Friday, March 19
Waco, Texas
6:30 p.m.
Baylor
vs
Texas
Baseball Opens Big 12 Play by Hosting No. 10 Texas
3/18/2021 2:52:00 PM | Baseball
The Bears will play their first conference games since 2019
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Baylor versus Texas. The Bears' league-leading hitting team (.346) facing a Texas pitching staff sporting a sparkling 3.21 ERA and led by junior right-hander Ty Madden.
"This is why you come to Baylor, this is why you come to the Big 12 to play," said senior catcher Andy Thomas, who's hitting .317 with four homers and a team-best 21 RBI. "We cannot wait to get on the field (Friday) night between those lines and face arguably the best pitcher in the conference. The guy throws hard, we hit good, so we'll see."
The Bears (12-4), riding a 10-game winning streak, welcome the 10th-ranked Longhorns (12-5) for a weekend series at Baylor Ballpark. In Friday's 6:30 p.m. opener, Madden (2-1, 1.33 ERA) will get the start against Baylor junior lefty Tyler Thomas (2-0, 1.96).
"It puts a little more pressure on you," Thomas said. "You've got to make your pitches, you've got to hit your spots, you've got to trust Coach Strauss and what he's calling and follow his plan. if we can do that, I have full faith that our hitters can execute."
Baylor, third in the nation with a .346 batting average, has averaged 9.6 runs and hit .361 as a team during the current 10-game winning streak. The Bears hit three home runs in Tuesday's 10-8 win over UTSA and followed that up with three doubles in a 12-2 run-rule victory over Prairie View A&M on Wednesday.
Facing the stout Texas pitchers, Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez said the key is minimizing strikeouts and putting the ball in play.
"If you put the ball in play, you've got a chance to get a hit, get on base and make things happen," Rodriguez said. "When we're striking out and walking back to the dugout, we eliminate that. The big thing is continuing to put pressure on the defense, minimize our defensive mistakes, and ten I think the two-out RBI is going to be a big deal this weekend."
Led by second baseman Jack Pineda (.419) and second-year freshman centerfielder Jared McKenzie (.411, 6 homers, 20 RBI), a potent Baylor lineup has all but one starter hitting over .300.
"Our energy, our passion, our approach, all of it is excellent," Thomas said. "We have guys that love to play. Not that we've never had that before, we've always had that. It's just a different intent. Our practices are really intense. Our clubhouse energy is really focused. Yeah, we like to have fun and all that. But, when it's game time, it's lace 'em up and get between the lines and play."
With the 2020 season cut short by COVID-19, it's been 663 days since Baylor's last Big 12 game and 712 days since the Bears and Longhorns have met. The Longhorns have won nine of their last 10, including sweeping South Carolina in a series last weekend in Austin.
"It's exciting," Rodriguez said. "I thought our team was really intriguing last year, especially going through the Shriners' Classic and doing what we did. I would have really liked to see where we were going to shake everything out through our conference. This year, our conference actually looks stronger. It's going to be really good to go out there and see if we can repeat what we've been doing these past couple of weeks."
Baylor sophomore right-hander Blake Helton (1-1, 4.41) will be opposed by Texas junior righty Tristan Stevens (1-1, 3.63) in Saturday's 3 p.m. game, with Baylor senior right-hander Hayden Kettler (1-0, 1.54) going against Texas sophomore Kolby Kubichek (2-1, 2.50) in Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale.
"It's really about us playing our game," Thomas said. "It's about our pitchers executing pitches and our hitters continuing to do what we do. I think if we do both of those things, if we execute pitches and hit the way we know how to hit, we'll have three wins under our belts after this weekend."
All three games will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose and former Baylor pitcher Pat Combs calling the action.
WACO, Texas – Coming into conference play with a 10-game win streak, the Baylor baseball team will play its first Big 12 games since 2019 when it hosts No. 10 Texas for three games beginning on Friday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m. CT at Baylor Ballpark. Game two of the series is set for 3 p.m. and the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Bears (12-4) are on their longest win streak since 2018, while the Longhorns (12-5) come in with a six-game win streak of their own. The series was initially sold out, but due to the recent announcement of Baylor Ballpark increasing capacity to 50 percent, there are tickets available for this weekend's games on BaylorBears.com.
Promotions for the weekend include Max Muncy Night on Friday with 'Go Get it Out of the Brazos' shirt, on Saturday it's Beat Texas Night with free 'Beat Texas' button. On Sunday, Baylor keychains will be available to fans.
SERIES INFO
Date: March 19-21 (Fri-Sun.)
Game Times: 6:30 p.m./3 p.m./1 p.m.
Site: Waco, Texas / Baylor Ballpark (5,000) (50 percent)
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
• Talent: Lincoln Rose (pxp), Pat Combs (color)
Radio: ESPN 1660/92.3 FM
• Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Paul Thorp (color) (Fri.), Richard Cunningham (color) (Sun.)
Live Stats: BaylorStats.com
Twitter Updates: @BaylorBaseball
Series History: Texas leads, 254-111-4
Streak: Texas, W1
First Meeting: April 4, 1903
Last Meeting: April 5-6, 2019 (Tied series 1-1)
Under Rodriguez: 5-7
PITCHING MATCHUP
Fri. March 16 – Baylor RHP Tyler Thomas (2-0, 1.96 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Ty Madden (2-1, 1.33 ERA)
Sat. March 20 – Baylor Blake Helton (1-1, 4.41 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Tristan Stevens (1-1, 3.63 ERA)
Sun. March 21 – Baylor RHP Hayden Kettler (1-0, 1.54 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Kolby Kubichek (2-1, 2.54 ERA)
STORY LINES
• The Bears continued their win streak after earning two midweek victories and over the 10 contests, Baylor is outscoring its opponents 96-22. The 10-game win streak is the longest for BU since April 15 – May 11, 2018. During the win streak, BU has shut out three opponents which is sixth-most in the country.
• Over the last 10, Baylor is averaging 9.6 runs per game, while hitting .361 as a team (.529 slugging percentage), led by Jack Pineda who is hitting .441 during the span.
• On the mound, Luke Boyd has appeared five times in the last 10 and has compiled three saves while not allowing a run in those five outings. Jimmy Winston is sporting a 0.79 ERA in three appearances, while earning two wins. Tyler Thomas (1.50 ERA) and Hayden Kettler (1.54 ERA) have settled into their starter roles nicely.
• The Bears are a perfect 10-0 this season at Baylor Ballpark. BU has finished its home schedule with a .500 record or better in all 21 seasons (Since 1999) and is 466-206 all-time at the park. Baylor will finish up its 13-game home stand this weekend vs. Texas, it is the longest homestand for the Bears since 2011 when they had 14 games in a row in Waco.
• With the cancellation of last year's season, before the start of conference play, 31 of the 46 players on BU's roster have yet to play in a conference game. The 2021 roster has 20 true freshmen.
• After hitting .406 last season in 16 games, Jared McKenzie has a .411 average through 16 games in 2021. McKenzie is 4th in the Big 12 in batting average, T-2nd with six home runs (15th nationally), after not hitting any in 2020. He also ranks 2nd in the conference in hits (30) and 4th nationally, in addition, he is 1st in the nation in runs (27) and total bases (55). His 20 RBI are 5th in the conference and his .753 slugging percentage is 3rd in the Big 12.
• JUCO transfer Jack Pineda has been a huge piece in Baylor's success through the first 16 contests. Pineda is hitting a team-best .419, which is also third in the Big 12 . His 26 hits are 4th in the Big 12 and 13th nationally, while his six doubles on the season also leads the team and is second in the conference.
• Through the first 16 games, the Bears are 1st in the Big 12 and 3rd in the nation in batting average, after hitting .346 through 16 games. Nine of BU's top 10 hitters are hitting .300 or better. As a team, BU is No. 1 in the country in total hits with 194. Pineda leads the way .419, McKenzie .411, Kyle Nevin .372, Antonio Valdez .364, Tre Richardson .354. The Bears have tallied double-digit hits in 13-of-16 games.
• On the mound, Tyler Thomas has dominated through four games, taking over as the Friday night starter against Xavier (3/12). In his four starts, the Keller, Texas, native is sporting a 2-0 record, 1.96 ERA, while striking out a team-best 25 batters. In 23.0 IP, Thomas is holding opponents to a .193 batting average.
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on Facebook (Baylor Baseball), Twitter (@BaylorBaseball) and Instagram (@BaylorBaseball).
Baylor Bear Insider
Baylor versus Texas. The Bears' league-leading hitting team (.346) facing a Texas pitching staff sporting a sparkling 3.21 ERA and led by junior right-hander Ty Madden.
"This is why you come to Baylor, this is why you come to the Big 12 to play," said senior catcher Andy Thomas, who's hitting .317 with four homers and a team-best 21 RBI. "We cannot wait to get on the field (Friday) night between those lines and face arguably the best pitcher in the conference. The guy throws hard, we hit good, so we'll see."
The Bears (12-4), riding a 10-game winning streak, welcome the 10th-ranked Longhorns (12-5) for a weekend series at Baylor Ballpark. In Friday's 6:30 p.m. opener, Madden (2-1, 1.33 ERA) will get the start against Baylor junior lefty Tyler Thomas (2-0, 1.96).
"It puts a little more pressure on you," Thomas said. "You've got to make your pitches, you've got to hit your spots, you've got to trust Coach Strauss and what he's calling and follow his plan. if we can do that, I have full faith that our hitters can execute."
Baylor, third in the nation with a .346 batting average, has averaged 9.6 runs and hit .361 as a team during the current 10-game winning streak. The Bears hit three home runs in Tuesday's 10-8 win over UTSA and followed that up with three doubles in a 12-2 run-rule victory over Prairie View A&M on Wednesday.
Facing the stout Texas pitchers, Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez said the key is minimizing strikeouts and putting the ball in play.
"If you put the ball in play, you've got a chance to get a hit, get on base and make things happen," Rodriguez said. "When we're striking out and walking back to the dugout, we eliminate that. The big thing is continuing to put pressure on the defense, minimize our defensive mistakes, and ten I think the two-out RBI is going to be a big deal this weekend."
Led by second baseman Jack Pineda (.419) and second-year freshman centerfielder Jared McKenzie (.411, 6 homers, 20 RBI), a potent Baylor lineup has all but one starter hitting over .300.
"Our energy, our passion, our approach, all of it is excellent," Thomas said. "We have guys that love to play. Not that we've never had that before, we've always had that. It's just a different intent. Our practices are really intense. Our clubhouse energy is really focused. Yeah, we like to have fun and all that. But, when it's game time, it's lace 'em up and get between the lines and play."
With the 2020 season cut short by COVID-19, it's been 663 days since Baylor's last Big 12 game and 712 days since the Bears and Longhorns have met. The Longhorns have won nine of their last 10, including sweeping South Carolina in a series last weekend in Austin.
"It's exciting," Rodriguez said. "I thought our team was really intriguing last year, especially going through the Shriners' Classic and doing what we did. I would have really liked to see where we were going to shake everything out through our conference. This year, our conference actually looks stronger. It's going to be really good to go out there and see if we can repeat what we've been doing these past couple of weeks."
Baylor sophomore right-hander Blake Helton (1-1, 4.41) will be opposed by Texas junior righty Tristan Stevens (1-1, 3.63) in Saturday's 3 p.m. game, with Baylor senior right-hander Hayden Kettler (1-0, 1.54) going against Texas sophomore Kolby Kubichek (2-1, 2.50) in Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale.
"It's really about us playing our game," Thomas said. "It's about our pitchers executing pitches and our hitters continuing to do what we do. I think if we do both of those things, if we execute pitches and hit the way we know how to hit, we'll have three wins under our belts after this weekend."
All three games will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose and former Baylor pitcher Pat Combs calling the action.
WACO, Texas – Coming into conference play with a 10-game win streak, the Baylor baseball team will play its first Big 12 games since 2019 when it hosts No. 10 Texas for three games beginning on Friday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m. CT at Baylor Ballpark. Game two of the series is set for 3 p.m. and the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Bears (12-4) are on their longest win streak since 2018, while the Longhorns (12-5) come in with a six-game win streak of their own. The series was initially sold out, but due to the recent announcement of Baylor Ballpark increasing capacity to 50 percent, there are tickets available for this weekend's games on BaylorBears.com.
Promotions for the weekend include Max Muncy Night on Friday with 'Go Get it Out of the Brazos' shirt, on Saturday it's Beat Texas Night with free 'Beat Texas' button. On Sunday, Baylor keychains will be available to fans.
SERIES INFO
Date: March 19-21 (Fri-Sun.)
Game Times: 6:30 p.m./3 p.m./1 p.m.
Site: Waco, Texas / Baylor Ballpark (5,000) (50 percent)
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
• Talent: Lincoln Rose (pxp), Pat Combs (color)
Radio: ESPN 1660/92.3 FM
• Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Paul Thorp (color) (Fri.), Richard Cunningham (color) (Sun.)
Live Stats: BaylorStats.com
Twitter Updates: @BaylorBaseball
Series History: Texas leads, 254-111-4
Streak: Texas, W1
First Meeting: April 4, 1903
Last Meeting: April 5-6, 2019 (Tied series 1-1)
Under Rodriguez: 5-7
PITCHING MATCHUP
Fri. March 16 – Baylor RHP Tyler Thomas (2-0, 1.96 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Ty Madden (2-1, 1.33 ERA)
Sat. March 20 – Baylor Blake Helton (1-1, 4.41 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Tristan Stevens (1-1, 3.63 ERA)
Sun. March 21 – Baylor RHP Hayden Kettler (1-0, 1.54 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Kolby Kubichek (2-1, 2.54 ERA)
STORY LINES
• The Bears continued their win streak after earning two midweek victories and over the 10 contests, Baylor is outscoring its opponents 96-22. The 10-game win streak is the longest for BU since April 15 – May 11, 2018. During the win streak, BU has shut out three opponents which is sixth-most in the country.
• Over the last 10, Baylor is averaging 9.6 runs per game, while hitting .361 as a team (.529 slugging percentage), led by Jack Pineda who is hitting .441 during the span.
• On the mound, Luke Boyd has appeared five times in the last 10 and has compiled three saves while not allowing a run in those five outings. Jimmy Winston is sporting a 0.79 ERA in three appearances, while earning two wins. Tyler Thomas (1.50 ERA) and Hayden Kettler (1.54 ERA) have settled into their starter roles nicely.
• The Bears are a perfect 10-0 this season at Baylor Ballpark. BU has finished its home schedule with a .500 record or better in all 21 seasons (Since 1999) and is 466-206 all-time at the park. Baylor will finish up its 13-game home stand this weekend vs. Texas, it is the longest homestand for the Bears since 2011 when they had 14 games in a row in Waco.
• With the cancellation of last year's season, before the start of conference play, 31 of the 46 players on BU's roster have yet to play in a conference game. The 2021 roster has 20 true freshmen.
• After hitting .406 last season in 16 games, Jared McKenzie has a .411 average through 16 games in 2021. McKenzie is 4th in the Big 12 in batting average, T-2nd with six home runs (15th nationally), after not hitting any in 2020. He also ranks 2nd in the conference in hits (30) and 4th nationally, in addition, he is 1st in the nation in runs (27) and total bases (55). His 20 RBI are 5th in the conference and his .753 slugging percentage is 3rd in the Big 12.
• JUCO transfer Jack Pineda has been a huge piece in Baylor's success through the first 16 contests. Pineda is hitting a team-best .419, which is also third in the Big 12 . His 26 hits are 4th in the Big 12 and 13th nationally, while his six doubles on the season also leads the team and is second in the conference.
• Through the first 16 games, the Bears are 1st in the Big 12 and 3rd in the nation in batting average, after hitting .346 through 16 games. Nine of BU's top 10 hitters are hitting .300 or better. As a team, BU is No. 1 in the country in total hits with 194. Pineda leads the way .419, McKenzie .411, Kyle Nevin .372, Antonio Valdez .364, Tre Richardson .354. The Bears have tallied double-digit hits in 13-of-16 games.
• On the mound, Tyler Thomas has dominated through four games, taking over as the Friday night starter against Xavier (3/12). In his four starts, the Keller, Texas, native is sporting a 2-0 record, 1.96 ERA, while striking out a team-best 25 batters. In 23.0 IP, Thomas is holding opponents to a .193 batting average.
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on Facebook (Baylor Baseball), Twitter (@BaylorBaseball) and Instagram (@BaylorBaseball).
Players Mentioned
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