Baylor
Texas
BSB Takes On No. 10 Texas in Austin
4/21/2022 6:15:00 PM | Baseball
Bears to put four-game win streak on the line against Longhorns
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BAYLOR BEARS (20-17, 4-8 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Steve Rodriguez (Pepperdine, 2001) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
BAYLOR (20-17, 4-8) vs TEXAS (27-13, 6-6) April 22, 2022 • 6:30 p.m. CT April 23, 2022 • 1:00 p.m. CT April 24, 2022 • 1:00 p.m. CT Austin, Texas • UFCU Disch-Falk Field (6,649) LIVE STATS: BaylorStats.com WATCH: Longhorn Network Talent: Keith Moreland, Greg Swindell LISTEN: Learfield / ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM & 92.3 FM (Fri. & Sun.) LISTEN: Learfield / Fox Sports Central Texas 1330 AM & 93.9 FM (Sat.) Talent: Derek Smith (PxP), Max Calderone (Analyst) Baylor Social Media:    |
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TEXAS LONGHORNS (27-13, 6-6 Big 12) Location: Austin, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: David Pierce (Houston, 1988) Roster | Stats | Game Notes |
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Looking at 10th-ranked Texas' numbers and blue-chip roster, it's hard not to be a little in awe.
The Longhorns (27-13, 6-6) lead the Big 12 in batting average (.311), home runs (64) and pitching ERA (4.05) going into a weekend series against the Baylor Bears (20-17, 4-8) at Disch-Falk Field in Austin. After Friday's series opener at 6:30 p.m., Games 2 and 3 will be at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
"They have amazing starting pitching. They're a veteran team, they have a lot of older guys on their team," said Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez, whose team has won four in a row. "I was talking to an SEC coach the other day, and he was like, 'I don't know if I've seen a true freshman playing this year. We're playing against a lot of 23- and 24-year-olds.'
"In my head, I'm kind of processing that 'Shoot, we have a lot of 18- and 19-year-olds rolling out there right now. That's the difference that people don't realize. Those extra years of experience, those extra years of playing, those extra years of opportunity, always make a difference."
After missing last weekend's series against Kansas, fifth-year senior Tyler Thomas (4-3, 1.97 ERA) is back in the rotation and will start Sunday's game opposite left-hander Lucas Gordon (3-1, 2.74).
"We hope he's doing a lot better," Rodriguez said. "He's been playing catch, he's been throwing, so it's just a matter of how he feels on Sunday. That'll determine the length of how far he can go."
In Thomas' absence, Baylor went with a committee approach of Brett Garcia, Henry Cone, Jake Jackson, Matt Voelker and Chandler Freeman in a 6-5, series-clinching win over Kansas last Saturday. The Bears used the same strategy in wins over Lamar and Sam Houston that got them three games over .500.
"He's our tone-setter," Jake Jackson said of Thomas. "When we don't have him in a series like last week against Kansas, it just requires everybody else to step their game up to a whole 'nother level and pitch to the best of their ability, knowing that we don't have those six or seven innings of two-run, three-run ball that we know we're going to get out of him every week."
Since going from the weekend rotation to the bullpen, Jackson has allowed one run or less in five of his last six outings.
"It gives me kind of a different level, a different confidence level and mentality," Jackson said. "Just come in whatever situation I'm put in, whether it's the start of an inning or with runners on base, just help the guy I came in for or help myself, just keep the team in a position to win and move on."
Kyle Nevin, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, has been on a tear of late. He hit homers in three-straight games and drove in six runs in the series against Kansas.
"It's just continuing to put that effort in and knowing that maybe I had some struggles in the beginning, but just continue to grind and work through that," Nevin said.
"But, it starts with the guys in front of me – Jack (Pineda), Jared (McKenzie) and Tre (Richardson). They've been grinding out at-bats to see a lot of pitches, which kind of wears a pitcher down and allows me to get better pitches to hit and stay locked-in."
Richardson (.306), Pineda (.297) and McKenzie (.292) are hovering right around .300, while Nevin has raised his batting average to .282 with a team-high seven homers and 37 RBI.
"As you look into your crystal ball and you see his ability, you're like, 'OK, this guy can be a dude for you,''' Rodriguez said of Nevin. "I still think he has another 20-something pounds to put on him. Hopefully, he's back next year and is able to do some amazing things. But right now, he's swinging the bat really well. Knowing that he's out there swinging the bat really well in the middle of our order gives us pretty good confidence right now."
Coming off a series loss to Kansas State and a mid-week split with Air Force, Texas will go with left-hander Pete Hansen (6-1, 2.78) against sophomore righty Will Rigney (2-1, 4.42) in Friday's game and right-hander Tristan Stevens (4-4, 4.37) versus Baylor lefty Kobe Andrade (3-1, 3.20) in Saturday's Game 2.
All three games in the series will be broadcast by the Longhorn Network, with Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell calling the action.
STORYLINES
LEADING OFF
• Baylor heads to Austin for its fifth Big 12 series of the season riding a four-game win streak, its second-longest of the season.
• BU currently sits in seventh place in the Big 12 standings at 4-8 in conference play, with 4 Big 12 series remaining.
• Baylor's pitching staff has allowed 0 walks in four of its last five games.
• BU had allowed at least one free pass in 31 of its other 32 games this season.
• The Bears continue to turn double plays at a high rate, leading the Big 12 and ranking third nationally with 40 total twin killings and 1.08 per game.
• BU has recorded at least one extra-base hit in each of its last 16 games, and have notched at least three XBH in 17 games this season.
• The Bears have bashed 19 extra-base hits in their last four games.
• Sophomore OF Kyle Nevin was named the Big 12 Player of the Week after going 9-for-16 (.563) last week with five extra-base hits, two of which were home runs, and seven RBIs.
• Sophomore LHP Kobe Andrade was named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week after throwing a complete game in BU's 19-2 win over Kansas. He set a career high in IP (9.0) and strikeouts (4) while recording 10 first-pitch outs.
BY THE NUMBERS
• Texas leads the all-time series 247-112-4 over Baylor.
• Under seventh-year head coach Steve Rodriguez, the Bears are 6-9 against the Longhorns.
• The Bears won the most recent matchup to avoid being swept in the 2021 series in Waco.
• A series win would be Baylor's first over UT since 2017, though the two sides split a two-game series in 2019.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, April 22 • 6:30 p.m. CT • RHP Will Rigney (2-1, 4.42 ERA) vs. LHP Pete Hansen (6-1, 2.78 ERA)
Saturday, April 23 • 1:00 p.m. CT • LHP Kobe Andrade (3-1, 3.20 ERA) vs. RHP Tristan Stevens (4-4, 4.37 ERA)
Sunday, April 24 • 1:00 p.m. CT • LHP Tyler Thomas (4-3, 1.97 ERA) vs. LHP Lucas Gordon (3-1, 2.74 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• This weekend's games will be televised on Longhorn Network with Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell on the call.
• Fans can also tune in to ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM and 92.3 FM (Fri. & Sun.) for the Baylor radio broadcast, featuring Derek Smith (Play-by-Play) and Max Calderone (Analyst) on the call. Saturday's game will be available on Fox Sports Central Texas 1330 AM and 93.9 FM.
NEVIN EARNS CONFERENCE RECOGNITION
• Sophomore OF Kyle Nevin was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday for his 9-for-16 (.563) performance in Baylor's four games last week.
• The third-year man tallied five extra-base hits on the week and three multi-hit efforts, including tying a season-high with three hits twice.
• Nevin launched his fifth and sixth home runs of the season, and later became the first Bear since Josh Ludy in 2012 to homer in three-straight games with his blast against Lamar this past Monday.
• For the week, Nevin led the Big 12 with nine total hits and 19 total bases, while ranking second in batting average (.563), home runs (2), RBIs (7) and slugging percentage (1.188).
ANDRADE TURNS IN CAREER OUTING
• Sophomore LHP Kobe Andrade garnered Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week honors on Monday after throwing the Bears' first complete game of the season in a 19-2 win over Kansas.
• The Texas A&M transfer shattered his previous career high of six innings pitched by going a full nine with a career-best four strikeouts.
• The Corpus Christi native recorded 10 first-pitch outs and threw only 88 pitches, facing the minimum in six separate frames. He faced four batters or fewer in eight of his nine total innings of work.
EXTRA, EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT
• Baylor has recorded at least one extra-base hit in 58 of its last 64 games, dating back to last season.
• The Bears have tallied 193 extra base hits, including 121 doubles, 19 triples and 54 home runs over that stretch.
• Baylor has notched at least two extra-base hits in 46 of its last 64 games.
• Through 37 games in 2022, BU has tallied 65 doubles, 10 triples and 25 home runs.
• Jack Pineda and Kyle Nevin are tied for the team lead with 19 XBH each in 2022.
• The duo has combined for 13 extra-base hits across BU's last five games.
DIGGIN' THE LONG BALL
• Baylor has hit 280 home runs in 326 games under seventh-year head coach Steve Rodriguez, including 48 in 2021.
• BU is up to 25 home runs in 2022, having hit homers in each of its last five games, tied for the longest stretch this year.
• 15 of Baylor's 25 long balls this season have been hit since March 26 at Oklahoma.
GOTTA BEAT THE BEST TO BE THE BEST
• In the latest D1Baseball rankings, 10 of BU's 2022 opponents cracked the top-25 in No. 1 Tennessee, No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Texas Tech, No. 10 Texas, No. 13 UCLA, No. 17 Texas State, No. 21 TCU, No. 22 LSU, No. 23 DBU, and No. 24 Maryland.
• In the latest RPI standings, Baylor comes in at No. 54, with the 6th-best rated strength of schedule.
• 16 of Baylor's 35 games so far in 2022 have come against the RPI top-50 in Tennessee (1), DBU (2), Maryland (25), LSU (29), TCU (36), West Virginia (39), Oklahoma (41), and UCLA (43).
• Baylor has yet to play 9 more games against other current RPI top-50 squads, including Texas (14), Oklahoma State (20), and Texas Tech (45).
-BaylorBears.com-
