Tallarini’s Takes: Final Thoughts from the Big 12 Tournament

 (Photo by Javier Vicencio/Eyepix Group/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Globe Life does it all: Globe Life Field is home to the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers and will host the 94th Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 16 at 8 p.m. EST on FOX. FOX is broadcasting the MLB All-Star Game for the 25th season. The first year FOX broadcasted the MLB ASG was during the 1999 Mid-Summer Classic in Boston at Fenway Park.

This was the third consecutive year the Big 12 Conference tournament was played at Globe Life Field.

The MLB Home Run Derby will be broadcast on ESPN on July 15 at Globe Life Field at 7 p.m. EST.

North Texas In The Midst Of The Games Future Stars: 

The 2024 MLBpipeline.com Top 150 Ranked Draft Prospects that played at the 2024 Big 12 Conference tournament in Arlington, Texas that are on the radar for the 2024 MLB Draft: No. 8 West Virginia University middle infielder JJ Wetherholt, No. 20 Oklahoma State University outfielder Carson Benge, No. 48 Texas Tech University catcher Kevin Bazzell, No. 51 University of Texas outfielder Jared Thomas, No. 74 Kansas State University left-handed pitcher Tyson Neighbors, No. 110 University of Texas shortstop Jalin Flores, No. 119 Texas Christian University shortstop Anthony Silva, and No. 130 University of Oklahoma outfielder John Spikerman.

Big 12 Conference Regular Season Stats – Top 150 MLBpipeline.com Draft Prospects

GP – Games Played 

TWP – Two-Way Player

MI – Middle Infielder 

PS – Pitching Stats 

• No. 8, West Virginia University, MI, – JJ Wetherholt: .356 AVG, 31 GP, 141 PA, 37 H, 8 2B, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 5 SB, 29 BB, 14 K, 1.164 OPS

• No. 20 Oklahoma State University, TWP, –  Carson Benge:
  • PS – 3-1, 2.25 ERA, 17 GP, 3 GS, 3 SV, 32 IP, 20 H, 8 ER, 3 HR, 8 BB, 40 K, 0.875 WHIP
  • HS – .341 AVG, 56 GP, 279 PA, 77 H, 23 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 62 RBI, 10 SB, 46 BB, 45 K, 1.137 OPS

• No. 48 Texas Tech University, C, – Kevin Bazzell: .307 AVG, 49 GP, 217 PA, 57 H, 13 2B, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 22 BB, 22 K, .874 OPS

• No. 51 University of Texas, OF, – Jared Thomas: .355 AVG, 57 GP, 276 PA, 83 H, 15 2B, 4 3B, 15 HR, 45 RBI, 16 SB, 31 BB, 58 K, 1.809 OPS

• No. 74 Kansas State University, LHP, – Tyson Neighbor: 1-2, 3.24 ERA, 20 GP, 8 SV, 33.1 IP, 23 H, 12 ER, 4 HR, 15 BB, 55 K, 1.140 WHiP

• No. 110 University of Texas, SS, – Jalin Flores: .345 AVG, 57 GP, 262 PA, 79 H, 22 2B, 17 HR, 52 RBI, 2 SB, 17 BB, 52 RBI, 2 SB, 17 BB, 54 K, 1.070 WHIP

• No. 119 Texas Christian University, SS, Anthony Silva: .268 AVG, 51 GP, 226 PA, 51 H, 10 2B, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 13 SB, 26 BB, 42 K, .753 OPS

• No. 130 University of Oklahoma, OF,  John Spikerman: .386 AVG, 37 GP, 167 PA, 56 H, 11 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 11 SB, 17 BB, 23 K, 1.011 OPS

Globe Life Field Hosting An NCAA Power Five Event & North Texas Putting Out Its Boots For The Games Future Stars For 2024 MLB Draft:

This is the first year that an NCAA Division I Power Five Conference tournament has been hosted at a Major League Baseball stadium in the same year as the MLB All-Star Game.

This will also be the first time that an NCAA Division I Power Five conference tournament will be held in the same region as the MLB Draft in the same year, 2024. It will be held at Cowtown Coliseum on July 14 in Fort Worth, Texas, at 7 p.m. EST on MLB Network.

The Cowtown Coliseum opened in 1908 and is part of the Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District. The Cowtown Coliseum is the first-ever indoor arena for rodeos in the United States, holds 3,418 seats, and is home to the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.

The first round of the 2024 MLB Draft will be held on July 14 at 7 p.m. EST on MLB Network at the Cowtown Coliseum.

This will be the fourth consecutive season that the MLB Draft will be held during ASG weekend and opened to the public.

The 2023 MLB Draft was held at Lumen Field, home to the National Football League Seattle Seahawks franchise from July 9-11; the 2022 Draft was held at Xbox Plaza at L.A. Live in Los Angeles from July 17-19 and the first Draft opened to the public for ASG weekend was in 2021 at the Bellco Theatre in Denver from July 11-13.

The Cleveland Guardians have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft since they won the Draft Lottery, securing the top pick at the Winter Meetings in Nashville on December 5, 2023.

Cleveland has never had the first overall pick in the franchise’s history since the MLB Amateur Draft began in 1965. The Guardians had a two percent chance of winning the first pick of the second MLB Draft Lottery, while the Oakland Athletics, the Kansas City Royals, and the Colorado Rockies each had the highest percentage, at 18.3.

HBCU Swingman Classic and MLB All-Star Futures GameTake Stage before Mid-Summer Classic:

The HBCU Swingman Classic, which will center around an HBCU “All-Star Game,” will be held during 2024 MLB All-Star Week on Friday, July 12 at 7 p.m. at Globe Life Field on MLB Network.

This is the second consecutive HBCU Swingman Classic during MLB All-Star week. The game was played last year in Seattle at T-Mobile Park.

The MLB All-Star Futures Game will be on Saturday, July 13, at Globe Life Field on MLB Network and will feature many top-ranked players from all 30 MLB organizations that are not on the 40-man or active rosters.

Globe Life Field Is The Mecca For College Baseball: 

The Big 12 Conference tournament is the only college baseball conference ever hosted at a retractable roof stadium.

Globe Life Field hosted the 2024 Shriners Children’s College Showdown from February 16 to 18, the beginning of the 2024 regular season, and six programs participated.

The three Big 12 Conference programs that participated at the 2024 SCC Showdown were Baylor University, Texas Tech University, and Oklahoma outside of the University of Tennessee from the Southeastern Conference, the University of Nebraska from the Big Ten Conference, and the University of Oregon from the PAC-12 conference in the first year of the event.

The University of Arizona will join the Big 12 Conference in the 2025 regular season after calling the PAC-12 Conference home since 1978. At the start of the 2024 season, all of Arizona’s fall sports will participate in the Big 12 Conference.

Utah and Arizona State University will also participate in the Big 12 Conference next season, which will be both programs’ first year after playing in the PAC-12 Conference.

Arizona will play at the 2025 SCC Showdown at Globe Life Field in the first season of the Big 12 Conference from Feb. 14-16. Texas and Oklahoma State University will participate at the 2025 SCC Showdown from the Big 12 Conference, Clemson University and the University of Louisville from the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the University of Mississippi from the SEC.

The 2025 SCC Showdown will also occur at Globe Life Field during weekends from February until early March.

TCU, the University of Arkansas, the University of Georgia from the SEC, and the University of Michigan from the Big Ten Conference will compete on the second weekend from Feb. 21-23. Baylor University, Auburn University from the SEC, Ohio State University from the Big Ten Conference, and Oregon State University from the PAC-12 conference will complete the slate from the third and final weekend of the 2025 SCC Showdown from Feb. 28 until Mar. 2.

Globe Life Field hosted its first college baseball event in 2021 with the 2021 State Farm College Baseball Showdown that featured three Big 12 Conference programs with Texas, Texas Tech University, and TCU, and the three SEC teams with Arkansas, Mississippi, and Mississippi State University and took place from Feb. 19-21.

The 2022 CBB Showdown was also at Globe Life Field. Oklahoma, Texas Tech University, and Kansas State University participated in the Big 12 Conference, and Arizona, Auburn University, and Michigan played at the event, which was held from Feb. 18-20.

The CBB Showdown was held at Globe Life Field last season from Feb. 17-19. Texas Tech University, Texas, and TCU from the Big 12 Conference participated, as did three SEC programs: Missouri, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt University.

2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship All-Tournament Team:

A tie resulted in four outfielders on the All-Tournament Team

MOP – Most Outstanding Player 

C: Danny Neri, UCF

1B: Kurtis Byrne, TCU

2B: Jackson Nicklaus, Oklahoma

3B: Anthony MacKenzie, Oklahoma

SS: Jaxon Willits, Oklahoma

OF: Kendall Pettis, Oklahoma

OF: Carson Benge, Oklahoma State

OF: Nolan Schubart, Oklahoma State

OF: Sam Myers, TCU

DH: Easton Carmichael, Oklahoma

SP: Braden Davis, Oklahoma

SP: Sam Garcia, Oklahoma State

RP: Grant Stevens, Oklahoma

MOP:Player: Carson Benge, Oklahoma State

Player of the Year: Max Belyeu, Texas

Pitcher of the Year: Payton Tolle, TCU

Freshman of the Year: Dominic Voegele, Kansas

Newcomer of the Year: Payton Tolle, TCU

Coach of the Year: Skip Johnson, Oklahoma

All-Big 12 First Team

C: Jake English, Kansas

IF: Brady Day, Kansas State

IF: Michael Snyder, Oklahoma

IF: Jalin Flores, Texas

IF: Jared Thomas, Texas

IF: JJ Wetherholt, West Virginia

OF: Carson Benge, Oklahoma State

OF: Zach Ehrhard, Oklahoma State

OF: Max Belyeu, Texas

DH: Easton Carmichael, Oklahoma

UT: Josh Kross, Cincinnati

SP: Braden Davis, Oklahoma

SP: Brian Holiday, Oklahoma State

SP: Payton Tolle, TCU*

SP: Derek Clark, West Virginia

RP: Ben Abeldt, TCU

RP: Gage Boehm, Texas

*- unanimous selection

All-Big 12 Second Team

C: Kevin Bazzell, Texas Tech

IF: Kodey Shojinaga, Kansas

IF: Kaelen Culpepper, Kansas State

IF: Colin Brueggemann, Oklahoma State

IF: Peyton Powell, Texas

IF: Reed Chumley, West Virginia

OF: Cary Arbolida, Houston

OF: Bryce Madron, Oklahoma

OF: Nolan Schubart, Oklahoma State

DH: Wesley Jordan, Baylor

UT: Christian Mitchelle, Cincinnati

UT: Justin Murray, Houston

SP: Dom Stagliano, UCF

SP: Reese Dutton, Kansas

SP: Dominic Voegele, Kansas

SP: Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma

SP: Sam Garcia, Oklahoma State

RP: Tyson Neighbors, Kansas State

RP: Robert Cranz, Oklahoma State

Ties resulted in five starting pitchers and two utility players on the second team.

Honorable Mention

Baylor: Ethan Calder, Cole Posey

BYU: Stone Cushing, Mason Olson, Collin Reuter

UCF: Dominic Castellano, Chase Centala, Kyle Kramer, Danny Neri, Matt Prevesk

Cincinnati: Lauden Brooks, Kerrington Cross, Josh Hegemann, Tommy O’Connor, Nathan Taylor

Houston: Cade Citelli, Harold Coll

Kansas: Michael Brooks, Hunter Cranton, Ben Hartl, John Nett

Kansas State: Owen Boerema, Nick English, Brendan Jones, Raphael Pelletier, Jackson Wentworth

Oklahoma: Cater Campbell, Anthony Mackenzie, Scott Mudler, Jackson Nicklaus, John Spikerman, Jaxon Willits

Oklahoma State: Aidan Meola, Tommy Molsky

TCU: Kurtis Byrne, Zachary Cawyer, Logan Maxwell, Sam Myers

Texas: Rylan Galvan, Will Gasparino, Max Grubbs, Jared Thomas (UT), Ace Whitehead

Texas Tech: Damian Bravo, Gavin Kash, Cade McGee, T.J. Pompey, Kyle Robinson, Drew Woodcox

West Virginia: Aidan Major, Sam White (OF/UT), Kyle West

All-Freshman Team

Kuhio Aloy, BYU

Nathan Taylor, Cincinnati

Ace Reese, Houston

Dominic Voegele, Kansas

Blake Dean, Kansas State

Jaxon Willits, Oklahoma

Chase Brunson, TCU

Sam Myers, TCU

Will Gasparino, Texas

Mac Heuer, Texas Tech

Parker Hutyra, Texas Tech

T.J. Pompey, Texas Tech

Matt Tallarini

Matthew (Matt) Tallarini is the Founder and Chief Correspondent for the World Baseball Network. Matt played semi-professional baseball with the Pelham Mets in Pelham, New York for four years, including the 2018 Semi Pro World Series. During the pandemic, Matt began engaging with international baseball, as a way to keep connected to the sport. Matt created the World Baseball Network and its signature website, WorldBaseball.com as a way to promote and inform similar likeminded fans about the players, teams and leagues innovating the sport of baseball and feeding into Major League Baseball (MLB). As a result of Matt’s efforts, World Baseball Network is now the benchmark standard for international baseball coverage, including MLB, MiLB, NCAA, Korea, Japan, Caribbean, Baseball United, WBC, WBSC and more. In a short time, Matt has interviewed a who’s who of global baseball legends and coaches. These include: Former Yankee closer Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera; Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman; former Yankee Luis Sojo veteran of four Yankee World series teams; Mickey Callaway former MLB manager; Paul Mainieri LSU National Championship coach; Eric Holtz manager Team Israel of the 2020 Olympics; Ian Kinsler former MLB player and now Israel national team player; Harold Ramirez of the Tampa Bay Rays formerly with the Indians and Cubs; Joey Meneses of the Washington Nationals; and Mike Cameron current USA Baseball advisor former-MLB outfielder. Matt Tallarini is 2015 graduate of Mitchell College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science and a 2022 graduate of Iona University with a Masters in Finance. Since its inception, Matt has been the Chief Correspondent for World Baseball Network. Matt has interviewed and interacted with many international players and coaches including former Yankee closer Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman, former Yankee Luis Sojo veteran of four Yankee World series teams, Mickey Callaway former MLB manager, Paul Mainieri LSU National Championship coach, Eric Holtz manager Team Israel of the 2020 Olympics, Ian Kinsler former MLB player and now Israel national team player, Harold Ramirez of the Tampa Bay Rays formerly with the Indians and Cubs, Joey Meneses of the Washington Nationals, Mike Cameron current USA Baseball advisor former-MLB outfielder. Matthew is 2015 graduate of Mitchell College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science and a 2022 graduate of Iona University with a Masters in Finance.

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