Houston Leads Big 12 Baseball Power Rankings After Opening Weekend

TCU sends early message with wins over ranked Vanderbilt and Arkansas

Feb. 17, 2026 at 10:47pm

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The opening weekend of the 2026 college baseball season has already revealed some early shakeups in the Big 12 Conference. Houston, unranked in the preseason, has taken the early top spot in the Big 12 Power Rankings after sweeping its opening series against ranked opponents. Meanwhile, preseason #10 TCU made a statement by beating #23 Vanderbilt and #7 Arkansas to firmly remain in the national conversation.

Why it matters

The first few games of the season can often set the tone for the rest of the year, as teams either build momentum or struggle to find their footing. These early results in the Big 12 will impact how the conference race shapes up and which teams emerge as contenders for a spot in the College World Series.

The details

Houston opened the season by sweeping its games against #21 Wake Forest, Boston College, Manhattan, and Washington, posting a 4-0 record with no errors and only one home run allowed. TCU, meanwhile, beat #23 Vanderbilt 5-4 and #7 Arkansas 5-4 before falling to Oklahoma 2-12 on Sunday. Other Big 12 teams like Baylor, UCF, and West Virginia also got off to strong 3-0 starts, while Kansas, Cincinnati, and Utah posted 2-1 records in their opening series.

  • Houston swept its opening series from February 10-13.
  • TCU played its games at the Shriners Children's College Showdown in Arlington, Texas from February 10-12.
  • Baylor, UCF, and West Virginia all swept their opening series from February 10-12.
  • Kansas, Cincinnati, and Utah played their opening series from February 10-12.

The players

Houston

An unranked team in the preseason that swept its opening series against ranked opponents to take the early #1 spot in the Big 12 Power Rankings.

TCU

The preseason #10 team in the country that made a statement by beating #23 Vanderbilt and #7 Arkansas in its opening weekend.

Baylor

Swept its opening series at home against New Mexico State University.

UCF

Swept its opening series at home against Siena.

West Virginia

Swept its opening series on the road against Georgia Southern.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

The takeaway

These early results in the Big 12 show that the conference race is wide open, with several teams emerging as potential contenders. While Houston has taken an early lead, TCU's wins over ranked opponents prove they will be a force to be reckoned with. The next few weeks will be crucial as teams look to build on their momentum or course-correct after stumbling out of the gate.