BAYLOR BEARS (0-0, 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 (0-0, 0-0) vs NEBRASKA (0-0, 0-0) Feb. 16, 2024 • 11:00 a.m. CT BAYLOR (0-0, 0-0) vs OREGON (0-0, 0-0) Feb. 17, 2024 • 11:00 a.m. CT BAYLOR (0-0, 0-0) vs TENNESSEE (0-0, 0-0) Feb. 18, 2024 • 6:30 p.m. CT Arlington, Texas • Globe Life Field (40,300) LIVE STATS: BaylorStats.com WATCH: FloBaseball Talent: Ben Wilson, Pat Combs (Fri. & Sun.); Brant Freeman, Ty Harrington (Sat.) LISTEN: ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM & 92.3 FM Talent: Derek Smith, Tom Barfield Baylor Social Media:
	SHRINERS CHILDREN'S COLLEGE SHOWDOWN

STORYLINES

LEADING OFF

• Baylor Baseball begins its 2024 season at the Shriners Children's College Baseball Showdown against Nebraska, Oregon and No. 5 Tennessee. All games will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

• Baylor is making its fifth appearance in a tournament sponsored by Shriners Children's. The Bears hold an 8-4 record all-time at a Shriners event, including tournament titles in 2020 and 2022.

• Following this weekend's tournament, the Bears return home for a season-long nine-game homestand at Baylor Ballpark, beginning with its home opener vs. Lamar on Tuesday, Feb. 20 and running through March 5.

• BU faces the nation's toughest schedule statistically through March 14, according to Pro Baseball Radar, based on 2023's RPI and win percentage.

• Baylor plays 26 games against the RPI top-50 this season, the most in the Big 12.

• This year's roster is made up of 21 returners and 20 newcomers. Of the newcomers, seven have previous Division I experience in Enzo Apodaca, Kade Fletcher, Mason Greer, Patrick Hail, Drew Leach, Jack Little and Ryan Martinez.

• Of the returners, five position player starters and one starting pitcher from the 2023 weekend rotation are back, including Gavin Brzozowski, Cortlan Castle, Mason Marriott, Cole Posey, Hunter Simmons and Hunter Teplanszky.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE SHRINERS SHOWDOWN

• Baylor leads the all-time series over Nebraska, 37-30-1, and won the final two games of the 2020 opening-weekend series in Waco the last time the two sides faced off.

• This will be the first meeting in program history between Baylor and Oregon.

• Baylor and Tennessee are tied 1-1 in the all-time series, with the Volunteers taking a 10-5 decision in the last meeting on March 5, 2022, at the Shriners Children's College Classic in Houston.

• This is Baylor's fifth appearance at a tournament sponsored by Shriners Children's -- the Bears went 2-1 in 2022, 3-0 in 2020, 1-2 in 2019, and 2-1 in 2017 for an all-time record of 8-4 at the event.

• The Bears are 10-8 at in-state tournaments over the last seven seasons, including four trips to the Shriners College Classic in Houston, an appearance at the 2021 Round Round Classic and a showing at the 2018 Frisco College Classic.

BASEBALL IS BACK - BY THE NUMBERS

• Baylor is 65-36 all-time in season openers, with wins in seven of its last 10 Opening Days.

• Last year, BU defeated Central Michigan on Opening Day in dramatic fashion, with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to win 6-5 for head coach Mitch Thompson's first-career Division I victory.

• This is just the third time since 2014 that the Bears have opened the season away from home (2021 at UTRGV, 2014 at Arizona State). In both previous cases, BU won its Opening Day game, but dropped the weekend series. 

• The Bears have won 10 of their last 16 opening-weekend series, dating back to 2008.

PROBABLE STARTERS

• Friday, Feb. 16 • 11:00 a.m. • RHP Mason Marriott (1-7, 7.52 ERA) vs. RHP Brett Sears (0-0, 5.29 ERA)

• Saturday, Feb. 17 • 11:00 a.m. • RHP Collin McKinney (Redshirted) vs. RHP Kevin Seitter (8-4, 3.58 ERA)**

• Sunday, Feb. 18 • 6:30 p.m. • TBD vs. TBD

*Stats from 2023 season | **At Quinnipiac

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• This weekend's games will all be broadcast on FloBaseball, with Ben Wilson (play-by-play) and former Baylor pitcher Pat Combs (color analyst) calling BU's Friday and Sunday games. Brant Freeman and former Texas State head coach Ty Harrington will voice Baylor's action on Saturday.

• Fans can also tune in to the Baylor radio broadcast on ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM, featuring Derek Smith and Tom Barfield, who rejoins the broadcast booth after calling the action in 14 previous seasons from 2002-15. 

2024 SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

• 33 of Baylor's 55 regular-season games in 2024 will be played at home at Baylor Ballpark, including conference series against Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Kansas, TCU and UCF.

• BU will play 28 games against 11 NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago and face off against seven teams who were conference champions in 2023.

• The 2024 slate includes 17 games against 30-game winners in 2023 and nine games against 40-game winners.

• Baylor plays 26 games against the RPI top-50 from last season, the most in the Big 12, and plays just nine games against the bottom-150, tied for the fewest in the Big 12.

• New this season is a fourth non-conference game against TCU. The two sides have agreed to play a midweek game at the opposite location of where the weekend series is held as part of the schedule for years to come.

To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
 

-BaylorBears.com-