Friday, April 24
Tempe, Ariz.
8:30 PM
Baylor
22-19, 9-10
2
at
11
Arizona State
29-14, 12-7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Arizona State | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | X | 11 | 16 | 1 |
BSB Drops Series Opener at No. 21 Arizona State
4/24/2026 11:51:00 PM | Baseball
Bears fall 11-2 despite home runs from Sanders and Kennett
TEMPE, Ariz. – Baylor baseball dropped its series opener at No. 21 Arizona State, 11-2, Friday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
Despite a three-hit night from redshirt junior infielder Travis Sanders, who also hit his fourth home run of the season, and a solo blast by junior catcher JJ Kennett, the Bears (22-19, 9-10 Big 12) struggled to do much offensively against the Sun Devils (29-14, 12-7 Big 12).
Redshirt junior right-hander Lucas Davenport battled to give BU six innings of work on the mound and made his seventh-straight start with at least five strikeouts. The Bears were within striking distance after six frames, trailing by just four runs, but ASU tagged the Baylor bullpen with a tally in the seventh and a four-run eighth to put the game out of reach.
THE RUNDOWN
Sanders led off the ballgame with a single and put himself in scoring position with his 16th stolen base of the season. After an errant failed pick off, Sanders stood 90 feet away with two outs in the opening frame, but was thrown out trying to steal home to end the top of the first.
In the bottom of the first, BU benefited from a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play, but ASU responded with a solo home run, a two-out single, and two-run shot to go ahead 3-0. Another solo blast started the bottom of the second with another Sun Devil tally, then the home side loaded the bases and plated one more on a 6-4-3 double play to make it 5-0 through the first three frames.
The Bears got on the board in the fourth as Sanders went deep, his fourth of the year, cutting it to 5-1. Then Kennett left the yard in the fifth, his first homer of the season, to pull BU within three runs at 5-2.
However, ASU got one back in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI double to cushion its lead back to 6-2. After Davenport got through the sixth and turned it over to the Baylor bullpen, junior reliever Charlie Atkinson was greeted with a solo shot, the Devils fourth of the night, that made it 7-2. Another solo blast extended the Arizona State lead to 8-2 in the eighth and ignited a four-run inning, putting the game out of reach and sealing the series opener for the Sun Devils.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor has stolen 74 bases through 41 games, its most at this point in a season since at least 2003.
• BU's 74 stolen bases on the year are its most in a single season since stealing 96 in 2012.
• Baylor turned two double plays on the night, moving its season total to 37 twin killings for the year, which ranks second in the Big 12.
• BU hit two home runs on the night, marking its ninth multi-HR game as a team this year.
• Redshirt junior INF Travis Sanders extended his hitting streak to seven games and has now reached in 37 of his 39 games played this season.
• Sanders hit his fourth home run of the season and 12th of his career.
• Sanders' three-hit day was his seventh of the season and 17th multi-hit performance of the year.
• Redshirt senior 1B Tyce Armstrong extended his on-base streak to 13 games.
• Junior C JJ Kennett hit his first home run of 2026 and third of his career.
• Redshirt junior RHP Lucas Davenport made his seventh-straight start with at least five strikeouts, and eighth such start of the 2026 season.
• Senior RHP Grayson Murry made his 10th scoreless appearance of the season.
STAT OF THE DAY
17 – Redshirt junior INF Travis Sanders logged his team-leading 17th multi-hit game of the season. His three hits marked his seventh three-hit performance of the year, which also ties for the team lead.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On Lucas Davenport's performance…
"I'm very proud of Lucas's compete, I'm very proud of his effort. He really saved us some bullpen. It was a first rough inning, the ball was just jumping out of this joint. Some of those typically don't go out, but they did tonight. I give them credit, they swung the bats well, but Lucas really did compete after that first inning to get us through six and to save the 'pen. That's going to help us the next couple days."
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (22-19, 9-10 Big 12) looks to even the weekend series with No. 21 Arizona State (29-14, 12-7 Big 12) on Saturday, April 25. Game two of the three-game set is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT from Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
Despite a three-hit night from redshirt junior infielder Travis Sanders, who also hit his fourth home run of the season, and a solo blast by junior catcher JJ Kennett, the Bears (22-19, 9-10 Big 12) struggled to do much offensively against the Sun Devils (29-14, 12-7 Big 12).
Redshirt junior right-hander Lucas Davenport battled to give BU six innings of work on the mound and made his seventh-straight start with at least five strikeouts. The Bears were within striking distance after six frames, trailing by just four runs, but ASU tagged the Baylor bullpen with a tally in the seventh and a four-run eighth to put the game out of reach.
THE RUNDOWN
Sanders led off the ballgame with a single and put himself in scoring position with his 16th stolen base of the season. After an errant failed pick off, Sanders stood 90 feet away with two outs in the opening frame, but was thrown out trying to steal home to end the top of the first.
In the bottom of the first, BU benefited from a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play, but ASU responded with a solo home run, a two-out single, and two-run shot to go ahead 3-0. Another solo blast started the bottom of the second with another Sun Devil tally, then the home side loaded the bases and plated one more on a 6-4-3 double play to make it 5-0 through the first three frames.
The Bears got on the board in the fourth as Sanders went deep, his fourth of the year, cutting it to 5-1. Then Kennett left the yard in the fifth, his first homer of the season, to pull BU within three runs at 5-2.
However, ASU got one back in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI double to cushion its lead back to 6-2. After Davenport got through the sixth and turned it over to the Baylor bullpen, junior reliever Charlie Atkinson was greeted with a solo shot, the Devils fourth of the night, that made it 7-2. Another solo blast extended the Arizona State lead to 8-2 in the eighth and ignited a four-run inning, putting the game out of reach and sealing the series opener for the Sun Devils.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor has stolen 74 bases through 41 games, its most at this point in a season since at least 2003.
• BU's 74 stolen bases on the year are its most in a single season since stealing 96 in 2012.
• Baylor turned two double plays on the night, moving its season total to 37 twin killings for the year, which ranks second in the Big 12.
• BU hit two home runs on the night, marking its ninth multi-HR game as a team this year.
• Redshirt junior INF Travis Sanders extended his hitting streak to seven games and has now reached in 37 of his 39 games played this season.
• Sanders hit his fourth home run of the season and 12th of his career.
• Sanders' three-hit day was his seventh of the season and 17th multi-hit performance of the year.
• Redshirt senior 1B Tyce Armstrong extended his on-base streak to 13 games.
• Junior C JJ Kennett hit his first home run of 2026 and third of his career.
• Redshirt junior RHP Lucas Davenport made his seventh-straight start with at least five strikeouts, and eighth such start of the 2026 season.
• Senior RHP Grayson Murry made his 10th scoreless appearance of the season.
STAT OF THE DAY
17 – Redshirt junior INF Travis Sanders logged his team-leading 17th multi-hit game of the season. His three hits marked his seventh three-hit performance of the year, which also ties for the team lead.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On Lucas Davenport's performance…
"I'm very proud of Lucas's compete, I'm very proud of his effort. He really saved us some bullpen. It was a first rough inning, the ball was just jumping out of this joint. Some of those typically don't go out, but they did tonight. I give them credit, they swung the bats well, but Lucas really did compete after that first inning to get us through six and to save the 'pen. That's going to help us the next couple days."
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (22-19, 9-10 Big 12) looks to even the weekend series with No. 21 Arizona State (29-14, 12-7 Big 12) on Saturday, April 25. Game two of the three-game set is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT from Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
-BaylorBears.com-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Carlon, Cole (4-2)
L: Davenport, Lucas (4-2)
Batting:
2B: Sanders, Travis 1
HR: Kennett, JJ 1 ; Sanders, Travis 1
RBI: Kennett, JJ 1 ; Sanders, Travis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kennett, JJ 1 ; Sanders, Travis 1
SB: Sanders, Travis 1
CS: Sanders, Travis 1
Batting:
2B: Smaldino, Dominic 1
HR: Zavorek, Beckett 2 ; Contrades, Nu'u 1 ; Smaldino, Dominic 1 ; Toigo, Dean 1
RBI: Zavorek, Beckett 2 ; Contrades, Nu'u 2 ; Smaldino, Dominic 3 ; Toigo, Dean 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Zavorek, Beckett 2 ; Contrades, Nu'u 3 ; Briggs, Brody 1 ; Moutzouridis, PJ 1 ; Roellig, Austen 1 ; Smaldino, Dominic 1 ; Toigo, Dean 2
SB: Moutzouridis, PJ 1
CS: Hairston, Landon 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
1
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
1B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
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