2024 Shriners Children's College Showdown

Tennessee, Texas Tech Open Season At Shriners Children's College Showdown

Tennessee, Texas Tech Open Season At Shriners Children's College Showdown

Everything you need to know about the The Shriners Children's College Showdown, where Tennessee and Texas Tech will open the 2024 college baseball season.

Jan 19, 2024 by Kyle Kensing
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College baseball's top teams will open the 2024 season and their pursuits of Omaha with the Shriners Children's College Showdown in Arlington, Texas. 

Formerly known as the College Baseball Showdown, the event showcases some of the sport's best and welcomes teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC Conferences. 

This year, the tourney runs from Feb. 16 through Feb. 18, and will feature storied baseball programs like Texas Tech and Tennessee. 

All-Americans and MLB prospects will be on display as they take on difficult early-season matchups with the hope of steeling themselves ahead of a long 2024 college baseball season.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2024 event:

What Teams Are Playing In The Shriners Children's College Showdown?

  • Nebraska
  • Baylor
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas Tech
  • Oregon
  • Tennessee

Big Ten: Nebraska 

Three-time NCAA College World Series participant Nebraska looks for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021. The Cornhuskers went 33-23-1 in 2023 and finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference. 

Big 12: Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech 

A trio of Big 12 representatives begin 2024 at Globe Life Field with the Shriners College Showdown. 

Texas Tech is coming off of a 41-23 campaign and run to the NCAA Tournament that ended against Florida, the eventual national runner-up to LSU. After ending 2023 against an SEC opponent, Texas Tech begins its 2024 against another SEC team in Tennessee on the first day of Shriners College Showdown. Oklahoma reached the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and will try to make a push for Omaha in 2024, while Baylor aims to bounce back from a disappointing 20-35 finish last year. 

Pac-12: Oregon 

The Ducks came one game away from Omaha a season ago, falling to Oral Roberts in the Eugene Super Regional. Oregon finished its 2023 campaign 41-22. Oregon features a new-look roster that can make a significant first impression on the national baseball landscape. 

SEC: Tennessee 

A 2023 College World Series participant, Tennessee reloads for 2024 with eyes on the national championship. The Vols return Christian Moore, who hit 17 home runs a season ago; Blake Burke, coming off a 16-home-run campaign; and Zane Denton, who knocked out another 16 home runs.

Tennessee's pursuit of a return to Omaha begins in Arlington.

Players To Watch 

Gavin Kash, 1B, Texas Tech

Gavin Kash is back from a 2023 season in which he hit .327 with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs. 

Kash produced four multiple-home-run games last season, including in an NCAA Tournament win against Florida. 

Drew Smith, INF/DH, Oregon

Drew Smith came on strong down the stretch of his freshman season for Oregon, putting together an 18-game hitting streak that ran from April 26 to June 2. 

Smith hit .365 in 96 at-bats with a .430 on-base percentage and six stolen bases on eight attempts. 

He should be a cornerstone for the Ducks overhauled 2024 lineup, which replaces five hitters with batting averages of .312 to .341. 

Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee

Widely considered a top-25 MLB draft prospect, Drew Beam headlines the Tennessee starting pitching staff. Beam was a 2022 Freshman All-American after producing a 2.72 ERA in 76 innings pitched. He followed that up with a 3.63 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 84 1/3 innings pitched as a sophomore.

How To Watch The Shriners Children's College Showdown

Watch the 2024 Shriners Children's College Showdown on FloBaseball and the FloSports app.

FloBaseball will be streaming several season-opening college baseball tournaments, including the Sanderson Ford College Classic, Snowbird Baseball and the Kubota College Baseball Series.

2024 Shriners Children's College Showdown Schedule

All times Eastern

Friday, Feb. 16 

  • 12 p.m. – Nebraska vs. Baylor 
  • 4 p.m. – Oregon vs. Oklahoma 
  • 8 p.m. – Tennessee vs. Texas Tech

Saturday, Feb. 17 

  • 12 p.m. – Baylor vs. Oregon 
  • 4 p.m. – Texas Tech vs. Nebraska 
  • 8 p.m. – Oklahoma vs. Tennessee

Sunday, Feb. 18 

  • 11:30 a.m. – Nebraska vs. Oklahoma 
  • 3:30 p.m. – Oregon vs. Texas Tech 
  • 7:30 p.m. – Tennessee vs. Baylor

Where Is The Shriners Children's College Showdown? 

Globe Life Field, home of the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers, welcomes the six teams set for the Shriners College Showdown. Globe Life Field opened in Arlington, Texas, in 2020 and has been the host venue of the premier season-opening event in college baseball each year since 2021.

The 2023 event included TCU, which mashed its way to the semifinals of last year's College World Series. 

What's The Difference Between The Shriners Showdown and the Kubota College Series? 

The Shriners Children's College Showdown is one of two marquee collegiate events set for Globe Life Field in the opening weeks of the season. The Showdown is a one-weekend, six-team event, which will be followed by the Kubota College Series. 

The Kubota College Series opens with mid-week games on Feb. 20, pitting Texas Tech against UT Arlington. The Red Raiders return for a Feb. 21 double-header against Oregon State, while Oklahoma State meets Abilene Christian in the nightcap. 

The Kubota College Series runs from those opening contests into the following weekend and continues into the first weekend of March. 

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