you want to watch the best Local connection: Texas A&M (9-18 Big 12) this season is the fact that from considering KU, pitcher in the conference and assistant coach Andy Sawyers The Big 12 tournament Oklahoma, at 9-17-1, took the final spot where early-season rain- arguably the nation, this future top- coached at Hutchinson Community championship game in the tournament. The Jayhawks swept outs postpone games and five draft pick is your guy. College, where he led the Dragons to When: 1 p.m. Sunday. the Sooners in the regular season. cold nights leave pitchers Season series: Missouri leads, 2-1. a Jayhawk West sub-regional title in TV: Fox Sports Net, Sunflower Prediction: Texas defeats Okla- blowing into their hands. Developing storyline: These are 2001. Broadband channels 36, 236. homa State, 6-2. The good news: Pitchers from cold-weather schools tend to draw positive grades in toughness for not insisting on attending BIG 12 TOURNAMENT NEWS, STATS a warm-weather school. Pitchers who endured lousy weather in college do TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE PREVIOUS CHAMPS ALL-BIG 12 TEAM STAT LEADERS make it to the big leagues. FORMAT Individual batting Some examples: KU’s Tom Today Nebraska The Big 12 announced its Gorzelanny (Pittsburgh 1. Jose Duran, A&M, .397 The Big 12 tournament will Game 1: MU vs. UT, 9 a.m. 1999 All-Big 12 Baseball Awards on Pirates) and Mike Zagurski 2. Dane Carter, A&M, .383 be played in a pool-play for- Game 2: A&M OU, 12:30 p.m. 2000 Tuesday: (), Mis- 3. Mike Gosse, OU, .378 mat. The teams with the best Game 3: NU vs. BU, 4 p.m. 2001 souri’s Max Scherzer (Ari- Player of the Year zona Diamondbacks) and records from the two pools will Game 4: OSU vs. KSU, 7:30 p.m. 2005 Individual pitching play in Sunday’s championship Thursday Texas Jose Duran, Texas A&M Doug Mathis (Texas 1. Chance Ruffin, UT, 1.84 ERA game. Each team will play a Game 5: A&M vs. UT, 4 p.m. 2002 Rangers) and Nebraska’s 2. Kyle Thebeau, A&M, 1.87 minimum of three games. Game 6: MU vs. OU, 7:30 p.m. 2003 Pitcher of the Year Joba Chamberlain, the Friday Texas A&M favorite player of Yankees Aaron Crow, Missouri Home runs Pool 1 Game 7: NU vs. KSU, 4 p.m. 2007 boss Hank Steinbrenner. 1. Roger Kieschnick, TTU, 17 No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 4 Mis- Game 8: OSU vs. BU, 7:30 p.m. Kansas Freshman of the Year Kansas didn’t make the 2. Rebel Ridling, OSU, 16 souri, No. 5 Texas, No. 8 Okla- Saturday 2006 Chance Ruffin, Texas Big 12 tournament field for T3. Kyle Russell, UT, 15 homa. Game 9: UT vs. OU, 9 a.m. Oklahoma State three reasons: pitching, T3. Jacob Priday, MU, 15 Game 10: A&M vs. MU, 12:30 p.m. 2004 Newcomer of the Year pitching and pitching. Pool 2 Texas Tech Game 11: OSU vs. NU, 4 p.m. Jose Duran, Texas A&M Strikeouts No. 2 Oklahoma State, No. Game 12: BU vs. KSU, 7:30 p.m. 1998 — TOM KEEGAN 1. Aaron Crow, MU, 111 3 Nebraska, No. 6 Baylor, No. Sunday Oklahoma Coach of the Year [email protected] 2. Johnny Dorn, NU, 93 7 Kansas State. Big 12 Championship, 1 p.m. 1997 Rob Childress, Texas A&M