We are now 3 weeks and 1 day away from college baseball, and I’m itching for it like a kid with the chicken pox. I keep checking pretty much daily to see if UK has put up their 2022 baseball media guide, but so far no go. Instead, I stumbled upon some other schedules and I thought I’d point out some big time matchups happening in the first weekend:
State Farm College Baseball Showdown:
Auburn – Oklahoma, Texas Tech (14), Kansas State
Texas Tech – Michigan, Auburn, Arizona
Michigan – Texas Tech, Kansas State, Oklahoma
Oklahoma – Auburn, Arizona, Michigan
Arizona (15) – Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech
Kansas State – Arizona, Michigan, Auburn
This is the most premier tournament. Features just two ranked teams this year, but still a lot of P5 teams butting heads. Will give us a really good idea of how a lot of these teams will do this season. UK faces Auburn late in the year.
Long Beach State (24) at Mississippi State (4)
This one could be a blast. Wish Price would be on the call, but LBSU is typically fun to watch and I’m sure Miss State will be a mad house after their first title.
Texas (1) v. Rice
Number 1 overall, Texas isn’t taking it easy hosting Rice. Rice hasn’t been great lately and they replace Matt Bragga with 1st year head coach Jose Cruz, Jr, but it should still be an interesting in-state series. Especially given that their head coach has less than 1 year of coaching experience. Yes, of any coaching experience. Cruz attended Rice from 92-95 and went on to play professional baseball until 2008. Not sure what he did from 2008 to 2020, but on December 8, 2020 he was named assistant hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers, and then on June 9, 2021 (yes, 6 months later), he was named head coach for the Rice Owls.
Vanderbilt (3) v. Oklahoma State (7)
If you can stand the whistling, this will be another one to watch. Especially given that this one will have some UK connections. Dillion Marsh, Jimmy Ramsey, and Jake Thompson are all former UK players that will now play for OK State, and former UK assistant coach Roland Fanning is now the Director of Player Development there. Thompson redshirted at UK and then left and last year he was an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer that finished second on the team with a .342 batting average while playing 1st, LF and DH. He also led the Big-12 in conference only hitting with a .393 average. So, that one should be a great series to keep an eye on and see what happens with former UK connections as well as just to watch Vandy be their usual selves..
Stanford (6) v. Cal State Fullerton
This isn’t the CSF of old, they won just 20 games a year ago, but still an interesting west coast matchup.
Hatter Classic:
Notre Dame (13) – Manhattan, Stetson, Delaware
Probably not the most competitive tournament, but Stetson regularly puts out a competitive team. UK connections with Stetson as well as Cam Hill and Trey Harmon will suit up for the Hatters.
MLB4 Classic:
TCU (17) – San Diego State, California, Houston
These four will essentially round robin one another.
Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic:
Oregon State (18) – New Mexico, Gonzaga, Gonzaga, New Mexico
UC Irvine (20) at Louisiana
Louisiana is unranked, but they are still always a very tough team that regularly makes the tournament.
State Farm College Baseball Showdown:
Auburn – Oklahoma, Texas Tech (14), Kansas State
Texas Tech – Michigan, Auburn, Arizona
Michigan – Texas Tech, Kansas State, Oklahoma
Oklahoma – Auburn, Arizona, Michigan
Arizona (15) – Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech
Kansas State – Arizona, Michigan, Auburn
This is the most premier tournament. Features just two ranked teams this year, but still a lot of P5 teams butting heads. Will give us a really good idea of how a lot of these teams will do this season. UK faces Auburn late in the year.
Long Beach State (24) at Mississippi State (4)
This one could be a blast. Wish Price would be on the call, but LBSU is typically fun to watch and I’m sure Miss State will be a mad house after their first title.
Texas (1) v. Rice
Number 1 overall, Texas isn’t taking it easy hosting Rice. Rice hasn’t been great lately and they replace Matt Bragga with 1st year head coach Jose Cruz, Jr, but it should still be an interesting in-state series. Especially given that their head coach has less than 1 year of coaching experience. Yes, of any coaching experience. Cruz attended Rice from 92-95 and went on to play professional baseball until 2008. Not sure what he did from 2008 to 2020, but on December 8, 2020 he was named assistant hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers, and then on June 9, 2021 (yes, 6 months later), he was named head coach for the Rice Owls.
Vanderbilt (3) v. Oklahoma State (7)
If you can stand the whistling, this will be another one to watch. Especially given that this one will have some UK connections. Dillion Marsh, Jimmy Ramsey, and Jake Thompson are all former UK players that will now play for OK State, and former UK assistant coach Roland Fanning is now the Director of Player Development there. Thompson redshirted at UK and then left and last year he was an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer that finished second on the team with a .342 batting average while playing 1st, LF and DH. He also led the Big-12 in conference only hitting with a .393 average. So, that one should be a great series to keep an eye on and see what happens with former UK connections as well as just to watch Vandy be their usual selves..
Stanford (6) v. Cal State Fullerton
This isn’t the CSF of old, they won just 20 games a year ago, but still an interesting west coast matchup.
Hatter Classic:
Notre Dame (13) – Manhattan, Stetson, Delaware
Probably not the most competitive tournament, but Stetson regularly puts out a competitive team. UK connections with Stetson as well as Cam Hill and Trey Harmon will suit up for the Hatters.
MLB4 Classic:
TCU (17) – San Diego State, California, Houston
These four will essentially round robin one another.
Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic:
Oregon State (18) – New Mexico, Gonzaga, Gonzaga, New Mexico
UC Irvine (20) at Louisiana
Louisiana is unranked, but they are still always a very tough team that regularly makes the tournament.