Big 12 Announces Future Baseball Championships at Globe Life Field
By Susan Schrock, Office of Communication
Posted on February 05, 2020, February 05, 2020

The Big 12 Baseball Championship is making a return to Arlington and will be played at Globe Life Field in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

The Big 12 Baseball Championship is making a return to The American Dream City, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced Wednesday at a Globe Life Field media event. 

Arlington hosted the Big 12 Baseball Championship in 2002 and most recently in 2004. The tournament, which will be played in Oklahoma this year and next, will move to the climate-controlled Globe Life Field in Arlington in 2022, 2023 and 2024, Bowlsby said. The Texas Rangers’ new retractable-roof ballpark opens next month. 

“To have an opportunity to use a major league ballpark that will be the best-in-class when it is completed—to have the thrill of young people participating in a major league stadium—our coaches and student athletes are going to be over the moon with enthusiasm about this,” Bowlsby said.

The Rangers presented Bowlsby with a team jersey during the event, which also included an announcement that ballpark construction was approximately 93 percent complete and that the venue would be ready for its first event on March 14. 

“We are excited to welcome the Big 12 Baseball Championship back to Arlington and to Globe Life Field for the first time,” said Sean Decker, Texas Rangers Executive Vice President of Sports & Entertainment. “We were honored to be considered along with many great cities around the country and are ecstatic to be selected for this three-year run beginning in 2022. We would like to thank Commissioner Bowlsby and the Big 12 Conference for their support and trust in us and look forward to our continued partnership.”

Since 1997, more than 1,000 student-athletes participating in Big 12 baseball have been taken in the annual Major League Baseball Draft. Of those 43 Big 12 standouts have been selected in the first round, including four players picked in the top-11 of the 2019 MLB Draft.

“I think fan support in the Metroplex will provide an outstanding environment for the student-athletes and the new Rangers ballpark will be a great platform to showcase Big 12 baseball to the highest level,” said Steve Rodriguez, Baylor University baseball head coach.

Texas Rangers, Ballpark Project
News, Business