Big 12 Baseball Power Rankings 2025: Way too early Top 7 college baseball pitchers projections
College baseball in the expanded Big 12 Conference will be more exciting next season with 16 teams competing to become the best team in the group. With Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and returning Colorado in the fold, expect a wild season as the competing squads are out to dethrone Big 12 Tournament champions Oklahoma State.
Pitching has been one of the most important positions in the sport and Big 12 teams had the whole offseason to improve on their staff and prepare for the 2025 season set to start in February. The teams have boosted their lineups through the transfer portal and high school additions.
Here are seven pitchers who could make a splash in the 2025 NCAA baseball season.
Way too early Top 7 Big 12 college baseball pitchers projections
#7. Blake Dean, RHP, Kansas State
Blake Dean was one of the key players in Kansas State's 2024 NCAA tournament run that led them to the Super Regional. Dean appeared in 29 games (three starts) and played 61 innings. The 6-foot-1 right-hander went 4-4 with a 4.72 ERA and produced one save during the season.
The incoming sophomore produced 64 strikeouts and surrendered 28 walks. Dean allowed batters to hit .246 and yielded seven home runs this past season. He also had a fielding percentage of .857 on five putouts and seven assists against two errors.
#6. Stone Cushing, RHP, BYU
Stone Cushing was one of the bright spots for BYU this past season. The right-hander saw action in 29 games and pitched 34 1/3 innings for the Cougars.
The incoming senior went 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA while coming up with 10 saves. Cushing struck out 46 batters while surrendering 25 walks. He had a WHIP of 1.311 and 12.1 strikeouts/9 innings.
#5. Christian Coppola, RHP, Arizona
Christian Coppola showed promise in his freshman year with Rutgers, going 5-5 and a 3.68 ERA in 13 starts. The 6-foot-6 right-hander struck out 71 batters and surrendered 27 walks in 66 innings that season.
However, Coppola struggled to a 4-5 record and 7.63 ERA this past season. He pitched 43.2 innings in 12 starts. The pitcher allowed a batting average of .257, with 47 strikeouts and 33 BBs.
Coppola is expected to step up for the Arizona Wildcats, who aim to improve their 36-23 record and a regional stint this past season.
#4. Hunter Watkins, RHP, Oklahoma State
Hunter Watkins was acquired from Grand Canyon after a good freshman season. The 6-foot-8 right-hander went 2-1 and two saves with a 3.83 ERA in 18 appearances (four starts).
Watkins struck out 47 batters in 47 innings while giving up 13 walks and a .279 batting average. He's projected to start seven to 10 games or be placed as a reliever for the Cowboys next season.
#3. Ben Jacobs, LHP, Arizona State
Ben Jacobs showed tremendous improvement during his sophomore year with Arizona State. The 6-foot-1 left-hander, acquired through a transfer from UCLA, appeared in 20 games (10 starts) and played 66 1/3 innings.
Jacobs went 7-3 with a 4.75 ERA in the 2024 season and produced 102 strikeouts on a 13.8 Ks/9-inning rate. The incoming junior surrendered 36 walks while his WHIP declined to 1.462 from 3.2 during his one-year stint with the Bruins.
#2. Dominic Castellano, LHP, UCF
Dominic Castellano had a breakout season for the UCF Knights despite playing most of the year as a reliever. The left-hander went 7-0 and one save in 22 games (one start) and came up with an ERA of 2.83 in 60 1/3 innings pitched. The incoming junior had 68 strikeouts and 25 walks for UCF.
In three seasons with the Knights, Castellano played for 55 games and went 8-1 with a 4.63 ERA in 103 innings. He had 116 strikeouts and 42 walks. The 5-foot-11 is expected to become a top reliever for UCF in the 2025 season.
#1. Gavin Van Kempen, RHP, WVU
Gavin Van Kempen emerged as West Virginia's top reliever this past season. Van Kempen played 13 games (five starts) for the Mountaineers, going 7-1 with a 3.14 ERA in 28 2/3 innings. The 6-foot-6 incoming junior came up with 35 strikeouts and 14 walks and had a 1.186 WHIP.
In two seasons with West Virginia, Van Kempen went 10-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 55 innings pitched. He is expected to lead the Mountaineers relievers in the 2025 season, hoping to make the College World Series this time around.