Bearcats Poised for Historic Run
The University of Cincinnati baseball team is three victories away from setting a school‑record 40 wins, a milestone that would lock in a Big 12 tournament championship and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
Coach Jordan Bischel's third Bearcats squad has surged to a 17‑13 conference record, earning a double‑bye and a quarterfinal berth after a tiebreaker victory over TCU, whose identical record was undone by a 6‑4 win by West Virginia.
The Bearcats' recent surge follows a season in which they captured their first NCAA tournament appearance under Jordan Bischel last year, and this year multiple outlets project another appearance, with some even ranking them as the No. 2 seed in the College Station Regional hosted by Texas A&M.
Key contributors include senior Nathan Taylor, the school's all‑time single‑season strikeout leader with 111, and sophomore Quinton Coats, a Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist who holds the single‑season home run record with 28 and has driven in 78 runs while batting .348.
Catcher Jack Natili and freshman hitting standout Enzo Infelise, who is batting .374, give the lineup depth, while sophomore outfielder Derrick Pitts, who earned ESPN SportsCenter highlights for his catches, and redshirt freshman Ryan Tyranski, who hits .324, add further firepower.
Leadoff man Jackson Smith, a sophomore hitting .307, anchors the young core, and the team's recent rest period allows Nathan Taylor and Quinton Coats to recover fully before the tournament schedule.
If the Bearcats win the Big 12 event, they would achieve a school‑record 40 wins, matching the 2008 team that featured future major leaguers Josh Harrison and Tony Campana and was coached by Brian Cleary.
The championship game is slated for Thursday night, followed by a 7:30 p.m. Eastern broadcast, after the team plays late games on Thursday and Friday, with the final taking place in Surprise, Arizona.
With the double‑bye granting them a rest day, the Bearcats will open play on late Thursday, May 21, in Surprise, Arizona, aiming to extend their season and secure an automatic NCAA bid.