Top 5 Big 12 college baseball players to watch out for in 2024 season ft. Brendan Jones
College baseball in the Big 12 Conference is action-packed this season with 10 teams jockeying for position to get a better seeding in the conference tournament slated from May 21-25 at Globe Lite Field in Arlington, Texas.
Aside from the teams, some players stood out and brought excitement to college baseball fans this season. Whether it is strikeout specialist Payton Tolle or speedy center-fielder Brendan Jones, they have never missed a beat in bringing in quality performances during the 2024 NCAA college baseball season.
Here are the top five Big 12 players who stood out this season.
Top 5 best college baseball players in Big 12 Conference
#5. Payton Tolle, TCU
The Horned Frogs left-hander has led the conference in strikeouts with 107 punchouts in 12 starts this season. What is more amazing is the opponent's batting averages when he is starting for TCU. Tolle has limited opposing batters to .197 BA per game, which is considered outstanding for pitchers in Division I play as more batters are now adept at adjusting to pitches thrown at them.
The transfer from Wichita State, who is 6-3 in 12 starts this season, is fourth in the conference in wins (six) and third in ERA (2.87).
#4. Max Belyeu, Texas
Belyeu is having a great sophomore year for the Longhorns as he has been an important piece to Texas' campaign this season. The 6-foot-2 right fielder has belted Big 12-leading 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in 48 games.
Belyeu is eighth in the conference in batting average at .352 and third in slugging percentage at .745. Furthermore, he is inside the Top 15 in on-base percentage at .455 and has recorded 12 doubles this season.
#3. Damian Bravo, Texas Tech
Bravo has adjusted nicely to his role at Texas Tech this season. The sophomore is batting .387 and has an on-base and slugging percentage of .456 and .595, respectively.
The left fielder has 43 RBIs, 19 doubles and four home runs in 43 games for the Red Raiders, who are hanging on to 10th place in the conference standings at 30-20 (12-15 in Big 12).
#2. Dominic Voegele, Kansas
Voegele has been steady in his first season with the Jayhawks. The right-hander started in 12 games and has a record of 7-2 and 2.65 ERA.
His opponents' batting average is .218 and fanned 66 batters in 68 innings pitched for Kansas, which is tied for fifth in Big 12 at 13-11 and 27-17 overall.
#1. Brendan Jones, Kansas State
Jones has used his speed to steal bases and score runs. The 5-foot-10 junior has led the conference in stolen bases by a mile. He has a total of 31 SBs, which is 14 more than second-running Tre Jones of Houston.
Jones is also a good batter with a BA/OBP/SP slash line of .295/.432/.497. The center-fielder has seven homers and driven in 31 runs for Kansas State, who is seventh in the Big 12 standings at 12-12 and 28-19 overall.