Can the Bearcats make the NCAA Baseball Tournament?
The UC Bearcats' road to the Tournament is almost underway.
If the tournaments were to start today, the Bearcats baseball squad is in a good position to
compete this year. According to D1Baseball.com, they’re currently projected to be No. 28 in the
field of 64, where they’ll play in Chapel Hill, N.C., with No. 5 North Carolina, High Point, and
Pennsylvania. But that could change as we approach the final week of conference play.
The Bearcats are currently 33-17 (13-11 in conference) with signature wins against Auburn
on the road, and series wins against UCF (Away) and West Virginia (Home). They have Kansas
State (Away) and Texas Tech (Home) coming up, both of which are favorable matchups as
they’re in the bottom five of the Big 12 standings. From there, it’s a dog-fight to make it out on top
of the Big 12 Tournament against teams like Kansas & Oklahoma State, both who’s given UC a
little trouble during this season.
Outside of the schedule and standings, the Bearcats have the firepower on their roster to carry
them to the promised land. Leading the way is Quinton Coats, their sophomore first baseman, who’s 3rd in
HR’s and 4th in RBIs in the conference. Alongside him is sophomore outfielder Derrick Pitts, leading
the team in batting average at .364, and 68 hits (4th in the conference). The complement them are
their stud pitchers like junior Nathan Taylor, 5-2 and a 3.95 ERA, plus senior Logan Knight with
a 4-3 record and a 4.80 ERA.
There’s plenty of baseball left to play this season. If the Bearcats can finish the season strong
and make a deep run in the Big 12 tournament, they’re pretty much locked in for the NCAA
Tournament. Seeding will be key, and if you’re the Bearcats, you’re willing to go beyond your
potential.