KEEP IT ROLLING
4/3/2025 11:44:00 PM | Baseball
BSB has won five of its last six going into weekend series against Houston
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Hoping to build on the momentum from winning its first Big 12 series and five of its last six games overall, Baylor baseball (20-8, 4-5) will host Houston (16-12, 3-6) in a pivotal series that begins with a 6:30 p.m. game Friday at Baylor Ballpark.
"You saw it even on Tuesday, the competitive spirit is there now," said junior left-hander Stefan Stahl (1-0, 4.50 ERA), who started two of the four games last week, "and we showed that we can compete with some of the best teams in the conference. I think the spirit with the team is at a high, and we're really looking forward to this weekend."
Stahl started the Saturday game against 23rd-ranked Arizona and tossed 2 1/3 innings in a 6-3 win over the Wildcats that clinched the series victory. Baylor coach Mitch Thompson said Stahl will be "in the mix" to start Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale against the Cougars if "we haven't used Stefan (out of the bullpen) by then."
A transfer from crosstown McLennan Community College, Stahl said the Bears' game before a crowd of 4,183 at Hi Corbett Field was "as cool of an environment as I've pitched in, just with the amount of people there, the weather, the caliber of team we were playing against. That was a lot of fun. It was also cool for me to contribute to a win."
Because the 6-2 left-hander made starts and came out of the bullpen in two years with the Highlanders, compiling a 5-0 record with 99 strikeouts, "we kind of looked at him as that possible guy this fall," Thompson said, "so we know he has the stuff to do it, and we also just haven't been getting to him enough out of the bullpen."
The adjusted weekend rotation will have junior lefty Ethan Calder (3-3, 5.80 ERA) continuing as the Friday night starter and freshman Carson Bailey (2-1, 6.66) moving from his normal Sunday slot to Saturday's 2 p.m. game.
Bailey, who had allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of his six previous starts, was roughed up for eight runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batter in Sunday's 11-6 loss to Arizona.
"I'm anticipating he will (bounce back)," Thompson said. "I know that that's not how he wanted to go out there and perform. So, it's a big step for a freshman. It just is. Again, he's learning as he's going. I have to keep moving forward, and I have to keep being humble and keep being hungry and just keep moving on to the next one. Because if you don't, you get punched right in the mouth, and now you're responding off of that one."
What the Bears have shown through the first 28 games of the season is they can win 19-4 or pull out a tight 3-2 game like they did Tuesday night against Houston Christian. Baylor's bullpen went the final six innings, giving up one earned run on six hits and one walk, before Travis Sanders hit a walk-off homer leading off the ninth.
"You could tell everybody was coming in there with a ton of confidence," Stahl said of the bullpen, which carries a 3.26 ERA. "They've seen the guy before would go in there and compete, and I just really feel like at this point, too, everyone is really pulling for each other. It doesn't matter how we get the job done."
Senior shortstop Tyriq Kemp (.340) has been the hottest hitter of late, recording 10 hits over the last four games and batting .588 in the stretch.
"I feel pretty locked in," said Kemp, who was 3-for-4 in Tuesday's win over HCU. "It's been good, so we just have to keep doing this."
Houston has scuffled at times during an up-and-down season, getting swept by Texas Tech in the conference opener and then winning two of three on the road at UCF. In conference-only games, the Cougars are hitting a league-worst .211 with an inflated 7.06 ERA.
"They have a good club," Thompson said. "They have some really good arms. They have some speed and athleticism in the lineup. The (Tre) Broussard kid is like 20-for-20 stealing bases, so he's a dynamic athlete. They have a club that can compete, so it'll be a big challenge for us."
All three games this weekend will be streamed by ESPN+, with "Voice of the Bears" John Morris and Baylor Hall of Famer Pat Combs calling the action.
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Hoping to build on the momentum from winning its first Big 12 series and five of its last six games overall, Baylor baseball (20-8, 4-5) will host Houston (16-12, 3-6) in a pivotal series that begins with a 6:30 p.m. game Friday at Baylor Ballpark.
"You saw it even on Tuesday, the competitive spirit is there now," said junior left-hander Stefan Stahl (1-0, 4.50 ERA), who started two of the four games last week, "and we showed that we can compete with some of the best teams in the conference. I think the spirit with the team is at a high, and we're really looking forward to this weekend."
Stahl started the Saturday game against 23rd-ranked Arizona and tossed 2 1/3 innings in a 6-3 win over the Wildcats that clinched the series victory. Baylor coach Mitch Thompson said Stahl will be "in the mix" to start Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale against the Cougars if "we haven't used Stefan (out of the bullpen) by then."
A transfer from crosstown McLennan Community College, Stahl said the Bears' game before a crowd of 4,183 at Hi Corbett Field was "as cool of an environment as I've pitched in, just with the amount of people there, the weather, the caliber of team we were playing against. That was a lot of fun. It was also cool for me to contribute to a win."
Because the 6-2 left-hander made starts and came out of the bullpen in two years with the Highlanders, compiling a 5-0 record with 99 strikeouts, "we kind of looked at him as that possible guy this fall," Thompson said, "so we know he has the stuff to do it, and we also just haven't been getting to him enough out of the bullpen."
The adjusted weekend rotation will have junior lefty Ethan Calder (3-3, 5.80 ERA) continuing as the Friday night starter and freshman Carson Bailey (2-1, 6.66) moving from his normal Sunday slot to Saturday's 2 p.m. game.
Bailey, who had allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of his six previous starts, was roughed up for eight runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batter in Sunday's 11-6 loss to Arizona.
"I'm anticipating he will (bounce back)," Thompson said. "I know that that's not how he wanted to go out there and perform. So, it's a big step for a freshman. It just is. Again, he's learning as he's going. I have to keep moving forward, and I have to keep being humble and keep being hungry and just keep moving on to the next one. Because if you don't, you get punched right in the mouth, and now you're responding off of that one."
What the Bears have shown through the first 28 games of the season is they can win 19-4 or pull out a tight 3-2 game like they did Tuesday night against Houston Christian. Baylor's bullpen went the final six innings, giving up one earned run on six hits and one walk, before Travis Sanders hit a walk-off homer leading off the ninth.
"You could tell everybody was coming in there with a ton of confidence," Stahl said of the bullpen, which carries a 3.26 ERA. "They've seen the guy before would go in there and compete, and I just really feel like at this point, too, everyone is really pulling for each other. It doesn't matter how we get the job done."
Senior shortstop Tyriq Kemp (.340) has been the hottest hitter of late, recording 10 hits over the last four games and batting .588 in the stretch.
"I feel pretty locked in," said Kemp, who was 3-for-4 in Tuesday's win over HCU. "It's been good, so we just have to keep doing this."
Houston has scuffled at times during an up-and-down season, getting swept by Texas Tech in the conference opener and then winning two of three on the road at UCF. In conference-only games, the Cougars are hitting a league-worst .211 with an inflated 7.06 ERA.
"They have a good club," Thompson said. "They have some really good arms. They have some speed and athleticism in the lineup. The (Tre) Broussard kid is like 20-for-20 stealing bases, so he's a dynamic athlete. They have a club that can compete, so it'll be a big challenge for us."
All three games this weekend will be streamed by ESPN+, with "Voice of the Bears" John Morris and Baylor Hall of Famer Pat Combs calling the action.
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