Bears, Jayhawks Meet in Pivotal Big 12 Series
4/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 11, 2007
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GAMES 36-38 • APRIL 13-15 • 4 P.M./1 P.M./1 P.M. CDT
BAYLOR (19-16, 4-8) vs.
HOGLUND BALLPARK •
COACHES
BAYLOR: Steve Smith
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986
Career Record: 473-299-1 [13th season]
Record at Baylor: 473-299-1 [13th season]
Alma Mater:
Career Record: 380-360-2 [13th season]
Record at
BAYLOR/ISP NETWORK
1660 ESPN RADIO (
Tom Barfield, play-by-play
Lark Smith, color
INTERNET FEEDS
GameTracker: www.BaylorBears.com
Audio: www.BaylorBears.com
Video: www.kuathletics.com
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Baseball
NCBWA NR
Collegiate Baseball NR
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday, April 13
BU RHP Jeff Mandel (4-5, 4.32 ERA, 58.1 IP, 58 H, 19 BB, 54 K)
KU LHP Nick Czyz (2-5, 4.41 ERA, 51.0 IP, 56 H, 23 BB, 51 K)
Saturday, April 14
BU RHP Randall Linebaugh (2-4, 4.65 ERA, 50.1 IP, 20 BB, 31 K)
KU LHP Zach Ashwood (3-3, 6.08 ERA, 47.1 IP, 48 H, 25 BB, 43 K)
Sunday, April 15
BU RHP Kendal Volz (4-1, 5.35 ERA, 37.0 IP, 43 H, 9 BB, 26 K)
KU LHP Andy Marks (3-3, 6.98 ERA, 49.0 IP, 51 H, 20 BB, 60 K)
Baylor baseball returns to action this weekend, traveling to
Baylor (19-16, 4-8) wrapped a 3-2 home stand Tuesday night with a 6-3 loss to TCU. Last weekend, the Bears posted their second Big 12 series victory of the season, taking two of three at home against 19th-ranked
The Bears and the Jayhawks have played three common opponents this season:
All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on
Live streaming video also is available for the
QUICK HITS
• Since the start of the 2003 season, Baylor is:
- 130-52 (.714) when its starting pitcher lasts at least 5.0 innings
- 34-8 (.810) when its pitching staff records at least 10 strikeouts
- 124-38 (.765) when scoring first
- 142-28 (.835) when out-hitting its opponent
- 135-36 (.789) when holding its opponent to fewer than five runs
- 118-25 (.825) when scoring at least six runs
- 107-17 (.863) when scoring at least seven runs
• Since the start of the 2002 season, Baylor is 171-8 (.955) when leading after eight innings, winning 65 of the last 67 and 100 of the last 102 such games.
• Baylor has won 23 of its last 25 games when hitting at least two home runs.
• Baylor is 14-4 in extra-inning games since the start of the 2003 season.
• The Bears are 49-15 (.766) at Baylor Ballpark since the start of the 2005 postseason.
• Baylor is 19-3 all-time at Baylor Ballpark in finales with a chance to sweep a three-game series (does not include the
• The Bears have out-scored their opponents 60-20 in the first two innings and 41-16 in the eighth inning this season. However, opponents have out-scored Baylor 34-8 in the third inning.
• Baylor is 15-7 this season when scoring first (4-9 when the opponent scores first).
• The Bears are 0-4 this season in Big 12 Conference series middle games.
• Baylor is 2-7 on Saturday this season, going 17-9 elsewhere in the week.
• Eleven of Baylor's 15 losses were to opponents ranked at some point this season.
• The Bears have not won only one game this season (April 6 vs.
• Baylor is in the middle of a 26-game stretch with 22 games against 2006 NCAA Tournament participants.
THE
Baylor and
The Bears have won 26 of the last 28 meetings, sweeping seven of the last nine season series and nipping the Jayhawks 2-1 in 10 innings at the 2005 Big 12 Tournament first round. The only non-sweeps in that span were in 2003 (Baylor took two of three at
Baylor rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the 10th in the 2005 series finale to complete a sweep of the Jayhawks.
Overall Record: Baylor leads 31-4
Neutral Site: Baylor leads 2-0
Since Start of Big 12: Baylor leads 26-4
Smith vs. KU: 26-4
First Meeting: at Baylor 8,
Last Meeting: at Baylor 5,
PLAYER NOTES
LF Ben Booker
• Hitting .367 (11-for-30) over the last 10 games with six RBI and seven runs
• Has hit safely in 15 of the last 19 games with two streaks of five-plus games
• Has reached safely in 10 straight games and in 19 of the last 20 games
IF RAYNOR
• Hitting .321 (9-for-28) over the last 10 games with eight runs and six RBI
• Missed six games earlier this season due to a hamstring injury
• Re-aggravated hamstring last Tuesday against
• Played against
• Has hit safely in nine of last 12 games and has reached safely and/or produced a run in all 12
RHP Nick Cassavechia
• Has stranded 36 of 45 inherited runners during career, including a streak of 22 consecutive inherited runners stranded (ended 2/27/07 vs. UT-Arlington)
• 13 scoreless outings in 17 appearances this season
• Averaging 16.5 strikeouts per nine innings over last seven appearances (22 strikeouts in 12.0 innings)
• Has recorded at least one strikeout in 15 of 17 appearances, including each of the last 10 outings
• Has recorded multiple strikeouts in seven consecutive outings, including four three-plus strikeout tallies
• Has not allowed multiple earned runs in 43 of 49 career appearnaces
• Currently fourth all-time at Baylor in career saves (14) and tied for third in career Big 12 saves (7)
• Fourth in Big 12 with six saves
DH/1B Dustin Dickerson
• Hitting .313 (5-for-16) over the last 10 games
• Has reached safely in 13 of last 14 starts with hits in 10 of those games
CF Chase Gerdes
• Hitting .294 (10-for-34) over the last 10 games with 12 runs, two triples, eight RBI and nine walks
• Hitting .338 (23-for-68) over last 21 games with 16 RBI, 18 runs and 10 stolen bases
• Has hit safely in eight of last nine games
• Has reached safely in 14 consecutive games and in 21 of last 22
• Has reached safely and/or scored in 33 of 35 games this season
• Has stolen thrid base four times this season
• Walked 14 times against nine strikeouts since March 4 (21 games)
• One of only four players in Baylor history to record 10-plus stolen bases in four different seasons
• 14 of 24 hits this season have come in six games
1B/DH Tim Jackson
• Hitting .133 (4-for-30) over the last seven games
• Is hitless in last five at bats with the bases loaded after starting Baylor career 6-for-7 in such situations
• All three home runs this season have tied the score
RHP Willie Kempf
• Has not allowed a run in 10 of 12 appearances
• Recorded five consecutive strikeouts over two innings against Texas Tech (3/24)
• Baylor is 14-8 in his 22 career starts, including a 14-6 mark in 20 career regular-season starts
• 7-4 with five no-decisions in 16 career starts in which he has lasted at least 5.0 innings
• 8-2 in 26 career appearances at Baylor Ballpark
• Has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 16 of 22 career starts
• Has logged at least 5.0 innings in every non-predetermined start (innings, pitch count) since going 3.1 innings in first career start
RHP Jeff Mandel
• Has been given just 14 runs of support in five losses this season (2.8 per game)
• 10-2 with a 1.98 ERA in 37 career appearances (11 starts) at Baylor Ballpark
• 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA in four starts this season at Baylor Ballpark
• Has held opponents to a .183 average (23 hits in 36.2 innings) at home this season with 36 strikeouts against only 10 walks
• Allowed career-high 10 earned runs March 31 at
RHP Tim Matthews
• First batters faced are 1-for-12 with six strikeouts this season and 1-for-20 with 10 strikeouts in career (as a reliever)
OF Aaron Miller
• Hitting .345 (10-for-29) over the last 10 games with three doubles, two triples, 10 RBI and seven runs scored
• Has not gone hitless in consecutive games this season
• Has suffered two hitless games in a three-game span only once
• Has hit safely in seven of last eight
• Has reached safely in 11 consecutive games and in 32 of 35 games this season
• Has reached safely and/or produced an RBI in 26 of last 27 games
• Hitting .316 (12-for-38) over the last 10 games with three doubles, six RBI and six runs
• Career-long 12-game hitting streak (longest this season by a Bear) ended last weekend against
• Streak included five multiple-hit performances, including a pair of three-hit games
• Has reached safely and/or produced an RBI in 20 of 24 starts this season
SS Beamer Weems
• Has missed last four games with a hamstring injury sustained during Baylor's April 3 game against
• Was hitting .450 (18-for-40) over the last 10 games prior to injury with four doubles, three triples, a home run, 12 RBI and eight runs
• Currently riding a four-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 12 of the last 13 games
• Has hit safely in 25 of 31 games this season, going hitless in consecutive games only once
• Has gone hitless in consecutive games only four times in 93 career games
• Has hit safely in 16 of Baylor's 19 victories this season
• Has hit safely in 21 of last 23 games at Baylor Ballpark
• Has reached safely in 13 consecutive games
• Has reached safely and/or produced an RBI in 16 consecutive games
• 12 career home runs (10 from right side of plate)
BAYLOR IN THE MIDST OF TOUGH STRETCH
Baylor is in the middle of a 26-game span where it plays 22 games against 2006 regional participants. The only games between March 9 and April 22 against teams that did not reach the NCAA Tournament last season were the March 20 victory over Texas Southern and the March 23-25 Texas Tech series. The
HOME SWEET HOME
Baylor is 49-15 at home since the beginning of the 2005 postseason, including a 17-7 mark this season. The Bears are 211-79 all-time at Baylor Ballpark. On the flip side, Baylor is just 2-9 away from Baylor Ballpark this season. The Bears have posted a .301 batting average and a 3.18 ERA at home; however, Baylor has a .220 batting average and a 6.58 ERA on the road.
Individually, C Matt Sodolak is the only Bear hitting .300 or better at home and on the road. Sodolak is 18-for-59 (.305) at home and 9-for-29 (.310) away from Baylor Ballpark. Only LF Ben Booker who has a better batting average on the road (11-for-34, .324) than at home (21-for-81, .259).
SCHEDULE AMONG NATION'S TOUGHEST
Baylor's 2007 schedule is rated as the nation's 16th-toughest, according listings at www.BoydsWorld.com. The Bears' schedule ranks third among Big 12 Conference schools behind only
Not surprisingly, 12 of the top 20 teams nationally in strength of schedule are from
BAYLOR STILL STRONG IN LATEST PSEUDO-RPI
Baylor ranks 45th in the latest pseudo-RPI, according to listings at www.BoydsWorld.com. The Bears are seventh among Big 12 Conference teams, trailing
RPI is one of the key components used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, along with overall record, conference finish, conference RPI, strength of schedule, record against RPI top 50, record against RPI top 100 and percentage of games against RPI top 100.
Through games of April 10, Baylor has played 74.3 percent of its games (26 of 35) against RPI top 100 teams, going 11-15 in those games. The Bears' only loss to a non-top-100 team was a 3-1 loss at Pacific in early March. Baylor is 4-8 against RPI top 50 teams with six of those losses coming against teams ranked sixth or better -- 0-1 against Vanderbilt (first), 0-1 against Rice (fourth), 0-1 against Mississippi State (fifth) and 0-3 against Texas (sixth).
GERDES, CASSAVECHIA CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
CF Chase Gerdes is scheduled to play in the 84th Big 12 Conference game of his career Friday against
Gerdes also is climbing several other Baylor all-time career charts. Entering the
RHP Nick Cassavechia has quickly etched his name among Baylor's all-time best closers. Despite having spent only one calendar year as the Bears' primary closer, he already ranks fourth in school history with 14 career saves behind only Zane Carlson (37 saves, 2000-04), Abe Woody (19, 2003-05) and Kyle Edens (1999-02). Cassavechia is tied with
Cassavechia's next relief appearance will be the 50th of his career, tying Justin Taylor (1999-02) for 10th all-time at Baylor. Cassavechia has made 18 relief appearances in Big 12 play, tied with Matthew Marcom (1997-98) for eighth in Baylor history.
CASSAVECHIA AMONG MOST VALUABLE PITCHERS IN BIG 12
RHP Nick Cassavechia has recorded a decision in 47.4 percent of Baylor's 19 victories this season, logging six saves and three wins. Only
TRIPLE YOUR PLEASURE
Through games of April 10, Baylor leads the Big 12 Conference with 20 triples this season. The Bears rank fifth nationally with 0.59 triples per game. Baylor joins
LF Ben Booker is tied for the league lead with five triples, while RF Aaron Miller is tied for fifth with four. SS Beamer Weems and CF Chase Gerdes are tied for eighth with three triples each. 1B/DH Dustin Dickerson has two triples, and IF Raynor Campbell, 3B Seth Hammock and 1B/DH Tim
Booker is 21st nationally with 0.15 three-baggers per game, while Miller is 60th (0.12) and Weems is 97th (0.10). Baylor, BYU and
Baylor tied a single-game school record earlier this season with three triples earlier this season against
Last season, Baylor tied for second nationally with 32 triples, which also tied for the fourth-best season total in school history.
BEARS ARE EXTRA SPECIAL
Baylor is 14-4 in extra-inning games since the start of the 2003 season, including a 2-1 mark in such games this season. Last year, the Bears lost their only extra-inning game -- a 13-inning, 7-6 loss at home to
Five of the 14 wins over the past five seasons have come on an opponent's home field (
Baylor's luck was not as good in 2002 when the Bears were 1-5 in extra-inning games, including a span of three consecutive games lost in extra innings in mid-May.
BAYLOR SUFFERS RARE MIDWEEK LOSS
Baylor is 20-5 in non-conference midweek games since the start of the 2006 season, including an 18-4 mark on Tuesdays. Tuesday's loss to TCU snapped a 12-game winning streak for the Bears in Tuesday games; Baylor also had won 19 straight Tuesday home games against non-ranked opponents. The Bears were 7-8 in non-conference midweek games during the 2005 season, including a 6-6 mark on Tuesdays.
CAS-SAVE-CHIA NAMED TO STOPPER WATCH LIST
RHP Nick Cassavechia was named to the 2007 Stopper of the Year Watch List, announced in early February by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Cassavechia joined
A product of St. Mark's High School in
Cassavechia's 2006 saves total tied for the sixth-best tally in school history. He tied fellow Bear Jeff Mandel for fourth in the Big 12 last season in saves. Cassavechia and Mandel, who moves to the starting rotation for 2007, are the two top returning pitchers in saves in the conference this year.
BAYLOR RANKED NATION'S 17TH-BEST PROGRAM
Baylor was listed as the nation's 17th-best collegiate baseball program since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1999, according to a recent study by Baseball
With 150 total points, Baylor was the third highest-rated Big 12 Conference program behind only top-rated
Baseball
Programs were awarded one point for every .010 above a .500 winning percentage, five points for each regional appearance, seven points for each super regional appearance, 10 points for each College World Series appearance, 20 points for each national title, one point for each CWS appearance prior to 1999, five points for each first-team All-American, three points for each second-team All-American, two points for each third-team All-American, two points for each player drafted in the top 10 rounds and two points for each former player to play in the Major Leagues during the period of study.
With 19 players drafted in the top 10 rounds since 1999, Baylor tied
HEAD COACH Steve Smith
Steve Smith is in his 13th season as head coach of Baylor's baseball program in 2007. In his first 12 years, Smith guided the program to unprecedented heights, including the most successful nine-year run in the program's 102-season history and a College World Series appearance in 2005.
Smith has compiled a 473-299-1 career record, all at Baylor. He ranks second among the program's 18 head coaches in career victories. Smith has led Baylor to eight NCAA Regional appearances, three NCAA Super Regional appearances, one College World Series appearance and two Big 12 Conference titles. He also has coached 12 All-America selections and seven USA Baseball National Team members while at Baylor.
The 2005 USA Baseball National Team head coach, Smith came to Baylor from
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.
Smith has tutored seven pitchers in the last 13 years who were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. He also has coached at least one all-conference pitcher in each of the last 13 years.
UP NEXT ...
Baylor begins a four-game home stand Tuesday, April 17, hosting Texas-Arlington for a 6:30 p.m. CDT first pitch at Baylor Ballpark. This is the third and final scheduled meeting between the two teams this season. The Bears defeated the Mavericks 9-7 at Baylor Ballpark in late February. Baylor posted a 10-2 victory at UTA in late March.
