No. 25 Baseball Hosts UC-Irvine
3/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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No. 25 BAYLOR (4-7)
vs.
UC-IRVINE (9-3-1)
March 5-7, 2004
Baylor Ballpark
Waco, Texas
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Baylor returns to action this weekend, hosting UC-Irvine for a three-game series at Baylor Ballpark. Friday's series opener is set for 6 p.m. CST, followed by a 3 p.m. game Saturday and Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale. Baylor (4-7) has dropped two straight and six of seven after a 10-4 defeat Tuesday at Houston. UC-Irvine (9-3-1) had an eight-game winning streak snapped Tuesday, falling 2-0 at home to Southern California. Both teams can claim to be the nation's 25th-ranked team. The Bears are ranked 25th in this week's Baseball America Top 25, while the Anteaters are No. 25 according to Collegiate Baseball. Live streaming video for this weekend's series is available at www.BaylorBears.com. All Baylor baseball games are carried via radio in Central Texas on KRZI 1660/1580 AM. GameTracker also is available for all home games and most road games at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the Official College Sports Network.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, March 5
BU RHP Mark McCormick (0-1, 4.00 ERA)
UCI RHP Brett Smith (2-0, 4.00 ERA)
Saturday, March 6
BU LHP Trey Taylor (2-1, 2.65)
UCI LHP Glenn Swanson (2-0, 2.65)
Sunday, March 7
BU RHP Sean Walker (0-1, 3.00 ERA)
UCI RHP Chris Nicoll (1-0, 1.59)
Rotations subject to change
QUICK NOTES
* Baylor and UC-Irvine meet for the fourth, fifth and sixth times this weekend. The Bears lead the all-time series 3-0 after sweeping a three-game set at Irvine last year.
* Head coach Steve Smith enters the weekend three wins shy of career victory No. 350.
* Baylor has played six one-run games in its first 11 contests, going 2-4 in those six games.
* The Bears are 4-0 this season when out-hitting the opponent, 0-6 when getting out-hit and 0-1 when hits are even.
* Baylor is 0-4 this season when the opponent scores first.
* 3B Michael Griffin's RBI double Tuesday was the 76th extra-base hit of his career. Griffin moved past Mike Huggins into sole possession of 10th on Baylor's career extra-base hits chart.
* OF/1B Mike Heldoorn's fifth-inning home run was Baylor's first of the season. It came in the Bears' 317th at bat and 11th game of 2004, the deepest into a season a Baylor team has gone before its first home run since 1972 (box scores not available prior to 1972).
* Baylor tallied four two-out RBI in Tuesday's game at Houston. The Bears entered the game with five two-out RBI in their first 10 games.
* RHP Zane Carlson needs one save to move into a tie for sixth on the NCAA all-time career saves list. He needs two saves to move into a fifth-place tie.
* Baylor has been ranked nationally for 26 consecutive weeks, dating back to the 2003 preseason rankings. The Bears have appeared in the national rankings during 102 of the last 103 weeks. Baylor has been ranked during each of the past 82 regular-season polls. The Bears' last regular season game as an unranked team was Feb. 21, 1999, an 8-2 victory over then-No. 24 Houston.
THE UC-IRVINE SERIES
Baylor and UC-Irvine meet for the fourth, fifth and sixth times this weekend, playing their second three-game series in as many seasons. Last year, the Bears swept the three-game set at Irvine, winning 4-0 Friday, 11-6 Saturday and 12-9 Sunday.
THE UC-IRVINE ANTEATERS
UC-Irvine (9-3-1) is in its third season under the direction of head coach John Savage, a 1991 Nevada graduate. Savage has amassed a 63-64-1 career record, all coming at UC-Irvine. Prior to his days at UCI, Savage spent five seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Southern California. While at USC, Savage worked with famed pitchers Mark Prior and Barry Zito, and he was a part of the Trojans' 1998 National Championship team. ... Savage spent two years in the Cincinnati Reds' organization.
UCI Notes: The Anteaters saw an eight-game winning streak come to an end Tuesday, falling 2-0 at home to Southern California. Starter Justin Cassel did not allow a hit in 4.1 innings, but five walks and a pair of errors led to USC's first and deciding run. UCI out-hit the Trojans 5-4, but the Anteaters made three errors in the game. ... Baylor and UCI share one common opponent thus far in the 2004 season: Arizona. The Anteaters went 2-0-1 at Arizona in a weekend series two weeks ago, while Baylor dropped two-of-three at home against the Wildcats last weekend. ... Irvine hits .277 as a team with six home runs and 10 stolen bases in 14 attempts. LF Jordan Szabo (.353, 0 HR, 3 RBI) leads the team in hitting among regular starters. 2B Matt Fisher (.275, 2, 11) leads the team in home runs and slugging percentage, while CF Erik Johnson (.265, 1, 15) leads the Anteaters in RBI and has swiped three bases in four tries. ... UCI boasts a staff ERA of 3.90 with no complete games and 116 strikeouts in 120.0 innings. Opponents hit .266 against Irvine pitchers. Friday's starter, RHP Brett Smith (2-0, 4.00 ERA), makes his fourth start in as many appearances. He has struck out 21 batters in 18.0 innings with an opponents' batting average of .246. LHP Glenn Swanson (2-0, 2.65) gets the nod Saturday. This is his fourth appearance, all starts, with 16 strikeouts in 17.0 innings and an opponents' batting average of .246. RHP Chris Nicoll (1-0, 1.59) makes his fifth start and sixth appearance Sunday. He has 21 strikeouts in 22.2 innings with an opponents' batting average of .227. RHP Blair Erickson (0-0, 3.09) serves as the Anteaters' closer with five saves in eight appearances. He has 14 strikeouts in 11.2 innings, and opponents hit .256 off his pitching. ... UCI fields at a .958 clip as a team. The Anteaters have made 21 errors and turned six doubleplays in 13 games. Irvine has committed 10 errors in its last four games and three errors in four of its last six games.
BAYLOR UNVEILS STREAMING VIDEO FOR UCI SERIES
Live streaming video for this weekend's Baylor-UCI series is available online at www.BaylorBears.com. Baylor unveils its 2004 production of online video for baseball with this series. In all, ive streaming video of 26 Baylor games during will be available through an Internet webcast package with New Media Networks. Eighteen of the 26 webcasts will be against Big 12 Conference opponents, including the Bears' series at Oklahoma and at Kansas State, along with home games against Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M. Fans may purchase the games for $5.95 per game ($154.70 if each of the 26 games were purchased individually), $8.95 for a series ($89.45 for every series and three single games) or $39.95 for the entire season. The video and audio for each game will be provided by the home team. Visit http://BaylorBears.nmnathletics.com for access to streaming video. For a list of selected games, visit www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the Official College Sports Network.
SMITH NEARS ANOTHER MILESTONE
Baylor head coach Steve Smith is three wins away from victory No. 350 in his collegiate career, all coming at Baylor. Now in his 10th season at the helm of the Baylor program, Smith is 347-210-1.
FINALLY, GOOD WEATHER
Baylor has played in virtually every weather condition this season, except clear skies and warm. That should change this weekend as the forecast calls for clear skies and highs near 70. Tuesday's game at Houston was the Bears' first this season with a first-pitch temperature above 60 degrees. However, much of the game was played in a steady drizzle. Baylor's season opener was postponed due to inclement weather. The following morning, the Bears woke to three inches of snow only to play that afternoon beneath overcast skies with the temperature hovering around 35 degrees. Even in sunny southern California, Baylor was treated to rainy conditions and highs in the mid-50s.
CARDIAC KIDS
Six of Baylor's first 11 games have been one-run affairs; the Bears are 2-4 in such contests. Last season, Baylor played 16 one run games, posting a 9-7 mark in such contests. Baylor has played 144 one-run games during head coach Steve Smith's tenure, going 80-64 in such contests. The 2002 season saw the most one-run games in that time as the Bears went 11-11. Baylor's best record in one-run games during Smith's time at Baylor was his first season, 1995, when the Bears went 12-4. In 2000, Baylor was 10-5 in one-run games, winning each of their last seven.
GRIFFIN MOVES UP CAREER CHARTS
3B Michael Griffin's RBI double Tuesday was the 76th extra-base hit of his career. Griffin moved past Mike Huggins into sole possession of 10th on Baylor's career extra-base hits chart. Next on the list is David Murphy, who had 77 extra-base hits from 2001 to 2003. Griffin also has 12 career triples, one shy of matching Kyle Todd (1984-1985), Mike Robison (1988-1991) and Mike Bohny (1991-1994) for eighth in Baylor history.
CARLSON CLAIMS SCHOOL APPEARANCE RECORD
RHP Zane Carlson appeared in his 92nd career game Saturday against Arizona, breaking Matthew Marcom's school record. Carlson, who already owns the Big 12 record in this category, needs 19 more appearances to crack the NCAA's all-time top 20 in career appearances.
CARLSON EYES NCAA SAVES MARK
With two saves in the Loyola Marymount series, senior RHP Zane Carlson needs 14 saves to break the NCAA Division I career record. The nation's active career saves leader starting the year, Carlson has 36 during his four-plus seasons at Baylor. Former Southern California closer Jack Krawczyk currently owns the record; he tallied 49 saves from 1995 to 1998. Carlson already owns the Baylor and Big 12 Conference records for career saves. As a freshman in 2000, he established Baylor's single-season saves record with 15, ironically also the school career mark at that time. On top of that, Carlson owns the Cape Cod League career saves record with 24. Carlson needs one save to move into a sixth-place tie on the all-time NCAA list and two saves to move into a fifth-place tie.
BAYLOR IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Bears snagged a paw on the edge of this week's Baseball America Top 25; Baylor landed in the poll's final position, down 10 spots from last week. Baylor is receiving votes in this week's Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll, dropping out from No. 20 last week. The Bears also are receiving votes in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll, but they are unranked by Collegiate Baseball. Baylor has been ranked nationally for 26 consecutive weeks, dating back to the 2003 preseason rankings. The Bears have appeared in the national rankings during 101 of the last 102 weeks and during each of the past 82 regular-season polls. Baylor's last regular season game as an unranked team was Feb. 21, 1999, an 8-2 victory over then-No. 24 Houston.
2004 SCHEDULE AMONG NATION'S TOUGHEST
Baylor's 2004 schedule ranks as the nation's 10th-toughest, according to the preseason schedule rankings released by BoydsWorld.com. The Bears' 2003 schedule was ranked first in the preseason rankings and was deemed the fifth-toughest by season's end. One component of schedule strength is the strength of one's opponents' schedules. Baylor plays 13 teams ranked the preseason top 30 in the strength of schedule rankings: Arizona (2nd), Cal-Irvine (4th), Texas (5th), Long Beach State (7th), Texas A&M (13th), Houston (14th), Oklahoma (19th), Rice (20th), Texas Tech (22nd), Oklahoma State (23rd), Texas State (25th), Loyola Marymount (26th) and Nebraska (28th).
BAYLOR AMONG ALL-TIME WINNINGEST PROGRAMS
With 1,780 all-time wins in 102 seasons of collegiate baseball, Baylor ranks 39th nationally in total victories to start the 2004 campaign, according to the NCAA Baseball Records Book. Baylor is sixth in the Big 12, trailing Texas (2nd/2,760); Texas A&M (19th/2,094); Oklahoma State (22nd/2,057); Oklahoma (26th/2,006); and Missouri (36th/1,834). Fordham, which first fielded a team in the 1850s, leads all schools with 3,174 victories in 145 seasons. Baylor also ranks 23rd nationally in total victories through the first four seasons of the 21st century with 163. That ranks third in the Big 12 behind Nebraska (5th/195) and Texas (7th/189).
BEARS BEST IN THE BIG 12
At the start of the 2004 season, Baylor has the best conference record of any team in the Big 12 Conference since the league's start in 1997. At 124-71 (.636), the Bears are ahead of Texas Tech (120-77-1, .609). Included in the first seven seasons for Baylor are one Big 12 championship (2000) and a pair of runner-up finishes (1998, 1999). On top of that, Baylor is the only Big 12 Conference school to have ranked in the top 10 nationally during each of the past six seasons (1998-2003). Including the 2003 totals, Baylor leads all conference schools in Big 12 history in both first-team all-Big 12 selections (21) and in first-team Academic all-Big 12 selections (35).
BAYLOR 11TH IN ATTENDANCE
The Baylor baseball program finished the 2003 season 11th nationally in average home attendance, according to numbers released by the NCAA. In 28 home dates, 85,620 fans came through the turnstiles at Baylor Ballpark, an average of 3,057 fans per game. The 2003 average set a school record for the fifth straight season; the Bears' average attendance has improved each season since the team moved into Baylor Ballpark in 1999. The Bears' average ranked 11th in the country and was fourth-best in the Big 12 Conference, behind Texas (third), Texas A&M (fifth) and Nebraska (sixth). The Bears' total home attendance was the 20th highest total in the nation for 2003, despite the fact that the team's 28 home dates tied Wichita State and Arkansas for the fewest home games among teams ranked in the top 30 in total attendance. Baylor has ranked among the top 25 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.
BAYLOR BALLPARK NO. 3 STADIUM IN AMERICA
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. Baylor Ballpark also was featured as the January Stadium of the Month in Baseball America's 2004 Great Parks Calendar. The Bears' home was the only collegiate park featured in the calendar.
GRIFFIN DONS RED, WHITE & BLUE
Baylor sophomore Michael Griffin made the final cut for the 2003 USA Baseball National Team; he and 19 other top collegiate players represented the United States this summer at the 2003 Pan-American Games. Griffin is the fifth Baylor player to make the USA National Team, joining Pat Combs (1988), Jason Jennings (1997 and 1998), Jon Topolski (1998) and Zane Carlson (2000). Additionally, head coach Steve Smith was an assistant coach for the 1998 team. Bears Bryan Loeb (1998) and Kelly Shoppach (2000) were each invited to the USA trials but did not make the final cut. The USA National Team was selected from a pool of 36 players that completed a four-day trials process Friday at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz. For a full detailed roster and a schedule of all games, log on to www.usabaseball.com. The 2003 USA Baseball National Team will represent the United States this summer in the Pan Am Games, August 2-12 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
HEAD COACH Steve Smith
Head coach Steve Smith is in his 10th season as head coach at Baylor; in that time, he has compiled a 347-210-1 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 six straight NCAA appearances. His Bears have the best conference record in the Big 12 since the league began and are the only Big 12 team to have appeared in each of the past six NCAA tournaments. Through the 2003 season, Smith ranked 37th nationally among active coaches in winning percentage with a .628 mark, fourth among Big 12 coaches. 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. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1983 Major League draft by the San Francisco Giants and played four years of pro ball before moving into the coaching ranks. An accomplished pitching coach, Smith has tutored six pitchers in the last 12 years who were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. He also had at least one pitcher named to the all-conference first team for 11 straight years (1992-2002). In Smith's nine seasons as head coach, the Bears have produced four first-round draft picks, 10 all-Americans, six Academic All-Americans, one National Player of the Year, one GTE/CoSIDA Academic all-American of the Year, 25 first-team all-conference performers, nine freshman all-Americans, and three conference players of the year. Baylor has also placed 35 players on the Academic all-Big 12 first team in the past seven seasons, a number that leads the Big 12.
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 four Big 12 schools.
BAYLOR BASEBALL RADIO NETWORK
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 are in their second 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 TV SHOW
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.
UP NEXT ...
Baylor travels to Arlington, Texas, Tuesday for the second of three road games in a 17-game stretch. The Bears face Texas-Arlington at 6:30 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark.
