Baseball Preview: #7 USC at #9 Baylor

Feb. 19, 2003

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#9 Baylor Baseball (5-3, 0-0 Big 12)
vs. #7 Southern California (5-3, 0-0 Pac-10)

Friday, Feb. 21 (6 p.m.)
Saturday, Feb. 22 (5 p.m.)
Sunday, Feb. 23 (12:30 p.m.)
Baylor Ballpark * Waco, Texas

This Week in Baylor Baseball
Baylor, ranked ninth in the nation this week, welcomes a perennial powerhouse to Waco this weekend in seventh-ranked Southern California. The Bears and Trojans face off Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

Fans attending Friday's game will receive a free Baylor Baseball 2003 schedule magnet, while schedule posters will be given away on Saturday. Also, fans attending the Saturday and Sunday games will be permitted to show their game ticket stubs for access to the Baylor softball general admission seating areas.

After opening the year 0-2, Baylor has won five of its last six games with only a one-run loss to No. 2 Rice mixed in. USC, meanwhile, had won four straight -- all over ranked opponents -- before suffering a 4-1 loss to Pepperdine on Tuesday.

All Baylor baseball games are carried in Central Texas on KRZI 1660/1580 AM. Live stats are also available at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the Official College Sports Network.

Baylor in the Rankings
Baylor's 2-1 showing at the Minute Maid Park College Classic gave the Bears a slight boost in the polls; Baylor moved up one spot to No. 9 in Baseball America's poll. Baylor is also ranked 11th in the USA Today Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches' Poll (no movement), 16th by Collegiate Baseball (up one place) and 18th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA) poll (up one spot).

With a preseason ranking of No. 10 (Baseball America), the Bears tied their highest preseason ranking in program history. (Baseball America also ranked Baylor 10th prior to the 2000 season.)

Baylor's best-ever final ranking is No. 6 (Collegiate Baseball, 1978), while the team's highest ranking at any time was No. 3 (Baseball America, May 8, 2000).

Last Time Out
* TUESDAY: #9 Baylor 9, Texas-Arlington 2 Waco, Texas
The Bears pounded out 12 hits en route to a 9-2 win over Texas-Arlington Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark. Home runs by Chris Durbin and Michael Griffin fueled the offense; David Murphy chipped in with his team-leading fifth multi-hit game of the year.

Freshman Mark McCormick threw a solid four innings in his first collegiate start, allowing no runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Fellow frosh Ryan LaMotta followed and picked up the win by throwing two shutout innings. Sean Walker added two more scoreless innings out of the pen, and Russell Reichenbach pitched the ninth for the Bears.

WEEKEND: Minute Maid Park College Classic, Houston, Texas
Baylor took two of three games on the weekend at the 2003 Minute Maid Park College Classic, beating No. 13 Houston 14-4 on Friday and Louisiana-Lafayette 12-4 on Sunday. No. 2 Rice handed the Bears their sole loss on Saturday, a 4-3 defeat.

* FRIDAY: #10 Baylor 14, #13 Houston 4
On Friday, the Bears put together two big innings en route to the 14-4 win over the Cougars. Baylor jumped on Houston's all-America starter Brad Sullivan early, scoring five runs off the ace in just 1.2 innings. Baylor went back to work in the third, sending 10 more batters to the plate and adding six more runs and going up 11-0. Josh Ford was 4-for-5 on the day with with a home run and 4 RBI; the four hits and four runs driven in were both career highs for the sophomore catcher. Fellow sophomore Michael Griffin continued his hot start at the plate by also going 4-for-5 and driving in two.

* SATURDAY: #2 Rice 4, #10 Baylor 3
Saturday, a three-run Rice first inning proved to be the difference the No. 2 Owls squeaked past Baylor, 4-3. After falling behind at 4-1 though four innings, the Bears loaded the bases in the fifth with nobody out. An infield single by Ross Bennett cut the lead to 4-2, and after an out, Zach Dillon hit what looked to be a sacrifice fly to left that would have brought the Bears within a run. Instead, the runner on third, David Murphy, was ruled out for leaving the bag too early, erasing the run from the scoreboard and instead ending the inning.

* SUNDAY: #10 Baylor 12, Louisiana-Lafayette 4
Baylor bounced back to pound Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday, 12-4. Five Bears had at least three hits in the game, led by nine-hole hitter Paul Witt, who had four hits and scored twice. The Bears' No. 1 and No. 2 hitters, Chris Durbin and David Murphy, combined to go 6-for-11 with five runs scored and five RBI in the game. Michael Griffin also had three hits and two RBI as he continued his torrid hitting. Baylor starter Steven White earned his first win after an impressive performance, allowing.only two runs on six hits in seven innings and walking none. The senior struck out nine Cajuns, one shy of his career high.

Bears Among Big 12 Stat Leaders
As a team, Baylor ranks third in the Big 12 Conference with a .345 team batting average and ranks fourth in slugging at .512, through games of Feb. 17.

A number of Bears rank among the Big 12 individual leaders in a variety of statistics, through games of Feb. 17. Michael Griffin ranks among the top 10 in the league in seven categories, while Steven White leads the Big 12 in strikeouts through the first two weeks of the season. Others:

Zane Carlson: t-8th in appearances (4)
Chris Durbin: t-2nd in doubles (5), t-3rd in runs (14)
Josh Ford: t-4th in doubles (4)
Michael Griffin: 4th in hitting (.529), 5th in hits (18), t-5th in home runs (2), t-5th in RBI (12), 8th in total bases (28), 10th in on-base percentage (.543), 10th in slugging percentage (.824)
David Murphy: t-5th in home runs (2), t-9th in doubles (3)
Trey Webb: t-5th in steals (3), t-9th in doubles (3)
Steven White: 1st in strikeouts (17), t-1st in starts (3), 3rd in innings pitched (17.2)
Paul Witt: t-4th in doubles (4)
Abe Woody: 6th in ERA (0.79), 8th in opposing batting avg. (.154)

Six Bears Named All-Tournament in Houston
Six Bears were named to the 2003 Minute Maid Park College Classic All-Tournament Team, led by Most Outstandin Player Michael Griffin. The sophomore left fielder hit .517 in three games with a double, a triple, a home run, four runs scored and 4 RBI. Griffin became the third Bear in three years to be named tournament MVP at the Astros' classic, following Kelly Shoppach (2001) and Tim Hartshorn (2002).

Joining Griffin on the all-tournament team were Josh Ford (C), Paul Witt (2B), Trey Webb (SS), Chris Durbin (OF) and David Murphy (OF).

Webb Snares Top Honor
Baseball America named junior shortstop Trey Webb the top defender among this year's draft-eligible collegiate players.

The publication noted that "While he's relatively small at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, SS Trey Webb is the hands-down choice as the top college defender at a premium position. He has soft hands, good range and enough arm strength to be a legitimate shortstop in pro ball."

Smith Earns Milestone Win
Baylor head coach Steve Smith earned his 300th career win Feb. 9 at Arizona, an 11-9, 11-inning victory. Now in his ninth season at the helm of the Bears, Smith holds a career-record of 303-183-1, all at Baylor.

Smith leads all Baylor coaches in career winning percentage (.623), and he trails only Baylor legend Mickey Sullivan among Bears' head coaches in total wins. Sullivan, whom Smith replaced in 1995, compiled a 649-428 record while helming the Bears from 1974-1994.

Griffin's Six Hits Set Record
Sophomore Michael Griffin went 6-for-6 Feb. 9 at Arizona, setting a new school record for hits in a game. Griffin broke the previous record of five hits, which had been accomplished 18 times, including once last season by teammate Trey Webb.

Griffin knocked out five singles and a home run in the Bears' 11-9, 11-inning win over the Wildcats and tied his career-high with six RBI.

Bears Best in the Big 12
Over the past five years, the Bears have the best conference record of any team in the Big 12 Conference at 91-47 (.659). Included in those five seasons are one Big 12 championship (2000) and a pair of runner-up finishes (1998, 1999).

Since the start of the Big 12 Conference prior to the 1997 season, Baylor leads all conference schools in both first team All-Big 12 selections (18) and in first team Academic All-Big 12 selections (30).

Durbin's Bat Rewriting Baylor Recordbook
Senior Chris Durbin continues to make his mark on the Baylor recordbook. Durbin's career average of .347 ranks third all-time in program history. The centerfielder also ranks highly in several other categories, including career doubles (3rd, 61 -- three shy of the school record) and career home runs (9th, 25).

Durbin also holds the school single-season doubles record, having pounded out 25 two-base hits in both 2001 and 2002.

White Moving Up the Charts
Senior starter Steven White has put his name into the Baylor recordbooks, ranking among the top 10 in multiple career records. White is within reach of setting a new school record for career starts; he is currently fourth with 43 career starts, seven shy of Josh Scott's record of 50.

White is also 10th in career strikeouts with 207 and sits just outside the top 10 with 20 career wins.

Closer Carlson Extending Saves Record
After setting the Baylor career and single-season saves records with 15 as a freshman in 2000, junior closer Zane Carlson continues to build on his record career total. Carlson saved eight games in 2001 but was held without a save last season before succumbing to surgery in April and receiving a medical redshirt.

Baylor Home Attendance Ranked
The Baylor baseball program finished the 2002 season 15th in the nation in average home attendance, according to numbers released by the NCAA.

In 31 home dates, 89,343 fans came through the turnstiles at Baylor Ballpark, an average of 2,882 fans per game. The 2002 average was the best in program history, while the total attendance was third-best in Baylor's nearly 100 years of baseball. The Bears' total home attendance was the 18th highest total in the nation for 2002.

Baylor has ranked among the top 20 programs in the nation in average and total attendance each year since moving into Baylor Ballpark, with program-best rankings of ninth in average attendance and 13th in total attendance set in 2001.

Preseason Projections
Juniors David Murphy and Trey Webb were each dubbed preseason all-conference selections. Baseball America named both Bears to their preseason all-Big 12 team, while the Dallas Morning News named Webb a first-team shortstop and Murphy a second-team outfielder.

Freshman pitcher Mark McCormick was also recognized by each publication. The rookie earned preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year recognition from Baseball America and was named to the Dallas Morning News' list of 10 Big 12 Newcomers to Watch.

The Dallas Morning News, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, Sports Weekly/ESPN and even a survey of Big 12 coaches each named Baylor the No. 2 team in the Big 12 for 2003, behind only defending national champion Texas.

Baylor and USA Baseball
Last fall, USA Baseball named Baylor the 26th-best program in the nation at providing players for the USA National Team.

Five Bears have played a total of six seasons wearing the Red, White and Blue: Pat Combs (1988), Jason Jennings (1997-98), Bryan Loeb (1998), Jon Topolski (1998) and Zane Carlson (2000).

Stanford, Miami, Cal State Fullerton, Southern California and Florida State were recognized as the top five programs based on their contributions to USA Baseball from 1984-2002.

Baseball America Preseason Honors
In its annual preseason publication, Baseball America awarded a number of honors to Baylor players. Included among those:

* Chris Durbin: Best Outfield Arm in the Big 12
* Mark McCormick: Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Big 12 Top Newcomer, No. 2 fastball in the Big 12
* David Murphy: Preseason All-Big 12, No. 3 Pure Hitter in the Big 12
* Trey Webb: Preseason All-Big 12, Best Defensive Shortstop in the Big 12, Best Infield Arm in the Big 12

Draft Dodgers
Seven members of the 2003 Baylor squad have turned down opportunities to enter the world of pro ball in order to join up with the Bears:

Team            Year    Round   TeamTrey Taylor        2001    2nd     Colorado RockiesMark McCormick      2002    11th    Baltimore OriolesSteven White      2002    18th    Milwaukee BrewersRoss Bennett      1998    42nd    Montreal ExposJared Theodorakos    2002    49th    Colorado RockiesDavid Murphy      2000    50th    Anaheim AngelsKyle Reynolds        2002    50th    Arizona Diamondbacks

Baylor Developing Pro Prospects
Baseball America/Perfect Game recently recognized Baylor as one of the top programs in the nation at producing top professional prospects.

In BA/PG's list of the Top 100 Professional Prospects for in College Baseball for the 2003 and 2004 drafts, Baylor was one of only six schools in the nation to have three or more prospects listed among the Top 100 in both 2003 and 2004. (The others: Arizona State, Rice, Stanford, Texas and Southern California).

It's In Their Blood
As might be expected, a number of this year's Bears have sports -- baseball or otherwise -- in their blood. Notable examples:

Freshman infielder Kyle Reynolds' father Craig played fifteen seasons in the major leagues (1975-1989), including 11 with the Houston Astros. Craig was selected for the 1978 and 1979 All-Star Games.

Redshirt sophomore Reid Brees' brother Drew became a household name among college football fans when he finished third in the 2000 Heisman voting while at Purdue. Drew is now the starting quarterback for the San Diego Chargers.

Freshman Russell Reichenbach's uncle, Mickey Reichenbach, was named the 1975 College World Series MVP while a sophomore at Texas. A four-year lettermen for the Longhorns, Mickey hit .455 with three doubles and a home run to earn MVP honors.

Baylor Ballpark No. 3 Stadium in the Nation
Baylor Ballpark was named the No. 3 collegiate baseball park in the country in a nationwide survey of college coaches released by Baseball America in January.

In voting by the nation's coaches, Baylor Ballpark placed third, just behind Auburn's Plainsman Park and Arkansas' Baum Stadium. Nebraska's Haymarket Park and LSU's Alex Box Stadium rounded out the top five.

College media relations contacts were also asked to vote on their favorite stadiums. Baylor Ballpark finished fourth in that survey, behind Auburn, Mississippi State's Dudy Noble Field and Arkansas.

The survey asked coaches and media relations contacts to rank their top 10 parks based on aesthetics, facilities (dugout, locker rooms, extra cages/bullpens, etc.), fan amenities, playing conditions and tradition.

Tough Schedule? So What's New?
As has become the norm for teams under head coach Steve Smith, the Bears are facing yet another tough schedule in 2003.

Nine of the Bears' 2002 opponents qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago: Houston, Long Beach State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rice, Southern California, Texas and Texas Tech. Of those, Nebraska, Rice and Texas each advanced to the College World Series last year, with the Longhorns coming away as national champions.

Baylor's Jennings 2002 NL Rookie of the Year
Baylor alum and current Colorado pitcher Jason Jennings was named the 2002 National League Rookie of the Year, as voted on by a panel of the Baseball Writers' Association of America

The 24-year-old Jennings went 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA and became the first Colorado player to win the award. He got 27 first place votes and five seconds for 150 points in voting by the BBWAA.

The award came as no surprise to Baylor fans, who saw Jennings named consensus National Collegiate Player of the Year after compiling a 13-2 record, 2.58 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 146.2 innings as a junior in 1999. Jennings also served as the Bears' DH, hitting .386 with 17 home runs and 68 RBI that season. Following his outstanding year, Jennings was drafted in the first round (16th overall pick) by the Rockies.

A three-year starter, Jennings holds Baylor records for wins in a season (13), innings pitched in a season (146.2) and strikeouts in a season (172) and in a career (377). He is second in career wins (27) and career saves (13), third in career home runs (39) and fourth in career batting average (.344).

Baylor Alums in the Pros
19 former Bears will begin the 2003 season at some level of professional ball. Leading the way are former first-round picks Jason Jennings and Kip Wells, who are leading members of the rotations for the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively.

In 2002, Jennings won National League Rookie of the Year honors after going 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA (see above note). Wells, meanwhile, was honored as the Houston-Area Major League Pitcher of the Year.

For a complete list of Baylor alums in the pros, see the sidebar on page six of these notes.

Head Coach Steve Smith
Head coach Steve Smith is in his ninth season as head coach at Baylor in 2003; in that time, he has compiled a 303-183-1 record. Smith led the Bears to their first-ever 50 win season in 1999 and a Big 12 Championship in 2000, and has piloted the team to five straight NCAA appearances. Through the 2002 season, Smith ranked 39th among active coaches in winning percentage with a .623 mark.

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 in 1982-1983, Smith led the Southwest Conference with a 1.72 ERA as a junior, bettering league foes and future major leaguers Norm Charlton, Roger Clemens, Doug Drabek and Calvin Schiraldi.

An accomplished pitching coach, Smith has tutored six pitchers in the last 11 years who were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. He has also had at least one pitcher named to the all-conference first team in each of the last 11 years.

In Smith's eight full seasons as head coach, the Bears have produced three first-round draft picks, nine all-Americans, five Academic All-Americans, one National Player of the Year, one GTE/CoSIDA Academic all-American of the Year, 22 first-team all-conference performers, seven freshman all-Americans, and three conference players of the year. Baylor has also placed 30 players on the Academic All-Big 12 first team in the past six seasons, a number that leads the Big 12.

O Captain, My Captain
Senior Jared Theodorakos and junior David Murphy have been selected by their teammates as team captains for the 2003 season.

Baylor on the Air
Catch every inning of Baylor baseball in 2003 on the flagship station for Baylor athletics, News/Talk Radio KRZI 1660/1580-AM.

Tom Barfield and Lark Smith begin their first season together as the primary play-by-play and color men for Baylor baseball. Barfield, the operations manager for KRZI/KRZX and KLRK-FM in Waco, is best known as co-host of the afternoon "You Make the Call" call-in show. Barfield saw his first action calling Baylor baseball last season, when he and Smith called the Bears' sweep of Southern California at Dodger Stadium.

Smith, whose attachment to Baylor baseball dates back to the days of coach Dutch Schroeder, was Sports Director for the Baylor campus radio station in the late 1970s and served as play-by-play voice for the Bears' 1977 and 1978 College World Series teams. After nearly two decades in broadcasting, Smith now works for the Heart O'Texas Federal Credit Union in Waco.

All Baylor Baseball games in 2003 will be available on the internet at www.BaylorBears.com. BU baseball is also a staple of the daily "Baylor SportsBeat" hosted by Morris and airing weekdays at 7:25am and 5:25pm on KRZI 1660/1580-AM.

Inside Baylor Sports
"Inside Baylor Sports", a half-hour look at the world of Baylor athletics, airs weekly throughout Central Texas and the region. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott-Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6, Fox Sports Net Southwest and the College Channel (Waco cable channel 18). KCEN carries the show at 10:30 p.m. Sundays, and it airs at 1 p.m. Wednesdays on FSN Southwest.

BaylorBears.com
Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.BaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases, photos, biographical sketches and audio broadcasts, is part of the Official College Sports Network. OCSN currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including eight Big 12 schools.

Live scoring updates are available on BaylorBears.com for all Baylor baseball home games and select road games.

Baseball Preview: #7 USC at #9 Baylor

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