Take a look at how the top 25 has fared as of 6 PM ET on Saturday. Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

College Baseball is coming up on its fourth weekend! Here are the series that you need to keep an eye on. #13 Florida State at #8 Duke ACC play starts with a bang as Florida State travels to Duke. The Seminoles are coming off of a 2-2 weekend where they lost two games to #2 Texas Tech and won two games against FAU. A win in this series would a good start for Florida State in what should be an incredibly competitive ACC Atlantic race. Duke will need to hold down home field if they want to compete with #9 Miami in the Coastal Division. Friday night will feature two stellar arms in CJ Van Eyk for Florida State and Bryce Jarvis (who threw a Perfect Game a couple of weekends ago) for Duke. John's (@johnny_omaha_) Prediction: Duke wins two out of three Kyle’s (@kylemckelv) Prediction: Duke wins two out of three Southern California College Baseball Classic Featuring #3 UCLA, #6 Vanderbilt, #18 TCU, and USC, the Southern California College Baseball Classic promises to offer lots of high quality baseball. Vanderbilt stumbled on their last trip west to a tournament (1-2 in the MLB4 Tournament) but has recovered to win ten of their next eleven games since. UCLA just dominated the competition at the Frisco College Classic, and TCU has quietly mowed down its competition all season. USC, improved from a year ago, is off to a 7-4 start and will not be an easy out for any team. Look for dominant pitching in this tournament which has the talent of an Omaha bracket. John's Prediction: UCLA 2-1, TCU 2-1, Vanderbilt 2-1, USC 0-3 Kyle’s Prediction: UCLA 3-0, Vanderbilt 2-1, TCU 1-2, USC 0-3 South Alabama at #10 Arkansas With ace, Connor Noland, sitting out this weekend and a four-game losing streak hanging over their heads, Arkansas is not in the position they hoped they would be at this point in the season. South Alabama is a talented enough team that they could take advantage of Arkansas's weakness. However, averaging just 4.1 runs per game, South Alabama's offense may still not be able to test the Hog's depleted pitching staff. If the bats show up for Arkansas, they will likely win this series, but if not, South Alabama will challenge the Razorbacks. Even while on their four-game losing streak, Arkansas has averaged 4.8 runs per game which may be enough to take down South Alabama. John's Prediction: Arkansas wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Arkansas wins two of three #19 Michigan at Pepperdine Michigan continues its West Coast trip with a visit to Pepperdine, a team just outside of College Baseball Nation's Top 25. Michigan has yet to play a home game but has managed to rack up some impressive wins against Vanderbilt and Arizona State. Pepperdine has a host of respectable wins themselves, including over San Diego and Minnesota. This series is much more important for the Waves as it will be one of their last opportunities to get a substantial RPI boost. John's Prediction: Pepperdine wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Pepperdine wins two of three #7 Louisville at Wake Forest Winners of eight straight games, Louisville will travel to Wake Forest to kick off ACC play. The Cardinals have not seriously challenged themselves since losing two out of three games at Ole Miss on Opening Weekend and will get a sharp increase in competition this weekend. Outside of a bad trip to Long Beach State (where they were swept), Wake Forest has played well and looks to have taken a step forward from last year when they just missed a Regional. A series win would be a huge resume builder for Wake Forest. For Louisville, the expectation is to win most (if not all) ACC series. With trips to North Carolina, Miami, and Florida State all looming on the schedule, the Cardinals want to get out of Winston-Salem with a series win. John's Prediction: Louisville wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Louisville wins two of three Other Series Predictions #15 NC State at Virginia John's Prediction: NC State wins two of three. NC State just scored 24 runs (in a 7-inning game) in the midweek versus Coastal Carolina, so the bats are coming in hot! Kyle’s Prediction: NC State sweeps San Diego State at #17 Oklahoma John's Prediction: Oklahoma wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Oklahoma sweeps Fresno State at #20 Arizona State John's Prediction: Arizona State sweeps. The bats are heating up in Tempe! Kyle’s Prediction: Arizona State sweeps Memphis at UNCW John's Prediction: UNCW wins two of three. Both of these team may win a game in a Regional, though. Kyle’s Prediction: UNCW wins two of three San Diego at Indiana John's Prediction: Indiana wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Indiana wins two of three West Virginia at Mercer John's Prediction: Mercer wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Mercer wins two of three #25 UCSB at Oregon State John's Prediction: UCSB wins two of three in an under-the-radar, really good series. Kyle’s Prediction: UCSB wins two of three Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

Wow. Another incredible weekend is in the books for the Big 12. This weekend wasn’t your average weekend, however. This weekend headed a series of games that would really show how the Big 12 fared among the exclusive of college baseball. Texas, Oklahoma, and Baylor competed in the Shriners College Classic; Oklahoma State in the Frisco College Baseball Classic; Texas Tech in the Florida State Invitational; West Virginia in the Central Virginia Challenge; and Kansas in the First Pitch Invitational. Before we get into things, many people reading this may not know me. My name is Nick Cooper, and I write about all things Big 12 baseball over on my blog big12roundup.wordpress.com and post anything and everything on my Twitter @NickCooperCBSB. Game recaps, frequent updates, stats, standings, and everything in-between. Make sure to follow me to stay informed on everything happening within the Big 12 and on Big 12 Roundup! Here is an overview of how each Big 12 team stood through (seemingly) the biggest weekend of baseball yet this season, ordered by tournament to non-tournament appearances. Shriners College Classic #22 Baylor – (8-3, 3-0 on the weekend) We’ll kick things off with quite possibly the most impressive performance of the weekend. Baylor is a team who carries a lot of talent with them, but have failed to stay up consistently. A series loss against Oral Roberts last weekend really put the Bears in an awkward spot searching for an identity. They took the Shriners by storm, seeping the weekend against 3 teams atop the SEC. 4-2 over Missouri, 6-4 over LSU, and 3-2 over Arkansas really put Baylor on watch all over the country. Nick Loftin, Mack Mueller, and Jared McKenzie racked up solid hits all through the weekend, overpowering the schools who were thought to demolish them. They had a great weekend, and will need to stay up to earn national notoriety. #17 Oklahoma – (9-3, 2-1 on the weekend) Let’s address the elephant in the room. Dane Acker put up one of the best displays on the mound anyone has seen this year. Not only did he shut out LSU, he nearly threw a perfect game. Acker no-hit the 20th ranked LSU Tigers, fanning 11 and gave up one lone walk across a full 9-inning stand. His performance no doubt put the cherry on top of an immaculate weekend in Houston. The Sooners also downed top ranked Arkansas 6-3 behind red-hot Brady Lindsly and a very consistent Tanner Treadaway. They did drop a close game (8-7) to Missouri on Saturday, but overall another stunning weekend for the Sooners, who continue to trend up in the polls. Texas- (10-2, 1-2 on the weekend) Texas had the most underwhelming performance in the Shriners, as they entered 9-0 with high expectations. A back-and-forth battle on Friday against LSU handed the Longhorns their first loss, 4-3. Undaunted they were, as they topped Arkansas 8-7 on Saturday, and eventually dropping the game against Mizzou on Sunday 9-8. Zach Zubia stayed on his roll, RF Austin Todd saw the ball well for the Longhorns. Not a bad weekend for UT, they kept things close and still exited the weekend with a 10-2 overall record. How they respond from this weekend could show how this young team shapes up. Frisco College Classic Oklahoma State – (8-4, 1-2 on the weekend) Oklahoma State has had an interesting start to their year. An opening series loss to Grand Canyon shocked a lot of people who thought this team was among the top in college baseball. They responded well, winning six straight headed into a rugged schedule in Frisco. The Pokes dropped their first two contests against UCLA and Illinois and had in a sense dropped the ball. Two tough opponents I know, but for a team who was expected to finish at the top, it was quite underwhelming. A solid win on Sunday against Texas A&M lightened the mood a little, potentially getting the Cowboys back on track. Some tough series await for Oklahoma State, and I think the talent they played this weekend really prepared them for success down the road. Look for Hueston Morrill, Carson McCusker, and Caeden Trenkle to lead the Pokes onward. Florida State Invitational #2 Texas Tech – (11-1, 3-0 on the weekend) I’m sure I’m not the first to say it; Texas Tech proved they are the beat team in college baseball. Their one game slip against Tennessee and a sweep over Florida Atlantic and Florida State respectively prove this Texas Tech team is a legit contender. I would give names on who to look out for, but everybody on this Tech team seems to show up when the time is right. If they can bring this same energy and power into conference play, watch out folks. Central Virginia Challenge West Virginia – (7-4, 2-1 on the weekend) West Virginia is another team that has stayed relatively consistent. Other than last weekend, the Mountaineers’ pitching staff has really showed out. With wins over William & Mary and Richmond, WVU cements another solid weekend at work. The weekend trio of Jackson Wolf, Ryan Bergert, and Jake Carr have absolutely shut down some pretty decent names around the country. One thing to critique is their inconsistency on offense. Braden Zarbnisky has been fantastic, plating a .468 average as the lead off hitter, but can’t seem to find anyone to knock him around persistently. Overall, WVU could be a sleeper with their pure talent on the mound. If their offense catches fire, watch out . . .. First Pitch Invitational Kansas – (5-6, 1-3 on the weekend) Kansas has continued to struggle week in and week out, really needing a leader. Their pitching staff can’t seem to find a quality start and their offense can’t put anything together at the right time. Ritch Price knew it would be a tough season to contend with the big boys, but they are struggling to pick up wins in an easy part of their schedule. There’s one thing Kansas needs before Big 12 play: someone to make some noise. Someone to fire up the team and give them a competing edge. They’re down but not at all out quite yet. Non-Tournament Teams #18 TCU – (10-1, 3-0 on the weekend) People talk about Texas Tech, but not a lot are taking about TCU. A sweep over Kentucky, two out of three from Minnesota, and now another sweep against California. This team just can’t seem to be beat. 5-4, 3-0, and 6-1 over a gallant Pac-12 opponent in Cal. In my Big 12 Projections I said that it could be a rollercoaster of a season for TCU, and they’re certainly going up. Texas Tech could have some real competition at the top if TCU opposes to back down. Huge Power Five and West Coast games await this prevalent Horned Frogs squad. Kansas State – (6-5, 3-0 on the weekend) Kansas State found some major success, but at the hands of a struggling Fairleigh Dickinson team out of the NEC. Nonetheless, K-State’s weekend trio of Carson Seymour, Connor McCullough, and Jordan Wicks had great outings, as well as their offense producing 8, 12, and 20 runs respectively. Although it might not have been the competition they were looking for, a weekend sweep for a 6-5 Wildcat team goes very far. A lot of confidence and potential moving onward for K-State. Who knows, this could be the turn around they were looking for. An upcoming road trip at Stanford might just be the competitor Pete Hughes’ young fleet is looking for. Make sure to follow me on Twitter @NickCooperCBSB and my blog big12roundup.wordpress.com for everything Big 12 baseball! We appreciate you stopping by. Thanks for reading Nick Cooper's break down of Big 12 Baseball! Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow College Baseball Nation on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

For the third straight week, we have a new number one team in the country! Congratulations to Florida who swept Troy in three games to move into the top spot. Texas Tech slides up to the second spot behind a 5-0 week and two road wins over Florida State. #3 UCLA, winners of the Frisco College Classic, moves up four spots and have still yet to give up more than two runs in a game. Fourth-ranked Georgia and fifth-ranked Ole Miss both move up one spot after posting undefeated weeks. Georgia swept rival, Georgia Tech, while Ole Miss swept the Keith LeClair Classic. Vanderbilt checks in at number six. It took a walk-off home run to defeat Hawaii on Sunday and clinch the series, but the Commodores got the job done. Louisville cruised to a 4-0 week and moved up two spots to number seven. Duke move into the top eight with a 3-1 week. At nine, Miami finishes a string of three straight ACC teams. Arkansas drops from the top spot to number ten after an 0-3 weekend at the Shriners College Classic. The eleventh spot is filled by UCF, the top-ranked American team. The Knights backed up their road series sweep of Auburn with a 4-1 week. Mississippi State slips to #12 after a 2-3 week, including a road series loss to Long Beach State. Dropping two spots, Florida State is ranked #13, coming off a 2-2 week. Undefeated and 14th-ranked Tennessee moved to 12-0 after a sweep of George Washington, while NC State (also undefeated) used a 4-0 week to slide up two spots to #15. Long Beach State rose seven spots to #16 behind a series win against Mississippi State. Eight spots higher than a week ago, #17 Oklahoma defeated Arkansas and LSU (whom they no-hit). TCU enters the top 25 at #18 after a Monday win at Minnesota and a home sweep of California. Slipping one spot, Michigan is ranked 19th behind a 2-1 week. Arizona State moves up to #20 after winning two out of three against Nebraska. Importantly for the Sun Devils, the bats began to heat up to the tune of 37 runs score over the weekend. #21 ECU lost two out of three at home, while #22 Baylor impressed by sweeping the Shriners College Classic. The tournament was a much-need bounce back for the Bears who lost a series at home to Oral Roberts the week before. With a weekend that featured a no-hitter, walk-off, and a cycle, Tulane had one of the most memorable performances in the country, albeit against outmatched competition. Dallas Baptist checks in at #24 after a close series with Arkansas State, and the top 25 is completed by UCSB at #25. Dropping out of the rankings are Texas A&M (#13) and LSU (#20). Thanks for checking out our College Baseball Rankings! We appreciate you stopping by. Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #rankings #collegebaseball #top25

Illinois squared up OSU's Justin Campbell all day, hitting it hard all over the yard. The Illini have surprised many here in Frisco and in the college baseball world beating previously undefeated #13 Texas A&M and, now, a solid Oklahoma State team. A windy day meant anything hit well in the air had a chance to go out and we had two home runs that didn't look like they'd make it out. The first one by OSU SS Hueston Morrill gave them their only run in the 1st inning. Later on in the 3rd, Illinois SS Brandon Comia continued his torrid stretch here in Frisco and hit one to the deepest part of the park to give Illinois the lead that they didn't relinquish. Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb mentioned in the press conference after Friday night's game that his team has steadily improved at eliminating errors from last weekend, but this weekend they also brought some stellar defensive plays. OSU came back and made things interesting in the bottom of the 9th inning. They had runners on 2nd and 3rd when a balk by Illinois scored the runner from 3rd. Luckily for Illinois, their star closer came in and quieted the OSU bats with two quick outs. Illinois comes back to play UCLA on Sunday at 11am. Oklahoma State will play Texas A&M Sunday at 3pm. Thanks for reading! The Frisco Classic is the #BestOutsideOfOmaha. Follow along on Twitter (@FriscoClassic) all weekend for updates about the games. Head over to our forums to discuss this tournament and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

After a blowout to start the Frisco Classic, fans at the nightcap were treated to a pitcher's duel. It was a scoreless game until the bottom of the 8th, with little action scattered throughout the game. The first hit for either team was in the top of the 4th inning. Back-to-back singles by Cam Blake and Logan Sartori had the Aggies in business, but Illinois worked a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the inning. Illinois tried to work some two-out magic in the 4th with a single and a double by Alex Steinbach and Cam McDonald, respectively. Aggie lefty Asa Lacy got out of it with a strikeout. All game Illini batters were working the count and Aggie pitchers were still striking them out. Aggie batters were aggressively going after pitches early in the counts, but they were hit right where the outfielders were. The first run of the game went to Illinois in the bottom of the 8th after a single and a stolen base put Taylor Jackson in position for Brandon Comia to bring him home with a single. That's all the Illini needed as the Aggies went quickly and quietly in the top of the 9th. After the game, Texas A&M coach Rob Childress said "mistakes get magnified in that Friday night fight and we made one mistake up out over the plate with two strikes and they didn't miss." Asked if he felt any adrenaline during the game with all the Aggie fans in attendance, starting pitcher Ty Weber responded "I try to stay as even-keeled as I can... I know if I was a freshman in this situation, I'd have a lot more nerves than I did early on." Illinois takes on Oklahoma State at 2pm Saturday, then Texas A&M comes back to face UCLA at 6pm! Check out a full preview of the Frisco Classic here! Thanks for reading! The Frisco Classic is the #BestOutsideOfOmaha. Follow along on Twitter (@FriscoClassic) all weekend for updates about the games. Head over to our forums to discuss this tournament and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

#25 Oklahoma opened up the Shriners College Classic with an impressive, 6-3, over the #1 Arkansas Razorbacks. The Sooners, who already have already built a strong early-season resume with series wins at Virginia and versus Illinois State, moved to 8-2 on the year with the win. The Razorbacks fall to 7-1 with the loss. Oklahoma entered the game with a 2.51 team ERA and lived up to that standard, quieting a Razorbacks team that scores an average of 7.5 runs per game. After a three-run fifth inning for Arkansas, Oklahoma starting pitcher, Cade Cavalli left game with a quality start. Wyatt Olds subsequently threw three shutout innings for Oklahoma and earned the win. A defensive miscue to start the seventh for the Razorbacks was the difference in the game. An errant throw led to three unearned runs for the Sooners, the difference in the game. Oklahoma hits the field again Satruday at 12 PM ET against Missouri, while Arkansas takes on Texas at 8 PM ET. Check out a full preview of the Shriners College Classic here! Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

The 20th Annual Shriners College Classic is this weekend, February 28th-March 1st at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas! For how this tournament will shake out, this post has all you need. For ticketing and more, visit their website: www.mlb.com/astros/tickets/college-classic. The Games Friday Missouri vs. Baylor, 11am #1 Arkansas vs. #25 Oklahoma, 3pm Texas vs. #20 LSU, 7pm Saturday #25 Oklahoma vs. Missouri, 11am #20 LSU vs. Baylor, 3pm #1 Arkansas vs. Texas, 7pm Sunday #25 Oklahoma vs. #20 LSU, 11am Missouri vs. Texas, 3pm Baylor vs. #1 Arkansas, 7pm *home team listed second The Teams #1 Arkansas (7-0) - The Razorbacks come into the Shriners College Classic with sky-high expectations. Coming off another Omaha appearance, the program's 10th, Arkansas received high rankings in all major publications, including our own. The Hogs have been in the Shriners College Classic twice before, sporting a 5-1 record. They look to continue that streak of dominance as they bring one of the most prolific offenses in the country to Houston. 5-1 in past Shriners College Classics Baylor (5-3) - After taking a series against Nebraska on Opening Weekend, the Bears seemed right on track. However, a Week Two loss to Oral Roberts in a series at home has upped the stakes of the Shriners College Classic for Baylor. A poor showing in the tournament may set the tone for a rebuilding year for the Bears, while a couple of wins could put their season back on track. 16-17 in past Shriners College Classics #20 LSU (6-3) - LSU has already had a four-game stretch with three losses this season, including a loss to each of Indiana, Nicholls, and Eastern Kentucky. While bewildering losses and the Tigers have seemed to go hand-in-hand over the years (and often not prevented LSU from having very successful seasons), you can't help but wonder if this year's Tigers team is in a little bit of trouble. With a team batting average of 0.241, LSU has been struggling at the plate. However, when you pair that with opponents' batting average of 0.183, you can see why there is reason for optimism in Baton Rouge. 4-2 in past Shriners College Classics Missouri (4-4) - Despite their postseason ban, Missouri brings a talented team into the Shriners College Classic. Coming off of a couple of losses to Southland Conference teams, the Tigers will look to come out of this tournament with at least one win. They will be hoping for a bounce back weekend for their pitching staff which has so far put up a 5.20 ERA on the season. 0-3 in past Shriners College Classics #25 Oklahoma (7-2) - Oklahoma enters the Shriners College Classic with confidence. A series win at Virginia and at home versus Illinois State has confirmed that the Sooners can pitch. Cade Cavalli is the arm to watch for the Sooners as he goes up against Arkansas on Friday afternoon. How Cavalli performs in this game will help dictate how deep in the postseason Oklahoma can go. 2-1 in past Shriners College Classics Texas (9-0) - At 9-0, it is hard not to like Texas' record. However, it is unclear how talented of competition the Longhorns have played. A sweep on the road at Rice looks less impressive after the Owls lost four straight games after that series, and a weekend series win versus Boise State (a team who is restarting their program after a four decade hiatus) is hard to draw conclusions from. If anything, it seems like the Longhorns can pitch, as they boast a 1.65 team ERA. With just a 0.243 batting average, it will interesting to see how far the Longhorns' pitching can take them. 13-11 in past Shriners College Classics The Tournament This is a tournament filled with history and rivalry, and the eyes of the college baseball world will be on Houston this weekend. It's hard to pick a game that will be the best of the weekend, but Saturday night's Arkansas vs. Texas matchup should be interesting. These programs have a lot of history with each other (Texas leads the series 75-37 according to Texas, 55-32 according to Arkansas). Arkansas has the talent to sweep this tournament, but Texas always gives the Razorbacks a tough test and has the capability of upsetting them. The early game on Sunday between Oklahoma and LSU will be a quality matchup between two teams needing to prove themselves already this season. Oklahoma's pitching is their strong suit, and they needed all they could muster in a tough early road series win at Virginia. LSU will always have some of the top talent in the SEC but has struggled in the midweek games lately. If LSU is going to compete in the SEC, they will need to lock down weekend starters. Kyle's (@kylemckelv) prediction: Arkansas 3-0, LSU 2-1, Missouri 1-2, Oklahoma 2-1, Texas 1-2, Baylor 0-3 John's (@johnny_omaha_) prediction: Arkansas 3-0, LSU 1-2, Missouri 1-2, Oklahoma 2-1, Texas 2-1, Baylor 0-3 Head over to our forums to discuss this tournament and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

Frisco Classic The 4th Annual Frisco Classic is this weekend, February 28th-March 1st at Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas! For how this tournament will shake out, this post has all you need. For ticketing and more, visit their website: www.friscoclassic.com. The Games Friday #7 UCLA vs. Oklahoma State, 3pm #13 Texas A&M vs. Illinois, 7pm Saturday Illinois vs. Oklahoma State, 2pm #7 UCLA vs. #13 Texas A&M, 6pm Sunday Illinois vs. #7 UCLA, 11am Oklahoma State vs. #13 Texas A&M, 3pm *home team listed second The Teams Illinois (3-3) – This is the Illini's first time in the Frisco Classic. Senior closer Garrett Acton, sophomore short stop Branden Comia, and senior starting pitcher Ty Weber all received preseason first team All-Big Ten honors this year. These veterans should lead the young Illini in a deeper-than-usual Big Ten conference race this year. Player to watch: Garrett Acton, coming back the mound after leading the country in saves (19) in 2019. already has two saves in two opportunities in 2020. Oklahoma State (7-2) – Oklahoma State comes into this weekend on a bit of a hot streak. After losing two out of three games in their opening weekend series to Grand Canyon in Phoenix, they have beaten Arizona State on a Tuesday and then preceded to average 11.4 runs over their next five games, blowing out lesser competition. If the Cowboys are to compete for the Big 12 crown and get back to Omaha for the first time since 2016, they'll need a good showing here to inspire confidence. Record in previous Frisco Classic: 2-1 (2017) Player to watch: Freshman Caeden Trenkle has been electrifying on the base paths, at the plate, and in the outfield. He's hitting 0.361 with one double, three triples, and two home runs. #13 Texas A&M (10-0) – The Aggies come into this tournament looking for a true test after cruising through their first 10 games. Their offense needed a new scheme to provide some spark compared to last year's team and new hitting coach, Chad Caillet, has brought plenty of spark. Combined with their already dominant pitching staff, could this be the year the Aggies have a complete enough team to compete for a CWS title? Record in previous Frisco Classic: 2-1 (2018) Player to watch: Junior Asa Lacy is a preseason All-America First Team honoree for five major outlets and the SEC coaches and has high expectations on the year, including possibly being drafted highly in the first round of the MLB Draft. With a nasty breaking ball as his strikeout pitch, the talented lefty is a must-watch on Friday nights. #7 UCLA (8-0) – The Bruins are also newbies at the Frisco Classic. UCLA is not a team that is going to overwhelm you with power like OSU and A&M, but they will likely out-pitch you. Staff ace Zach Pettway has allowed two earned runs in 12.2 innings of work to go along with 21 strikeouts. UCLA has high expectations on the season to be at the top of the Pac-12 and make it back to Omaha for the first time since 2013 when they won it all. Player to watch: Junior Garrett Mitchell was selected as a preseason All-American by five major outlets and has gotten off to a great start to his 2020 season, hitting 0.379 with four doubles and four walks. The Tournament The two teams that have the most history between each other are A&M and OSU, with OSU leading the series 34-33, most recently meeting in 2012 when A&M was a member of the Big 12. The biggest game of the weekend is #7 UCLA vs. #13 Texas A&M. Both teams will be tested for the first time against top competition. While they both have tests coming in the future, this will help determine how the rest of the season will go. I have personally been to this tournament once in the past and it was pretty cold that night in DFW. If you're heading out to the games, bring a jacket because the night games get chilly with that north wind blowing in from Oklahoma! Kyle's (@kylemckelv) prediction: Texas A&M 3-0, UCLA 2-1, Oklahoma State 1-2, Illinois 0-3 John's (@johnny_omaha_) prediction: Texas A&M 3-0, UCLA 2-1, Oklahoma State 1-2, Illinois 0-3 Thanks for reading! The Frisco Classic is the #BestOutsideOfOmaha. Follow along on Twitter (@FriscoClassic) all weekend for updates about the games. If you're in the area, try to make it out to these games! I will be at the game with press credentials, so follow us on Twitter and Instagram @CollegeBallNat for updates too. Head over to our forums to discuss this tournament and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

College Baseball is coming up on its third weekend! Here are the series that you need to keep an eye on. Georgia Tech vs #5 Georgia Georgia Tech is coming off a weekend where they outscored Ohio State, 31-5, en route to a sweep of the Buckeyes. At 7-1, Georgia Tech has yet to be strongly tested on the road. Georgia, at 8-1, has similarly only played one game on the road. That will change for both teams as they play a home/neutral-site/away series that promises to be one of the highlights of the weekend. John's (@johnny_omaha_) Prediction: Georgia wins two out of three Kyle’s (@kylemckelv) Prediction: Georgia wins two out of three Cal State Northridge at #14 UCF If you had predicted that this series would be a matchup of teams that are a combined 15-1, not many people would have believed you. Dave Serano, in his first season as head coach of CSUN, has the Matadors at 7-0. After #14 UCF swept Auburn on the road last weekend, the Knights vaulted up the rankings. A win in this series could see CSUN enter the rankings, while UCF is looking to keep their momentum going. John's Prediction: UCF sweeps Kyle’s Prediction: UCF wins two out of three #4 Mississippi State at #23 Long Beach State Mississippi State took care of business at home against Oregon State last weekend, winning two out of three. Long Beach State exceeded all expectation by sweeping Wake Forest at home. Now the two teams are on a crash course this weekend when they face off in Long Beach. The Bulldogs are still without ace JT Ginn and struggled on offense in midweek play (which included a loss to then 0-9 Texas Southern). Long Beach State is allowing just 2.6 runs per game this season and will look to further quiet the Mississippi State bats. A series win for Mississippi State would prove they can win even in challenging circumstances. Long Beach State, under first-year Head Coach Eric Valenzuela, could continue to shock the college baseball world with a series win. John's Prediction: LBSU wins two out of three Kyle’s Prediction: Mississippi State wins two out of three Florida State Tournament #11 Florida State, #3 Texas Tech, and Florida Atlantic all meet in Tallahassee for a mini tournament this weekend. Florida State and Texas Tech squared off in Omaha last year when the Red Raiders got the better of the Seminoles. FAU is off to a 7-0 start but has yet to be tested. This weekend will go a long way in determining whether or not the Owls hot start is legitimate. John's Prediction: FSU goes 2-2, Texas Tech goes 2-1, FAU goes 1-2 Kyle’s Prediction: FSU goes 2-2, Texas Tech goes 2-1, FAU goes 1-2 Other Series Predictions Cal at TCU John's Prediction: TCU sweeps Kyle’s Prediction: TCU sweeps Middle Tennessee at #24 Tulane John's Prediction: Tulane sweeps Kyle’s Prediction: Tulane sweeps Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

Keith Patrick Keith is the host of Dinger Derby: A Podcast for Texas Tech Baseball Fans. Keith is also a regular baseball and football contributor to Staking the Plains, the gritty two-star receiver of sports blogs. You can connect with Keith @dinger_derby or @KeithBPatrick on Twitter, and @ttu_dingerderby on Instagram. For Red Raider fans, the Dinger Derby Podcast can be found anywhere you listen to podcasts, posted on stakingtheplains.com, or at dingerderbypodcast.com. The inaugural Round Rock Classic showcased college baseball perennial power Texas Tech, who has made it to the College World Series four times in six years, a dark horse SEC contender and 2019 Regional team in Tennessee, a 2019 Super Regional team in Stanford, and a postseason mainstay looking to bounce back in Houston. By including the Texas Tech Red Raiders, strong crowds were all but guaranteed by one of the most interested and well-traveled fan bases in not only college baseball, but intercollegiate athletics. The Red Raiders often claim stadiums, arenas, and ballparks as their own turning road games on their head, especially in Texas. Over 8,000 fans crossed through the gates of Dell Diamond on Saturday alone to watch February college baseball, what a great time to be alive. The Round Rock Classic tweeted that it was a regional atmosphere in February. With the finale of the classic going to extra innings and ending with a walk-off, I think it’s safe to say it was a weekend of quality, early-season tournament action. FRIDAY Houston Drops Stanford 11-4 In the offseason, the Houston Cougars were thought to be a potential favorite in The American. They’re looking to bounce back from a 32-24 season that disappointingly saw them miss out on the postseason, somewhere they’ve grown accustomed to being. In their opening weekend, the Cougars went 1-2 against Youngstown State at home losing Saturday and Sunday in extras. That kind of performance will set a fan base on the edge of the cliff even in a long-season sport like baseball. The Cougars came into Round Rock needing a strong performance and they delivered Friday night against the Stanford Cardinal. Houston took down the smart kids 11-4 behind starting pitcher Lael Lockhart, Jr. who posted 4.1IP, 4H, 1R, 3BB, 4K. It was a pitcher’s duel walking into the bottom of the 4th tied 1-1 and then Lockhart’s teammates provided some run support as the Cougars reeled off 7 runs in the frame to go ahead for good. The Cougars batted around in the inning and took advantage of two Cardinal errors compounding the power of several base knocks. Stanford rallied in the 8th closing the gap to 8-4 after loading the bases with no outs. They were able to push three across before the end of the frame. Houston however wasn’t satisfied, 1B Ryan Hernandez delivered a 3-run dinger dagger to extend the lead and deliver the final 11-4 score. Cougar LF Blake Way went 2-2, 1R, and a career-high 3 RBI for the Cougars. Stanford starting pitcher Brendan Beck got roughed up going 3.2IP, 7H, 8R, 3ER, 0BB, 4K. #1 Red Raiders Fall to Tennessee 6-2 Following a 4-0 start to the season at home scoring 65 runs over four games, the Texas Tech Red Raiders were unable to get things rolling Friday night against Volunteer pitching in a cold evening in Round Rock. Potential Top 10 MLB Draft pick Garrett Crochet has been coming back slowly from arm soreness and didn’t get the start against the College Baseball Nation’s top team, but the Vols didn’t seem to miss him much. JUCO transfer Chad Dallas got the start for Tennessee and faced off with Clayton Beeter, the Red Raiders’ sophomore fireballer. Dallas struck out the side in the Red Raiders’ first chance at the plate and didn’t allow a hit until the third when Tech scratched across a run on an RBI knock by SS Cal Conley following a leadoff double by junior C Braxton Fullford. The Volunteer offense started hot following a leadoff strikeout, DH Zach Daniels, who finished the evening going 2-4 with 2H, 2R, HR, RBI, hammered a hard-hit liner to shallow right field. Dru Baker missed the diving attempt and it was off to the races for Daniels. He held up at third but took off on a throw that went untouched by either cutoff man. It could certainly be argued it was a triple advanced by an error but it was officially scored an inside-the-park home run. RF Evan Russell worked a two-out walk and was brought home when Jordan Beck pounded a 2-run shot to left field and touched em all later in the first. The Vols didn’t break out again but tacked on a run off a 3B Jake Rucker dinger in the third, another off an RBI double from SS Liam Spence scored CH Alerick Soulairie, and in the seventh, a Russell sac fly to center field scored Daniels following a leadoff double to left field for him. Clayton Beeter entered this game with a 1.50 ERA after an opening day 5-1 win over Houston Baptist University but saw it swell to 4.60 in a tough evening. He went 4.0IP, 5H, 4R, 3BB, 8K, in 81 pitches. Senior right-hander John McMillon came in for two innings in relief and Kurt Wilson closed it out for the Red Raiders, both gave up one run apiece. Dallas and Sean Hunley combined to allow 6H, 2R, 4BB, 13K on their 5.0IP and 4.0IP respectively. Red Raider freshman catcher Nate Rombach came back to earth after pounding 5 home runs over opening weekend and being named the D1Baseball and NCBWA Player of the Week, he went 0-3 with a walk and one RBI. Fulford was the only Red Raider to post multiple hits on the evening going 2-4 with a run scored. SATURDAY Volunteers Stay Perfect with 8-4 Victory over Houston Tennessee followed a cold-weather dismantling of the #1 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders with a convincing come-from-behind victory over the Houston Cougars Saturday to improve to 5-0 on the season. The Vols started fast, plating three runs in the first inning, but everything ground to a halt for the next five innings as they put up goose eggs on the scoreboard. The Cougars struggled to get anything going as well with only two baserunners in three innings until 1B Ryan Hernandez worked a leadoff walk in the fourth and RF Steven Rivas pounded a two-run shot to left field to change the complexion of the game and close the deficit to one. The Volunteers were lucky to escape the inning without further damage as SP Chase Wallace hit two batsmen and advanced runners with a balk and a wild pitch. Houston tied it up in the fifth inning on a Hernandez RBI double and took the lead 4-3 in the sixth on an unearned run scored after a throwing error from 2B Max Ferguson. The lead would be short-lived, however, as C Connor Pavolony smoked a two-out, 3 RBI double to left-center to take back the lead for good. Tennessee carried the 6-4 lead into the ninth and two insurance runs there solidified the win. Wallace and Leath Jackson combined for 15 K on the day for the Vols and four Cougar pitchers combined for 11 K of their own. The Cougars fell to 2-3 on the season, continuing to struggle to put together consistent performances and perhaps more importantly, to close out games. #1 Red Raiders Bounce Back with 7-2 Domination of Stanford It was deja vu all over again for Bryce Bonnin who started for the Red Raiders on Saturday. Bonnin struck out the first batter he faced and then left a fastball up in the zone to give up a two-run home run after a walk. In Bonnin’s first start of the season on the back end of a doubleheader in Lubbock, he faced a similar situation, striking out the side, but giving up a home run in the inning. Bonnin, who transferred to Texas Tech from Arkansas last season and was a key piece of the Red Raiders’ deep run in Omaha, finished the day with his second win of the season and 5.0IP, 4H, 2R, 1BB, 9K. Bonnin’s slider was working well for him in the mid-upper 80s and his fastball was consistently bumping 96mph. While the early fireworks from Cardinal SS Tim Tawa seemed like Bonnin may be on the ropes early, Stanford wasn’t able to scratch across another run the rest of the way. Sophomore Micah Dallas, a 2019 Freshman All-American, turned in a strong relief outing firing a steady diet of sliders and changeups that kept batters guessing. He also sprinkled in some signature Dallas personality and fire on and off the mound. His 4.0IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 6K made for 15 combined strikeouts for Tech and Dallas’s second save of the season. Offensively Stanford only smacked one extra-base hit outside of the homerun, a Brock Jones double to lead off the third. Jones stole third base and was the last Cardinal to pass second the rest of the way. The Red Raiders effort started with a two-out solo bomb by 1B Cole Stilwell to left in the first that shrunk the Cardinal’s early lead to one. A one-out double by CF Dylan Neuse in the second put him in scoring position and the first of four wild pitches by Stanford pitchers moved Neuse to third. A sac fly by C Braxton Fulford scored the tying run. In the fourth, DH Nate Rombach worked a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on another wild pitch, after a 2B Brian Klein groundout moved him to third, a throwing error by 3B Nick Bellafronto scored the freshman Rombach to take the lead. Tech opened things up in the seventh with three runs scored by a 3B Jace Jung RBI triple, a Stilwell RBI single, and a Neuse RBI single. Cal Conley scored the final run for the Red Raiders in the eighth after blasting a leadoff double to right field he was moved around by a LF Dillon Carter sacrifice bunt, the fourth wild pitch of the day by Stanford pitchers brought Conley home. Stanford starting southpaw Quin Mathews was charged with the loss from 4.0+IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 2K. SUNDAY Tennessee Completes Weekend Sweep with 7-2 Victory Over Stanford The Volunteers took full advantage of five Stanford errors to take the weekend championship in Round Rock. The Cardinal is just playing flat out ugly baseball right now with a lot of youngsters making bad mistakes. Many teams look back on a successful season at a low point that was a lesson-learned turning point, maybe this weekend will become that for Stanford. Tennessee jumped out to an early 2-1 lead in the second on an RBI triple by Luc Lipcius and a sac fly by Liam Spence. Stanford tied it up in the fifth but it was Tennessee the rest of the way scratching across one in the sixth, three in the seventh, and one in the eighth. All of those runs were aided by errors, another testament to the Cardinal and their struggles. The miscues made the day all the more frustrating for Stanford’s starting pitcher who went 5.2IP, 3H, 3R, 0ER, 2BB, 10K in 105 pitches on the day. Nothing will wear a pitcher out faster than his defense not having his back. The high score was less helped by hitting than miscues as only two Vols notched a multi-hit day. 3B Austin Kretzschmar went 3-4, 1 2B, and LF Cole Hinkelman went 2-4, 1R, 2 2B. #1 Red Raiders Walk It Off in Extra Innings Texas Tech found themselves in a dogfight Sunday night against the Houston Cougars. CF Tyler Bielamowicz reached on a leadoff HBP, stole second, and moved to third on a passed ball. An RBI groundout scored him giving the Cougars the early lead. Sophomore Dru Baker led things off for Tech with a solo homerun in the Red Raiders’ first at-bat of the game to tie it. Both teams would post goose eggs the next two innings and in the fourth Houston capitalized on SP Austin Becker’s third base on balls of the game with an RBI double by SS Kobe Hyland. Tech answered in the fifth when LF Tanner O’Tremba’s RBI groundout scored Dylan Neuse who led off the inning with a standup triple, his first of the season after posting eight three-baggers in 2019. The next four innings were scoreless but not without drama as the Cougars stranded four on base and the Red Raiders left six aboard. Tech put runners on third twice with the score tied 2-2, including a bases loaded effort in the sixth, but couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities. The Red Raiders hit .222 with runners in scoring position on the evening, something Head Coach Tim Tadlock will surely look to see improve as the season rolls on. The game went to the tenth and RHP Andrew Devine came in for the Red Raiders. The Freshman from Simi Valley, CA was impressive in his second appearance of the season striking out his first two batters and fielding a swinging bunt himself for the 1-3 putout. Baker, who found base every at bat of the evening with a homerun, and back-to-back-to-back walks, led off for Tech in the tenth with a single to left field. He then swiped second with two outs and Houston completed junior catcher Braxton Fulford’s at-bat with an intentional walk. That’s when the senior 2B Brian Klein stepped up to bat. The senior leader, earlier named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List, walked into high drama in this early season tournament matchup. Klein was 0-12 on the weekend and only reached base once on a fielder’s choice in Friday night’s loss to Tennessee. The intentional walk to bring up an ice cold Klein was understandable, but the faith and approach of Red Raider leader served him well as he smoked a first-pitch RBI single to right field scoring Baker from second base and walking off the game over the Cougars 3-2. Other notables on the evening were SP Austin Becker, LHP Jakob Brustoski, and RHP Ryan Sublette who all threw absolute gas and became the third, fourth, and fifth Red Raiders to throw at least 96mph in the Classic. Dobbins also hit 94 and Devine 95, the Red Raiders certainly have no shortage of power pitching available. Those bullpen arms were exceptional, after starter and Vanderbilt transfer Becker battled through 4.0IP, 3H, 2R, 3BB, 2K. Red Raider relievers combined for 6.0IP, 3H, 0R, 1BB, 12K the rest of the way. The Red Raiders finish the inaugural Round Rock Classic 2-1 and improve to 6-1 on the season. Houston falls to 2-4 on the young season but played an impressive Texas Tech team very well, the early fears about their chances in the AAC may be misplaced, although the ability to close out close games appears to be a lingering issue. Head over to our forums to discuss this tournament and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

For the second straight week, we have a new number one team in the country! Congratulations to Arkansas who swept Gonzaga in four games to move into the top spot. Florida checks in at number two after sweeping Miami on the road. Behind them Texas Tech slips two spots to number three. The Red Raiders went 2-1 in the Round Rock Classic. Mississippi State and Georgia round out the top five. Mississippi State won two out of three against Oregon State, and Georgia took three out of four games off of Santa Clara. Ole Miss continues the string of SEC teams at number six. The Rebels swept Xavier, including a combined no-hitter on Saturday. UCLA is the Pac-12's highest ranked team at number seven. The Bruins swept St. Mary's. Vanderbilt moves up five spots to number eight after a 5-0 week that included a sweep of Illinois-Chicago. Louisville and Duke finish off the top ten and are the ACC's top teams. Duke's Bryce Jarvis threw a Perfect Game against Cornell on Friday. Florida State and Miami at #11 and #12 continue the streak of ACC teams. The Seminoles swept Cincinnati, while Miami was swept at the hands of Florida. Texas A&M is 13th after a 5-0 week. UCF and Tennessee are both new entrants into the poll at #14 and #15. UCF swept Auburn on the road, and Tennessee went 3-0 at the Round Rock Classic. The Volunteers defeated Texas Tech, Stanford, and Houston. ECU, NC State, and Michigan fill the #16-18 spots. Michigan drops nine spots after losing a neutral-site series to UConn. Dallas Baptist enter the top 25 at #19. The Patriots won two out of three games on the road at North Carolina. LSU lands at number #20. Arizona State, UCSB, LBSU, Tulane, and Oklahoma finish off the top 25. LBSU enters the College Baseball Top 25 after sweeping Wake Forest at home. Tulane scored an impressive road series win over Cal State Fullerton. The top 25 has nine teams from the SEC, five from the ACC, three from the American, two from the Big 12, two from the Big West, two from the Pac-12, one from the Missouri Valley, and one from the Big Ten. Thanks for checking out our College Baseball Rankings! We appreciate you stopping by. Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #rankings #collegebaseball #top25