Saturday, February 19
Waco, Texas
3 PM
Baylor
0-2
5
vs
9
Maryland
2-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Maryland
4
0
1
0
0
3
0
0
1
9
11
0
Baylor
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
1
2
5
10
2
BSB’s Late Comeback Bid Falls Short to Maryland
2/19/2022 7:46:00 PM | Baseball
Bears drop game two of the series, 9-5
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Even before Baylor rallied from a six-run deficit to bring the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth inning of Saturday's game at Baylor Ballpark, Steve Rodriguez never had a doubt about how bad his players want it. If anything, they might want it too badly.
While the Bears' ninth-inning rally came up short in a 9-5 loss to Maryland, "there's no doubt, they're competing their butts off. They really are," Rodriguez said.
"Sometimes, you might squeeze your bat a little harder than you want to, or you're trying to throw the ball a little harder than you want to or you should," said Rodriguez, whose dropped its second-straight to the Terrapins. "Sometimes, you're getting outside the player you are. That's what hopefully some of this does. It calms us down a little bit."
For the second-straight day, Maryland (2-0) jumped out to a first-inning lead and never trailed. The first four batters reached base off Baylor starter Blake Helton, but three of the Terrapins' four first-inning runs were unearned after Nick Lorusso reached on an error.
Bobby Zmarzlak blasted a solo homer to lead off the third inning, extending the lead to 5-0, and appeared to hit another one off reliever Matt Voelker with two out in the fourth. But, rightfielder Kyle Nevin reached over the wall and snagged it, showing the ball as he came back down.
"I got a good bead on the ball and I saw it out of the air," said Nevin, who also went 2-for-5 at the plate. "The wind was taking it out a little more than I thought it was going to, but I timed it and was still able to make a play for my pitcher."
Rodriguez has seen Nevin make "several of those catches," and said he is playing "like a big-league rightfielder right now with his arm, his athleticism, with his vertical ability."
"When he caught it, I just wanted to make sure he caught it, because I never saw the ball until they brought it into the infield," he said. "What's funny is it didn't surprise me. If he could get to it, he was going to catch it. He has a phenomenal timing and ability for those plays."
Leading off the bottom half of the inning, Nevin singled through the left side and stole second. Lefty starter Ryan Ramsey hit Chase Wehsener and Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo to load the bases with two outs, then freshman catcher Cortlan Castle delivered a two-run single through the left side to get the Bears on the board.
Much like Nick Dean the night before, Ramsey kept the Baylor hitters off-balance, giving up just two runs on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts in a strong six-inning outing.
"That's the thing, it's not going to get easier for us," Rodriguez said. "I'm glad we're getting challenged like this. It's great for us to come out and have to compete and make adjustments on an at-bat by at-bat basis. These are things that are going to grow you as a person and as a player."
One of five players to make their Baylor debuts, freshman reliever Henry Cone gave up a two-out, two-run double to right-center field that broke the game open and extended Maryland's lead to 8-2.
Baylor scored a run in the eighth on three-straight hits by Nevin, Nicolas Balsano and Wehsener, but the Terps answered with a run in the top of the ninth on a bases-loaded walk by Luke Shliger.
Reliever Nigel Belgrave had control issues of his own in the bottom of the ninth to make things interesting. Jack Pineda walked, sandwiched between hits by Castle and Tre Richardson to load the bases, then Jared McKenzie drew a four-pitch walk to score a run.
With the bases loaded and still nobody out, Nevin drove in a run with an RBI groundout to short, but Belgrave came back to strike out Jacob Schoenvogel and Wehsener on a grounder to second to end the game.
"There at the end, it was exciting," said Castle, who was 2-for-4 with two pickoffs in his Baylor debut. "We were able to get some guys on base and get them in a little bit. We had a little bit of a rally going. Unfortunately, we started it a little bit late, but we're excited about tomorrow. We're ready to wake up in the morning and get the job done."
Sunday's series finale starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, with Nevada transfer Jake Jackson scheduled to start for the Bears against Maryland sophomore righty Jason Savacool.
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (0-2) fell at the hands of Maryland (2-0) 9-5 on Saturday at Baylor Ballpark, despite a late comeback effort that came up short.
The first four batters in the ninth inning reached for the Bears as the UMD lead was trimmed to four, but BU couldn't muster enough to top the Terrapins.
For the second-straight day, UMD jumped out to an early lead with a four-spot in the top of the first. The Terps added another from a solo home run in the top of the third before Baylor got on the board for the first time this season. It was freshman catcher Cortlan Castle's two-RBI single that put the first dent in the UMD lead, making it 5-2 through the first five innings.
However, three more runs came across for Maryland in the sixth inning. BU got one back in the bottom of the eighth from a Chase Wehsener run-scoring knock, but UMD answered with a run of its own in the top of the ninth.
That's when Baylor found some energy, thanks to a leadoff single from Castle and a base hit from Tre Richardson that followed a walk to Jack Pineda. Jared McKenzie picked up an RBI from a bases-loaded walk and Kyle Nevin scored a run with a groundout, but that would be all as the late threat was snuffed out.
Junior lefty Ryan Ramsey picked up his first win of the year for the Terrapins, while junior RHP Blake Helton was tabbed with the loss for BU.
NOTES
• Baylor falls to 0-2 all-time against Maryland.
• This is the first time in the Coach Rod era that the Bears have lost the first two games of the season.
• Five Bears made their Baylor debut: Kobe Andrade, Cortlan Castle, Henry Cone, Mason Marriott and Matt Voelker.
• Four Bears picked up multi-hit games in Nicolas Balsano, Castle, Kyle Nevin and Chase Wehsener.
• Castle led the Bears with two RBIs in his collegiate debut.
• The freshman catcher also picked off two runners at first base.
• Balsano collected his first-career hit as part of his two-hit day.
• Andrade made his first-career plate appearance and reached on a walk.
• Jack Pineda extended his hit streak to five games, dating back to last season.
STAT OF THE GAME
2 – Cortlan Castle had two hits, two RBIs and two pick-offs.
TOP QUOTES
Head coach Steve Rodriguez
On tonight's game…
"It's not going to get easier for us. I'm glad we're getting challenged like this. It's great for us to be able to come out and have to compete and make adjustments. These are things that are going to grow you as a person and as a player. Some of the frustrations that you face early are absolutely irrelevant when it comes later, but they can really help you if you're doing the right things and learning from them. That's what we're hoping for, is that they're learning from some of their mistakes and they're learning from their experience. That way, when we get later on in the season, some of these things aren't foreign to them and they can walk right through it."
Freshman C Cortlan Castle
On making his first-career start…
"It was really exciting. I had my parents here and some other family here, so it was really cool to see my name on the lineup card. I had the jitters for a little bit, just because it was a big game and there was a lot of people in the stands. But, the older guys have really helped prepare me for this moment. I really felt like I settled down, was able to relax and just have a lot of fun out there."
Sophomore OF Kyle Nevin
On his fourth-inning home run robbery…
"I got a good beat on the ball and I saw it out of the air. The wind was taking it out a little more than I thought it was going to, but I timed it right and was still able to make a play for my pitcher. I had one maybe come close last year, but this one will be a memory for sure."
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor will look to salvage the series against Maryland in Sunday's finale, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. CT at Baylor Ballpark.
For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
Baylor Bear Insider
Even before Baylor rallied from a six-run deficit to bring the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth inning of Saturday's game at Baylor Ballpark, Steve Rodriguez never had a doubt about how bad his players want it. If anything, they might want it too badly.
While the Bears' ninth-inning rally came up short in a 9-5 loss to Maryland, "there's no doubt, they're competing their butts off. They really are," Rodriguez said.
"Sometimes, you might squeeze your bat a little harder than you want to, or you're trying to throw the ball a little harder than you want to or you should," said Rodriguez, whose dropped its second-straight to the Terrapins. "Sometimes, you're getting outside the player you are. That's what hopefully some of this does. It calms us down a little bit."
For the second-straight day, Maryland (2-0) jumped out to a first-inning lead and never trailed. The first four batters reached base off Baylor starter Blake Helton, but three of the Terrapins' four first-inning runs were unearned after Nick Lorusso reached on an error.
Bobby Zmarzlak blasted a solo homer to lead off the third inning, extending the lead to 5-0, and appeared to hit another one off reliever Matt Voelker with two out in the fourth. But, rightfielder Kyle Nevin reached over the wall and snagged it, showing the ball as he came back down.
"I got a good bead on the ball and I saw it out of the air," said Nevin, who also went 2-for-5 at the plate. "The wind was taking it out a little more than I thought it was going to, but I timed it and was still able to make a play for my pitcher."
Rodriguez has seen Nevin make "several of those catches," and said he is playing "like a big-league rightfielder right now with his arm, his athleticism, with his vertical ability."
"When he caught it, I just wanted to make sure he caught it, because I never saw the ball until they brought it into the infield," he said. "What's funny is it didn't surprise me. If he could get to it, he was going to catch it. He has a phenomenal timing and ability for those plays."
Leading off the bottom half of the inning, Nevin singled through the left side and stole second. Lefty starter Ryan Ramsey hit Chase Wehsener and Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo to load the bases with two outs, then freshman catcher Cortlan Castle delivered a two-run single through the left side to get the Bears on the board.
Much like Nick Dean the night before, Ramsey kept the Baylor hitters off-balance, giving up just two runs on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts in a strong six-inning outing.
"That's the thing, it's not going to get easier for us," Rodriguez said. "I'm glad we're getting challenged like this. It's great for us to come out and have to compete and make adjustments on an at-bat by at-bat basis. These are things that are going to grow you as a person and as a player."
One of five players to make their Baylor debuts, freshman reliever Henry Cone gave up a two-out, two-run double to right-center field that broke the game open and extended Maryland's lead to 8-2.
Baylor scored a run in the eighth on three-straight hits by Nevin, Nicolas Balsano and Wehsener, but the Terps answered with a run in the top of the ninth on a bases-loaded walk by Luke Shliger.
Reliever Nigel Belgrave had control issues of his own in the bottom of the ninth to make things interesting. Jack Pineda walked, sandwiched between hits by Castle and Tre Richardson to load the bases, then Jared McKenzie drew a four-pitch walk to score a run.
With the bases loaded and still nobody out, Nevin drove in a run with an RBI groundout to short, but Belgrave came back to strike out Jacob Schoenvogel and Wehsener on a grounder to second to end the game.
"There at the end, it was exciting," said Castle, who was 2-for-4 with two pickoffs in his Baylor debut. "We were able to get some guys on base and get them in a little bit. We had a little bit of a rally going. Unfortunately, we started it a little bit late, but we're excited about tomorrow. We're ready to wake up in the morning and get the job done."
Sunday's series finale starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, with Nevada transfer Jake Jackson scheduled to start for the Bears against Maryland sophomore righty Jason Savacool.
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (0-2) fell at the hands of Maryland (2-0) 9-5 on Saturday at Baylor Ballpark, despite a late comeback effort that came up short.
The first four batters in the ninth inning reached for the Bears as the UMD lead was trimmed to four, but BU couldn't muster enough to top the Terrapins.
For the second-straight day, UMD jumped out to an early lead with a four-spot in the top of the first. The Terps added another from a solo home run in the top of the third before Baylor got on the board for the first time this season. It was freshman catcher Cortlan Castle's two-RBI single that put the first dent in the UMD lead, making it 5-2 through the first five innings.
However, three more runs came across for Maryland in the sixth inning. BU got one back in the bottom of the eighth from a Chase Wehsener run-scoring knock, but UMD answered with a run of its own in the top of the ninth.
That's when Baylor found some energy, thanks to a leadoff single from Castle and a base hit from Tre Richardson that followed a walk to Jack Pineda. Jared McKenzie picked up an RBI from a bases-loaded walk and Kyle Nevin scored a run with a groundout, but that would be all as the late threat was snuffed out.
Junior lefty Ryan Ramsey picked up his first win of the year for the Terrapins, while junior RHP Blake Helton was tabbed with the loss for BU.
NOTES
• Baylor falls to 0-2 all-time against Maryland.
• This is the first time in the Coach Rod era that the Bears have lost the first two games of the season.
• Five Bears made their Baylor debut: Kobe Andrade, Cortlan Castle, Henry Cone, Mason Marriott and Matt Voelker.
• Four Bears picked up multi-hit games in Nicolas Balsano, Castle, Kyle Nevin and Chase Wehsener.
• Castle led the Bears with two RBIs in his collegiate debut.
• The freshman catcher also picked off two runners at first base.
• Balsano collected his first-career hit as part of his two-hit day.
• Andrade made his first-career plate appearance and reached on a walk.
• Jack Pineda extended his hit streak to five games, dating back to last season.
STAT OF THE GAME
2 – Cortlan Castle had two hits, two RBIs and two pick-offs.
TOP QUOTES
Head coach Steve Rodriguez
On tonight's game…
"It's not going to get easier for us. I'm glad we're getting challenged like this. It's great for us to be able to come out and have to compete and make adjustments. These are things that are going to grow you as a person and as a player. Some of the frustrations that you face early are absolutely irrelevant when it comes later, but they can really help you if you're doing the right things and learning from them. That's what we're hoping for, is that they're learning from some of their mistakes and they're learning from their experience. That way, when we get later on in the season, some of these things aren't foreign to them and they can walk right through it."
Freshman C Cortlan Castle
On making his first-career start…
"It was really exciting. I had my parents here and some other family here, so it was really cool to see my name on the lineup card. I had the jitters for a little bit, just because it was a big game and there was a lot of people in the stands. But, the older guys have really helped prepare me for this moment. I really felt like I settled down, was able to relax and just have a lot of fun out there."
Sophomore OF Kyle Nevin
On his fourth-inning home run robbery…
"I got a good beat on the ball and I saw it out of the air. The wind was taking it out a little more than I thought it was going to, but I timed it right and was still able to make a play for my pitcher. I had one maybe come close last year, but this one will be a memory for sure."
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor will look to salvage the series against Maryland in Sunday's finale, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. CT at Baylor Ballpark.
For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
-BaylorBears.com-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ramsey, Ryan (1-0)
L: Helton, Blake (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Shaw, Matt 1 ; Costes, Maxwell 2
HR: Zmarzlak, Bobby 1
RBI: Shliger, Luke 1 ; Shaw, Matt 2 ; Zmarzlak, Bobby 1 ; Costes, Maxwell 2 ; Schreffler, Troy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shliger, Luke 2 ; Alleyne, Chris 1 ; Shaw, Matt 1 ; Lorusso, Nick 2 ; Zmarzlak, Bobby 3
SB: Shliger, Luke 1 ; Shaw, Matt 1
HBP: Shliger, Luke 1
PO: Shliger, Luke 1 ; Alleyne, Chris 1
Batting:
2B: Wehsener, Chase 1
RBI: McKenzie, Jared 1 ; Nevin, Kyle 1 ; Wehsener, Chase 1 ; Castle, Cortlan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Pineda, Jack 1 ; Nevin, Kyle 2 ; Wehsener, Chase 1 ; Castle, Cortlan 1
SB: Pineda, Jack 1 ; Nevin, Kyle 1
HBP: Wehsener, Chase 1 ; Cardoza-Oquendo, Esteban 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
LHP/OF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballINF/OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
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