The Texas 21 - Preseason Edition

Preseason rankings are meaningless. That's not to say it's impossible to make an educated guess about the relative strength of teams based on things like number of returning players and recruiting rankings - it is. But to suggest that before a single pitch is thrown anyone can definitively assess the difference between, say, the 22nd and 23rd best teams in the country (or the 5th and 6th best teams in any given conference) is absurd.

Preseason rankings are also popular. You'll be hard pressed to find a college sports website, blog, or twitter account that doesn't make some attempt to post its own form of rankings. This site is no exception, although our rankings will be limited to the 21 Division 1 teams located within the State of Texas - the Texas 21, if you will.

And so, here is our meaningless, absurd (and almost certainly wrong) preseason edition of the Texas 21.

Rank          Team (2016 Record)

  1.              TCU (49-18)

  2.              Sam Houston State (42-22)

  3.              Texas Tech (47-20)

  4.              Dallas Baptist (44-19)

  5.              Texas A&M (49-16)

  6.              Rice (38-24)

  7.              Houston (36-23)

  8.              Lamar (35-19)

  9.              Texas State (31-28)

  10.            UT Arlington (30-28)

  11.            Texas (25-32)

  12.            Baylor (24-29)

  13.            Stephen F. Austin (30-30)

  14.            Houston Baptist (24-29)

  15.            UT Rio Grande Valley (21-28)

  16.            Texas A&M Corpus Christi (19-32)

  17.            UT San Antonio (17-34)

  18.            Abilene Christian (16-37)

  19.            Texas Southern (24-26)

  20.            Incarnate Word (13-38)

  21.            Prairie View A&M (10-32)

2017 Preview - Baylor Bears

Conference: Big 12
2016 Record: 24-29
2016 Big 12 Record: 10-14

New faces will abound on the diamond for Baylor in 2017, with the Bears adding 14 high school players and 5 transfers to the roster.  Only 10 players remain from prior coach Steve Smith's tenure, as 2nd year head man Steve Rodriguez continues to put his stamp on the team.

While few in number, the returners do include six everyday starters, including catcher and leading hitter Matt Menard.  The pitching staff also returns Junior closer and second-team preseason All American Troy Montemayor, who converted on 14 saves while sporting a 0.78 ERA a season ago.

The Bears will receive an early test in March, when they face Ole Miss, LSU and Texas A&M at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic in Houston.  Two days after facing the Aggies, the Bears travel to play nationally ranked Sam Houston State in Huntsville before returning to Waco for a weekend series against the University of Houston.  Three days after that, the Bears are on the road yet again against an always-tough Dallas Baptist team.  An additional non-conference test will take place in Seattle when the Bears face the Washington Huskies from March 31-April 2.

With returning experience and an the influx of new talent, the Bears are poised to make noise in the Big 12 in the years to come.  How quickly that new talent can adjust to and perform at the Division 1 level will likely dictate how much of that noise will be made in 2017.

2017 Preview - Incarnate Word Cardinals

Conference: Southland
2016 Record: 13-38
2016 Southland Conference Record: 5-22

Like fellow Southland Conference foe Abilene Christian, the Incarnate Word Cardinals are in the final year of their transition to Division 1 status and are ineligible for postseason play in 2017.

The Cardinals have scheduled aggressively, however, with a slate that head coach Danny Heep has described as "long, hard and dangerous."  In addition to a full Southland Conference schedule, the team will participate in the Irish Alamo Invitational, where they will face Saint Louis, Lafayette College, and Notre Dame, and will travel for mid-week games with Texas, Houston, and Texas A&M.  The Cardinals also have non-conference series set with Central Michigan, Omaha, and Utah Valley.

The 2016 Cardinals manged only 13 victories, but employed a host of young talent that returns for the 2017 campaign.  On the mound, the Cardinals return their Friday and Saturday starters from 2016, Bernie Martinez and John Shull.  Closer Lance Moskowicz also returns and looks to provide a steady presence in the bullpen.  On the diamond, the club returns its double play combination in Bryce Shepherd and Ryan Gonzalez, along with starting left fielder Eddy Gonzelez.  In addition, the Cardinals brought in a strong freshman class that should have an opportunity to make an immediate impact in San Antonio.

While the schedule will certainly provide a challenge, the Cardinals look for their young roster to mature in 2017 as they continue to build toward postseason eligibility in 2018.

2017 Preview - Abilene Christian Wildcats

Conference: Southland
2016 Record: 16-37
2016 Southland Conference Record: 8-21

The 2016 Abilene Christian Wildcats struggled to a 16-37 record, but enter the 2017 season on a mission to firmly establish itself as a Division 1 program to be reckoned with.  With the school in the midst of the fourth and final year of the reclassification process as it transitions to Division 1 status, ACU will not be eligible for conference or NCAA postseason play in 2017.  

That will not stop the Wildcats from playing a full Southland Conference schedule, as well as perhaps the toughest non-conference slate in school history.  Overall, its scheduled opponents finished a combined 163 games over .500 in 2016.

ACU opens the season at home with a 4-game series against Michigan State, the first time ever the school has faced a team from the Big 10. The schedule also includes a home and home set against in-state powers TCU and Dallas Baptist, and a three-game series in Abilene against Creighton.  The Wildcats don't get to catch their breath on the road either, as they visit Big 12 foe Kansas State for three games in late April, Texas A&M on April 11th, and they conclude the regular season with a four game series in Corvallis, Oregon against Oregon State.

The Wildcats return their top hitter from the 2016 squad, senior Russell Crippen, who batted .306 on his way to being named the Southland Conference Utility Player of the Year.  The team will have to replace virtually its entire pitching staff, however.  Junior Drew Hanson is the only returning member of the staff who started a game for the Wildcats in 2016 - and he only started 3.  The story of the 2017 season may well be told by how effectively ACU's freshman and junior college transfer arms can hold down the fort and provide quality innings for Wildcats.

All in all it should be an exciting season in Abilene!

1971 College World Series - Pan American University

Wondering about my profile photo?  In 1971 the Pan American University Broncs tallied 44 victories (the most ever for a Texas college/university at that time) on their way to a 4th place finish at the College World Series.  To get there, the Broncs swept the University of Texas in consecutive games (the first time that had happened in 62 years) to win the District VI regional tournament.  Coach Al Ogletree was named The Sporting News National College Coach of the Year following the season.  Having met a number of individuals associated with this team, I would encourage you to follow the links here and here to read more about this incredible story. 

Welcome to TXD1 Baseball!

Hello there!  Welcome to TXD1 Baseball, where we will do our best to provide coverage of all 21 Division 1 baseball programs in the State of Texas.  That's right, there are 21 D1 programs in the lone star state, a number that has expanded greatly over the last 10-15 years.

Leading up to opening day we will preview each team's upcoming season and, once the season is under way, provide coverage and analysis of the march toward the NCAA tournament and the College World Series.

We will of course give the appropriate attention to the larger programs but, as a former small school D1 player, I understand the slight that is typically given to such programs.  I will attempt to remedy that on this site.

So buckle up and enjoy the ride, baseball will be here before we know it!