THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (8-6) split a Saturday doubleheader with Columbia (4-5) at Baylor Ballpark, winning the first game, 3-0, but dropping the nightcap, 11-4.

Senior LHP Tyler Thomas was outstanding once again in the opener, tossing eight scoreless innings and adding seven strikeouts, but the Lions responded in game two with 10 unanswered runs from the fifth inning on.

In game one, the Bears jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead behind RBIs from Antonio Valdez and Chase Wehsener in the bottom of the first. They added another in the third thanks to another run-scoring knock from Wehsener, part of his three-hit performance.

From there, it was all Thomas as he retired 22 of the 26 batters he faced and worked five three-up, three-down frames. For the season, Thomas now boasts a 0.94 ERA with a 3-1 record on the mound.

With the three-run lead, freshman RHP Mason Marriott came on to close things down in the ninth. Though he surrendered two hits, he was able to force a game-ending 4-6-3 double play to earn his fourth save of the season.

In the nightcap, BU once again got out to the early lead behind a two-run single off the bat of Jack Pineda in the bottom of the second. After Columbia trimmed the lead in half, Baylor got two more in the third thanks to a two-run Jared McKenzie inside-the-park home run.
 
With the score at 4-1, the tides started to turn as the Lions put up three in the fifth, one in the sixth, four in the seventh, and one in each of the eighth and ninth innings, all the while holding Baylor to nothing but zeros at the plate.

On the mound, Jake Jackson got the start and turned in five innings with five strikeouts. It was Hambleton Oliver (1-1) who was tagged with the loss. Grant Golomb, Cole Stasio and Chandler Freeman each made an appearance, as did Joey Schott in his collegiate debut.
 
NOTES
• Baylor is now 5-1 all-time against Ivy League teams.
• BU is 76-31 (.710) at home in the last five seasons, including a 4-5 mark in 2022.
• Tyler Thomas turned in his second scoreless outing of the season. He has allowed just three earned runs across 28.2 IP for a 0.74 ERA this year.
• Jared McKenzie's inside-the-park home run was the first hit by a Baylor player since March 19, 2011 (Chris Slater vs. Texas Tech).
• Chase Wehsener collected his fifth multi-hit game and second multi-RBI game of the season, while extending his hit streak to five games.
• Jack Pineda has reached base in 17-straight games, dating back to the 2021 season.
• Pineda earned a career-high four bases on balls in game one of the doubleheader.
• Jared McKenzie, Kyle Nevin, Pineda and Tre Richardson each notched multi-hit games.
• Pineda and Wehsener are tied for the team lead with five multi-hit games in 2022.
• McKenzie and Pineda each recorded their second multi-RBI efforts of the year.
• Mason Marriott notched his fourth save of the season.
• Harrison Caley and Cortlan Castle each caught a runner stealing, both their second CS of the year.
• Casen Neumann made his first-career start.
• Jacob Schoenvogel made his first start of the season.
• Joey Schott made his collegiate debut.

STAT OF THE GAME
8 – Tyler Thomas pitched eight scoreless innings to get the win in game one.

TOP QUOTES
Head coach Steve Rodriguez
On Thomas' performance…
"He's a fifth-year senior, he understands how to get it done. He came out today and did a phenomenal job. He's obviously older and understands how to develop a routine for himself. I'm really happy with his preparation and his ability to go out and do it and be consistent. I think he has a chip on his shoulder from what happened last year and it's showing. He's doing everything you're supposed to do as a leader and as a Friday night guy."
 
Senior LHP Tyler Thomas
On what's been working so well for him and staying focused…
"Just getting ahead and pounding the zone. I wouldn't say I was great today at getting ahead, but coming back with a second pitch for strike one to even out the count was huge. I just don't look at [his impressive numbers]. I just ignore it. It doesn't matter."

WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (8-6) and Columbia (4-5) return for a rubber game at 3 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 13 to round out the weekend series at Baylor Ballpark.
 
For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.