While Texas A&M was tabbed to win the Big 12 baseball regular season title, the preseason favorite has only ended up winning the league five times since 1999. The 2012 Big 12 baseball campaign kicks off this weekend with league play beginning the March 16.

Previews of the league's nine teams are below.

BAYLOR
2011 FINISH: 31-28/13-14 (5th), Eliminated from NCAA Houston Regional
TOP RETURNERS: 1B Max Muncy (.322, 9 HR, 44 RBI), LHP Josh Turley (4-5, 3.39 ERA, 95.2 IP), RHP Max Garner (3.12, 8 saves, 49.0 IP)
SEASON OPENER: Feb. 17-19 vs. Oral Roberts
BIG 12 OPENER: March 16-18 vs. Texas Tech

Baylor baseball enters the 2012 season with a nearly identical outlook from this time a year ago. With eight position starters returning for the second straight season, the Bears have plenty of veterans in the lineup.

Though Baylor returns 20 of 25 lettermen from a 2011 squad that came within one strike of winning the NCAA Houston Regional, three of those departed letterwinners were members of the Bears' starting pitcher rotation. Logan Verrett and Brooks Pinckard were selected in the 2011 MLB Draft and Jon Ringenberg graduated, leaving the Bears to find replacements for pitchers who accounted for 29 of 59 starts a season ago.

Baylor returns plenty of bats after losing only one full-time starter from the field. Landis Ware started 55 games at shortstop last year, and the Bears will also have to replace 80 starts from outfielders Pinckard and Chris Slater.

The Bears finished 2011 fifth in the Conference standings and had their season end in heartbreaking fashion - BU lost a three-run lead in the ninth inning of the Houston Regional championship game.

KANSAS
2011 FINISH: 26-30/9-18 (9th)
TOP RETURNERS: 3B Zac Elgie (.297, 22 doubles, 7 HR, 38 RBI), 1B Jake Marasco (.296, 23 RBI, 9 doubles), RHP Tanner Poppe (3-6, 3.66 ERA, 71.1 IP)
SEASON OPENER: Feb. 17-19 at Nashville Tournament (Middle Tennessee, Bowling Green, Belmont, Lipscomb)
BIG 12 OPENER: March 23-25 at Baylor

Kansas enters the 2012 season returning 17 letterwinners, including six position starters, from last year's team which finished 26-30 overall and 9-18 in the Big 12 Conference.

KU's top returning hitter is third baseman Zac Elgie, who batted .297 with a team-best 22 doubles, seven homers and 37 RBIs in 2011. Elgie's 22 doubles were the fifth-most in a season by a Jayhawk and ranked fourth in the Big 12 last year. The Jayhawks' opening day starting pitcher is sophomore right-hander Frank Duncan, who went 0-3 with a 3.09 ERA in 24 relief appearances last season. Duncan posted a 2.63 ERA and allowed a .170 batting avarage against non-conference foes last year.

The Jayhawks open this season with three tournaments and 11 games on the road before their home opener against North Dakota on March 6. Eighteen of KU's first 20 games will be away from Hoglund Park.

Last season, KU was 20-19 on April 19, but finished the year with a 6-12 mark for a ninth place conference finish.

In addition to Elgie, the Jayhawks return first baseman Jake Marasco, who batted .283 last season with 23 RBI, and right-hander Tanner Poppe, who start 13 games in '11. Infielder Ka'iana Eldredge was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team and will start at second base this season.

Head coach Ritch Price is in his 10th year at the helm and will record his 300th win at Kansas with his first victory this season.

KANSAS STATE
2011 FINISH: 36-25/12-14 (6th), Eliminated from Fullerton Regional
TOP RETURNERS: INF Ross Kivett (.314, 19 RBI), RHP Matt Applegate (5-5, 4.63 ERA, 89.1 IP), OF Jared King (.307, 8 HR, 40 RBI)
SEASON OPENER: Feb. 18-20 at CSU Bakersfield
BIG 12 OPENER: March 16-18 at Texas A&M

The Wildcats concluded their 2011 regular season with a 16-8 run, including a 7-4 mark in conference games to finish sixth in the league standings.

The stretch of good baseball included K-State's first-ever series sweep of Texas Tech, two midweek road wins at CSU Bakersfield and the third season sweep in the last five years of in-state rival Kansas.

K-State went to the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City in need of a couple more wins to secure its spot in the postseason. The Wildcats defeated 12th-ranked Oklahoma twice and stayed with eventual Big 12 Champion Texas A&M in a couple of close defeats in a final week that pushed the Wildcats into another NCAA Regional.

With 17 letterwinners, including seven position starters and seven pitchers, returning, the Wildcats are starting another season with postseason aspirations.

As is the case every year in head coach Brad Hill's program, the senior class must be the primary leaders of the squad. All seven seniors - Matt Applegate, Kayvon Bahramzadeh, Jake Brown, Matt Giller, Wade Hinkle, Mike Kindel and Dan Klein - have shown flashes of being able to hold the responsibility, but they must take it to a new level this season.

MISSOURI
2011 FINISH: 27-32/11-15 (8th)
TOP RETURNERS: INF Conner Mach (.285, 12 SB, 32 RBI), OF Brannon Champagne (.294, 13 SB, 27 RBI), RHP Eric Anderson (3-0, 4.93 ERA, 45.2 IP)
SEASON OPENER: Feb. 17-19 at Auburn
BIG 12 OPENER: March 23-25 vs. Oklahoma State

Missouri finished the 2011 season on a surge that left it just one strike away from claiming the Big 12 Championship title against eventual College World Series participant Texas A&M.
The Tigers won four of their final five Big 12 series and became the first-ever No. 8 seed to advance to the Big 12 Championship game. A lineup change by head coach Tim Jamieson prior to the Tigers' Baylor series and the insertion of Eric Anderson back into the starting rotation were the keys for the Tiger turnaround last season.

Mizzou won 13 of its last 24 games last season and 12 of its last 20 Big 12 games, including posting a mark of 11-6 against teams that qualified for NCAA Regional play and a 4-2 mark against top-10 teams in that span.

The Tigers return a lot of firepower offensively and two of three weekend starters from a season ago. In all, Mizzou welcomes back seven position players from 2011, including All-Big 12 honorable mention selection Blake Brown (.267, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 20 SB) in the outfield. Mizzou returns six of its top seven hitters from a season ago as well and only has to fill holes at the shortstop and designated hitter positions. Other key returners include Brannon Champagne (.294, 27 RBI), Conner Mach (.285, 32 RBI) and Eric Garcia (.276, 26 RBI).

On the mound, Mizzou returns Eric Anderson (3-0, 4.93 ERA, 26 Ks, 12 BB) as its Friday night starter and Rob Zastryzny (2-5, 4.33 ERA, 70 Ks, 27 BB) returns for his sophomore season after landing on the All-Big 12 Freshman team a season ago. Dusty Ross and Jeff Emens also return for the Tiger bullpen

OKLAHOMA
2011 FINISH: 41-19/14-11 (3rd), Eliminated from Fort Worth Regional
TOP RETURNERS: SS Caleb Bushyhead (.288, 9 doubles, 18 RBI), LHP Dillon Overton (8-4, 2.30 ERA, 59 strikeouts), OF/INF Max White (.286, 11 doubles, 20 RBI)
SEASON OPENER: Feb. 17-19 at Pepperdine
BIG 12 OPENER: March 16-18 at Texas

In 2011, OU started the season ranked in the top five and climbed all the way to No. 2 after a program-record 16-0 start. The Sooners won 41 games for the third straight season and appeared in the program's 34th NCAA tournament.

However, despite making its fourth straight appearance in the postseason, Oklahoma players and coaches ended the season with a sour taste in their mouths, dropping two straight games in the NCAA Fort Worth Regional. While the Sooners were disappointed for not making back-to-back appearances in the College World Series, head coach Sunny Golloway and company recognize the positives from last year and like the high expectations that have become the norm in Norman.

The high expectations have come after Golloway's clubs have won 40 or more games in four of his six full seasons, including 50 wins in 2010. In addition, OU advanced to two NCAA Super Regionals (2006 and 2010) and the program's 10th College World Series (2010) in the Golloway era.

The Sooners return 15 letterwinners and seven starters (five position players, two pitchers) from the 2011 team and in the offseason, the coaching staff signed a class of 21 players that were ranked as high as No. 4 (Collegiate Baseball) in the recruiting rankings.

Two of those veterans are Caleb Bushyhead and Max White. The duo is just two of the players that have helped OU return as one of the nation's elite programs over the last couple of years. The Oklahoma natives are joined by seniors Cody Reine and Erik Ross and juniors Drew Harrison and Jack Mayfield as part of the club that helped OU make the College World Series in 2010.

OKLAHOMA STATE
2011 FINISH: 35-25/14-12 (4th), Eliminated from Nashville Regional
TOP RETURNERS: 3B Mark Ginther (.292, 10 HR, 33 RBI), LHP Andrew Heanery (7-4, 4.03 ERA, 20 appearances), C/OF Jared Womack (.282, 8 HR, 46 RBI)
SEASON OPENER: Feb. 17-19 at Cal Poly
BIG 12 OPENER: March 23-25 at Missouri

Oklahoma State baseball will have a new look in 2012 - 35 players on the Cowboy roster this season, 25 of them have never taken the field in an OSU uniform.

Among the OSU returners are four position starters, including All-Big 12 Second Team performers Jared Womack and Gabe Weidenaar, while the pitching staff returns seven-game winner Andrew Heaney and several talented relievers.

OSU will count on a pair of seniors to provide pop in the middle of the lineup as Womack and Mark Ginther combined for 18 home runs and 79 RBI a year ago.

But the Cowboys can also mix in plenty of speed with the return of Saulyer Saxon and the addition of junior college players such as Jarrett Higgins and Aaron Cornell.

The group of OSU newcomers includes seven freshmen, and two of those - Zach Fish and Gage Green - could be among those making immediate contributions.

TEXAS
2011 FINISH: 49-19/19-8 (T-1st), Appeared in College World Series
TOP RETURNERS: RHP Corey Knebel (19 saves, 1.13 ERA), 3B Erich Weiss (.348, 45 RBI, 11 doubles), LHP Hoby Milner (7-4, 2.45 ERA, 84.1 IP)
SEASON OPENER: Feb. 17-19 vs. Duke
BIG 12 OPENER: March 16-18 at Oklahoma

Texas claimed a share of the 2011 Big 12 regular season championship and advanced to its 34th NCAA College World Series last season. All-time, UT is the Big 12 leader in conference winning percentage, with a mark of .646 (266-145-1) over the league's 15 years.

During 2011, the Longhorns led the Big 12 in ERA for the third straight year season, posting a mark of 2.35, which was also second best in the nation. While UT loses starters Taylor Jungmann and Cole Green, Texas welcomes back its closer and the NCBWA 2011 Stopper of the Year Corey Knebel, who came one save shy of tying the Big 12 single-season saves record. Junior Hoby Milner, who ranked 10th in the Big 12 in ERA a season ago (2.45), also returns for the Texas pitching corps.

In addition, the Horns have third baseman and Big 12 Freshman of the Year Erich Weiss returning. Weiss led the league in walks (53) and batted .348 in his rookie campaign.

UT's non-conference schedule includes a road trip to Pac-12 preseason favorite Stanford, a three-game set at the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park and a four-game series with 2011 CWS participant California at the end of March.

Augie Garrido enters his 44th season as a collegiate baseball head coach and has posted a .688 overall winning percentage since his first season with the Longhorns in 1997.

TEXAS A&M
2011 FINISH: 47-22/19-8 (T-1st), Appeared in College World Series
TOP RETURNERS: OF Tyler Naquin (.381, 23 doubles, 44 RBI), RHP Ross Stripling (14-2, 2.29 ERA), RHP Michael Wacha (9-4, 2.29, 123 strikeouts)
SEASON OPENER: Feb. 17-19 vs. Illinois-Chicago
BIG 12 OPENER: March 16-18 vs. Kansas State

Texas A&M is coming off one of the best seasons in school history, finishing the 2011 campaign with a 47-22 overall record to claim a share of the Big 12 regular season title, the league's postseason championship and a trip to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series.

Seventh-year head coach Rob Childress returns 16 letterwinners from last season's squad including a trio of All-Americans in right fielder Tyler Naquin and starting pitchers Ross Stripling and Michael Wacha along with a Freshman All-American center fielder Krey Bratsen.
Naquin is the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year after finishing last season first in the league in four offensive categories, including batting average (.381), hits (104), total bases (147) and runs scored (68). His 104 hits also led the nation, while Stripling's 14 wins tied for the most in the NCAA.

Bratsen was one of four freshman named to the All-Big 12 First Team and finished ranked second in the league in stolen bases (31).

TAMU's home field, Blue Bell Park at Olsen Field, received renovations during the offseason. Last year the Aggies ranked 11th in the nation in average home attendance with nearly 4,000 fans at their home games.

The Aggies were the unanimous selection to win the league's regular season title in a preseason poll voted on by the Big 12 head coaches. TAMU has recorded 40 or more wins in four of the past five seasons. In 2011, they led the league in batting average in conference-only games with a .290 clip and also posted the best ERA in Big 12 contests (2.55).

TEXAS TECH
2011 FINISH: 33-25/12-15 (7th)
TOP RETURNERS: CF Barrett Barnes (.290, 10 HR, 38 RBI), RHP John Neely (9-1, 7 saves, 2.97 ERA), 3B Reid Redman (.320, 34 RBI, 12 doubles)
SEASON OPENER: Feb. 17-19 vs. Red Raider Classic (Missouri State, Tennessee Tech)
BIG 12 OPENER: March 16-18 at Baylor

Texas Tech is coming off a 33-25 overall record in 2011 and a seventh-place finish in the Big 12 with a 12-15 league record. The Red Raiders return eight position players who all started at least 32 games and welcome back 12 pitchers, 10 of which threw at least 20 innings last season.

The Red Raiders return 19 letterwinners from last year's team, giving them back a high percentage of nearly every offensive and pitching category.

Texas Tech has had two players show up consistently in preseason All-America teams as senior right-hand closer John Neely and junior center fielder Barrett Barnes have earned preseason All-American accolades. Neely has also been named to the NCBWA 2012 Preseason Stopper of the Year Award Watch List.

A pair of Red Raiders is looking to join the Texas Tech 100-career RBI club as both Scott LeJeune (95 RBI in 111 games) and Barrett Barnes (91 RBI in 114 games) are nearing the milestone.

Texas Tech also has a new home with the opening of Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park, which officially opens on Opening Day against Missouri State at 4 p.m. on Friday. The new ballpark (4,368) received a $5 million renovation that saw many additions and structural improvements, including 10 luxury suites, a new press box complete with radio and television broadcast areas along with a club level with outdoor seating for 75 individuals. TTU opens its season with a nine-game homestand.