Baylor
Kansas State
BSB Starts Conference Play Against K-State
3/16/2023 4:50:00 PM | Baseball
Bears looking for first series win in Big 12 opener since 2019
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BAYLOR BEARS (6-11, 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 (6-11, 0-0) vs KANSAS STATE (12-5, 0-0) March 17, 2023 • 6:30 p.m. CT March 18, 2023 • 2:00 p.m. CT March 19, 2023 • 1:00 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • Baylor Ballpark (5,000) LIVE STATS: BaylorStats.com WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ Talent (Fri. & Sat.): Pete Sousa (play-by-play) & Pat Combs (analyst) Talent (Sun.): Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) & Pat Combs (analyst) LISTEN: ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM & 92.3 FM (Fri & Sat.)* LISTEN: FOX Sports Central Texas 1330 AM & 93.9 FM (Sun.)* Talent: Nolan Bay, Tyler Thomas *Contingent upon Baylor men's and women's basketball results Baylor Social Media:    |
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KANSAS STATE (12-5, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Manhattan, Kan. Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Pete Hughes (Davidson, 1990) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Coming off easily its most complete game of the season, Baylor baseball (6-11) will open Big 12 Conference play with a three-game series against Kansas State (12-5) that starts with Friday's 6:30 p.m. game at Baylor Ballpark.
Starting with a perfect two-inning outing by Will Rigney, five different pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout, the Bears jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and the defense was near-flawless in Tuesday's 6-0 win over Rice in the final conference tune-up.
"Every time we win, it gives us a boost," said first-year Baylor head coach Mitch Thompson. "I thought we played well, I thought we pitched the ball really well. It was fun to see us compete like that and jump on somebody and actually get a lead early and widen it out. That's a pretty good formula for winning."
Kansas State is one of the hottest teams in the league with an eight-game winning streak that includes a three-game series sweep of a Youngstown State team that split a four-game series with the Bears.
The Wildcats are hitting .276 as a team with 27 home runs, average 9.5 runs per game and have a solid Friday-night starter in senior left-hander Owen Boerema, an NCAA Division III transfer who is 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 19.1 innings.
"K-State's a good club," Thompson said. "They've won eight games in a row, they're playing really well. A team that likes to run, a team that's fairly athletic. They get after it in that way. They're a good club, and they're playing with a lot of confidence. They'll be a good challenge for us."
The conference-opening series gives Baylor a chance to reset after going just 3-10 in weekend series against Central Michigan, Duke, Youngstown State and Mercer. There were signs of life against Mercer, with the Bears coming up short in a pair of three-run games after losing the opener, 11-2.
"I think it's learning from what we did wrong and kind of using that as a building block," said junior right-hander Cole Stasio, who is 1-2 with a 5.56 ERA. "I think Rice was a great game to show everybody pitching in together. Reset is a good word, but definitely remember everything that we've messed up and everything we've done well."
Baylor, the only team in the league to make it to all 25 Big 12 Tournaments, was picked last in the nine-team conference. With only the top eight making it to the postseason tournament, K-State was picked seventh and Kansas eighth.
Even with a rough start in his first season as Baylor's head coach, Thompson said that chip is still on the Bears' shoulder.
"We're fighting for respect from everybody else every day," he said. "There's only way to take that on, and it's to continue to fight and get better and play together. We've been harping on together and we've been harping on improving every day. And that's what we're going to keep doing. Guys keep working hard, we'll keep making progress."
Freshman infielder Kolby Branch continues to lead the way on offense, hitting .368 with six doubles, three home runs, one triple and 18 RBI. Sophomore transfer Hunter Teplanszkey is the only other player hitting .300 or better (.300), while sophomore transfer John Ceccoli hitting .265 and tied for the team lead with three homers.
Will Pendergrass, a junior transfer who hit his first home run in the ninth inning of Sunday's 6-3 loss to Mercer, said it's "just learning to compete pitch to pitch and really play a full nine innings."
"I think that's the key for us is we haven't played a full nine innings yet," Pendergrass said. "We'll show bits and pieces, and we'll play a good three innings, but then not as good the last six. . . . (Thompson) has just been preaching to stick with it, trust in yourself and basically to compete every pitch. Positive energy creates more positive energy, so that's been the approach."
Fifth-year senior right-hander Blake Helton (0-2, 7.91), who had a career-high 11 strikeouts in a seven-inning stint against Youngstown State, will start Friday's game opposite Boerema.
Sophomore Mason Merriott (0-2, 6.11) will go against Jackson Wentworth (1-1, 8.36) in Saturday's 2 p.m. game, then junior left-hander (0-3, 8.64) will get the call in Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale versus K-State right-hander German Fajardo (0-1, 6.75).
"There are a lot of guys who have thrown this year that probably haven't thrown as much in the college setting," Stasio said. "I just think it's getting guys comfortable. We've improved with consistency. That's going to help us a lot when we start conference, just being more comfortable right when we get on the mound."
All three games in the series will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with former Baylor pitcher Pat Combs calling the action on Friday and Saturday with Pete Sousa and Sunday's game with Lincoln Rose.
STORYLINES
LEADING OFF
• Baylor Baseball continues along its third week of a 14-game homestand, opening Big 12 play against Kansas State this weekend at Baylor Ballpark in Waco. The home stretch lasts until March 24, when the Bears travel to take on Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., in the second week of Big 12 play.
• The Bears are coming off a 6-0, two-hit shutout win over Rice on Tuesday.
• BU pitchers struck out 15 Owls in the ballgame, tying for the second-most in a single game this year.
• Baylor was swept in its most recent weekend series against Mercer, falling in a pair of three-run ballgames in addition to dropping an 11-2 series opener.
• Last Friday night, Baylor pitchers struck out a season-high 16 batters, the most by BU in a 9-inning game since March 30, 2019, at Kansas.
• Fifth-year senior RHP Blake Helton has started 49 of the last 56 batters he has faced with a first-pitch strike.
• Junior LHP/OF Cam Caley struck out a career-high eight batters in his Sunday start against Mercer.
• Junior INF Will Pendergrass led the Bears on the week with a .375 clip (6-for-16) and four extra-base hits, including his first home run in the green and gold.
• Freshman INF Kolby Branch has reached base in all 17 games this season.
FRESHMAN 15
• Freshman INF Kolby Branch is off to a torrid start, hitting .368 with six doubles, three homers and 18 RBI through his first 17 collegiate games.
• Through his first 15 career games, Branch's numbers compare favorably to each of BU's last five Freshman All-America honorees:
Kolby Branch (2023) -- .333 (20-for-60) / 3 HR / 17 RBI
Jared McKenzie (2020) -- .400 (26-for-65) / 0 HR / 5 RBI
Nick Loftin (2018) -- .222 (10-for-45) / 0 HR / 4 RBI
Shea Langeliers (2017) -- .300 (18-for-60) / 2 HR / 10 RBI
Logan Vick (2010) -- .356 (21-for-59) / 1 HR / 6 RBI
Max Muncy (2010) -- .344 (21-for-61) / 4 HR / 16 RBI
ADD IT TO THE K-COUNTER
• The Bears have eclipsed double-digit strikeouts on the mound in 13 of their 17 games so far this season.
• BU has punched out at least 13 opposing hitters in nine games this year.
• Baylor leads the Big 12 and is tied for 7th nationally with 200 strikeouts.
• BU's 11.61 strikeouts per nine innings also leads the conference and ranks 13th nationally.
SERIES HISTORY VS K-STATE / BY THE NUMBERS
• Baylor leads the all-time series over Kansas State, 53-32.
• The Wildcats took two of three from the Bears last season in Manhattan. Prior to that, BU had won each of the last three series.
• Baylor is 6-4 against K-State over the last 10 matchups.
• In the last five seasons, Baylor is 2-3 in conference-opening series with an overall 8-7 record among those 15 games.
PROBABLE STARTERS
• Friday, March 17 • 6:30 p.m. • RHP Blake Helton (0-2, 7.91 ERA) vs. LHP Owen Boerema (2-0, 3.26 ERA)
• Saturday, March 18 • 2:00 p.m. • RHP Mason Marriott (0-2, 6.11 ERA) vs. RHP Jackson Wentworth (1-1, 8.36 ERA)
• Sunday, March 19 • 1:00 p.m. • LHP Cam Caley (0-3, 8.64 ERA) vs. RHP German Fajardo (0-1, 6.75 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• All three games will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Pete Sousa (play-by-play) and former Bear Pat Combs (analyst) on the call. Lincoln Rose will team with Combs to provide the play-by-play in Sunday's finale.
• Fans can also tune in to the Baylor home radio broadcast, featuring Nolan Bay and former BU pitcher Tyler Thomas, on ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM.
• Sunday's station will be determined by a potential Baylor men's basketball time conflict. Either ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM or FOX Sports Central Texas 1330 AM/93.9 FM will carry baseball's radio coverage.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
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