Feb. 1, 2008
Quotes
WACO, Texas-- Baylor's 15th-ranked baseball team began preseason drills Friday in preparation for the 2008 season. Due to new NCAA legislation, Division I programs cannot start practice until the first day of February and cannot begin competition until the last weekend of the month.
Because of the universal start date, five-game weeks will be the norm for the 2008 season as teams must fit a maximum 56-game schedule into 13 weeks.
"There are some changes, but none of them are bad," head coach Steve Smith said of the new schedule format. "With baseball players - particularly once the season gets going - practice is not what they want to do. The only way to get better is by playing the game; that's why the players are going to love the five games a week. One pitcher is going to get to pitch in a starting role that wouldn't have, and the hitters are going to be seeing game pitching more frequently."
While freezing temperatures forced the Bears into the pavilion at the start of 2007 preseason drills, clear skies and temperatures in the upper 50s allowed the 2008 Bears to practice on the field Friday at Baylor Ballpark.
"Our guys are excited to be outside," Smith said. "The Lord gave us a good day weather-wise, and they're pretty excited to be out here."
After fielding its youngest team in a decade last season, Baylor returns six starters and eight letter-winning pitchers in 2008. The Bears also welcome 12 new faces for the 2008 campaign and eight players who sat out the 2007 season as redshirts.
"(This team) is very experienced, but it's still very young," Smith said. "I just think it's extremely talented. I don't think we've ever had as much talent across the board - offensive, defense and pitching - as we have right now. They're highly motivated, they're very disciplined, and they've set their goals really high. We'll play it out on the field over the course of the next few months and we'll see how it shakes out."
The Bears went 35-27 and participated in the NCAA Houston Regional last season. Baylor is one of only 15 Division I programs to advance to regional play at least nine times in the last 10 years.
Baylor opens its 2008 season Feb. 22-24, hosting Purdue for a three-game series at Baylor Ballpark.
