May 22, 2001
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This Week In Baylor Baseball -- Baylor (35-22, 17-10 Big 12) earned its fourth-straight NCAA post-season bid and will travel to Houston, Texas, for the NCAA Regional tournament to be held at Rice's Reckling Park. The Bears are the No. 2 seed and will face Houston, the No. 3 seed in the first round Friday at 7 p.m. Top-seeded Rice will play fourth-seeded Texas-Arlington at 3 p.m.
All games will be broadcast locally on KRZI 1580/1660 with John Morris and Reagan Ratcliff calling the action. The broadcasts can also be heard over the internet by visiting www.GoBaylorBears.com.
Baylor vs... -- During the regular season, Baylor faced all three teams participating in the 2001 NCAA Houston Regional. The Bears dropped three games to Rice and beat Houston three times. They took on UT-Arlington four times throughout the year and split with the Mavericks.
Baylor leads the all-time series with all three opponents. The Bears hold a 72-51 all-time advantage over Houston and lead the series with Rice 105-66. Against UT-Arlington, the Bears are 59-22.
The Bears in the NCAA Tournament -- Baylor has participated in 10 NCAA tournaments, including two College World Series appearances, dating back to 1978. The Bears have posted a 15-21 record in NCAA play. Last season, Baylor lost to Southwest Texas State 6-0 and Florida 10-1 in the Waco Regional held at Baylor Ballpark.
In earning its fourth consecutive NCAA post-season bid, Baylor becomes one of just 19 schools participating in the tournament to earn at least four straight bids.
The Last Time Out -- Baylor made an early exit from the Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla., losing games to Oklahoma State (18-4) and Iowa State (6-5) and failing to advance to the championship game for the first time in three years.
On Wednesday, the Bears scored four runs in the first inning, but that was all they would score as Oklahoma State handed Baylor an 18-4 loss in the first round. The Cowboys jumped on Baylor starter Steven White early, scoring six earned runs, including a pair of home runs before White was relieved by lefty Derek Brehm in the fourth inning. Brehm allowed six runs on six hits in one and two-thirds innings and the scoring barrage continued through Jay Lockett's two-thirds of an inning. Freshman Cody Hall was the only Baylor pitcher to shut out the Cowboys. He went two innings and struck out two batters while not allowing a hit.
Against Iowa State on Thursday, Baylor racked up three home runs and led Iowa State for six innings, but it was not enough as the Cyclones scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Bears 6-5 in the second round loser's bracket.
About Coach Smith -- Steve Smith is in his seventh season as head coach at Baylor and owns a 260-151-1 career record. He led the Bears to a Big 12 regular season championship in 2000 and their first-ever 50-win season in 1999.
The 2000 Big 12 Coach of the Year, Smith came to Baylor from Mississippi State, where he was an assistant under Ron Polk for five seasons. Prior to that, he served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M.
A former standout pitcher at Baylor from 1982-83, Smith led the Southwest Conference with a 1.72 ERA in 1982, bettering league foes and future major league pitchers Norm Charlton, Roger Clemens, Doug Drabek and Calvin Schiraldi.
Almost two decades later, Smith is passing his pitching knowledge on to his players. In the past nine years, he has tutored six pitchers who were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft, including Jason Jennings, the 1999 consensus national player of the year and the 16th pick by the Colorado Rockies in 1999.
In Smith's seven years as Baylor's head coach, he has produced six All-Americans, five GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and one GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. Baylor has also had 21 first-team all-Big 12 performers, including the Big 12 Player of the Year in 1998, 1999 and 2001.
All-Big 12 Bears -- Catcher Kelly Shoppach was named Big 12 player of the year and six other Baylor baseball players also received recognition on the all-Big 12 team as voted on by the Big 12 coaches and released by the league Monday.
Joining Shoppach on the all-Big 12 first team are outfielder Chris Durbin and right-handed pitcher Steven White. Bears who were named to the second team are Matt Williams (DH) and Justin Taylor (RHP), while honorable mention was given to second baseman Trevor Mote and pitcher Paul Thorp.
Shoppach is the second Baylor player in the last three years to be named Big 12 player of the year. Pitcher/UT Jason Jennings received the honor in 1999.
Ruling the Roost -- In the last 28 Big 12 conference series it has played, Baylor holds an amazing 24-4 record. The Bears have lost conference series to Texas A&M (2-1, 1998), Texas Tech (3-0, 2000, 2-1, 2001), Nebraska (3-0, 2001).
Leading Off -- So far this season, the Bears have had three successful leadoff hitters in OF Chris Durbin, OF Tim Hartshorn, and 2B Trevor Mote
Control Freaks -- Through 57 games this season, the Baylor pitching staff has put together a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.8-to-1. RHP Steven White leads the team with 76 strikeouts, while RHP Justin Taylor has 64 and LHP Josh Scott has 49.
Stingy Staff -- In addition to a stellar team ERA, the Baylor pitching staff has allowed just 34 home runs this season.
Amazingly, the Bears went 160 innings without giving up a home run, having given up a bomb against Rice in the first game of the season and one against Houston in the 20th game.
Near Misses -- Kelly Shoppach was just a double shy of hitting for the cycle against Texas (April 22). After belting a home run, a triple and a single, Texas centerfielder Kalani Napoleon made an outstanding catch to rob Shoppach of the feat.
Against Southwest Texas (May 9), Chris Durbin just missed hitting for the cycle by a triple. He was 4-for-6 on the night. Durbin missed the accomplishment again against Texas Tech (May 11), having hit a home run, a double and a triple.
And the Hits Keep Coming -- Matt Williams reached the 200 career hit mark with a hit against Oklahoma (March 16).
Kelly Shoppach got his 100th career hit against Texas A&M (Feb. 25). He accomplished the feat in just 104 games, averaging a hit in nearly every game he's played.
Several other Bears have at least 100 hits, including Mike Huggins with 129, Chris Durbin with 118.
Streaking -- OF Chris Durbin is currently riding a 14-game hitting streak, dating back to April 21. He has had multiple hits in nine of those 14 games. The streak is the second-longest put together by a Baylor player this season.
Junior C Kelly Shoppach had his 28-game hitting streak snapped against Rice (April 10). It stands as the second-longest hitting streak in Baylor history. The longest is 31 games, put together by James Blair over the 1997 and 1998 seasons. That streak is also the Big 12 record.
Shoppach is the second Baylor player this season to hit in at least 10 straight games. Senior 2B Trevor Mote began the season with a 10-game hitting streak, which ended on Feb. 18 against Nicholls State.
Awards Watch -- Fort Worth native Kelly Shoppach is currently among 10 semi-finalists for the second annual Johnny Bench Award, given to the nation's top collegiate catcher.
Shoppach is also being considered for the Dick Howser Trophy, given by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association to the nation's best player.
Hitmen -- Chris Durbin leads the team with 29 multiple-hit games, while teammate Kelly Shoppach is not far behind with 25.
Durbin smacked four hits in a 12-2 win over Missouri (March 4), and in a 13-12 victory over Southwest Texas (May 9), while Shoppach went 4-for-5 against Houston (March 6).
Set `Em Up -- Sophomore RHP Paul Thorp has quietly emerged as one of the team's best mid-relief pitchers. He has a 3-0 record, four saves, ranks fifth on the squad with 41 strikeouts, and leads the team with 26 appearances.
A First Time For Everything -- Back-up catcher Paul Richmond's grand slam against Southwest Texas (Feb. 14) was the first he's ever hit -- and that includes his time in Little League, high school and junior college baseball.
Freshman OF David Murphy belted his first collegiate home run, a first-pitch, bases-loaded shot to right field against Houston (March 6).
Lots of Runs -- Baylor's 22 runs scored against Southwest Texas marks the first time the Bears have scored 20 or more runs in a game since defeating Minnesota 22-6 in the 1999 Waco Regional.
The Bears have scored 10 or more runs in 20 games this season.
Home Sweet Home -- Last year, in the first full season at Baylor Ballpark, the Bears posted an impressive 26-6 record at home. In 2001, the Bears posted a 22-12 record on their home field.
In 2000, Baylor ranked 13th nationally in attendance, averaging more than 2,700 fans per game.
In the Record Books -- With a home run against Texas Tech (May 13) senior 3B Matt Williams remains in second place on the Baylor career home runs list with 42. He needs nine home runs to take sole possession of first place (Jon Topolski, 50, 1996-99). On the career runs scored chart, Williams ranks third with 190.
LHP Josh Scott currently ranks fourth on the Baylor career strikeouts list with 283. The senior needs five strikeouts to move past Kip Wells into third place (288, 1996-98). With a start against Texas Tech (May 13), Scott moved into first place on the career games started list with 49. He passed Kris Lambert (48, 1994-97).
Last season, Scott became just the seventh Baylor pitcher to strikeout 200 batters in his career.
Setting New Records -- With his seventh save of the season and the 22st of his career against Texas Tech (May 12), sophomore closer Zane Carlson continues to set new Baylor records for career saves. Last season, he racked up 15 saves to set the school single season saves record.
The NCAA record for saves in a career is 49, set by Jack Krawczyk of Southern Cal (1995-98).
Zane's World -- RHP Zane Carlson had the longest outing of his career at Southwest Texas (April 17). Usually the Bears' closer, Carlson worked 6.2 innings of the 15-inning game and struck out a career-high seven batters.
His longest outing previously was five innings and took place March 11, 2000 against Oral Roberts.
Young Guns -- This season, Baylor is fielding a young and experienced team. In fact, 18 of the top 25 players on last season's Big 12 Championship team were freshmen and sophomores. Senior LHP Josh Scott is the only senior on a pitching staff dominated by sophomores.
Getting Experience -- Four true freshmen, 3B/DH Jared Clements, RHP Cody Hall, OF David Murphy, and SS/2B Trey Webb have seen action this season. Murphy leads the young bunch, appearing in 56 games and starting 50.
Trey Webb got his first career start at shortstop against Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament. In his first at-bat, Webb drilled a double to left field.
Academic Excellence -- Several Baylor players have been recognized for their exceptional work in the classroom. OF Tim Hartshorn and RHP Justin Taylor lead the way, having been named to the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.
Bears who were named to the Big 12 baseball all-academic team are: Hartshorn, Taylor, Keith Ellison, and Justin Spooner. Baylor players named to the second team were Steven White and Mike Huggins.
All-Tournament Team -- Catcher Kelly Shoppach was named the Most Outstanding Player by a vote of the media at the inaugural Astros College Classic. The junior hit .316 over three games with three doubles, a home run and six RBI. 2B Trevor Mote and LHP Josh Scott were also named to the team.
Community Service Honors -- Junior Tim Hartshorn was recently named a Bank of America/Big 12 Conference Community Champion for his dedication to academic excellence and community service.
250 Wins -- With a 10-6 victory over Houston (April 4), Bears coach Steve Smith earned his 250th career win. Smith, 40, is one of the nation's winningest coaches under the age of 45.
In the News -- In the April 9th college baseball weekend wrapup, Baseball America editor John Manuel called Baylor catcher Kelly Shoppach the best catcher in the nation.
Shoppach is also featured in the Top Prospects edition of Baseball America. A story on the junior from Fort Worth can be found in the Colleges West section by Jim Callis. Last season, pitcher Kyle Evans was featured in the same section.
Big 12 Pitchers/Players of the Week -- Three Baylor players have been honored by the Big 12 conference for their weekly performances.
Senior 3B Matt Williams earned Big 12 Co-Player of the Week (March 26) honors for his incredible performance in the series at Kansas. Williams hit .556 on the week, which included a game against No. 1 Rice. He also smacked four doubles, three home runs and had 11 RBI.
Sophomore righty Steven White was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 12) for his performance in the Bears' 5-0 win over Cal State Fullerton. White tossed seven shutout innings, giving up just two hits, while striking out five batters and issuing just four walks. The League City, Texas native also limited the Titans to a .087 batting average.
Sophomore 1B Mike Huggins was named the Phillips 66/Big 12 Player of the Week (Feb. 19) for his performances against Southwest Texas and Nicholls State. He hit a sizzling .615 with a pair of doubles and five RBI.
