Bears, Longhorns Meet in Key Big 12 Series

May 1, 2008

GAMES 48-50 • MAY 2-4

BAYLOR (27-20, 9-12) vs. TEXAS (27-18, 10-11)

FRIDAY: 6:30 p.m. CDT -- Equipment Depot Baylor Baseball Card Set giveaway (first 1500 fans wearing Gold)

SATURDAY: 2:30 p.m. CDT -- FSN TV

SUNDAY: 1:00 p.m. CDT -- Fox College Sports Central TV

Baylor returns to action this weekend with the annual split-series against Texas. The Bears and the Longhorns meet Friday at 6:30 p.m. CDT at Baylor Ballpark. The series then shifts to Austin's UFCU Disch-Falk Field for games Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Baylor enters the series sixth in the Big 12 standings, one game behind Texas. Saturday's game will be televised on Fox College Sports Central and DirecTV channel 669.

The Bears (27-20, 9-12) has won three straight after a pair of 14-4 midweek victories at UT Arlington and at home against Sam Houston State. Baylor is 4-6 over its last 10 games; oddly, only five of those games were nine-inning affairs as the Bears have played two extra-inning games and three run-rule shortened games in that time. The Bears are 19-9 at home and 8-11 on the road, all coming on opponents' home fields. Baylor is 3-4 in Big 12 series. The Bears are unranked in all four major polls.

The Longhorns (27-18, 10-11) have won three of their last four games, taking two of three at Kansas State last weekend and shutting out Texas State 11-0 at home Tuesday night. Texas is 5-5 in its last 10 games. The Longhorns are 10-5 on the road, including a 7-3 record on opponents' home fields, and 15-11 at home. Texas is unranked in this week's Baseball America Top 25. The Longhorns are among teams receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll and 26th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 30.

Baylor and Texas have played 12 common opponents this season -- Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas Southern, Texas State, UT Arlington and UTSA. The Bears are 14-12 against those teams, while the Longhorns are 16-12. Baylor is 9-9 against the six Big 12 teams, while Texas is 8-10.

All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on Waco's 1660 ESPN Radio. Live streaming audio and GameTracker also are available for all Baylor baseball games online at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the CSTV Network. Live streaming video also is available for the Texas series via the Baylor All-Access link at www.BaylorBears.com for Friday's series opener and at www.TexasSports.com for the Saturday and Sunday games.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

FRIDAY

Baylor: RHP Kendal Volz, So. (3-4, 4.19 ERA, 62.1 IP, 26 BB, 72 K)

Texas: RHP Chance Ruffin, Fr. (5-3, 2.27 ERA, 47.2 IP, 15 BB, 45 K)

SATURDAY

Baylor: RHP Shawn Tolleson, Fr. (4-3, 5.15 ERA, 57.2 IP, 24 BB, 49 K)

Texas: RHP Cole Green, Fr. (2-4, 4.34 ERA, 45.2 IP, 15 BB, 32 K) or LHP Austin Wood, Jr. (3-2, 5.30 ERA, 52.2 IP, 15 BB, 31 K)

SUNDAY

Baylor: RHP Willie Kempf, So. (6-2, 3.99 ERA, 56.1 IP, 29 BB, 39 K)

Texas: LHP Austin Wood, Jr. (3-2, 5.30 ERA, 52.2 IP, 15 BB, 31 K) or RHP Kenn Kasparek, Sr. (3-3, 4.29 ERA, 50.1 IP, 16 BB, 53 K)

THE SERIES

Overall: Texas leads 222-97-4

Waco: Texas leads 87-55-3

Austin: Texas leads 128-31-1

Neutral Site: Baylor leads 11-7

Since Start of Big 12: Texas leads 23-20

Regular Season: tied 17-17

Postseason: Texas leads 6-3

Smith vs. Texas: 25-26

First Meeting: at Texas 13, Baylor 1 [4/4/1903]

Last Meeting: Texas 8, at Baylor 2 [4/22/2008]

COACHES

BAYLOR: Steve Smith

Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986

Career Record: 517-331-1 [14th season]

Record at Baylor: 517-331-1 [14th season]

TEXAS: Augie Garrido

Alma Mater: Fresno State, 1961

Career Record: 1656-773-8 [40th season]

Record at Texas: 505-249-1 [12th season]

TELEVISION

FOX SPORTS NETWORK (Saturday)

FOX COLLEGE SPORTS CENTRAL (Sunday)

Greg Lucas, play-by-play

Jack Lazorko, color

BAYLOR/ISP SPORTS NETWORK

1660 ESPN RADIO (Waco)

Tom Barfield, play-by-play

Lark Smith, color

INTERNET FEEDS

GameTracker: www.BaylorBears.com

Audio: www.BaylorBears.com

Video (Friday): www.BaylorBears.com

Video (Saturday/Sunday): www.TexasSports.com

BAYLOR-TEXAS SERIES

Baylor and Texas meet for the 324th, 325th and 326th time Tuesday; this the most-played series in Baylor baseball history. The Longhorns hold a 222-97-4 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to an 11-1 Texas victory April 4, 1903.

Texas leads the series both in games played in Waco (87-55-3) and at Austin (128-31-1). However, the Bears hold an 11-7 advantage in neutral-site meetings. Baylor is 25-26 against Texas during head coach Steve Smith's tenure.

Baylor is 20-23 against Texas since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997, but Baylor holds a 17-16 edge in regular-season Big 12 meetings during that time. The Bears are 3-6 against the Longhorns in postseason meetings and 0-1 in regular-season, non-conference meetings since 1997.

Baylor and Texas have met 14 times over the past four seasons; neither team has played any other team more times in that span. The Bears won the first four of those meetings, sweeping the 2005 regular-season series and eliminating the Longhorns from the Big 12 Championship. However, Texas has won 10 straight since then, defeating Baylor twice at the 2005 College World Series, sweeping the 2006 regular-season series, defeating the Bears at the 2006 Big 12 Championship, sweeping last year's regular-season series and winning a non-conference game at Baylor Ballpark last Tuesday.

Six of the last 10 regular-season meetings between Baylor and Texas have been decided by two runs or less, including five one-run game.

BEARS BID FAREWELL TO SIX SENIORS

Baylor's 2008 senior class will be honored prior to Friday night's series opener. Over the past four seasons, these players have helped the Bears to a 145 wins, three NCAA Regional appearances and one College World Series appearance.

Those honored will be RHP Nick Cassavechia, RHP Erik Forestiere, LHP Drew Jeffcoat, RHP Randall Linebaugh, RHP Tim Matthews and CF Paul Miles, the group's only fifth-year senior (redshirt season in 2004). Cassavechia and Linebaugh joined the program as true freshmen in 2005, while Jeffcoat transferred to Baylor from Texas Wesleyan that season. Matthews joined Baylor in 2006 after one season at UT Tyler. Forestiere came to Baylor in 2006 after two seasons at nearby McLennan Community College.

BAYLOR ON TELEVISION

Baylor is 28-32 all-time in televised games since 1988. The Bears are 0-3 in such games this season, falling 3-2 at TCU, 8-2 against Texas and 14-1 last Saturday against Nebraska. The first two of those games were on CBS College Sports, while the Nebraska game was on Fox College Sports. The Bears are 3-10 all-time in games carried by the Fox Sports Network; the Nebraska game was Baylor's first ever game on Fox College Sports.

TEAM NOTES

Baylor was 26-21 overall and 8-13 through 47 games last season. The Bears went 5-3 the remainder of the regular season, including a 4-2 mark in Big 12 play, and won three of four games at the Big 12 Championship. ... After surrendering only 22 home runs in the season's first 35 games, the Bears have allowed 25 home runs over the last 12 games. This stretch comes on the heels of a five-game span without allowing any home runs. Baylor pitchers have allowed at least one home runs in eight of the last nine games. ... With 43 home runs in 47 games this season, Baylor batters already have eclipsed the 2006 team's 63-game total of 35. The Bears are on pace to hit 50 home runs in 55 regular-season games this year; that would be the most by a Baylor team since the 2004 squad hit 54, four of which came at the Big 12 Championship. ... Baylor's staff ERA is 8.09 in the ninth inning this season; the Bears have been out-scored 32-14 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 innings in which the Bears' staff ERA is higher than 4.79 is the first (6.89) and the seventh (7.91). The Bears' two highest innings in walks per nine innings are the seventh (6.4) and the ninth (7.0); Baylor is allowing 3.1 walks per nine innings elsewhere in the game. ... Baylor has scored only four runs in four Big 12 series openers on the road; only once did the Bears score prior to the seventh (a one-run sixth inning at Texas A&M). The Bears hit .150 in those four games, and Raynor Campbell has six of the team's 18 hits. ... Baylor pitchers have tallied 31 strikeouts against only five walks over the last three games, recording at least 10 strikeouts in all three games. ... The Bears did not issue a walk in Wednesday's game against Sam Houston State. It was only the second walkless game this season (March 25 vs. Houston Baptist).

PLAYER NOTES

Ben Booker has hit safely in six straight games, posting a .375 average (9-for-24) in that time. He has six home runs this season after hitting four home runs in his first two seasons combined. Booker has posted a .220 batting average (18-for-82) in the leadoff spot; he is hitting .333 (27-for-81) elsewhere in the lineup. ... Raynor Campbell also is riding a six-game hitting streak with a .435 average (10-for-23) in that time. Campbell has hit safely in 16 of the last 20 games; he is hitting .385 (30-for-78) over that span and has not gone hitless in consecutive games in that time. Despite missing the season's first 15 games due to injury, he ranks fifth on the team with 13 multiple-hit games, just two behind the team lead. Campbell started the year 0-for-15 in Big 12 play; since then, he is hitting .466 (27-for-58) in conference action. ... Dustin Dickerson is tied for the team lead with 15 multiple-hit games; he leads the team with seven games of three or more hits. ... Craig Fritsch established a Baylor Ballpark record with 10 strikeouts in relief Wednesday against Sam Houston State; it also was a career high. ... Gregg Glime has hit safely in eight of the last 12 games with three multiple-hit games in that time. He is hitting .327 (16-for-49) over the last 20 games, and his .417 average (10-for-24) and .548 on base percentage over the last 10 games are both best on the team. ... Shaver Hansen has gone hitless in consecutive games only twice this season with no three-game droughts. He is hitting .396 (19-for-48) over the last 12 games with a home run, six doubles, a triple, 11 RBI and 18 runs scored. Hansen has scored at least two runs in three straight games. He is hitting .320 (31-for-97) in the leadoff spot this season; the other six players who have hit in that position have a collective .149 average (15-for-101). ... Adam Hornung has hit safely in 12 of the last 13 games, going 17-for-56 (.304) during that stretch with 13 RBI. He also leads the team with a .371 average (39-for-105) in home games and enjoyed a 17-game hitting streak at Baylor Ballpark that snapped last Saturday against Nebraska. ... Willie Kempf is 6-1 in 10 starts; he left with the lead in all three of his no-decisions. Baylor is 8-2 in his starts. ... Randall Linebaugh has averaged 9.87 strikeouts per nine innings in his last eight appearances (19 strikeouts in 17.1 innings). ... Tim Matthews has posted a 2.57 ERA in 17.1 innings over 10 relief appearances. He has 13 strikeouts against one walk in relief outings. ... Baylor is 15-3 in the 18 games in which Paul Miles has started in center field. ... Aaron Miller is the first Baylor player with at least 10 home runs since 2004 when Josh Ford had 14 and Michael Griffin had 10. Miller would be the first underclassman to lead Baylor in home runs since Chris Durbin did so with 14 in 2001. ... Mace Thurman has allowed a staff-low 1.07 extra-base hits per nine innings this season, surrendering three doubles and one home run in 33.2 innings. ... Shawn Tolleson's first-inning ERA is 12.66 (15 earned runs in 10.2 innings) with an opponents' batting average of .400 (18-for-45); his ERA is 3.44 after the first inning with a .217 opponents' batting average. Tolleson is the only Baylor starter to pitch into the ninth inning this season; he has done so three times with two complete games. ... Kendal Volz has posted a 2.30 ERA (seven earned runs in 27.1 innings) over his last four starts, but he is 0-2 and Baylor is 1-3 in those games. He has been given 10 total runs of support in those games, including one run twice. ... Beamer Weems hit .172 (11-for-64) with three extra-base hits, eight RBI and five errors in the season's first 19 games. Since then, he is hitting .314 (32-for-102) with 10 extra-base hits, 15 RBI and three errors in 28 games.

VOLZ CLIMBS STRIKEOUTS LISTS

RHP Kendal Volz ranks third in the Big 12 and 28th nationally with 72 strikeouts on the season. He is averaging 10.40 strikeouts per nine innings, which would rank second in Baylor's records book (since 1968).

Volz has been even stronger in conference games, where he leads the league with 51 strikeouts and 11.10 strikeouts per nine innings. He is two strikeouts shy of cracking Baylor's single-season top 10 list for Big 12 games, and his strikeouts-per-nine-innings average in league play would be the best in Baylor history. Volz has 87 career strikeouts in Big 12 play, already tying Mark McCormick for 10th all-time at Baylor.

BAYLOR IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE STATISTICAL RANKINGS

Baylor ranks sixth in batting average (.290), eighth in ERA (5.20) and fourth in fielding percentage (.971) through games of April 30. In league games, the Bears rank eighth in batting average (.262), fourth in ERA (5.47) and fifth in fielding percentage (.973).

Individually in all games: 3B Shaver Hansen is tied for eighth in hits (58), tied for ninth in doubles (14) and tied for third in triples (5). 1B Adam Hornung is tied for 10th in hits (57), while OF Ben Booker is tied for fifth in triples (3). RF Aaron Miller is tied for fifth in home runs (10), third in triples (17) and sixth in total bases (103). DH Dustin Dickerson is tied for fourth in doubles (15). RHP Willie Kempf is 17th in ERA (3.99) and tied for fifth in wins (6). RHP Kendal Volz is 19th in ERA (4.19), tied for ninth in innings (62.1), third in strikeouts (72) and second in strikeouts per nine innings (10.40). RHP Shawn Tolleson is tied for first in games started (11), second in shutouts (2) and tied for third in complete games (2). RHP Nick Cassavechia is sixth in saves (5).

Individually in league games: 2B Raynor Campbell is 10th in batting average (.370) and tied for seventh in hits (27). Miller is tied for ninth in home runs (4). Kempf is 13th in ERA (4.62) and tied for fifth in wins (4). Tolleson is 14th in ERA (4.68), tied for seventh in wins (3), eighth in innings (42.1), eighth in strikeouts (7.65), tied for first in shutouts (2), tied for second in complete games (2) and eighth in opponents' batting average (.237). Volz is 20th in ERA (5.44), tied for ninth in innings (41.1), first in strikeouts (51) and first in strikeouts per nine innings (11.10). RHP Tim Matthews is tied for fourth in saves (2).

NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS

Through games of April 27, Baylor ranked sixth in double plays turned (50) and 11th in double plays turned per game (1.11). The Bears' fielding percentage (.971) ranked 32nd nationally. Baylor also ranked 25th in walks drawn (214) and 37th in triples (15).

Individually, 3B Shaver Hansen was 43rd in triples (5) and 53rd in triples per game (0.11). RF Aaron Miller was 92nd in doubles (16), while Dustin Dickerson was 94th (15). RHP Willie Kempf was 64th in wins (6). RHP Kendal Volz was 28th in strikeouts (72) and 33rd in strikeouts per nine innings (10.40).

TOLLESON, VOLZ LOOKING FOR SUPPORT

In 14 combined Big 12 Conference starts, RHPs Shawn Tolleson and Kendal Volz have garnered a total of 39 runs of support (2.8 per game) with 30.8 percent of those runs (12) coming in one game (April 5 vs. Kansas).

The Bears are 1-6 in Volz' six Big 12 starts, scoring 17 runs in those seven games (five vs. Oklahoma State, none at Missouri, two at Oklahoma, four vs. Kansas, one at Kansas State, one at Texas A&M and four vs. Nebraska). The Bears are 3-4 in Tolleson's seven Big 12 starts, scoring 22 runs in those games (three vs. Oklahoma State, none at Missouri, two at Oklahoma, 12 vs. Kansas, three at Kansas State, one vs. Texas A&M and one vs. Nebraska).

Baylor has given Tolleson 12-plus runs in three of his 11 starts this season -- 16 at Mississippi State, 12 against Kansas and 14 in a predetermined 2.0-inning start Tuesday at UT Arlington. In Tolleson's other eight starts, the Bears have produced 26 runs (3.3 per game).

Volz earned 45.5 percent of his run support this season in one game -- 20 of 44 runs in a 20-6 victory over Illinois. He has been given 2.7 runs of support per game in his other nine starts.

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 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 Kansas. However, the Bears have lost eight games in their opponents' final at bat, including five in Big 12 play.

EXTRA-INNING SUCCESS HAS TURNED IN 2008

Baylor is 15-7 in extra-inning games since the start of the 2003 season but 1-3 in such games this season. The Bears were 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. 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 of the 15 wins over the past six seasons have come on an opponent's home field (Arizona twice, Arizona State, Texas and Vanderbilt). Three of the 15 wins were either neutral-site games or games at Baylor Ballpark in which the Bears were the visitor. Four of the 15 wins have come in postseason play (two at the Big 12 Tournament, one in the NCAA Regional round and one at the College World Series).

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. Texas (7 p.m.). Two games will be aired on Fox College Sports: April 26 vs. Nebraska (6:30 p.m.), May 4 at Texas (1 p.m.). The Bears' May 3 game at Texas will be televised on FSN (2:30 p.m.).

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.

TRIPLE YOUR PLEASURE

Baylor batters tallied 58 triples over the past two seasons. Only Arizona (62) and Charlotte (59) hit more three-baggers in that time. The Bears tied for seventh nationally last season with 26 triples. In 2006, the Bears tied for second nationally with 32 triples.

Furthermore, Baylor joins Arizona and Texas as the nation's only programs to collect at least 20 triples in each of the past six seasons.

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 AMERICA'S PRESEASON DRAFT LISTS

Baseball America, with assistance from Major League Baseball scouting directors, has compiled a list of the top 50 draft prospects in each class. Six Baylor players are on those lists, including five players from the Bears' heralded 2006 signing class.

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 Campbell is draft eligible this season as he turns 21 within 45 days of the draft. Miller was an 11th-round draft pick of the Colorado Rockies in 2006. Dickerson (15th round, Washington Nationals) and Volz (50th round, Arizona Diamondbacks) also were drafted that year.

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: Arizona State (9), Cal State Fullerton (10), Clemson (10), Florida State (10), Miami, Fla. (10), Mississippi State (9), North Carolina (9), Oral Roberts (10), Rice (10), South Carolina (9), Stanford (9), Texas (9), Tulane (9) and Wichita State (9). Of that list, only Tulane did not participate in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

MIDWEEK PREVIEW

Baylor takes an eight-day respite for final exams. The Bears return to action Tuesday, May 13, hosting Texas State at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor plays its final regular-season home game the following day, hosting Stephen F. Austin. Both games are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CDT.

Bears, Longhorns Meet in Key Big 12 Series

Players Mentioned

Ben Booker

Raynor Campbell

Nick Cassavechia

Dustin Dickerson

Erik Forestiere

Seth Fortenberry

Craig Fritsch

Gregg Glime

Shaver Hansen

Adam Hornung

Drew Jeffcoat

Willie Kempf

Randall Linebaugh

Tim Matthews

Paul Miles

Aaron Miller

Mace Thurman

Shawn Tolleson

Kendal Volz

Beamer Weems

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Bears, Longhorns Meet in Key Big 12 Series

Related News

Players Mentioned

Ben Booker

Raynor Campbell

Nick Cassavechia

Dustin Dickerson

Erik Forestiere

Seth Fortenberry

Craig Fritsch

Gregg Glime

Shaver Hansen

Adam Hornung

Drew Jeffcoat

Willie Kempf

Randall Linebaugh

Tim Matthews

Paul Miles

Aaron Miller

Mace Thurman

Shawn Tolleson

Kendal Volz

Beamer Weems

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