The Big 12 Conference baseball tournament (sometimes known simply as the Big 12 tournament) is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Big 12 Conference. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament. The format has changed multiple times since the inaugural tournament was held in 1997. Conference realignment saw the Big 12 expand to 14 teams for 2025, The 2025 tournament will be a Single-elimination tournament with the top 12 teams in the final regular season standings qualifying for tournament. The top four teams in final regular season standings will receive byes into the second round.
History The Big 12 tournament was first played in 1997 at All Sports Stadium in Oklahoma City, before moving to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark the following year. The tournament has been played in Oklahoma City each year, save for 2002 and 2004, when the event was played in Arlington, Texas, at the home park of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers. Over its 10-plus year history, the tournament has had three distinct formats. beginning with the 2022 Big 12 Conference baseball tournament, the tournament moved to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas
1997–98
In 1997 and 1998, the top six teams were invited to play in a double elimination tournament with no byes for any teams. The format mirrored the regional round of the NCAA tournament at that time.
1999–2005
Beginning in 1999, the tournament expanded to eight teams and followed the format of the College World Series. It consisted of two 4-team double-elimination brackets, with the winners facing off in a final championship game. The format mirrors that of the tournament format used by the Southeastern Conference, which continues to use this bracket.
2006–2010
In 2006 the tournament moved to a round-robin format. In this format, two pools of four teams play each other with the winners of each pool playing a one-game championship match. This format ended in 2010.
2011–2023 Starting with the 2011 Big 12 Conference baseball tournament, the tournament went back to the format used from 1999 to 2005. In 2021, the format changed for only that season to include a single-elimination play-in game with the 8th and 9th place teams before reverting back to the 8-team format for the following two years.
2024 Conference realignment saw the Big 12 expand to 13 teams for 2024, the tournament expanded to a 10-team modified double-elimination format, with the first and second place teams receiving a first round bye.
2025 Conference realignment saw the Big 12 expand to 14 teams for 2025, the tournament expanded to a 12-team single-elimination format, with the top four place teams receiving a first round bye.
Champions Year Champion Runner-up Site Most Outstanding Player 1997 Texas Tech All Sports Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK Brian Shackelford (Oklahoma) 1998 Texas A&M AT&T Bricktown Ballpark • Oklahoma City, OK Josh Bard (Texas Tech) 1999 Baylor Jason Jennings (Baylor) 2000 Baylor Adam Shabala (Nebraska) 2001 Nebraska Texas A&M Dan Johnson (Nebraska) 2002 Texas Nebraska The Ballpark in Arlington • Arlington, TX Dustin Majewski (Texas) 2003 Texas Baylor AT&T Bricktown Ballpark • Oklahoma City, OK Dustin Majewski (Texas) 2004 Missouri Ameriquest Field in Arlington • Arlington, TX Cody Ehlers (Missouri) 2005 Nebraska Baylor AT&T Bricktown Ballpark • Oklahoma City, OK Curtis Ledbetter (Nebraska) 2006 Nebraska Matt Baty (Kansas) 2007 Baylor Craig Stinson (Texas A&M) 2008 Kansas State Brandon Belt (Texas) 2009 Texas Missouri Brandon Loy (Texas) 2010 Baylor Brodie Greene (Texas A&M) 2011 Texas A&M Missouri RedHawks Ballpark • Oklahoma City, OK Andrew Collazo (Texas A&M) 2012 MissouriOklahoma Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark • Oklahoma City, OK Eric Garcia (Missouri) 2013 Kansas Jon Gray (Oklahoma) 2014 TCUOklahoma State Jerrick Suiter (TCU) 2015 Texas Oklahoma State ONEOK Field • Tulsa, OK Zane Gurwitz (Texas) 2016 TCU West Virginia Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark • Oklahoma City, OK Luken Baker (TCU) 2017 Texas Garrett McCain (Oklahoma State) 2018 TCU Cody Bradford (Baylor) and Shea Langeliers (Baylor) 2019 West Virginia Colin Simpson (Oklahoma State) 2020Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic 2021 TCU Oklahoma State Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark • Oklahoma City, OK Porter Brown (TCU) 2022Oklahoma Texas Globe Life Field • Arlington, TXPeyton Graham (Oklahoma) 2023 TCU Oklahoma StateBrayden Taylor (TCU) 2024 Oklahoma StateOklahoma Carson Benge (Oklahoma State) 2025 Arizona TCU Mason White (Arizona)2026KansasWest VirginiaSurprise Stadium • Surprise, AZ Tyson LeBlanc (Kansas)
By school School Appearances W-L Pct. Championships Years Arizona 1 3–0 1 2025 Arizona State 2 1–2 0 BYU22–10 Baylor 27 32–38 1 2018 Cincinnati 3 1–3 0 Houston10–00 Iowa State 1 1–2 .333 0 Kansas 14 13–17 2 2006, 2026 Kansas State 16 16–19 0 Oklahoma State 27 30–37 4 2004, 2017, 2019, 2024 Texas Tech 25 20–38 1 1998 TCU 13 14–10 4 2014, 2016, 2021, 2023 UCF 2 2-2 0 West Virginia 12 10–11 0 Utah1 0–1 0 (As of the 2026 tournament) Italics indicate that the program no longer sponsors baseball in the Big 12. Big 12 member Colorado does not sponsor baseball after 1980
Former Big 12 schools School Appearances W-L Pct. Championships Years Missouri 14 22–11 .667 1 2012 Nebraska 10 28–10 .737 4 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 Oklahoma 28 39–36 3 1997, 2013, 2022 Texas 23 41–31 5 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2015 Texas A&M 14 23–19 3 2007, 2010, 2011 Italics indicate that the program no longer sponsors baseball in the Big 12.
Records Team batting Inning Game Tournament Batting average .475 (19–40) Texas A&M (vs. Oklahoma) 5–22–09 .390 (69–177) Texas Tech 1997 5 gamesAt-bats 15 Texas A&M (vs. Oklahoma) Texas (vs. Kansas State) Texas (vs. Missouri) 5–19–015–23–075–24–09 53 Oklahoma State (vs. Missouri) 13 inn. 5–30–04 225 Baylor 2003 6 gamesRuns 11 Texas (vs. Missouri) 5–24–09 21 Oklahoma (vs. Oklahoma State) 5–27–06 53 Oklahoma State 1997 4 games Hits 9Oklahoma State (vs. Iowa State) 5–18–01 23 Nebraska (vs. Missouri) 5–28–05 71OklahomaBaylor 19972003 5 games6 gamesDoubles 7 Texas Tech (vs. Oklahoma)Oklahoma (vs. Missouri) 1997 1997 18 Oklahoma 1997 5 games Triples 3 Oklahoma (vs. Texas Tech) 1997 4 Oklahoma (vs. Texas Tech) 1997 8 Oklahoma 1997 5 gamesHome runs 3 Oklahoma State (vs. Texas A&M)Texas Tech (vs. Oklahoma) 19971997 5 Oklahoma State (vs. Texas A&M) Missouri (vs. Nebraska) 1997 5–17–00 10 Texas 2002 6 games RBI's 10Texas (vs. Missouri) 5–24–09 21 Oklahoma (vs. Oklahoma State) 5–27–06 46 Texas2003 6 games Stolen bases 3 Several teams 7 Baylor (vs. Texas)Baylor (vs. Texas Tech)5–20–99 5–20–00 17 Baylor 1999 4 games Walks 4 Oklahoma (vs. Baylor)Texas A&M (vs. Oklahoma)5–28–04 5–22–09 12 Baylor (vs. Oklahoma5–26–07 36 Nebraska 2000 6 games Strikeouts 16 Nebraska (vs. Texas)Oklahoma (vs. Baylor)5–26–04 5–26–07 51 Baylor 2003 6 gamesHit by pitch 5 Oklahoma (vs. Kansas State) 5–29–10 10 Nebraska 2005 6 games
Team fielding Inning Game Tournament Fielding % 1.000 KansasMissouriKansas State 200520072009 2 games3 games3 games Putouts 42 Baylor (vs. Nebraska)Nebraska (vs. Baylor)5–24–03 172 Baylor 2003 6 games Assists 21Oklahoma State (vs. Missouri) 5–30–04 78 Texas 2003 6 games Errors 4 Baylor (vs. Oklahoma State) 5–26–056 Texas Tech (vs. Texas A&M)Texas A&M (vs. Texas) 5–16–985–27–0411 Texas Tech 1998 5 games Double plays 4 Several teams 8 OklahomaBaylorMissouri 199720042009 5 games4 games 4 games Triple plays 1 Kansas (vs. Texas) 5–21–09 Games played 6 NebraskaTexasBaylorNebraska 2000200220032005
Team pitching Inning Game Tournament Lowest ERA 1.29 Baylor1999 4 gamesHighest ERA 12.60 Missouri19972 games Saves 3 NebraskaBaylor 20062007 4 games4 gamesRuns 11 Missouri (vs. Texas) 5–24–0921 Oklahoma State (vs. Oklahoma) 5–27–0643Oklahoma19975 gamesFewest runs 8 Baylor19994 games Hits9 Iowa State (vs. Oklahoma State) 5–18–0123 Missouri (vs. Nebraska) 5–28–0566 Oklahoma 1997 5 gamesFewest hits 1 Nebraska (vs. Oklahoma State) 5–19–99 20 Oklahoma 2010 3 gamesHome runs 3 Texas Tech (vs. Oklahoma)Texas A&M (vs. Oklahoma State) 19971997 5 Texas A&M (vs. Oklahoma State) Nebraska (vs. Missouri) 1997 5–17–00 8 Texas A&M 1997 3 gamesStrikeouts 16 Texas (vs. Nebraska)Baylor (vs. Oklahoma) 5–26–045–26–07 47 Texas 2002 6 gamesWalks 4 Baylor (vs. Oklahoma) 200412 Oklahoma (vs. Baylor) 200726 Oklahoma 2007 3 gamesFewest walks 3 Missouri 20062008 3 games Innings 14 Baylor (vs. Nebraska)Nebraska (vs. Baylor) 5–24–03 57.1 Baylor 2003 6 gamesHit batters 5 Kansas State (vs. Oklahoma) 5–29–10 10 Texas 2003 6 gamesComplete games 2 NebraskaOklahoma State 19992004 Shutouts 1 Several teams
Individual batting Game Tournament Batting average .750 (6–8).750 (9–12) Jeremy DodsonChance Wheeless BaylorTexas 19972007 At bats 7 Several players 29 Tim Moss Texas 2002 6 games Runs 4 Several players 9 Several players Hits 5 Curtis ThigpenCurtis Ledbetter Texas (vs. Baylor)Nebraska (vs. Missouri) 5–25–035–28–05 14 (27 AB) Dustin Majewski Texas 2002 6 games Doubles 3 J.T. Wise Oklahoma (vs. Texas A&M) 5–22–09 5 Brandon Toro Texas Tech 1997 5 gamesTriples 2 Several players 2 Several players Home runs 2 Several players 5 Dan Johnson Nebraska 2001 Grand slams 1 6 Players RBI's 6 Several players 13 Dan Johnson Nebraska 2001 4 gamesStolen bases 3 Several players 6 John Cole Nebraska 2001 4 gamesSlugging % 1.100 Barrett Barnes Danny Black Texas TechOklahoma 2010 3 gamesWalks 3 Several players 8 Keith Ginter Texas Tech 1998 5 gamesStrikeouts 4 Several players 9 Aaron GozartKevin Sevigny NebraskaBaylor 20002003 6 gamesHit by pitch 4 Jeff Ontiveros Texas 2002 6 games
Individual fielding Game Tournament Putouts 17 Several players 65 Jeff Ontiveros Texas 2002 6 gamesAssists 10 Shelby Ford Oklahoma State (vs. Missouri) 5–24–06 22 Keith Ginter Texas Tech 1998 5 games Errors 4 Paul Witt Baylor (vs. Oklahoma State) 5–26–05 8 Paul Witt Baylor 2005 4 games
Individual pitching Game Tournament Wins 2 Several players Losses 2 Mitch WalterChase Bayuk Kansas State 20022007 ERA 0.00 Several players Saves 3 Brett JensenNick Cassavechia NebraskaBaylor 20062007 Appearances 4 Several players Strikeouts 13 Kendal Volz Baylor (vs. Oklahoma) 5–26–07 14 Jason Jennings Baylor 1999 14.2 inningsInnings 10 D.J. Jones Texas (vs. Missouri) 5–21–99 15.2 Brian Duensing Nebraska 2005 2 gamesHit batters 3 Shawn Tolleson Baylor (vs. Nebraska) 5–21–08 3 Several players Complete games 1 Several players
See also List of Big 12 Conference champions Southwest Conference baseball tournament Baseball awards#U.S. college baseball
References
2007 Big 12 Tournament media guide
External links Official website