Thursday, February 7, 2008
Big 12 North Preview
As the first pitch is about to be thrown in the 2008 season, the Big 12 North features the No. 6 team in the country, the Missouri Tigers. While the Tigers have had recent success, a Nebraska Cornhusker team that knows what it takes to get to Omaha will test them. With a wide variety of teams in the Big 12 competing for a post-season berth, this may be the deepest the conference has been in recent years.
Missouri Tigers
The University of Missouri will enter the year as Baseball America’s 6th team in the country. The Tigers will look to start their trip to Omaha behind the best pitcher in the conference, junior Aaron Crow. Missouri’s strong point will be its pitching as it will turn to sophomore Kyle Gibson and junior Rick Zagone, who had records of 8-3 and 7-2 last season, respectively. If the Tigers can find ways to manufacture runs, they will be in good shape, because they have one of the stronger rotations in the country. Two of those people who will need to produce run support are senior designated hitter Jacob Priday, who hit .297 with 13 long balls last season, and sophomore left fielder Aaron Senne, who hit .289 with 43 runs batted in.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers know what it takes to get to Omaha and the College World Series. The key to returning in 2008 will be eliminating their late game meltdowns. The Cornhuskers return with senior starting pitcher Johnny Dorn, who was their best pitcher last year. Joining the team this year are two players transferring in from successful programs: sophomore pitcher Joe Hatasaki from Arizona State and senior catcher Cody Neer from Florida. Hatasaki will try to give the starting rotation stability, while Neer will look to contribute from both behind the plate and in the batter’s box. If the Cornhuskers are going to be successful this year, it will be with a variety of new players.
Kansas State Wildcats
The Wildcats enter the 2008 season as a team that might sneak up on others. Kansas State returns a pair of pitchers who can keep them close with anyone they will play this year. Senior starting pitcher Brad Hutt will look to start things off strong and then the Wildcats will turn to one of the best closers in the conference, senior Daniel Edwards. Along with decent pitching, the Wildcats will need junior center fielder Byron Wiley to be successful and build off his 2007 season. In 2007, Wiley led the team in hits, home runs and runs batted in, and his .366 batting average was the best on the team.
Kansas Jayhawks
The Kansas Jayhawks return several players in 2008, while coach Ritch Price may have gotten his best recruiting class yet. Some of the key additions will be Free State graduate Travis Blankenship, who pitched at Johnson County Community College last year, and outfielder Jason Brunansky. These new Jayhawks will add depth to the Hawks in the future, but it will be the veteran players who will carry them now. Leading the way will be senior utility player Ryne Price, who hit .270 with 10 home runs, and redshirt senior left fielder John Allman, who had an average of .333 and had 16 doubles. The Jayhawks will be flying under the radar as the season begins, but very possibly could be a team hoisting a Big 12 trophy as they did two years ago.
Iowa State and Colorado don’t field baseball teams, but with only four teams playing baseball in the northern half, this year’s Big 12 conference appears strong. While Missouri enters the year as the heavy favorite, the other three teams all have the ability to steal the crown.
— Edited by Jared Duncan
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