Around the Diamond: Previewing UCF, news on Bedlam Baseball’s future | Big 12 Sports

Welcome to Week 5 of the college baseball season.

Oklahoma State (11-7, 0-1 Bg 12) is coming off a 14-5 bedlam win over Oklahoma in Norman on Tuesday evening. This weekend, OSU opened Big 12 play on the road at UCF Friday night, dropping the series opener 13-2.

Plus, more Bedlam Baseball news shortly after.

Finally, OSU’s pitching staff has surpassed its preseason expectations by a wide margin. What’s been the root of its early success?

All that and more in this week’s edition of Around the Diamond.

First: Previewing the opponent

Many questioned, including myself, how UCF would fare in its first season of Power Five baseball. New head coach. Fairly new-look roster. A new and more enhanced slate of competition. The laundry list of reasons goes on.

However, four weeks in, it’s safe to say coach Rich Wallace was a home run hire to lead his alma mater through uncharted waters.

UCF (10-4, 1-0 Big 12) began the season 9-1. Wins, including a three-game series sweep over a stout Samford squad, a series win at home over rival USF, midweek wins at No. 22 Miami, Florida Atlantic, No. 4 Florida and most recently at home against Stetson. Although I did predict UCF to be the readiest among the four Big 12 newcomers, I didn’t expect the Knights to be this good this early.

UCF was swept last weekend by Oklahoma in Norman, a series where the Sooners outscored the Knights 29-8 in that span. However, the beauty of a sport like baseball is that unproductive weekends as such happen, even to the sport’s best teams. The question is, how will the Knights bounce back? I’d venture to say, quite well. Especially at home.

Series prediction: UCF wins 2/3

OSU has shown vulnerability in the season’s early stages. Plenty of it. specifically on the offensive end. The Cowboys did score 14 runs in Tuesday’s Bedlam win over OU. However, the bats collectively have been too inconsistent.

Although there have been notable improvements in the OSU lineup, I expect UCF to win a close series in Orlando.

Second: Bedlam Baseball recap

Not much to say. It was a lot to not very much (14-5 Cowboys). Heading in, I expected an OU win. Safe to say that I was wrong. OSU’s offense was stellar and chased Will Carsten — a quality reliever and midweek starter for the Sooners — before the first inning ended.

OSU plated seven runs in the first inning, giving the Cowboys a lead they wouldn’t come close to relinquishing. OSU logged a 17-hit night, its second-highest hit total of the year. And the bullpen effort was stout. More on OSU’s win over OU here.

The Sooners also set the second-highest attendance total in OU Baseball history (4,177). The atmosphere was phenomenal. I do wish the game would have been closer. When quality contests transpire between these two teams, it’s fun to watch.

Could Tuesday’s victory be a turning point for OSU’s offense? There’s reason to believe it may. But that remains to be seen this weekend.

Third: More Bedlam baseball talk

Shortly after Tuesday’s Bedlam game, OSU coach Josh Holliday confirmed to the media that the rivalry will be played beyond OU’s departure to the SEC after the current academic year. That is, under one condition — in the format of one midweek game every year with alternating campus sites.

More on Holliday’s explanation here.

Home: OSU’s pitching staff looks the part

Four weekends in, the Cowboys’ pitching staff has carried most of the team’s success thus far.

Expected? No. At least, not from my end. Especially after the issues that lingered around last year’s crew.

Through 18 games, the unit holds a 4.09 cumulative ERA. The starters — Sam Garcia, Brian Holiday and Janzen Keisel — hold an average ERA of 3.05.

Too much production returns from last year’s record-setting offensive group to remain uncertain that OSU’s offense will pick up its pace over the season’s course. And when it does, this team could be among the Big 12’s most lethal down the stretch in the conference title race.

Big 12 power rankings:

  1. Texas
  2. TCU
  3. Texas Tech
  4. Oklahoma State
  5. UCF
  6. Houston
  7. Oklahoma
  8. Kansas State
  9. West Virginia
  10. Kansas
  11. Baylor
  12. BYU
  13. Cincinnati

On the MLB side of things: Holliday vs Skenes Part 2

A couple of newsletters ago, I mentioned how eager I was for Jackson Holliday versus Paul Skenes Part 2. Well, on Thursday, I got what I wanted.

Holliday’s Baltimore Orioles faced Skenes’ Pittsburgh Pirates in a spring training showdown, highlighted by the imminent battle of former No. 1 overall draft selection.

Skenes came into Thursday’s game with a 1-0 advantage over Holliday. He left with a 2-0 advantage.

On a 3-2 count, Skenes drew a chase from Holliday with a slider outside the strike zone for a strikeout. And Skenes appeared to enjoy this one a little more, strolling around the mound with a visible smirk.

The Orioles beat the Pirates 5-2, but the final score was a footnote for the night.

Time will tell when us baseball diehards get Part 3. But when we do, I’ll be watching.

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