BAYLOR BEARS (1-2, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas  Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Mitch Thompson (Fort Hays St., 1988) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)	BAYLOR (1-2, 0-0) vs HCU (0-3, 0-0) Feb. 21, 2023 • 6:30 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • Baylor Ballpark (5,000) LIVE STATS: BaylorStats.com WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ Talent:  Pete Sousa (Play-by-Play), Pat Combs (Analyst) LISTEN: Learfield / FOX Sports Central Texas 1330 AM & 93.9 FM Talent:  Derek Smith, Ryan Boyd Baylor Social Media:
	HCU HUSKIES (0-3, 0-0 Southland) Location: Houston, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Southland Head Coach: Lance Berkman (Rice, 1998) Roster | Stats

STORYLINES

LEADING OFF

• Baylor Baseball rounds out its season-opening home stretch with a Tuesday night tilt against the HCU Huskies (formerly Houston Baptist) before hitting the road for a three-game set at Duke on Feb. 24-26.

• Upon returning from the east coast, BU will begin a 14-game homestand that runs through March 21.

• The Bears are celebrating the 25th season at Baylor Ballpark with a special logo and planned promotions throughout the 2023 campaign.

• Eighteen of the Bears' first 21 games this season are home games. The Bears leave the state of Texas just three times this year, all before April 3 (at Duke, at Oklahoma State, at Kansas).

• Baylor returns just 15 players from its 2022 roster and welcomes 23 newcomers, including 10 true freshmen and 13 transfers.

• Nine of the 13 transfers have previous Division I experience in Austin Stracener, Hunter Teplanszky, Daniel Altman, Cole Posey, Will Pendergrass, Casey Sunseri, Cole Tremain, John Ceccoli and Gabe Craig.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Bears lost their opening weekend series to Central Michigan, which included a pair of one-run ballgames.

• BU kickstarted the Mitch Thompson era with a 10-inning, 6-5 win on Friday night, but then dropped the next two by finals of 20-5 and 4-3.

• Redshirt freshman INF Jack Johnson delivered the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 10th, scoring freshman Kolby Branch to cap off the Opening Day festivities.

• The Bears couldn't overcome a 15-run sixth inning by the Chippewas on Saturday, but scored five unanswered runs in the last three innings to show some fight.

• BU got the game-tying run into scoring position on Sunday, but ultimately fell 4-3 in the series finale.

• The Bears set a program record with 38 strikeouts in their three-game series against CMU, the most in the modern era (since 2000).

• BU did not walk a batter in the Sunday finale against the Chippewas, a feat it had only accomplished five times in 2022.

• Baylor's last win of 2022 and first win of 2023 both came on walk-off hits.

• A total of 18 Bears made their Baylor debuts over the opening weekend, including eight freshmen.

SERIES HISTORY VS HCU

• Baylor leads the all-time series over HCU, 6-2, and has won both of the last two meetings against the Huskies.

• BU and HCU last met on Feb. 22, 2022, with the Bears taking a 6-2 win in Waco.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Baylor went 10-3 in midweek contests in 2022 and will play 15 midweek games this year.

• Against teams from the state of Texas, BU went 12-10 last season. The Bears will play another 22 such games in 2023.

PROBABLE STARTERS*

• Tuesday, Feb. 21 • 6:30 p.m. • LHP Kobe Andrade (3-3, 5.88 ERA)* vs. RHP Jonathan Valdez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

*Stats from 2022 season

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• Tuesday night's game will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Pete Sousa will provide the play-by-play, while legendary Bears' pitcher Pat Combs will serve as the color analyst.

• Fans can also tune in to ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM or 92.3 FM for the Baylor radio broadcast, featuring Derek Smith (play-by-play) and Ryan Boyd (analyst) on the call.

2023 AT A GLANCE

• 36 of Baylor's 55 regular-season games in 2023 will be played at home at Baylor Ballpark, including conference series against Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia.

• BU will play a combined 21 games against eight NCAA Tournament teams and face off against four conference champions from a year ago.

• 14 30-game winners headline the 2023 slate, including six squads that won 40 or more games last season.

• Notably, 51% of the Bears' 2023 schedule will feature opponents who finished 2022 with a top-75 RPI, including five non-conference foes in Central Michigan, UTSA, Dallas Baptist, Mercer and Grand Canyon.

 

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