No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Texas Tech

Cincinnati (32-23) managed to hold off a Texas Tech (20-33) comeback, keeping its month of ups and downs going with a 6-5 win. 

A five-game losing streak starting April 15 was followed by a stretch where the Bearcats won seven of eight games. They wrapped up their regular season going 3-3 against solid teams in Kansas State and TCU. 

The third inning was pivotal in the win. Right after surrendering their early one-run lead, Cincinnati started picking up Texas Tech’s mistakes and running away with them. 

“We had a lot of games just like today, you don’t routine the ball, maybe you don’t drive in what you need to drive in, just our mistakes again,” Texas Tech head coach Tim Tadlock said. “We just didn’t have a big margin for error in any game unless we came out and scored.”

A dropped popup put Big 12 Player of the Year Kerrington Cross on base for the Bearcats. An RBI triple from Jack Natili began a three-run rally and gave Cincinnati a lead it would keep for the remainder of the game. 

“Energy, enthusiasm, and excitement are something we live by, and I think it plays a big part in getting in our opponents' heads and really going out there and laying it out on the field,” Cincinnati freshman outfielder Derrick Pitts said. 

Sophomore right-hander Nathan Taylor was electric for Cincinnati, who has seen 10 of his last 12 starts end in victories for the Bearcats.

“It’s a big priority for me, at least, trying to get the ball moved, trusting in my defense because I know they are going to make their plays and make sure they try to not get behind the counts,” Taylor said after the game.

Bearcats head coach Jordan Bischel gave Taylor a long leash, as his 110 pitches were the most of his college career.

With the said leash, Taylor surrendered eight baserunners over his seven frames, allowing just three to cross the plate while punching out nine. 

“I think he did a good job, but I think also some of our at-bats, we just gave away, including myself with that second at-bat,” senior infielder Robin Villeneuve Sr. said. 

Cincinnati will now get No. 1 seed West Virginia, who comes into the tournament ranked No. 27 in the country via RPI. With Cincinnati’s victory, their RPI rose to No. 30, ranked fourth in the Big 12. Their first pitch is currently scheduled for Thursday, 2:30 p.m. CT (12:30 p.m. MST). 

No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Baylor

Late mistakes cost Baylor (33-22) any chance to win the Big 12 and likely their only chance to make the NCAA Tournament, losing their first-round matchup to No. 7 seed Oklahoma State (28-22), 4-3. 

Early on, the Cowboys were the ones shooting themselves in the foot. In the third inning, after a Kollin Ritchie solo shot got the scoring going, second baseman Brayden Smith threw the ball into left field, attempting to turn a double play.

The runner going to second scored, and the batter ended up on third, crossing the plate later on in the inning for Baylor. 

“The credit goes to the players for staying with things when things aren't easy,” Oklahoma State head coach Josh Holliday said. 

Mario Pesca was phenomenal in relief for OSU, being responsible for just two baserunners over 3 2/3 innings.

“It’s just what he does, he’s done it all year,” Oklahoma State’s senior catcher Ian Daugherty said. “Being that rock for us, whether out of the pen or in the starting role, doing whatever the team takes.”

Oklahoma State would get the tie back the same way they gave it away, a throwing error on the infield, this one being a two-out blunder by Baylor’s freshman third baseman Pearson Riebock. 

Baylor’s second error, a routine ground ball that slipped under the shortstop’s glove, scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning. Baylor would produce just one single the rest of the way.

“Both teams are pitching the heck out of it, and I thought that our guys did a heck of a job with that, and their guys did too,” Baylor head coach Mitch Thompson said. “They threw two conference starters at us today, so they were all in as well. It’s frustrating that we couldn’t get more going offensively, but there's a reason you can’t get more going offensively, and at the same time, we had seven hits. It's a game of inches.”

The Cowboys' victory moved their RPI up from No. 45 to No. 40. The loss moved Baylor from No. 68 to No. 73. Oklahoma State’s Big 12 season will continue Thursday against Kansas. The two teams have faced each other this season, which resulted in a Kansas sweep at home. 

“Excited to go back to the hotel and shower, get something to eat, and get ready to play Kansas tomorrow. It was a hard-fought game,” Holliday said. 

No. 6 Kansas State vs. No. 11 Houston

It took until the sun went down, but a team finally opened up offensively on a low-scoring day, as Houston (30-24) dominated Kansas State (31-24) to pull off the second upset of the day, 9-2. 

A lot of the damage was done in the second inning. Following a two-run single in the bottom of the first from K-State third baseman Dee Kennedy, the Cougars slapped back-to-back doubles and a single to tie the game, then put three straight on to give Houston a three-run lead they would run away with.

“Just overall proud of the team effort,” Houston head coach Todd Whitting said. “Go down two early and then bounce right back and score five runs. I thought that just showed the resiliency of our ballclub.” 

Andres Perez entered in the second inning following the rocky first with Paul Schmitz, and he was electric, getting through four innings, not letting any Wildcat runners cross the plate while punching out four batters.

David Stich and Brady Fuller combined to completely lock down the remainder of the game for the Cougars, getting the final four outs while only allowing two base runners.

“We had the chance to answer a five-run inning in the second, and we start building an inning that allows you to get back into the game with a hit by a pitch and a walk, and we ran the bases poorly,” Kansas State Head Coach Pete Hughes said.

Perhaps the most important part of Houston’s victory is that they managed to be dominant on the pitching side without using Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Antoine Jean, who will now be an intimidating test for their second-round opponent, Texas Christian. 

“They’re a good ballclub. It’s obviously a place I’m familiar with, being that I was there at one point, but since they left our place earlier in Big 12 play, they’ve played really well. They were kind of trying to find their identity at that point. The offense has really stepped it up, and it’s going to be a really good team,” Whiting said. 

TCU enters Thursday as the highest-rated Big 12 team off RPI at No. 19. Houston rose four spots after its victory but still sits all the way at 90. 

Houston and TCU matched up back in March, with the Horned Frogs taking two of three with a series score of 30-8.