Big 12 baseball power rankings: WVU keeps rolling, Arizona tops TCU, and KU stumbles

[ASFN Admin]

We've gone back and forth the past couple of weeks about which team is more deserving of top position in the Big 12 baseball power rankings, West Virginia or Arizona.

No one has more series wins over the other best Big 12 teams than Arizona, which won twice in three-game sets against West Virginia, Arizona State and TCU and swept Cincinnati. The argument against: How did the Wildcats get blindsided by Baylor and Texas Tech?

West Virginia leads the Big 12 standings by three games and has won six conference series in a row. Only one other Big 12 team, TCU, has won even four straight. The counterpoint: Five of those six series wins are against teams at the bottom of the conference.

In this week's USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, the Mountaineers are ranked No. 13, the Wildcats No. 23.

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Here are this week's power rankings. Records and statistics are through Monday.

1. West Virginia (39-7, 18-4 in the Big 12)​

Last week: 1

What to know: Under first-year coach Steve Sabins, Mountaineers are closing in on school record of 40 wins set by Dale Ramsburg's 1994 team and tied by Randy Mazey's 2023 team.

More: Three takeaways as Texas Tech baseball drops series at WVU with first shutout of '25

2. Arizona (33-14, 15-9)​

Last week: 2

What to know: Wildcats shorten games with Tony Pluta, whose 11 saves lead the Big 12.

3. Arizona State (32-17, 16-8)​

Last week: 3

What to know: Sun Devils are seventh in the country in strikeouts per nine innings with Jack Martinez and Ben Jacobs first and third in the conference.

4. TCU (33-15, 15-9)​

Last week: 4

What to know: Going 4-5 in UCF/Baylor/Arizona stretch has stalled momentum.

5. Cincinnati (27-20,13-11)​

Last week: 7

What to know: Bearcats deserve NCAA regional reconsideration. They just swept at Kansas for fifth Big 12 series win in past six, rank No. 32 in strength of schedule, No. 43 in RPI.

6. Kansas (36-13, 15-9)​

Last week: 5

What to know: The Big 12's most boom-or-bust team. In the past six conference series, the Jayhawks have swept four opponents and have been swept by TCU and Cincinnati.

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7. Kansas State (28-20, 14-10)​

Last week: 6

What to know: K-State might be on the bubble to make an NCAA regional, so Wildcats better assert themselves against West Virginia this weekend.

8. Oklahoma State (22-21, 10-11)​

Last week: 8

What to know: Cowboys have outscored opponents 33-8 in a four-game conference winning streak.

9. Baylor (29-18, 10-14)​

Last week: 9

What to know: Freshman lefthander Carson Bailey is blossoming with a 3.25 ERA over past five starts. Four have met the quality-start criteria.

10. Texas Tech (16-28, 11-13)​

Last week: 10

What to know: Red Raiders have a favorable closing stretch, facing UCF and BYU.

11. Houston (27-20, 10-13)​

Last week: 11

What to know: Sweep of Utah has Cougars on a season-best 5-game win streak, but now come series against Arizona State and Arizona.

12. Central Florida (24-23, 6-18)​

Last week: 12

What to know: The program's 2024 upswing seems a distant memory, the Knights having been swept four times in their past six Big 12 series.

13. Brigham Young (22-23, 7-13)​

Last week: 13

What to know: Cougars have won five Big 12 series openers, but only one Big 12 series, following the pattern last week with a win, loss, loss vs. Kansas State.

14. Utah (17-25, 5-19)​

Last week: 14

What to know: Eight-game losing streak in conference play could get worse with series left against Arizona and TCU.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Big 12 baseball power rankings: WVU keeps rolling; Arizona tops TCU

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