Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

BAYLOR (15-19, 5-6)
vs.
No. 1 TEXAS (36-4, 9-2)

April 16, 2004 * Baylor Ballpark
April 17-18, 2004 * Disch-Falk Field

Radio: KRZI-AM (1580/1660)
Internet Audio: Click here.
Internet Video: Click here.(Friday Only)
GameTracker: Click here.

Baylor returns to Big 12 Conference action this weekend with the annual split series against Texas. The Bears and the Longhorns meet at 7 p.m. CDT Friday at Baylor Ballpark before the series shifts to Austin's Disch-Falk Field for Saturday's 6:15 p.m. contest and Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale. Baylor (15-19, 5-6) has won six of eight after a 10-8 victory at home Tuesday against Sam Houston State. Texas (36-4, 9-2) has won nine straight, including a 3-2 victory Tuesday night at home against third-ranked Rice. The Longhorns are ranked first nationally in all four polls this week. Live streaming video, produced by BaylorVision, is available for Friday's game. All Baylor baseball games are carried via radio in Central Texas on KRZI 1660/1580 AM. GameTracker also is available for all games at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the Official College Sports Network.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPSFriday, April 16BU    RHP    Sean Walker (2-5, 3.62)UT    RHP    Sam LeCure (6-0, 1.78)
Saturday, April 17BU    LHP    Trey Taylor (3-3, 4.21)UT           TBA
Sunday, April 18BU           TBAUT           TBA
Rotations subject to change

QUICK NOTES
* Baylor and Texas meet for the 310th, 311th and 312th times this weekend. This is the most-played series in Baylor baseball history. Texas leads the series 212-93-4, but the Bears are 20-14 against the Longhorns under head coach Steve Smith.
* Entering this weekend, Baylor has played just two games against the nation's top-ranked team in recorded history (since 1996). The Bears have lost to Rice twice while the Owls were ranked No. 1.
* The Bears rank 23rd nationally with a 3.45 staff ERA.
* According to the April 12 rankings at BoydsWorld.com, Baylor's strength of schedule ranks third nationally behind only Southern California and Arizona. Through games of April 11, the Bears' first 15 opponents have a combined record of 307-187-3 (.621). Those 15 opponents have played each other 55 times this season, giving Baylor an adjusted opponents' winning percentage of .709 (289-118-3).
* On the season, Baylor has a total offensive production of 20.1 bases per game and an offensive efficiency rating of 1.401 (below average).
* The Bears are hitting .340 in Big 12 Conference games, 43 points higher than any other team in the league.
* Baylor has collected 10 or more hits in six consecutive games, in 10 of its last 12 and in 13 of its last 17.
* The Bears have recorded at least one double in 19 consecutive games.
* Baylor is 14-5 this season when scoring five or more runs and 14-5 this season when out-hitting the opponent.
* Having committed 45 errors with 53 unearned runs allowed, Baylor has a averted run percentage of 1.178. Baylor's opponents also have committed 45 errors, but the Bears have scored only 29 unearned runs (0.644 ARP).
* 3B Michael Griffin currently is riding a season-long 13-game hitting streak, the longest by a Bear this season. Griffin has hit safely in 28 of 34 games this season without consecutive hitless games. He has reached base safely in 32 of 34 games, including each of the last 29 contests. He has reached safely and/or scored in every game this season.
* SS Kyle Reynolds has hit safely in eight straight games and in 13 consecutive starts.
* 2B Paul Witt (six games), C Zach Dillon (four games) and CF Chase Gerdes also enter Friday's game with active hitting streaks.
* 3B Michael Griffin cracked Baylor's career doubles chart Tuesday with Nos. 43 and 44. The second two-bagger tied Griffin with Jeremy Dodson (1996-1998) and David Murphy (2001-2003) for 10th in Baylor history.
* Baylor is four games below .500 this season; ironically, though, the Bears have outscored their opponents 201-165.
* Opposing batters are 5-for-61 (.082) with 20 strikeouts and six double plays in first at bats against Baylor relievers. Baylor's bullpen has stranded 47 of 68 inherited runners this season (69.1 percent); last year, the Bears stranded 81 of 150 inherited runners (54.0 percent).
* First batters are 1-for-13 against RHP Abe Woody with four double plays and four strikeouts. Woody has walked the first batter he has faced twice; both times, he recorded an out on the next batter.
* Opposing batters are 1-for-12 in first at bats against RHP Ryan LaMotta, 1-for-12 in first at bats against RHP Zane Carlson, 0-for-9 in first at bats against RHP Andy Pape and 1-for-6 in first at bats against LHP Russell Reichenbach (relief situations only).
* The Bears have won 14 consecutive midweek home games.
* The Bears have four shutouts this season, the most by a Baylor staff since the 2001 corps registered five blankings.
* After hitting just three home runs in their first 17 games, the Bears have knocked 22 homers in their last 17 games.
* The Bears have played 11 errorless games in 31 contests this season. Last year, Baylor played 18 errorless games all season. Ironically, the 2004 Bears are 3-8 this season when not committing an error but 2-1 when committing four or more.
* Since the start of the Big 12 in 1997, the Bears have the league's best conference record at 129-77 (.626). Baylor leads all conference schools in both first-team all-Big 12 selections (21) and first-team Academic all-Big 12 selections (35), and the Bears are the only Big 12 Conference program to have ranked in the top 10 nationally during each of the past six seasons (1998-2003).

THE TEXAS SERIES
Baylor and Texas meet for the 310th, 311th and 312th times this weekend; this the most-played series in Baylor baseball history. The Longhorns hold a 212-93-4 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to a 13-1 Texas victory April 4, 1903. Texas leads the series both in games played in Waco (81-57-3) and at Austin (129-30-1). However, the Bears hold a 20-14 advantage in the series during head coach Steve Smith's tenure and a 15-11 advantage since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997. The Bears are 13-8 against the Longhorns in regular season Big 12 meetings. The Longhorns swept the season series last year and later defeated the Bears in the championship game of the Big 12 Conference Tournament. Texas has won the last six meetings, including two games at the 2002 NCAA Austin Regional. The Bears and the Longhorns began using the current split-series format in 1993. Since that time, the home team is 21-12. Only three times (19993, 1994 and 2001) has the home team won all three games. Both teams have swept the series once in this time - Baylor in 1998 and Texas last year.

THE TEXAS LONGHORNS
Texas (36-4, 9-2) is in its eighth season under the direction of head coach Augie Garrido, a 1961 Fresno State graduate. Garrido is 313-166-1 during his stint at Texas. In 36 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Garrido is all-time NCAA Division leader in career victories with a 1,466-690-8 tally. Prior to his time at Texas, Garrido served as head coach at Cal State Fullerton (1973-1987, 1991-1996); Illinois (1988-1990); Cal Poly (1970-1972) and San Francisco State (1969). He led Cal State Fullerton to three national titles (1979, 1984, 1995) and has guided the Longhorns to a title, as well (2002).

UT Notes: Texas has won nine straight since a 3-2 loss March 27 at home against Oklahoma State. The Longhorns only other losses have come at Oklahoma and two of three at third-ranked Stanford in mid-Feburary. ... Texas hits .285 as a team (seventh in the Big 12 Conference) with 27 home runs, 70 doubles, 17 triples, 87 stolen bases in 116 ventures and 6.2 runs per game. ... LF/1B Curtis Thigpen (.371, 4 HR, 29 RBI) leads the Longhorns in batting average among regular starters, although fellow LF Carson Kainer (.383, 1, 7) has pushed for time lately and hits .412 against Big 12 pitching. 2B Seth Johnston (.289, 5, 30) leads the Horns in home runs and RBI. Texas features three players with at least 10 stolen bases, led by CF Drew Stubbs (.304, 4, 23) with 15 in 18 endeavors. ... The Longhorns boast a 2.24 staff ERA (tops in the Big 12 and second nationally) with three complete games, nine shutouts, 11 saves and 344 strikeouts against 114 walks in 373.0 innings. Opponents hit .199 off Texas pitching. ... RHP Sam LeCure (6-0, 1.78 ERA) has procured starter duties for Friday's series opener. The sophomore from Centertown, Mo., makes his 13th start of the season and has one complete game to his credit. LeCure has recorded 57 strikeouts against 18 walks in 65.2 innings and holds opposing batters to a .178 clip. Although the Longhorns have not announced starters for games two and three, LHPs Justin Simmons (8-1, 3.51) and J.P. Howell (7-1, 1.89) figure to get the nods in one order or the other. RHP J. Brent Cox (2-1, 1.15) shoulders closer duties with five saves and 34 strikeouts against nine walks in 31.1 innings. ... Texas ranks fifth in the Big 12 with a .971 fielding percentage; the Horns have committed 48 errors and turned 36 double plays.

BEARS FACE ANOTHER SOLID PITCHING STAFF
According to the April 12 NCAA statistical rankings, Texas ranks second nationally in team ERA behind only Long Beach State (2.15). Seven of the nation's top 24 teams in ERA are Baylor's schedule this season, including the Longhorns and the Dirtbags. Baylor has already faced Long Beach State; UC Irvine (eigth, 2.85); Missouri (22nd, 3.38) and Vanderbilt (24th, 3.48). Still remaining on the Bears' schedule are Rice (fifth, 2.72) and Nebraska (17th, 3.27). Baylor ranks 23rd nationally in team ERA.

BAYLOR ALL-TIME VS. TOP-RANKED TEAMS
Baylor faces the nation's top-ranked team this weekend for the third time in recorded history (national rankings began being noted in 1996); both of the previous two games were against then-No. 1 Rice. The Bears dropped an 8-7 decision in 10 innings March 20, 2001 at Rice. Baylor also fell at Reckling Park 4-3 March 25, 2003. The Bears have faced teams ranked in the top five nationally 28 times since 1996 and have posted a 10-18 record in such games. Baylor 0-2 against No. 1, 2-3 against No. 2, 1-2 against No. 3, 2-3 against No. 4 and 5-8 against No. 5. The highest-ranked opponent Baylor has ever defeated was second-ranked Rice 3-2 March 5, 1997. The highest Texas has ever been ranked when facing the Bears was third at the 2002 NCAA Austin Regional.

A TALE OF TWO SEASONS
After struggling at the plate in the season's first six weeks, Baylor's offense has returned to its normal potency over the past three fortnights. Over the last 17 games, the Bears are hitting .347 with 41 doubles, nine triples, 22 home runs and 8.2 runs per game. Only one regular starter has hit below .300 during that time, and RF Mike Pankratz has been nearly unstoppable (.429, 4 HR, 20 RBI) with hits in 16 of those 17 contests and 10 multiple-hit games. In the season's first 17 games, Baylor managed just three home runs, hit .245 as a team and had just three regular starters above .300.

OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY LAGS IN CLOSE GAMES
Part of the reason Baylor is 3-12 in one-run games this season is because of a poor offensive efficiency rating. In those 15 one-run contests, the Bears have a total offensive production of 16.1 bases per game. However, Baylor has an offensive efficiency rating of 1.198 (anything below 1.375 is considered very poor) in those games. Conversely, the Bears have produced 23.3 bases per game in the other 19 contests and have an offensive efficiency rating of 1.462 (considered good). On the season, Baylor has a total offensive production of 20.1 bases per game and an offensive efficiency rating of 1.401 (below average).

NOTE: Total Offensive Production (TOP) and Offensive Effiency are statistics derived by Larry Little and Martie Cordaro in 1997. TOP measures how many bases a team produces per game (TB+BB+HBP+SF+SH+SB-GDP-CS). If a team produces 24.0 bases per game, that team should score 6.0 runs per game. Offensive Efficiency compares a team's TOP with how many runs that team actually scores (TOP is divided by TB+BB+HBP+SB-RUNS). Offensive efficiency ratings are ranked accordingly: <1.375 -="" very="" poor;="" 1.375-1.399="" -="" poor;="" 1.400-1.424="" -="" below="" average;="" 1.425-1.449="" -="" average;="" 1.450-1.474="" -="" good;="" 1.475-1.499="" -="" great;="" 1.500+="" -="" phenomenal).="" a="" team="" with="" a="" top="" of="" 24.0="" bases="" per="" game="" and="" an="" offensive="" efficiency="" of="" 1.450-plus="" should="" score="" at="" least="" 6.0="" runs="" per="">

BEARS' SCHEDULE RANKS THIRD NATIONALLY
According to the April 12 strength of schedule ratings at BoydsWorld.com, Baylor's schedule ranks as the nation's third-toughest behind only Southern California and Arizona. Through games of April 11, the Bears' first 15 opponents have a combined record of 307-187-3 (.621) this season and five are ranked in this week's Baseball America Top 25 (No. 5 Long Beach State, No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 14 UC Irvine, No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 22 Vanderbilt). The records could be even better as the 15 opponents have played each other 55 times this season. That gives Baylor an adjusted opponents' winning percentage (total minus losses to common opponents and all games against Baylor) of .709 (289-118-3). Only one of Baylor's 2004 opponents - Houston (14-20) - has a sub-.500 record, and the Cougars' strength of schedule is ranked sixth nationally.

ERRORS COSTLY FOR BEARS
Through 34 games, the Bears have committed 45 errors, and opponents have turned those errors into 53 unearned runs. That works out to an averted run percentage of 1.178. By comparison, Baylor's APR last season was 0.733 after committing 105 errors with 77 unearned runs allowed. This season, Baylor's opponents have made the same number of errors (45), but the Bears have scored only 29 unearned runs (0.644 ARP). The Bears' current fielding percentage of .965 would tie for fifth in school history. Baylor posted team fielding percentages of .966 in 1999 and in 2000, tied for third in school history. Conversely, the Bears had a 0.590 APR in 1999 and a 0.568 APR in 2000.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SLAMMY
Baylor has hit three grand slams this season after hitting just two grand slams last season and only one in 2002. This season's three slams came in a seven-game stretch with 3B Michael Griffin, SS Kyle Reynolds and 1B Drew Sutton providing the bases-full round-trippers.

BEARS BEST IN THE BIG 12
Baylor has the best conference record of any team in the Big 12 Conference since the league's start in 1997. At 129-77 (.626), the Bears are ahead of Texas Tech (123-82-1; .600). Included in the first seven-plus 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). Baylor joins Oklahoma State as the only schools to have never finished below .500 in Big 12 play. 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).

BEARS EXTEND MIDWEEK HOME STREAK
Baylor won its 14th consecutive midweek home game Tuesday with a 10-8 triumph over Sam Houston State; the Bears have six such wins this season. The Bears' last loss at home in a midweek game was a 9-7 loss to Texas State in the 2003 season opener. Baylor is 88-15 (.854) in midweek home games during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. The Bears enjoyed 32 consecutive victories in such games from April 8, 1997 to April 26, 2000. That streak was ended by a 6-1 defeat at the hands Texas Wesleyan in the Bears' final home game of the 2000 season.

GRIFFIN CONTINUES TO CLIMB CAREER CHARTS
With his two doubles Tuesday against Sam Houston State, 3B Michael Griffin has matched Jeremy Dodson (1996-1998) and David Murphy (2001-2003) for 10th on Baylor's career doubles chart. Griffin now has 44 two-baggers as a Bear, four shy of ninth-place Ken Kolkhorst (1975-1978). Two weeks ago, Griffin cracked Baylor's career home runs chart. He now has 23 career round-trippers, tied with Kevin Ellis (1989-1992) for 10th in school history. When Ellis hit his 23rd career home run, he ranked second in school history. Griffin needs three homers to match ninth-place Kelly Shoppach (1999-2001) with 26. In the March 30 game against TCU, Griffin collected career hit No. 200 and moved into ninth place on Baylor's career RBI list. Griffin now has 156 RBI as a Bear, five shy of seventh-place Jason Jennings (1997-1999). Griffin currently is seventh all-time at Baylor with 89 extra-base hits. He needs eight hits and one triple to crack Baylor's career top 10 lists in those categories.

BAYLOR SOLVES BIG 12 PITCHING
It appears Baylor's tough pre-conference slate, filled with teams bearing quality pitching staffs, has paid dividends. The Bears are hitting .340 in Big 12 Conference games, 43 points higher than any other Big 12 team, as opposed to .269 in non-conference contests. Baylor's slugging percentage is more than 150 points higher against Big 12 pitching. The struggles for Baylor in conference games has been fielding, where in 11 games the Bears have committed 22 errors. Baylor has committed just 21 errors in 21 non-conference games. The Bears are collared with a .947 fielding percentage in league play.

CARDIAC KIDS
Baylor has played 15 one-run games in its first 34 contests this season; the Bears are 3-12 in such contests. The 12 losses is the most in 10 seasons under the direction of head coach Steve Smith. Five of the Bears' last seven games have been one-run affairs, going 1-4 in those games. Last season, Baylor played 16 one-run games, posting a 9-7 mark in such contests. Baylor has played 153 one-run games during Smith's tenure, going 81-72 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.

CARLSON EYES NCAA SAVES MARK
With a three-inning save March 12 against Vanderbilt, senior RHP Zane Carlson needs 13 saves to break the NCAA Division I career record. The nation's active career saves leader starting the year, Carlson has 37 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 currently is tied for sixth in NCAA history and needs one save to move into a fifth-place tie.

BEARS IN THE PROFESSIONAL RANKS
Two former Bears - Jason Jennings (1997-1999) and Kip Wells (1996-1998) - began the 2004 season on Major League rosters. Jennings is in his third full season with the Colorado Rockies, while Wells begins his sixth season of Major League service and third with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Another former Bear, Lee Tunnell (1979-1981), is a member of Buck Showalter's coaching staff with the Texas Rangers. Baylor also has 15 former players in the Minor Leagues.

BAYLOR AMONG ALL-TIME WINNINGEST PROGRAMS
With 1,780 all-time wins in 102 seasons of collegiate baseball, Baylor ranked 39th nationally in total victories at the beginning of 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).

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 357-222-1 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.

STREAMING VIDEO AVAILABLE FOR SELECT GAMES
Live streaming video is available for select games during the 2004 season. In all, live 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.

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 hosts Dallas Baptist for a 6 p.m. CDT non-conference tilt Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark.