March 13, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
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GAMES 13-15 • MARCH 14-16
No. 5 BAYLOR (10-2, 0-0) vs. No. 3 TEXAS A&M (11-4, 0-0)
SATURDAY: Olsen Field; College Station, Texas; 6:35 p.m. CDT - RADIO: 1660 ESPN Radio or 104.9 FM
SUNDAY: Olsen Field; College Station, Texas; 1:05 p.m. CDT - RADIO: 1660 ESPN Radio
MONDAY: Baylor Ballpark; Waco, Texas; 6:30 p.m. CDT - RADIO: 104.9 FM; Free Growl Towels to first 1,000 fans
Baylor returns to action this weekend, opening Big 12 Conference play with the traditional split series against Texas A&M. The Bears and the Aggies open the series Saturday with a 6:35 p.m. CDT first pitch at Olsen Field in College Station, followed by a 1:05 p.m. first pitch Sunday. The series then shifts to Baylor Ballpark for the series finale Monday at 6:30 p.m. This series is the conference opener for both teams.
The Bears (10-2) have won four straight and nine of their last 10 after defeating South Alabama, then-No. 5 UC Irvine and UAB in last weekend's QTI Baylor Classic. Baylor's midweek game at Texas was postponed due to inclement weather. The Bears are ranked fifth nationally in this week's Baseball America Top 25 and 11th in this week's USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll. Baylro also is ranked 13th in the NCBWA Top 30 and 13th in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30.
The Aggies (11-4) dropped a 15-5 decision Tuesday night at home to sixth-ranked Cal State Fullerton, a game in which the Titans scored eight ninth-inning runs. Texas A&M's scheduled Wednesday night at home against Northwestern State also was postponed due to inclement weather. The Aggies are ranked third nationally in this week's Baseball America Top 25 and eighth in this week's USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll. Texas A&M also is ranked sixth in the NCBWA Top 30 and ninth in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30.
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 CBS College Sports Network.
Live streaming video also is available for the Baylor-Texas A&M series. The games at Olsen Field are available at www.AggieAthletics.com, while Monday's game is available at www.BaylorBears.com.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
SATURDAY
Baylor: RHP Kendal Volz, Jr. (1-0, 1.86 ERA, 19.1 IP, 9 BB, 13 K, .164 OBA)
TexasA&M: LHP Brooks Raley, So. (3-0, 2.50 ERA, 15.1 IP, 7 BB, 16 K, .234 OBA)
SUNDAY
Baylor: LHP Aaron Miller, Jr. (1-0, 3.48 ERA, 10.1 IP, 8 BB, 8 K, .194 OBA)
TexasA&M: RHP Alex Wilson, Jr. (1-2, 0.96 ERA, 18.2 IP, 5 BB, 35 K, .136 OBA)
MONDAY
Baylor: RHP Shawn Tolleson, So. (0-0, 4.97 ERA, 12.2 IP, 8 BB, 7 K, .273 OBA)
TexasA&M: RHP Barret Loux, So. (0-0, 4.11 ERA, 15.1 IP, 5 BB, 23 K, .172 OBA)
SERIES INFORMATION
Overall: Texas A&M leads 145-113-1
Waco: Baylor leads 72-70
College Station: Texas A&M leads 70-35-1
Neutral Site: Baylor leads 6-5
Smith vs. TAMU: 24-24
First Meeting: [4/9/1904]
Last Meeting: TAMU 13, at Baylor 12 [4/19/2008]
COACHES
BAYLOR: Steve Smith
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986
Career Record: 532-339-1 [15th season]
Record at Baylor: 532-339-1 [15th season]
TEXAS A&M: Rob Childress
Alma Mater: Northwood, 1990
Career Record: 130-72-1 [4th season]
Record at TAMU: 130-72-1 [4th season]
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 (Weekend): www.AggieAthletics.com
Video (Monday): www.BaylorBears.com
BAYLOR-TEXAS A&M SERIES HISTORY
Baylor and Texas A&M meet for the 260th, 261st and 262nd times this weekend. The Aggies hold a 145-113-1 advantage in the all-time series, the second-most played series in Baylor baseball history behind only Texas (321 meetings). The series is tied 8-8 over the past five seasons, including one postseason meeting in the 2007 Big 12 Championship title game. Texas A&M has won six of the last seven meetings over the past two seasons. Baylor and Texas A&M first met April 9, 1904.
The Bears hold a 72-70 advantage in games played in Waco. Texas A&M holds a 70-35-1 advantage in games played at College Station; however, the Bears have won six of the last nine at Olsen Field, and Baylor is 9-5 at Texas A&M since the 2000 season. Baylor leads the series 6-5 in neutral-site games. Baylor leads the series 21-18 since the beginning of Big 12 Conference play in 1997 with a 20-16 edge in regular-season meetings. The Bears have won six of the last nine series, taking only one of three games in the 2001 and 2007 series. Baylor owns two sweeps during the Big 12 era (2000, 2005), while Texas A&M swept the Bears last year.
The Bears and the Aggies began using the current split-series format in 1993. Since that time, the home team is 26-22. Only three times (1999, 2002 and 2006) has the home team won all three games. In 2001, the visiting team won all three games.
Last season, Texas A&M took the series opener 2-1 at Olsen Field before posting 11-1 and 13-12 victories at Baylor Ballpark. The series finale went 11 innings after Texas A&M rallied from a 12-6, ninth-inning deficit to send the game to extra innings. It was the Aggies' first sweep of the Bears since 1996.
TEAM NOTES
• Baylor is in the middle of a nine-game stretch with seven games against Top 25 opponents.
• This weekend's series features Baylor's first games as a top-five team against another top-five team since four such games at the 2005 College World Series. These are the first regular-season games involving a top-five Baylor team and a top-five opponent in the program's history.
• Baylor has four last-at-bat victories this season after only two such wins last year.
• Baylor has two extra-inning victories this season after only one such win last year.
• Baylor is 6-1 in one-run games.
• Baylor ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference in batting (.298), fourth in pitching (3.55) and eighth in fielding (.963) through games of March 11.
• Opposing batters are hitting .143 (17-for-119) against Baylor pitchers with two outs.
• Baylor has thrown out 42.9 percent (9-of-21) would-be base stealers this season. That percentage ranks second in the Big 12 behind only Oklahoma (63.6, 14-of-22).
PLAYER NOTES
• SS Joey Hainsfurther leads the Big 12 in batting (.486); he ranks 10th in slugging percentage (.649) and second in on base percentage (.565). Hainsfurther leads all Big 12 freshmen in each of the three categories.
• 1B Dustin Dickerson ranks 11th in the league in batting (.396).
• LF Adam Hornung is tied for seventh in the Big 12 in home runs (3), tied for ninth in doubles (5), tied for seventh in triples (1) and ranks third in slugging percentage (.800).
• RF Aaron Miller is tied for seventh in the Big 12 in home runs (3) and tied for seventh in walks (12); he ranks third in on base percentage (.549). ... Miller currently is riding a career-long, eight-game hitting streak; he is 10-for-23 in that time. ... Miller has reached safely in all 12 games this season. He also has walked at least once in nine of this season's 12 games.
• RHP Logan Verrett is tied for the the Big 12 lead in wins (4); he is third in ERA (0.71), tied for 10th in saves (1) and fourth in opponents' batting average (.146). He leads all Big 12 freshmen in wins, ERA and opponents' batting average.
• RHP Kendal Volz is 14th in the league in ERA (1.86) and ninth in opponents' batting average (.164).
BAYLOR vs. RANKED OPPONENTS
Baylor is 156-233-1 against ranked opponents since the start of the Baseball America rankings in 1981. The Bears are 3-1 against ranked teams this year with wins against UCLA (ninth), TCU (13th) and UC Irvine (fifth), and a loss to Rice (10th).
The Bears are 76-121 all-time against top-10 teams and 36-64 all-time against top-five opponents. For more information on Baylor's history against nationally ranked opponents, reference page 141 in the 2009 Baylor Baseball Media Guide.
BAYLOR CRACKS BASEBALL AMERICA TOP FIVE
Baylor moved up one spot to No. 5 in this week's Baseball America Top 25. This is Baylor's first regular-season top-five ranking since being ranked third during the final week of the 2000 regular season. Three Big 12 teams are ranked in this week's top five, and the Bears face each of the other two this week. Texas moved into the No. 1 spot, while Texas A&M also climbed one spot to No. 3.
MILLER NAMED BIG 12 CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
RF/LHP Aaron Miller was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Miller was so honored for the first time in his career. He is the first Bear to earn the league's player of the week honor since Ben Booker did so the first week of April last season. Oklahoma's Ryan Duke was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week.
Miller, a junior from Channelview, Texas, excelled both on the mound and at the plate last week, guiding the Bears to a 4-0 record that included victories over 13th-ranked TCU and fifth-ranked UC Irvine. The southpaw earned the victory with 5.0 shutout innings in the Bears' 2-1 victory Wednesday at TCU.
At the plate, Miller was 5-for-12 with two homers, eight RBI, six runs scored and four walks. He hit safely in all four games during the week, extending his hitting streak to a career-long eight games.
Miller was named Most Outstanding Player honors at the QTI Baylor Classic for the second consecutive year, going 4-for-8 in the three-game event. He was 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored Friday against South Alabama. Miller capped the weekend by going 1-for-2 with three walks Sunday against UAB; his one hit was the first grand slam of his career and tied the game at 8-8 in the seventh, keying the Bears' biggest comeback since 2005.
This marks the fourth consecutive year in which at least one Bear has earned player of the week honors. Miller is the 15th Baylor player so honored in the league's 13-year history, joining Mike Huggins (three times), Jon Topolski (twice), Charley Carter (twice), Chris Durbin (twice), Josh Ford (twice), Jaime Bubela, Matt Williams, Ross Bennett, Tim Hartshorn, Michael Griffin, Paul Witt, Chase Gerdes, Beamer Weems and Booker.
VOLZ LOOKING FOR SUPPORT
In his last nine starts (dating back to last season), RHP Kendal Volz has posted a 2.73 ERA (17 earned runs over 56.0 innings). He worked into at least the sixth inning in all but one of those starts; the lone exception was against Texas last year when he left after 3.0 innings with seven strikeouts and a strained oblique muscle.
However, Volz is 1-4 in those nine starts, and Baylor is 4-5. The Bears have not scored more than five runs in a Volz start since Feb. 29, 2008, when Baylor defeated Illinois 20-6.
BAYLOR PITCHERS STINGY WITH TWO OUTS
Baylor pitchers held opposing batters to a .120 average (10-for-83) with two outs this season. Five Baylor pitchers have faced at least 10 two-out at bats each this year, and none of the five has allowed more than two hits. RHP Logan Verrett has been the stingiest, holding opponents to an 0-for-11 clip with two outs.
EXTRA SPECIAL
Baylor is 17-7 in extra-inning games since the start of the 2003 season. After limping to a 1-3 record last season, the Bears already are 2-0 in extra frames this year. The Bears' 10-inning, 2-1 victory over Pacific in the 2009 season opener snapped a three-game losing streak in such games.
Five of the 17 wins over the past six-plus 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, including two at the Big 12 Tournament and one at the College World Series.
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.
VOLZ, MILLER NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
RHP Kendal Volz and OF/LHP Aaron Miller were named preseason All-America by Baseball America. Volz was one of four pitchers named first team, while Miller was a third-team selection as a utility player (position and pitcher). The Baseball America preseason All-America teams are determined by a vote of Major League Baseball scouting directors.
Volz was 3-6 with a 4.20 ERA in 12 starts last season. He led the Big 12 and ranked 18th nationally with 10.83 strikeouts per nine innings, a Baylor single-season record. However, Volz made his biggest waves last summer as the USA Baseball National Team's closer. He posted a 0.00 ERA and converted all eight save opportunities, guiding the National Team to a 24-0 record.
Miller hit .295 with 12 home runs and 45 RBI last season. He led the Bears in home runs, doubles (18), extra-base hits (31), slugging percentage (.562), walks (34) and on base percentage (.425). He saw limited action on the mound in 2008, going 1-1 with a 14.40 ERA over 5.0 innings. However, he expected to pitch more this season.
Volz and Miller are the sixth and seventh Baylor players to earn Baseball America preseason honors; Volz is the program's second first-team selection. Previous Baylor players so honored were Kip Wells (1998, second team), Jeremy Dodson (1998, third team), Steven White (2002, third team), Michael Griffin (2004, third team) and Mark McCormick (2004, second team; 2005, first team). Baseball America began selecting preseason All-America teams in 1982.
Volz and Missouri right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson were the only first-team selections from the Big 12 Conference. Other Big 12 honorees were catcher Trevor Coleman (Missouri, second team), left-handed pitcher Andrew Oliver (Oklahoma State, second team) and Miller.
BIG 12 COACHES PICK BAYLOR THIRD
Baylor was slotted in a third-place tie in the 2009 Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bears (32-26, 11-16 in 2008) earned 59 points along with Oklahoma State. This marks the second consecutive year in which the league's coaches picked Baylor to finish third.
Defending Big 12 champion Texas A&M was a unanimous choice to defend its title. The Aggies received nine of 10 first-place votes; coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams. Texas, which garnered the other first-place vote, was picked to finish second with 69 total points. Missouri was picked fifth, followed by Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Kansas State and Kansas.
This marks the first time since 2001 (Nebraska) that a team other than Texas was picked to win the Big 12 by the league's coaches. Baylor has been picked to finish fourth or better each year since 1999. This is the sixth time the Bears have been picked to finish third or better.
VOLZ NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD WATCH LIST
RHP Kendal Volz was among 50 players named to the initial watch list for the 2009 Golden Spikes Award announced Wednesday by USA Baseball. The Golden Spikes Award, in its 32nd year, is given annually to the nation's top collegiate player.
Volz was one of five Big 12 Conference players on the list, joining fellow 2008 National Team pitching staff mates Tyler Lyons and Andrew Oliver of Oklahoma State and Kyle Gibson of Missouri. Texas A&M first baseman Luke Anders also was on the list. Additional players may be added to the list throughout the year at USA Baseball's discretion.
USA Baseball officials will cut the watch list to 30 names May 26. That list will be sent to a voting panel consisting of professional baseball personnel, past USA Baseball National Team coaches, select members of the media, former USA Baseball press officers and current USA Baseball staff. For the second consecutive year, fan voting will count toward the final total; that will be available May 26 at www.goldenspikesaward.com.
Five finalists will be announced June 2 with voting for the winner beginning that day. The 2009 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award will be presented July 15 during an award show in conjunction with the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star weekend festivities in St. Louis.
Volz is the first Baylor pitcher to appear on the award's initial watch list since Chad Hawkins in 2000. Other Baylor players named to the award's initial watch list in past seasons include Beamer Weems (2008), Jason Jennings (1999) and Marty Crawford (1996).
BAYLOR SCHEDULE USUALLY AMONG NATION'S BEST
Baylor's strength of schedule has ranked among the nation's best routinely over the past decade, including top-10 rankings at season's end each year from 2002 to 2005. The Bears' strength of schedule ranked in the nation's top 30 each year from 1997 to 2007 before dipping to 36th last year.
According to BoydsWorld.com, Baylor's 2009 intended strength of schedule ranks 28th nationally. That ranks second in the Big 12 Conference behind only Oklahoma (25th) and just ahead of Texas A&M (31st).
Recruiting Closer recently researched teams from the Big 12, the ACC, the SEC and the Pac-10 to see which programs play the most non-conference games against teams from one of the other three conferences. Over the past four seasons, Baylor has played 22 non-conference games against teams from the other three conferences (includes postseason play). That ranks 11th nationally and second in the Big 12 behind only Texas (31, seventh).
Furthermore, Baylor's .682 winning percentage in those games (15-7) ranks third nationally among teams with at least 10 such games in that time. Southern California (.818, 9-2) ranked first, followed by Texas A&M (.778, 14-4).
TOLLESON LOOKS TO BUILD ON FRESHMAN SUCCESS
RHP Shawn Tolleson became the 10th freshman in Baylor history to record at least six victories last season, going 6-4. Furthermore, he was only the fourth to accomplish the feat during head coach Steve Smith's tenure, joining Ryan LaMotta (2003), Abe Woody (2003) and Kendal Volz (2007). Tolleson hopes to avoid the sophomore jinx that snagged Volz last season. Only one of the previous nine Baylor pitchers who won at least six games as a freshman - Ted Richardson - won at least that many as sophomores.
THREE BAYLOR GAMES SLATED FOR TELEVISION
Two Baylor baseball games have been selected for national broadcast on FSN. Baylor's Saturday, April 18, game at Oklahoma State and the Bears' Saturday, April 25, game at home against Oklahoma both will be broadcast live on FSN.
Start times for both games have been affected due to the broadcast. First pitch for both games will be at 1 p.m. CT.
Since 1988, Baylor has played 62 televised games, including five games last season. Baylor has played 31 televised games since 2005 when the Bears played a program-best 12 games on television.
FIVE BEARS ON BASEBALL AMERICA'S PRESEASON DRAFT LISTS
Five Baylor baseball student-athletes were listed on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects ranking for the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The list is specific to college players and focuses only on players who will be eligible to be drafted next June. Baylor had more players on the list than any other school.
RHP Kendal Volz was ranked as the nation's sixth-best prospect, while RHP Shawn Tolleson and RHP Craig Fritsch were 22nd and 37th, respectively. OF/LHP Aaron Miller was the 62nd-rated prospect, and 1B Dustin Dickerson was 71st.
Only two schools - Baylor (5) and Georgia (4) - had more than three players on the list. Ten schools had three players listed, including Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M from the Big 12 Conference.
In all, 16 players from Baylor's roster will be eligible in the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The program record for most players drafted in one year is nine (2005).
MILLER, VOLZ NAMED TO WALLACE WATCH LIST
OF/LHP Aaron Miller and RHP Kendal Volz were named to the initial watch list for the 2009 Brooks Wallace Award, presented annually to the top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. This is the award's sixth year.
The Wallace Award is dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech player and assistant coach Brooks Wallace, who died of cancer at age 27 in 1985. Wallace played at Tech from 1977 to 1980 and spent two years in the Texas Rangers' organization.
Past winners of the Wallace Award are Kurt Suzuki (catcher, Call State Fullerton, 2004), Alex Gordon (third baseman, Nebraska, 2005), Brad Lincoln (pitcher/designated hitter, Houston, 2006), David Price (pitcher, Vanderbilt, 2007) and Buster Posey (catcher, Florida State, 2008).
MIDWEEK PREVIEW
Baylor returns to action Wednesday, traveling to San Marcos, Texas, for a midweek game at Texas State. First pitch between the Bears and Bobcats is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CDT at Bobcat Stadium on the Texas State campus.
BAYLOR-TEXASSTATESERIES HISTORY
Baylor and Texas State meet for the 56th time Wednesday. The Bears hold a 41-14 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to the 1919 season. The Bears are 9-3 all-time at San Marcos after a 25-13 victory at Bobcat Field last season. Baylor has won each of its last three games at Texas State since the Bobcats blanked the Bears 12-0 in 2005. The Bears have won seven straight overall against Texas State.
LAST MEETING
BAYLOR 25, TEXAS STATE 13 • BOBCAT FIELD • SAN MARCOS, TEXAS • APRIL 23, 2008
Each Baylor starter collected at least two hits, and the Bears established a school record for runs in a road game with a 25-13 victory at Texas State in eight innings.
After Texas State scored five runs on four hits and a Baylor error in the second, the Bears posted a four-spot in the top of the third. The Bobcats answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, extending their lead to 7-4. That was the last lead Texas State would enjoy, though, as Baylor plated four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 9-7 lead and never trailed again.
The Bears went on to score at least two runs in each of the final six innings, including an eight-spot in the top of the eighth. After Texas State did not score in the bottom of the eighth, the game was called due to the mercy rule (10-run lead after seven-innings). Baylor scored in six straight frames for the first time since doing so in the first six innings of the April 22, 2003, game against TCU.
Aaron Miller led the offensive onslaught for Baylor, going 4-for-6 with three doubles and five RBI. Ben Booker was 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI. Raynor Campbell went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two sacrifice flies. Dustin Dickerson, Shaver Hansen and Adam Hornung each tallied three RBI, while Dickerson, Hornung and Brooks Kimmey each had three hits. Hansen, Jon Ringenberg and Beamer Weems added two hits each.
Much of Baylor's offensive success was due to the last two batters in the order getting on base consistently. Ringenberg, who batted eighth, was 2-for-3 with three walks and five runs scored; he led off and reached safely in three consecutive innings. Kimmey, who batted ninth, was 3-for-3 with three walks and five runs scored.
Erik Forestiere picked up the victory in relief; he allowed two runs on four hits and three walks with one strikeout over 2.2 innings.
BAYLOR vs. THE SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE
Baylor is 293-126-1 all-time against programs currently playing as Southland Conference members. The Bears were 8-1 against the SLC last season, falling only to regular-season league champion UTSA. Baylor has played more games against current Southland members than any conference other than the Big 12.
