Before college baseball throws its first pitch of 2025 on Friday, here are some things to know around the Big 12 Conference.
For the second consecutive year, Big 12 baseball has a new look.
After expanding with four new teams in 2024, the Big 12 lost two of the teams at the conclusion of last season and picked up three new ones at the same time.
Gone are Texas and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah have been welcomed into the fold for the 2025 season and beyond.
Not only does the conference itself have a new look, but so does the criteria for the Big 12 Conference Championship in Arlington, Texas at the end of the season. The 12 teams with the best conference records will make the Championship field. The entire tournament is then single elimination. The Big 12 also cut out a day of action, with everything getting underway on Wednesday, instead of Tuesday. This makes the entire Championship four days instead of five.
The four teams with the best records will have a bye on the first day and will open play on Thursday. The Championship final will take place on Saturday.
The first three weekends of the season will feature non-conference play for 14 of the Big 12 squads. Conference play will open on the fourth weekend of the season, getting underway on March 13.
Arizona enters the Big 12 having won the final Pac-12 championship a season ago.
Arizona and Arizona State are both led by former big leaguers, Chip Hale and Willie Bloomquist, respectively.
After the retirement of head coach Randy Mazey at West Virginia at the end of the 2024 season, Steve Sabins was hired from within the program to lead the Mountaineers going forward. All other teams, including the three new ones, return their head coach from a season ago.
Golden Spikes Award Watch List
When the 2025 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List was announced it featured six Big 12 players:
Ben Abeldt, TCU, LHP
Brandon Compton, Arizona State, OF
Ben Jacobs, Arizona State, LHP
Nolan Schubart, Oklahoma State, OF
Brendan Summerhill, Arizona, OF
Kyle Walker, Arizona State, 2B
Stopper of the Year Watch List
On February 12, the 2025 Watch List for the 20th Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award was announced, and it featured eight pitchers from Big 12 teams:
Ben Abeldt, TCU
Casey Hintz, Arizona
Tony Pluta, Arizona
Dalton Smith, Kansas
Dominic Castellano, UCF
Kris Sosnowski, UCF
Stone Cushing, BYU
Gavin Van Kempen, West Virginia
The Big 12 head coaches voted on some preseason honors and made some predictions.
2025 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Poll
(as voted by the coaches)
1. Oklahoma State
2. Arizona
3. TCU
4. West Virginia
5. Texas Tech
6. Arizona State
7. UCF
8. Kansas State
9. Kansas
10. Cincinnati
11. Houston
12. Utah
13. Baylor
14. BYU
2025 Big 12 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
(as voted by the coaches; *- denotes a unanimous selection)
C, Logan Sauve, West Virginia
IF, Mason White, Arizona
IF, Kerrington Cross, Cincinnati
IF, Colin Brueggemann, Oklahoma State
IF, Aidan Meola, Oklahoma State
IF, Anthony Silva, TCU
OF, Brendan Summerhill, Arizona
OF, Kien Vu Arizona, State
OF, Nolan Schubart*, Oklahoma State
OF, Damian Bravo, Texas Tech
DH, Wesley Jordan, Baylor
UTL, Christian Mitchelle, Cincinnati
SP, Ben Jacobs, Arizona State
SP, Dom Stagliano, UCF
SP, Nathan Taylor, Cincinnati
SP, Dominic Voegele*, Kansas
SP, Gabe Davis, Oklahoma State
RP, Stone Cushing, BYU
RP, Dominic Castellano, UCF
RP, Ben Abeldt*, TCU
2025 Big 12 Preseason Yearly Awards
(as voted on by the coaches)
Player of the Year: Nolan Schubart, Oklahoma State
Pitcher of the Year: Dominic Voegele, Kansas
Newcomer of the Year: Cade Climie, Houston
Freshman of the Year: Noah Franco, TCU
Quoted
"I think about it. We're a weekend away from going to where this program needs to go. A couple balls here and there. I think about it because it's a really small gap for us to close. It certainly motivates me.” - Kansas State head coach Pete Hughes
"We fully intend on playing five or six home games at the end of the year here. We put that schedule together with the intent to host a Regional and to host a Super, and that's what it does," said Texas Tech head coach Tim Tadlock. "Really didn't want to leave it to chance."
"You know, I think in today's day and age it's a privilege and it's a thrill to have numerous kids going into their third and fourth year together with you, so I appreciate them and I'm thankful everyday they're here." - Oklahoma State head coach Josh Holliday
"You think of all the time that goes into building the team, it's literally to play." - Kansas head coach Dan Fitzgerald
"Some people think we're crazy, but I think guys come here to do this. I want them to be able to play against the best across the country and see how we measure up." - Arizona head coach Chip Hale
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