Baylor
Dallas Baptist
BSB Continues Homestand Against DBU
3/6/2023 6:29:00 PM | Baseball
Bears to host Patriots for first time in three seasons
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BAYLOR BEARS (4-8, 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 (4-8, 0-0) vs DALLAS BAPTIST (7-4, 0-0) March 6, 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 / ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM & 92.3 FM Talent: Derek Smith, Ryan Boyd Baylor Social Media:    |
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DBU PATRIOTS (7-4, 0-0 C-USA) Location: Dallas, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Conference USA Head Coach: Dan Heefner (Olivet Nazarene, 2001) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
STORYLINES
LEADING OFF
• Baylor Baseball continues its 14-game homestand with a midweek contest against DBU before hosting Mercer for a three-game weekend series 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 have eclipsed double-digit strikeouts on the mound in nine of their 12 games so far this season.
• BU has punched out at least 13 opposing hitters in five games this year.
• Baylor leads the Big 12 with 132 strikeouts and ranks 33rd nationally with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
• 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.
• A total of 21 Bears have made their Baylor debuts so far in 2023, including nine freshmen.
BIG PERFORMANCES
• Fifth-year senior RHP Blake Helton set a career high with 11 strikeouts against Youngstown State on Friday, March 3. His 11 punchouts were the most by a Bear in a single game since March 30, 2019, when Paul Dickens fanned 12 at Kansas.
• Sophomore RHP Mason Marriott worked a personal-best 6.0 innings and struck out five without allowing an earned run against the Penguins in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
• Junior LHP/OF Kobe Andrade continues to rack up extra-base hits, as nine of his 12 knocks this season have gone for extra bases. Andrade has five doubles, three triples and one home run.
• Andrade's three triples leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally.
• Freshman INF Kolby Branch has reached base in all 12 of Baylor's games this season.
• The rookie has hit two home runs -- both of which were grand slams. He hit his second as part of Saturday's seven-run eighth inning in Game 1 of the doubleheader.
• Branch had a tremendous week, with a .480 OBP, eight runs scored, two stolen bases and 20 assists across Baylor's five games against UTSA and Youngstown State.
• Freshman C Zach Mazoch and junior INF/OF Cole Posey both hit the first home runs of their Baylor careers over the weekend.
SERIES HISTORY VS DBU
• Baylor leads the all-time series over DBU, 53-28, though the Patriots have won each of the last two meetings.
• This is the first time since 2020 that the Bears have hosted DBU in Waco.
BY THE NUMBERS
• Baylor is 1-1 in midweek games this year. The Bears went 10-3 in midweek contests a season ago.
• Similarly, Baylor is 1-1 against teams from the state of Texas this season. The Bears will play 22 games against Lone Star State opponents in 2023.
PROBABLE STARTERS
• Tuesday, March 7 • 6:30 p.m. • RHP Jared Matheson (0-0, 2.35 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Heaton (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• Tuesday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Pete Sousa (play-by-play) and former Bear Pat Combs (analyst) on the call.
• Fans can also tune in to the Baylor home radio broadcast, featuring Derek Smith and Ryan Boyd, on ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM.
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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