Bears Set for 12th Big 12 Conference Championship
5/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 19, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
MAY 21-25 • BRICKTOWN BALLPARK •
BAYLOR (31-24, 11-16) at BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
WEDNESDAY: vs.
FRIDAY: vs.
SATURDAY: vs.
Baylor begins postseason play Wednesday, May 21, at the 2008 Big 12 Conference Championship at Bricktown Ballpark in
The Bears (31-24, 11-15) dropped two of three at Texas Tech over the weekend, winning the Saturday game 13-3. Baylor is 6-4 in its last 10 games. The Bears posted a 7-14 record against the other seven teams in the Big 12 Championship field, including a 5-4 mark against Pool Two teams. Baylor is unranked in all four major polls.
All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21
Game 1: 4)
Game 2: 1)
Game 3: 3)
Game 4: 2)
THURSDAY, MAY 22
Game 5:
Game 6:
FRIDAY, MAY 23
Game 7:
Game 8:
SATURDAY, MAY 24
Game 9:
Game 10:
Game 11:
Game 12: BAYLOR vs.
SUNDAY, MAY 25
Title Game: Pool One winner vs. Pool Two winner, 1 p.m.
THE
Overall: Baylor leads 29-22-1
Neutral Site:
Since Start of Big 12: Baylor leads 21-18
Regular Season: Baylor leads 19-12
Postseason:
Smith vs.
First Meeting: at Baylor 9,
Last Meeting: at Baylor 8,
THE
Overall:
Neutral Site:
Since Start of Big 12:
Regular Season: Tied 17-17
Postseason:
Smith vs. OSU: 20-21
First Meeting:
Last Meeting: at Baylor 8,
THE
Overall: Baylor leads 29-10
Neutral Site:
Since Start of Big 12: Baylor leads 28-9
Regular Season: Baylor leads 28-8
Postseason:
Smith vs. K-State: 28-9
First Meeting: at Baylor 2,
Last Meeting: Baylor 3, at
BAYLOR/ISP SPORTS NETWORK
1660 ESPN RADIO (
Tom Barfield, play-by-play
Lark Smith, color
INTERNET FEEDS
GameTracker: www.BaylorBears.com
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Video: www.Big12Sports.com
BIG 12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
The Big 12 Championship makes its 10th appearance at
BAYLOR BIG 12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TIDBITS
•
• Baylor has made five championship title game appearances: 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2007. Only
• This is the third time Baylor has been the sixth seed. The Bears are 5-2 as the sixth seed, holding that spot in 2004 and last year. In 2004, Baylor reached the semifinals with a 2-2 record, defeating Texas Tech (8-3) and
• Baylor is 32-31 all-time in conference tournaments, including a 20-18 mark in the Big 12 event.
• Baylor is 18-14 all-time in Big 12 Championship games in
• Baylor is 4-2 in pool play at the Big 12 Championship. The Bears lost to
•
BAYLOR-NEBRASKA SERIES
Baylor and
Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997, the Bears hold a 21-18 advantage in the series. Baylor is 19-12 against the Huskers in regular-season Big 12 games; the home team has won four of five series at both locations. The 1998 series was rain-shortened to one game (a Baylor victory), while the 1999 series was completely lost to inclement weather.
Baylor swept the series in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006.
BAYLOR-
Baylor and
The series is tied 12-12 in Waco; however, the Bears have won nine of the last 12 games at Baylor Ballpark after taking two of three this season.
The Cowboys hold a 21-20 advantage in the series since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997, but the series is tied 17-17 in Big 12 regular season games. The teams also have met four in the Big 12 Championship (OSU won in 1997 and 2001; Baylor won in 2005 and 2007) and three times in the 1999 NCAA Super Regional (OSU won two of three).
Baylor won the season series in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006 and this season; the 2002 and 2004 series were rain-shortened, and the teams split two games. The Bears hold a 6-4-2 Big 12 series advantage, going 3-1-2 in
BAYLOR-
Baylor and
While Baylor has dominated the series in
Baylor is 28-8 against
TEAM NOTES
Baylor entered last year's Big 12 Championship 31-24 overall and 12-15 in Big 12 play. ... After surrendering only 23 home runs in the season's first 36 games, the Bears have allowed 30 home runs over the last 19 games. ... The Bears have hit 52 home runs, the most by a Baylor team since the 2004 squad hit 54 in 60 games. ... Either Baylor or its opponent has scored at least 10 runs in 24 of the Bears' 55 games (43.6 percent). The Bears have reached double figures 15 times, while their opponents have accomplished the feat 13 times. Baylor is 3-1 when both teams scored at least 10 runs, defeating Purdue 11-10,
PLAYER NOTES
• Ben Booker has reached safely in 15 of the last 16 games. He is hitting .333 (21-for-63) in that time with seven multiple-hit games. ... Booker has seven home runs this season after hitting only four home runs in his first two seasons combined. ... He has posted a .220 batting average (18-for-82) in the leadoff spot; he is hitting .330 (37-for-112) elsewhere in the lineup.
• Raynor Campbell has hit safely in 13 of the last 14 games; he is hitting .375 (21-for-56) in that time with six multiple-hit games. ...
• Dustin Dickerson leads the team with a .363 average (33-for-91) in road games, joining Campbell (.329) as the only Baylor players hitting over .300 in such games. ... Dickerson is tied for the team lead in games with at least three hits with seven.
• Craig Fritsch has allowed four earned runs over 19.1 innings in his last four outings (1.86 ERA). In the first of those three appearances, Fritsch established a Baylor Ballpark record with 10 strikeouts in relief April 30 against
• Gregg Glime has reached safely in 13 of the last 14 games. He has collected 11 hits and eight walks and has been hit four times in that span, reaching base safely in 23 of 55 plate appearances for a .418 on base percentage. Glime has scored 11 of his 22 runs on the season during the last 14 games.
• Shaver Hansen has gone hitless in consecutive games only twice this season with no three-game droughts. ... Hansen is hitting .317 (38-for-120) in the leadoff spot this season; the other six players who have hit in that position have a collective .240 average (25-for-104). ... Hansen has reached safely in 31 of the last 35 games.
• Adam Hornung has reached safely in 28 of the last 31 games and has not gone consecutive games without reaching safely this season. ... He has hit safely in the last 10 road games, going 18-for-43 (.419) in those games.
• 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. ... However, four of his last five appearances have been in relief. Kempf has allowed fewer than four earned runs in 13 of his 14 appearances.
• Randall Linebaugh made his first start of the season last Tuesday against
• Tim Matthews has posted a 2.57 ERA in 17.1 innings over 10 relief appearances. He has 13 strikeouts against one walk in those relief outings. ... Matthews recorded the first complete game and the first shutout of his career last Wednesday in the Bears' 11-0, seven-inning victory over Stephen F. Austin. Matthews allowed three hits and one walk with six strikeouts. He retired 14 consecutive batters between a leadoff single in the third and a two-out walk in the seventh. ... Matthews has allowed fewer than three earned runs in 14 of 17 appearances. ... His 4.88 strikeout-to-walk ratio (39-8) would rank second in Baylor history.
• Baylor is 18-6 in the 24 games in which Paul Miles has started in center field. He was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in last Wednesday's game against Stephen F. Austin, producing his first multiple-hit game since the Bears' second game of the year.
• 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. ... Miller has reached safely in 20 of the last 21 games, producing a .464 on base percentage (45-for-97) in that time. ... After suffering 14 multiple-strikeout outings in the season's first 39 games, Miller has not struck out more than once in any of the last 16 games. He averaged 1.23 strikeouts per game in the first 39 contests but has trimmed that to 0.50 per game over the last 16 contests, striking out only eight times in that span.
• Jon Ringenberg leads the team with five pinch hits this season, the most by a Baylor player since 2003 when Zach Dillon had seven and Reid Brees had five.
• Mace Thurman has allowed a staff-low 1.59 extra-base hits per 9.0 innings this season, surrendering six doubles and one home run in 39.2 innings. ... He has tallied 17 strikeouts in 12.1 innings over his last four appearances.
• Shawn Tolleson's first-inning ERA is 12.08 (17 earned runs in 12.2 innings) with an opponents' batting average of .385 (20-for-52); his ERA is 3.49 after the first inning with a .233 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 2.37 ERA (eight earned runs in 30.1 innings) over his last five starts, but he is 0-3 and Baylor is 1-4 in those games. He has been given 11 total runs of support in those games, including one run three times. Volz has 41 strikeouts against 12 walks in his last five starts.
• 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 .318 (42-for-132) with 16 extra-base hits and 22 RBI in 35 games. ... Weems is hitting .361 (13-for-36) in the last 10 games and .342 (26-for-76) in the last 20 games.
EIGHT BEARS EARN ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12 HONORS
Eight Baylor baseball student-athletes were named 2008 Academic All-Big 12 Conference, the league office announced Thursday. All eight earned first-team status. Baylor, which led all schools in first-team honorees, tied
The eight Baylor student-athletes honored were senior pitcher Erik Forestiere (political science), 3B Shaver Hansen (business), RHP Willie Kempf (business), RHP Wade Mackey (speech communication), RHP Tim Matthews (political science), RF Aaron Miller (business), RHP Shawn Tolleson (health science studies) and RHP Kendal Volz (business).
Baylor baseball student-athletes have earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 honors 64 times in the league's 12-year history, 14 more than any other school in the conference.
Mackey and Matthews were first-team honorees for the second consecutive season; the other six were all first-time selections in their first year of eligibility.
MILLER, HANSEN NAMED ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT VI
Two Baylor baseball student-athletes earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI honors, the College Sports Information Directors of America announced Thursday. RF Aaron Miller was a first-team selection, while 3B Shaver Hansen earned second-team honors. Both were first-time honorees, and both are business majors.
At least one Baylor baseball student-athlete has earned academic all-district honors every year since 1998. In that time, 17 Bears have been so honored 24 times. Jason Jennings (1998, 1999), Jon Topolski (1998, 1999), Ross Bennett (2002, 2003), Michael Griffin (2004, 2005, 2006), Zach Dillon (2005, 2006) and Jeff Mandel (2006, 2007) all earned academic all-district honors multiple times.
In order to be eligible for academic all-district honors, a student-athlete must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 on a 4.00 scale and participate in at least 50 percent of his team's games. Freshmen and first-year transfers are not eligible. By virtue of earning first-team honors, Miller is eligible for Academic All-America honors; that team will be announced May 27.
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Baylor ranks eighth in batting average (.286), eighth in ERA (5.11) and fifth in fielding percentage (.971) through games of May 18. In league games, the Bears rank 10th in batting average (.258), sixth in ERA (5.51) and sixth in fielding percentage (.971).
Individually in all games: RF Aaron Miller is seventh in home runs (12) and tied for fifth in doubles (18). 3B Shaver Hansen is tied for third in triples (5), while LF Ben Booker is tied for ninth (3). RHP Willie Kempf is 15th in ERA (4.00), while RHP Kendal Volz is 16th (4.13). Kempf also is tied for ninth in victories (6). Volz is sixth in strikeouts (79) and second in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (10.88). RHP Nick Cassavechia is tied for ninth in saves (5). RHP Shawn Tolleson is second in shutuouts (2) and tied for third in complete games (2). RHP Tim Matthews is tied for third in shutouts (1) and tied for eighth in complete games (1).
Individually in league games: 2B Raynor Campbell is 11th in batting average (.354) and 11th in hits (35). 1B Adam Hornung is tied for seventh in home runs (6). SS Beamer Weems is tied for fifth in triples (2). Kempf is 14th in ERA (4.53), while Tolleson is 17th (4.61). Kempf and Tolleson are tied for sixth in victories (4). Tolleson ranks ninth in strikeouts (48); he is tied for first in shutouts (2), tied for second in complete games (2) and sixth in innings (56.2). Volz is fourth in strikeouts (58) and first in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (11.77). Matthews is tied for eighth in saves (2).
NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Through games of May 11, Baylor ranked 22nd in double plays turned (22), 24th in double plays turned per game (1.02), 37th in fielding percentage (.970), 41st in strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (8.0), 41st in walks (233) and 53rd in triples (16).
Individually, 3B Shaver Hansen was 69th in triples (5) and 60th in triples per game (0.10), while RHP Kendal Volz was 51st in strikeouts (79) and 18th in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (10.89).
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
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 (
NEXT UP ...
Baylor awaits word from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. Pairings for the 2008 tournament will be announced Monday, May 26, at 11:30 a.m. CDT on ESPN.
