Baylor
Maryland
BSB Opens 2022 Season Against Maryland
2/17/2022 5:54:00 PM | Baseball
Bears begin seven-game homestand at Baylor Ballpark
BAYLOR (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. MARYLAND (0-0, 0-0 Big 10)
Fri. Feb. 18 • 6:30 p.m. • Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ • Listen: ESPN 1660/92.3 FM
Sat. Feb. 19 • 3:00 p.m. • Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ • Listen: ESPN 1660/92.3 FM
Sun. Feb. 20 • 1:00 p.m. • Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ • Listen: ESPN 1660/92.3 FM
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Nine months later, Baylor sophomore centerfielder Jared McKenzie still remembers "that sound in the room when we didn't hear our name called" when the NCAA regional selections were announced last May.
"We know we're very capable of being one of those 64 teams and making a good run," said McKenzie, a preseason All-American who hit .383 with 10 homers and 44 RBI last year. "We're definitely looking forward to getting this thing rolling this year."
Coming off a 31-20 season when the NCAA committee had them as the 65th team, "the first team out," the Bears will get things rolling this weekend against a Maryland team that was one of the "last four in," despite being 11 spots below Baylor in the RPI rankings at No. 58.
The season-opening series, which is the first-ever meeting between Baylor and Maryland, begins with a 6:30 p.m. game Friday at Baylor Ballpark, followed by 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
"Maryland is obviously a very talented team coming back with a lot of veterans," said Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez. "We've got to get the first-game jitters out, the excitement, the energy. Once we get that out, hopefully we can play baseball. I know Maryland's going to deal with the same thing. We just have to make sure we play well, and we'll see what happens."
Making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in four years, Maryland (30-18) lost to East Carolina in the Greenville Regional final. After three-straight regional bids and a COVID year in 2020, the Bears failed to make the tournament for the first time since Rodriguez's first season in 2016.
"Our motto this year is 'One,''' said opening-day starter Tyler Thomas, a fifth-year senior who was 5-2 with a 2.49 ERA last year. "We were one team away, one game away. Maybe we were one pitch away, one hit away, we don't know. But. we're not going to let that one thing stop us this year."
While Thomas will be matched against junior righthander Nick Dean (3-1, 2.87) in Friday's opener, the rest of Baylor's weekend rotation will have fourth-year junior Blake Helton (4-3, 3.44) going on Saturday and grad transfer Jake Jackson on Sunday. Jackson was 5-4 with a 5.45 ERA at the University of Nevada last year.
"Obviously, you would like some of the veterans we've had in the past in the back end of the bullpen," Rodriguez said. "But, knowing the arms that we do have at the front end of the game and the middle of the game, I'm really confident with just the ability we have."
After losing most of the "Old Guys" bullpen, Rodriguez said, the Bears have to decide "who's going to be the 7th-inning guy? Who's going to be the long-relief guy? Who's going to be the end-of-the-game guy?"
"We have a pretty good idea about those roles," he said. "Now it's just a matter of each one of those players kind of taking CEO ownership of those roles and really being able to master them like we have with three former All-American closers in the past," he said.
While it's a much younger pitching staff, Thomas said, "we're very confident that they can step up and get the job done . . . some great guys like Grant Golomb, Joey Schott, hopefully Will Rigney gets in the mix."
Returning seven of the nine everyday starters, Baylor has its entire infield coming back with first baseman Chase Wehsener, Tre Richardson (.308) at second base, shortstop Jack Pineda (.327, 4 home runs, 33 RBI) and third baseman Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo (.291).
McKenzie will be joined by Kyle Nevin and Alex Gonzales in the outfield, with sophomore Cade Currington expected to start as the DH.
The biggest hole is at catcher, where Andy Thomas was a two-year starter after the position was held down for three years by All-American Shea Langeliers. There's depth there, though, with transfers Harrison Caley (ACU) and Ian Groves (Tarleton State), third-year sophomore Nicolas Balsano and freshman Cortlan Castle from Midway High School.
"They've all done a really good job back there," Rodriguez said. "Now, it's just a matter of finding the right matchups, finding out what works best for the team in those situations. You might see some movement back there in regards to different guys . . . but, our goal is to hopefully have one person back there the majority of the time winning that spot."
The Terrapins' Friday night starter, Dean was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year by D1 Baseball and replaces Sean Burke, a third-round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox. A second-team All-Big Ten pick, Ryan Ramsey moves from the bullpen and will start Saturday's game, while Jason Savacool (7-3, 5.97) will start Sunday's series finale.
A Freshman All-American, Matt Shaw hit .332 last season with seven homers and 30 RBI. Also back are centerfielder Chris Alleyne (.306, 8, 31), first baseman Maxwell Costes (.310, 5, 29) and second baseman Matt Shaw (.332, 7, 30).
"Facing a good team shows where we are," Thomas said. "We're going to be exposed this weekend. If we can't do something, they're going to let us know. If we can, then we're going to find out we're good."
Around baseball all his life and entering his 19th season as a head coach, Rodriguez said he still gets excited about opening day.
"I think you'd have to be numb to life to not have any excitement when it comes to opening day," Rodriguez said. "For me personally, opening day is one of the greatest times. Throughout the fall, throughout the summer, you're getting ready to do it. And then it's go time. Now, it's a matter of who can make the adjustments the quickest."
All three games this weekend will be streamed live by Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
STORYLINES
BASEBALL IS BACK
• Baylor opens its 2022 season on a seven-game homestand with series against Maryland and Duke sandwiching a midweek tilt vs. Houston Baptist.
• After dropping four of its final six games of the 2021 season, Baylor was coined the "First Team Out" of the NCAA Tournament, missing the postseason for the first time since 2016.
• The Bears are 64-35 all-time in season openers, with wins in 6 of its last 8 Opening Days.
• Baylor is 76-25 all-time in home openers, having won 8 of its last 10 games at home to start the year.
SERIES HISTORY BY THE NUMBERS
• This is the first meeting between Baylor and Maryland all-time.
• Baylor last faced a Big 10 opponent to begin the 2020 season, taking two of three from Nebraska.
• BU holds a combined 7-2 record all-time against its first three opponents of the 2022 campaign.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday, Feb. 18 • 6:30 p.m. CT • LHP Tyler Thomas (5-2, 2.49 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Dean (3-1, 2.87 ERA)
Saturday, Feb. 19 • 3:00 p.m. CT • RHP Blake Helton (4-3, 3.44 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Ramsey (5-0, 1.67 ERA)
Sunday, Feb. 20 • 1:00 p.m. CT • RHP Jake Jackson (5-4, 5.45 ERA) vs. RHP Jason Savacool (7-3, 5.97 ERA)
TESTED RIGHT FROM THE START
• Baylor is facing a Power 5 opponent in its season-opening series for just the third time in the last seven years.
• BU has not faced back-to-back P5 opponents in the first two weekends since hosting Duke and Georgia in 2010.
• The Bears will play 22 games against 10 teams who competed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, including five teams that reached a Super Regional and two that reached the College World Series.
• The Bears will stay close to home in 2022, as 46 of its 52 regular-season contests will be played in the state of Texas.
• Baylor doesn't leave the state of Texas until April 8-10, when it travels to take on West Virginia in Morgantown.
WHAT'S NEW?
• BU returns 27 players from its 2021 team to the 2022 active roster, and adds 12 newcomers.
• Of the newcomers, six are freshmen and six are transfers.
• • Graduate seniors RHP Jake Jackson and LHP Matt Voelker are expected to see significant work on the mound in 2022, along with fourth-year sophomore RHP Brett Garcia.
• Second-year sophomore LHP/OF Kobe Andrade will join the mix, while fellow transfers Harrison Caley and Ian Groves will see time behind the plate.
•Baylor returns 78.3% of its offense with seven position starters returning. Former All-American catcher Andy Thomas and longtime right fielder Davion Downey are the only two departures from the 2021 starting nine.
• Only 47.4% of BU's 2021 innings pitched return, as seniors Jacob Ashkinos, Luke Boyd, Logan Freeman, Hayden Kettler, Ryan Leckich and Jimmy Winston all depart.
-BaylorBears.com-
