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Three Biggest Takeaways From Day 3 of the Big 12 Baseball Tournament

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Matthew Postins | Last updated May 24, 2025 11:16 AM ET

The third day of the Big 12 Conference Baseball Tournament saw four teams play for the final two spots in Saturday’s tournament championship game.

The winner of Saturday’s championship game gets the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Here are three thoughts on the third day of the Big 12 Tournament, played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

No. 4 Arizona 12, No. 1 West Virginia 1

No. 3 TCU 11, No. 2 Kansas 1

Arizona Blows Out West Virginia

Once you to the semifinals of a baseball tournament like this one, the seeds don’t mean quite as much. Still, with Arizona being a No. 4 seed and West Virginia being a No. 1 seed, everyone expected a close game.

Well, that one got away from the Mountaineers.

The run-hit disparity was stunning. The Wildcats scored 12 runs on 17 hits and the Mountaineers scored one run on 10 hits. There was nothing to be done about Mason White. The infielder went 4-for-4 with six RBI, including a double and two home runs.

White’s three-run home run in the fifth inning broke the game open. It was 2-0 Arizona before his shot.

Gettin’ right to it @GlobeLifeField #Big12BSB | @Phillips66Gas pic.twitter.com/cfNIRl9Okj
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 23, 2025

There was little the Mountaineers were able to do. What really hurt West Virginia at the plate was going 2-for-18 with runners on base. WVU was 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Incredibly, the Mountaineers got the leadoff man aboard five times but barely cashed in.

The fact that WVU went through eight pitchers really doesn’t matter when the offense can’t cash in when it has that many chances. Credit Arizona starter Raul Garayzar and his relievers for working their way out of jams, with flawless defense behind them.

TCU Wins Without Its Third Baseman

The ejection of TCU third baseman Colton Griffin on Thursday turned heads nationally because, well, there was an absolute level of absurdity to it that’s hard to quantify.

It came with an unfortunate by-product — Griffin, by rule, couldn’t play in Friday’s game against Kansas.

That … wasn’t a problem. TCU run-ruled Kansas in eight innings.

Like Arizona, the Horned Frogs blew their opponent out, this time the Kansas Jayhawks. TCU scored its runs in chunks — four runs in the second inning and six in the eighth inning, which basically put the game away.

Second baseman Jack Bell had the offense covered. He went 3-for-5 with five RBI, including a bases-clearing triple in the eighth inning that make a Kansas comeback almost impossible.

OH BABY A (BASES-CLEARING) TRIPLE ‍#Big12BSB | @Phillips66Gas pic.twitter.com/x1DwMeh7ar
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 24, 2025

Unlike West Virginia, Kansas was mystified by TCU’s pitching. The Jayhawks managed five hits but put the leadoff man on base four times. The Jayhawks were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-13 with runners on base.

There was a clear theme on Friday — one team got the job done with runners on base and one team didn’t. That’s why Arizona and TCU will play again on Saturday.

Saturday’s Championship Preview

Well, isn’t this fun? Old guard (TCU) vs. new guard (Arizona).

The Horned Frogs will be seeking their fifth Big 12 Tournament title and their third in five seasons. After missing the NCAA Tournament last year, this is a great redemption story for coach Kirk Saarloos and his squad.

Arizona is in its first year in the Big 12 but have been in the NCAA Tournament each of the past four seasons. A program with four College World Series titles and a boatload of NCAA Tournament appearances the Wildcats have only won one Pac-12 Tournament — last year.

So, the Wildcats will try and win a second straight conference tournament title in a different conference under coach Chip Hale.

First pitch is 6 p.m. It should be a good one.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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