With the calendar flipping to April this week, that means we are now more than half way through the 2024 season. It is hard to believe that in 4-5 weeks, the regular season will be done for our NCAA D2, NAIA, NCCAA, and NJCAA teams and the postseason will be here.
Because we are in the last month of the regular season, I though it’d be a good time to look at the conference standings and see where each of the college teams in the Sooner State stand.
NCAA D1
Big 12
OU leads the league on the back of their 2 sweeps vs UCF and TCU. Both the Golden Knights and Frogs would be over .500 if it wasn’t for those sweeps.
The Sooners have the slimmest of leads (1) over Texas and Kansas St.
OSU sit in a tie for 5th with West Virginia (who they have the tiebreaker over) and can overtake OU in the standings this weekend with a Bedlam sweep.
The Summit League
This is weird. ORU sits dead last in a conference they have absolutely dominated over the years. (Their record is listed incorrect – it is 2-7). They got swept by SDSU and lost both of the series vs NDSU and Omaha 2-1. The Golden Eagles travel to Northern Colorado.
NCAA D2
Great American Conference
Here is where it gets fun. There are only 4 conference series left in the GAC. There are 5 teams tied for 2nd place and the 8th place team is only 2 games behind 2nd. That is significant because the top 8 teams make the GAC postseason tournament.
Right now there are 2 Oklahoma teams that would qualify for the postseason tournament – NWOSU (T2) and Oklahoma Baptist (8th). SWOSU is sitting in 9th place only 1 game back of the Bison.
Remaining GAC series for each Oklahoma team in the race for the postseason tournament:
- NWOSU: 4/5-6 vs East Central; 4/12-13 vs Ark-Monticello; 4/19-20 at Southern Arkansas; 4/26-27 at SWOSU
- OBU: 4/5-6 vs SWOSU; 4/12-13 vs Ouachita Baptist; 4/19-20 at Henderson St; 4/26-27 vs SNU
- SWOSU: 4/5-6 at OBU; 4/12-13 vs Southern Arkansas; ; 4/19-20 at Ark-Monticello; 4/26-27: vs NWOSU
NWOSU has 2 series against teams that are currently below them in the standings. They also have a series against 1st place Southern Arkansas so the Rangers still have a shot at the regular season title.
Regarding OBU/SWOSU, OBU has 3 of their last 4 series at home. The Bison are 16-3 in Shawnee compared to 4-10 away. All 4 of the Bulldogs opponents are above them in the standings. It’ll be a tough road for SWOSU to get in the tournament.
Lone Star Conference
The Lone Star Conference also takes the top 8 teams into their postseason conference. While it looks like a fun race to get into the top 8, our 2 schools from the Sooner State virtually have no shot. They play each other in a couple of weeks and that could very well determine who will NOT be in the cellar.
MidAmerica Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
If the MIAA postseason conference tournament started today, all 3 Oklahoma teams would be playing. UCO is currently in solo 3rd while Rogers State is in solo 6th and Northeastern State is tied for 8th.
UCO could move up a spot to 2nd this week as they travel to Joplin to take on Missouri Southern. First place is probably out of reach for the Bronchos since Central Missouri is 4 games ahead and hold the tiebreaker over UCO.
Remaining MIAA series for each Oklahoma team:
- UCO: 4/5-7 at Missouri Southern; 4/12-14 vs Rogers State; 4/19-4/21 at Washburn; 4/26-28 vs NW Missouri St
- Rogers State: 4/5-7 vs NSU; 4/12-14 at UCO; 4/19-21 vs Central Missouri; 4/26-28 at Missouri Western
- NSU: 4/5-7 vs Rogers State; 4/12-14 vs Missouri Southern; 4/19-21 at NW Missouri St; 4/26-27 vs Washburn
At this point, I think UCO is in the tournament and playing for seeding. They’ve got a tough series this weekend and have to go on the road at Washburn who is just a game behind them. They could go either way in the standings, but the way the Bronchos have been playing lately, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the top 4 when the season is done (they’d host a first round series).
Rogers State and NSU both have difficult schedules to end the season. Rogers has both UCO and Central Missouri. NSU has Missouri Southern and Washburn. That makes this weekend’s series vitally important for both teams. A series win for each is a must, but a sweep would give either team a little, although slight, wiggle room.
NAIA
Sooner Athletic Conference
I’ve got to admit it. These standings make me smile as a baseball fan in Oklahoma. We currently have 3 of the top 4 places in the standings and 4 of the top 6.
MACU has 4.5 game lead over OCU and hold the tiebreaker due to winning their series with the Stars. The leas over Texas Wesleyan is 4 with a series in 2 weeks.
OCU is currently in 2nd place due to percentage points over TWU while USAO is one game behind.
Remaining SAC series for each Oklahoma team:
- MACU: 4/5-6 vs SAGU; 4/19-20 at Texas Wesleyan; 4/26-27 at Southwestern Christian
- OCU: 4/5-6 vs Southwestern Christian; 4/11-13 at USAO; 4/19-20 at Central Christian; 4/26-27 vs Wayland Baptist
- USAO: 4/5-6 at Wayland Baptist; 4/11-13 vs OCU; 4/19-20 vs OPSU; 4/27-28 vs SAGU
- Southwestern Christian: 4/5-6 at OCU; 4/12-13 vs Central Christian; 4/19-20 vs Wayland Baptist; 4/26-27 vs MACU
- OPSU: 4/5-6 vs TX Wesleyan; 4/12-13 at SAGU; 4/19-20 at USAO; 4/26-27 at Central Christian
MACU is looking good at keeping 1st place with the TX Wesleyan series looming. With such a big lead, it seems TWU is the only team with a shot to get to the Evangels, but they’d have to sweep MACU to do so.
That OCU/USAO series looks like it could decide who finishes 2nd in the conference.
With the conference only taking 8 of the 9 teams to the postseason tournament, the series between OPSU and Central Christian could very well decide who is the 8th team.
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
OK Wesleyan sits atop the KCAC standing as they’ve done all season. They have a 1.5 game lead over Tabor, but the Blue Jays took 2 of 3 against the Eagles this year and have the tiebreaker. It is safe to say the Eagles will be in the KCAC postseason tournament, it is just a matter if they finish 1st – 3rd.
Remaining KCAC schedule for OKWU:
- 4/5-6 vs Bethany College
- 4/9 vs Evangel
- 4/12-13 vs McPherson
- 4/20-21 at Kansas Wesleyan
- 4/26-27 at Ottawa
NJCAA
Div 1
We are to the point in the season where each team still has to play each other a 2nd time. All 5 teams will be in the Region 2 tournament.
Div 2
Remember that the top 4 schools from Oklahoma and the top 4 from Arkansas make the Region 2 postseason tournament. That means the top 4 for Oklahoma right now is NOC Enid, Western, NOC Tonkawa, and Carl Albert State.
Murray State is the 5th place team in Oklahoma and they are sitting 3.5 games back of Tonkawa and Carl Albert. They have some work to do.
The teams begin their 2nd go around against each other this week.
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