Bears Host No. 8 Nebraska for Key Series
4/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format
GAMES 43-45 • APRIL 25-27
BAYLOR (24-18, 8-10) vs. No. 8
FRIDAY: 6:30 p.m. CDT -- Presented by Hillcrest Baptist Medical
SATURDAY: 6:30 p.m. CDT -- Little League Day ($3 tickets for players & coaches); Fox College Sports TV
SUNDAY: 1:00 p.m. CDT -- Family Sundays (free admission 12 & under); softee baseballs first 500 fans
Baylor returns to action this weekend, hosting
The Bears (24-18, 8-10) snapped a five-game losing streak with a 25-13 victory Wednesday night at
The Huskers (30-7, 13-4-1) won both games of a home-and-home, two-game set against Creighton midweek.
Baylor and
All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY
Baylor: RHP Kendal Volz, So. (3-4, 4.31 ERA, 56.1 IP, 21 BB, 64 K)
SATURDAY
Baylor: RHP Shawn Tolleson, Fr. (4-2, 4.25 ERA, 55.0 IP, 21 BB, 45 K)
SUNDAY
Baylor: RHP Willie Kempf, So. (5-1, 3.75 ERA, 50.1 IP, 25 BB, 36 K)
THE SERIES
Overall: Baylor leads 28-20-1
Neutral Site:
Since Start of Big 12: Baylor leads 20-16
Regular Season: Baylor leads 18-10
Postseason:
Smith vs.
First Meeting: at Baylor 9,
Last Meeting: at
COACHES
BAYLOR: Steve Smith
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986
Career Record: 514-329-1 [14th season]
Record at Baylor: 514-329-1 [14th season]
Alma Mater:
Career Record: 244-107-1 [6th season]
Record at
TELEVISION
Dan McLaughlin, play-by-play
Keith Moreland, color
BAYLOR/ISP SPORTS NETWORK
1660 ESPN RADIO (
Tom Barfield, play-by-play
Lark Smith, color
INTERNET FEEDS
GameTracker: www.BaylorBears.com
Audio: www.BaylorBears.com
Video: www.BaylorBears.com
BAYLOR-NEBRASKA SERIES
Baylor and
Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997, the Bears hold a 20-16 advantage in the series. Baylor is 18-10 against the Huskers in regular-season Big 12 games, winning five of nine series and all four series in
Baylor swept the series in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006.
TEAM NOTES
Baylor was 23-19 overall and 7-11 through 42 games last season. The Bears went 8-5 the remainder of the regular season, including a 5-4 mark in Big 12 play, and won three of four games at the Big 12 Championship. That run propelled Baylor into its ninth NCAA Tournament in 10 years. ... After surrendering only 22 home runs in the season's first 35 games, the Bears have allowed 21 home runs over the last seven games. This stretch comes on the heels of a five-game span without allowing any home runs. Baylor pitchers have allowed at least two home runs in four straight games and in five of the last six. ... With 39 home runs in 42 games this season, Baylor batters already have eclipsed the 2006 team's 63-game total of 35. The Bears are on pace to hit 59 home runs in 55 regular-season games this year; that would be the most by a Baylor team since the 2003 squad hit 83 and would seventh in school history. ... Baylor's staff ERA is 8.59 in the ninth inning this season; the Bears have been out-scored 31-8 in the ninth. The Bears' ninth-inning ERA was 3.98 last season, 3.77 in 2006, 2.23 in 2005 and 3.21 in 2004. The only other inning in which the Bears' staff ERA is higher than 5.79 is the seventh, in which the Bears have posted an 8.21 ERA. Not coincidentally, those also are the Bears' two highest innings in walks per nine innings, allowing 6.9 in the seventh and 7.7 in the ninth; Baylor is allowing 3.2 walks per nine innings elsewhere in the game. ... Baylor has scored only four runs in four Friday-night Big 12 road games; only once did the Bears score prior to the seventh (a one-run sixth inning last Friday at Texas A&M). The Bears hit .150 in those four games, and Raynor Campbell has six of the team's 18 hits. Baylor is hitting .313 (32-for-67) in Friday night home games in Big 12 play.
PLAYER NOTES
Ben Booker has six home runs this season after hitting four home runs in his first two seasons combined. He has posted a .220 batting average (18-for-82) in the leadoff spot; Booker is hitting .323 (20-for-62) elsewhere in the lineup. ... Raynor Campbell has hit safely in five of the last eight games, all of which have been multiple-hit games with a trio of three-hit outings. Despite missing the season's first 15 games due to injury, he ranks sixth on the team with 11 multiple-hit games, just three behind team leader Aaron Miller.
BAYLOR vs. RANKED OPPONENTS
Baylor is 151-229-1 all-time against teams ranked in the Baseball America rankings, which began in 1981; records for weekly rankings in other polls are not available. The Bears are 73-114 all-time against teams ranked in the top 10, 98-142 against ranked opponents in conference play and 84-83-1 against ranked opponents at home.
All nine of Baylor's games against ranked teams this season have come in Big 12 play. The Bears are 2-7 in those games, going 2-1 against then-No. 23
Baylor's two wins against ranked teams is its lowest total since 1994 when the Bears were 1-5. However, Baylor was 2-9 against ranked opponents entering the final weekend of April last season; the Bears faced 18th-ranked Texas A&M that weekend and lost the first two games of the series to fall to 2-11. Baylor won the finale and finished 4-4 in its final eight games against ranked opponents.
BAYLOR ON TELEVISION
Baylor is 28-31 all-time in televised games since 1988. The Bears are 0-2 in such games this season, falling 3-2 at TCU and 8-2 Tuesday night against
WILD WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT
Baylor snapped a five-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 25-13, eight-inning victory at
The Bears established a school record for runs in a road game, eclipsing the previous mark set March 23, 1984, in a 30-21 loss at Texas Tech (two days later, the Bears defeated the Red Raiders 20-19). It also was the third-highest run total in school history, the second-highest against a Division I opponent. The Bears scored 32 runs against Rice in 1937 and against
WEEKEND WARRIORS
Baylor is 17-10 this season in weekend games, sweeping series against Purdue, Mississippi State and Kansas, winning all three games at the QTI Baylor Classic (Illinois, Illinois-Chicago and Stephen F. Austin), and winning two of three against Oklahoma State and at Kansas State. In fact, dating back to last season, the Bears have won 20 of 30 regular-season weekend games. Baylor swept
CARDIAC KIDS
After going 4-5 in one-run games last season, Baylor is 10-7 in such games this season. However, the Bears are 3-7 in one-run games after winning their first seven. The 10 one-run wins and the 17 one-run games are the most by a Baylor team since the 2005 squad was 15-8, establishing a school record for one-run wins. In 2004, Baylor established a school record for one-run losses with a 7-16 mark.
Baylor has won two games in its final at bat -- the season-opener against Purdue and the series opener against
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Baylor ranks seventh in batting average (.284), seventh in ERA (5.10) and third in fielding percentage (.970) through games of April 23. In league games, the Bears rank eighth in batting average (.259), fourth in ERA (5.11) and sixth in fielding percentage (.973).
Individually in all games: RF Aaron Miller is tied for fifth in home runs (9), tops among underclassmen; he also is third in doubles (16), ninth in total bases (93) and 10th in slugging percentage (.589). ... 1B Dustin Dickerson is tied for fourth in doubles (15). ... 3B Shaver Hansen is third in triples (5), while OF Ben Booker is tied for fith (1). ... RHP Willie Kempf is 16th in ERA (3.75) and tied for seventh in wins (5). ... RHP Kendal Volz is third in strikeouts (64) and in strikeouts per nine innings (10.22); he also ranks ninth in innings (56.1). ... RHP Shawn Tolleson is second in shutouts (2) and tied for third in complete games (2). ... RHP Nick Cassavechia is sixth in saves (5).
Individually in league games: CF/2B Raynor Campbell is 10th in batting average (.371), tied for seventh in hits (23) and tied for eighth in doubles (5). He also is tied with Booker, Hansen and 15 others for eighth in triples (1). ... Tolleson ranks seventh in ERA (3.24), while Kempf is 15th (4.36). They are tied with four others for fifth in wins (3). ... Tolleson also ranks fourth in innings (41.2), eighth in strikeouts (35), tied for first in shutouts (2), tied for second in complete games (2) and fifth in opponents' batting average (.218). ... Volz is tied for first in strikeouts (43) and leads the conference in strikeouts per nine innings (10.95) by more than one strikeout per innings. ... RHP Tim Matthews is tied for fourth in saves (2), while RHP Craig Fritsch is tied for ninth (1).
NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Through games of April 20, Baylor ranked ninth in double plays turned (43) and 20th in double plays turned per game (1.08). The Bears' fielding percentage (.971) ranked 26th nationally. Baylor also ranked 34th in walks drawn (185), 34th in triples (14) and 62nd in home runs (38).
Individually, 3B Shaver Hansen was 14th in triples (5) and 35th in triples per game (0.13). RHP Kendal Volz was 29th in strikeouts (64) and 42nd in strikeouts per nine innings (10.22)
TOLLESON, VOLZ LOOKING FOR SUPPORT
In 12 combined Big 12 Conference starts, RHPs Shawn Tolleson and Kendal Volz have garnered a total of 34 runs of support (2.8 per game) with 35.3 percent of those runs (12) coming in one game (April 5 vs. Kansas).
The Bears are 1-5 in Volz' six Big 12 starts, scoring 13 runs in those five games (five vs. Oklahoma State, none at Missouri, two at Oklahoma, four vs. Kansas, one at Kansas State and one at Texas A&M). The Bears are 3-3 in Tolleson's six Big 12 starts, scoring 21 runs in those five games (three vs.
Baylor has given Tolleson 12-plus runs in two of his nine starts this season -- 16 at
Volz earned 50.0 percent of his run support this season in one game -- 20 of 40 runs in a 20-6 victory over
BAYLOR IS EXTRA SPECIAL
Baylor is 15-6 in extra-inning games since the start of the 2003 season, including a 1-2 mark in such games this season. Baylor was 2-1 in extra-inning games last season, 0-1 in 2006, 6-1 in 2005, 1-0 in 2004 and 5-1 in 2003.
Five of the 15 wins over the past six 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 during mid-May.
FIVE BAYLOR GAMES SLATED FOR TELEVISION
Five Baylor games are scheduled for television broadcast this season, including two home games. The Bears will be on CSTV twice: April 1 at TCU (7 p.m. CT) and April 22 vs.
Since 1988, Baylor has played on television 59 times, including a program-best 12 games in 2005. Over the past 20 years, the Bears are 28-31 in televised games.
BAYLOR AMONG NATIONAL APR LEADERS
Baylor received a public recognition award from the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program in 2007 for having an Academic Progress Rate (APR) score that ranks among the top 10 percent within their sport. The Bears' most-recent APR score was 983 with an adjusted squad size mark of 992. Baylor was one of 30 Division I programs honored by the NCAA. Head coach Steve Smith's squad was the only of Baylor's 19 varsity teams so honored.
CASSAVECHIA AMONG NATIONAL CAREER SAVES LEADERS
RHP Nick Cassavechia entered the 2008 season with 19 career saves, a total that was tied for second in Baylor history and led all active Big 12 Conference pitchers. Furthermore, Cassavechia ranked sixth nationally in career saves among active players behind only Kelly Heyne (24,
Cassavechia's career total is even more impressive considering he has been Baylor's closer for not even two full seasons. He moved into the closer role during the first week of April in 2006 and has amassed all his saves since that point. He tallied 11 saves as a junior in 2007, tying for fourth in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally. It also tied for the third-best season total in Baylor history. Cassavechia, who had eight saves as a sophomore in 2006, joins Zane Carlson (2000, 2001) as the only Baylor pitchers to record at least eight saves in consecutive seasons.
BAYLOR BALLPARK CELEBRATES MILESTONE GAME
Baylor's 2008 season opener was the Bears' 300th game at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears are 225-83 (.731) at home since the stadium opened in 1999. Baylor Ballpark, which celebrates its 10th season in 2008, has drawn over 800,000 fans in its existence. Baylor is one of only eight Division I schools to average at least 2,700 fans per game each season since 2000. The facility was voted the nation's third-best college baseball stadium in a 2003 Baseball
While the season opener was the Bears' 300th game at Baylor Ballpark, the facility already had celebrated its 300th college game. Including the 1999, 2000 and 2005 NCAA Regionals and the 2006 and 2007 Quala-T Imprints Baylor Classics, a total of 16 Division I games that did not involve the Bears have been played at Baylor Ballpark.
TRIPLE YOUR PLEASURE
Baylor batters tallied 58 triples over the past two seasons. Only
Furthermore, Baylor joins
Baylor's Jon Topolski led the nation with 11 triples in 1998. Seth Fortenberry tied for third nationally with 10 triples in 2006, and Ben Booker tied for 15th nationally last season with seven. Michael Griffin was 25th nationally with 0.12 triples per game in 2003, one year after Mike Huggins was 25th nationally with 0.11 triples per contest.
SIX BEARS ON BASEBALL
Baseball
RHP Shawn Tolleson was rated as the 15th-best prospect among freshmen; Tolleson, who missed the 2007 season with a medical redshirt, will be draft eligible in 2009 after his sophomore seasons.
Four Bears appearend on the sophomore list: RF Aaron Miller (11th), RHP Kendal Volz (14th), 1B Dustin Dickerson (32nd) and 2B Raynor Campbell (50th). Of that group, only
RHP Randall Linebaugh was rated as the 14th-best prospect among seniors. Linebaugh, one of only two three-year lettermen on Baylor's 2008 roster, has never been drafted.
BEARS ON SHORT LIST FOR RECENT NCAA SUCCESS
Baylor is one of 15 NCAA Division I programs and one of only two from the Big 12 Conference with at least nine NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 10 years. The Bears have made nine tournament appearances in that time (missing only the 2004 event) with three Super Regional appearances and one College World Series appearance.
Others on the elite list are:
MIDWEEK PREVIEW
Baylor plays two midweek games for the sixth consecutive week. The Bears hit the road Tuesday to face UT Arlington at Clay Gould Ballpark. Baylor returns home Wednesday, hosting
Baylor and UT Arlington meet for the 101st time Wednesday. This is the eight most-played series in Baylor baseball history; Baylor has played more games against UTA than against any other program that was not a Southwest Conference member. In fact, the Bears have played more games against UTA since the series began Feb. 26, 1973, than against any other program.
The Bears hold a 72-28 advantage in the all-time series, including a 28-16 edge in games played at
Baylor and
This is the first meeting between the programs since a 10-8 Baylor victory April 13, 2004 in
































