An 18-0 start to conference play, combined with a UT loss this weekend, gives the Baylor Bears the outright 2012 Big 12 baseball regular season title. Baylor is currently 38-8 in overall games.

Six games remain on BU’s conference schedule, however, even if the Bears lose all six, they would still have the best conference record at the end of the regular season. Since Texas is currently 13-7 with four conference games remaining, including a three-game set against Baylor to close out Big 12 play, the Longhorns are unable to clinch a share. Texas A&M is in a similar scenario, sitting at 13-7 with just four league games left.

This is Baylor’s third regular season crown and first since 2005 when the Bears shared the distinction with Nebraska and Texas. In 2005, BU posted a 57-15 record, including a 19-8 Big 12 mark and advanced to the College World Series. The Bears were outright winners in 2000 when they went 45-17 and 23-7 in conference play.

Baylor’s 18-0 league win streak this season is a Big 12 record for consecutive conference wins. The previous best was 17 by Texas in 2011. BU has six conference games remaining, which include a series at Oklahoma and a series with Texas. Baylor also recorded a 24-game winning streak, which lasted from March 16-April 22 and ended as the longest in school history and the longest by any Big 12 Conference team since the league began playing baseball in 1997.

The Bears passed Texas’ 21 straight wins in 2010 for the conference record, and the previous school record was a 20-game winning streak in 1985.

Baylor currently leads the Big 12 in batting with a .314 clip in overall games. The Bears are also first in batting and pitching in conference-only contests with marks of .327 and 2.66, respectively.

The 2012 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship is Wednesday, May 23 through Sunday, May 27 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. All-session tickets are available from $87 for terrace reserved to $117 for box seating to $202 for club-level seats. A limited number of weekend passes are also available starting at $67.