March 4, 2002
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# 14 Baylor (9-5, 2-1 Big 12) vs. Winthrop (8-4, 0-0 Big South)
Wednesday, March 6 * 6 p.m.
Baylor Ballpark * Waco, Texas
this week in baylor baseball
Having opened the 2002 Big 12 Conference season by taking two of three from then-No. 9 Texas, 14th-ranked Baylor plays nine of its next 10 games at home. That stretch begins this week as the Bears host a pair of 2001 NCAA Tournament teams in Winthrop and 13th-ranked Nebraska.
Baylor welcomes Winthrop to Baylor Ballpark Wednesday at 6 p.m. A year ago, the Eagles lost in the championship game of the Wilson Regional to East Carolina and finished the season ranked 24th by Baseball America. The team won a school-record 48 games (includinga 21-3 mark in conference), and 17 of 24 lettermen return from that team.
The Eagles play at Texas Tuesday before heading to Waco on Wednesday..
baylor vs. winthrop
Wednesday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the Eagles and Bears. In fact, Baylor has never faced any current member of the Big South Conference (Birmingham-Southern, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Elon, High Point, Liberty, Radford, UNC Asheville and Winthrop).
Winthrop head coach Joe Hudak was an assistant alongside Baylor head coach Steve Smith under legendary coach Ron Polk at Mississippi State in 1990 and 1991.
baylor in the rankings
Taking two of three from Texas fueled further advancement in the rankings for Baylor this week, as the Bears surged nine places to 14th in the Collegiate Baseball poll, moved up one spot in the Baseball America poll to 15th and jumped five spots in USA Today Baseball Weekly to 17th.
The No. 14 ranking by Collegiate Baseball this week is Baylor's top ranking so far this season.
The highest preseason ranking in Baylor history came in 2000 (No. 10, Baseball America). The best final ranking in program history is No. 6 (Collegiate Baseball, 1978), while the highest ranking at any point was No. 3 (Baseball America, May 8, 2000).
trio of big 12 weekly honors is thrice as nice
In just four weeks, Baylor has had three players honored by the Big 12 for their weekly performances. Senior Tim Hartshorn was named Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 25-Feb. 10) after earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the Astros College Classic. Junior LHP Jared Theodorakos was named National and Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 11-17) after he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning Feb. 16 in an 8-1 Baylor win over No. 6 USC at Dodger Stadium. First baseman Mike Huggins added his name to the list in week four (Feb. 25-March 3) as he helped the Bears take two of three from No. 9 Texas.
The three weekly honors already matches as many as Baylor recieved in all of 2001. The school record for most players/pitchers of the week in a season is four, set in 1996 and matched in 1998 and 2000.
last time out
Last weekend, Baylor opened Big 12 play by taking the series from then-No. 9 Texas for the seventh straight year. The Bears have never lost a series to the Longhorns under coach Steve Smith.
Friday night at Baylor Ballpark, Mike Huggins' seventh-inning home run pushed Baylor into its first lead of the night, and Kyle Edens closed the door on Texas to give the Bears a 5-4 victory in the conference opener for both teams. Baylor got a strong start from Justin Taylor, who threw seven innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and striking out six batters. Edens picked up his third save of the year with two shutout innings.
Moving to Austin Saturday, Baylor starter Steven White carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning but had to settle for a no-decision as Texas came from behind to beat Baylor, 4-3. Playing in unusually cold weather, the Horns scored two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to even the series. UT starter Justin Simmons went the distance for the men in orange, striking out eight and scattering seven hits to improve to 4-0 on the year.
The Baylor bats got hot Sunday and powered the Bears to an 11-4 win over Texas. Zane Carlson picked up the win in relief, throwing 4 1/3 innings with a season-high six strikeouts. Tim Hartshorn reached base all six times he came to the plate, scoring three runs and driving in two with a double and a triple.
huggins is hot, hot, hot
Junior co-captain Mike Huggins became the third Bear in four weeks to earn recognition from the conference when he was named Big 12 Player of the Week (Feb. 25-March 3). In three games against then-No. 9 Texas, Huggins hit .636 (7-for-11) with a pair of doubles and a pair of home runs to lead the 16th-ranked Bears as they took two of three from ninth-ranked Texas over the weekend. His home run in the seventh inning of game one gave the Bears a come-from-behind 5-4 win in the series opener in Waco.
theo throwing it
Junior LHP Jared Theodorakos was named National Player of the Week (Feb. 11-17) by Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger (one of three), the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and CollegeBaseballInsider.com after he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning and finished with a one-hitter Saturday in an 8-1 Baylor win over #6 USC at Dodger Stadium.
The lefty held USC hitless for seven-and-a-third innings before allowing the first hit. Theodorakos recorded his first career complete game and struck out a career-high 11 batters. Theodorakos also earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors for his performance.
hartshorn starts season with bang
Senior co-captain Tim Hartshorn opened the season with a bang at the Astros College Classic (Feb. 7-9). Batting in the leadoff spot all three games, Hartshorn went 10-for-15 with a double, two triples, a home run, four runs scored and four RBI.
For his efforts, the senior was named Most Outstanding Player for the tournament. Hartshorn followed in the steps of former Bear Kelly Shoppach, who earned the same honor last season in the inaugural Astros College Classic. Hartshorn also was named Big 12 Player of the Week for games played Jan. 25-Feb. 10.
simply the best
As has become the norm for teams under head coach Steve Smith, the Bears are facing yet another tough schedule in 2002. Baylor opens the season playing 17 of the team's first 20 games against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
Eight of the Bears' 2002 opponents qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago: Rice, Houston, USC, UT-Arlington, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. USC and Nebraska were two of the eight College World Series participants last year.
baylor among elite programs
The recent success of the Baylor baseball program is reflected in the Three-Year ISRs (a mock-RPI rating) compiled at BoydsWorld.com. Baylor ranked fifth in the nation in that listing, which measures a program's success over the past three years (1999-2001). The top 10: Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, USC, Florida State, Baylor, Miami, LSU, Rice, Nebraska and South Carolina.
bears best in the big 12
In the first five seasons of the Big 12 Conference, the Bears have the best conference record of any program in the league. Baylor leads all schools in both first team All-Big 12 selections (15) and first team Academic All-Big 12 selections (25).
Team 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Totals Pct. Baylor 18-12 18-10 20-7 23-7 17-10 2-1 98-47 .676 Texas Tech 23-7 18-11 18-8 18-12 19-10-1 0-3 96-51-1 .652 Texas A&M 19-11 21-9 23-6 11-19 15-15 3-0 92-60 .605 Oklahoma St. 21-9 15-12 18-9 14-13 16-14 0-0 84-57 .596 Oklahoma 18-11 17-11 12-18 20-10 13-16-1 0-0 80-66-1 .548 Nebraska 7-23 10-13 16-9 21-9 20-8 0-0 74-62 .544 Texas 12-15 11-18 17-13 19-10 19-11 1-2 79-69 .534 Missouri 15-14 17-12 14-13 13-14 11-19 0-0 70-72 .493 Kansas State 10-20 9-19 11-18 5-24 10-17 0-0 45-98 .315 Kansas 12-18 7-20 4-26 10-20 7-23 0-0 40-107 .272 Iowa State 6-21 10-18 2-28 7-23 11-15 -- 36-105 .255
ruling the roost
In the last 29 Big 12 Conference series it has played, Baylor holds an amazing 25-4 record. The Bears have lost conference series only to Texas A&M (2-1, 1998), Texas Tech twice (3-0, 2000, 2-1, 2001) and Nebraska (3-0, 2001).
home is where the wins are
Since moving into Baylor Ballpark early in the 1999 season, the Bears have compiled an impressive 81-24 record (.771 winning percentage). Baylor has won all four games at home this season.
three mlb parks in one season
If Baylor qualifies for the Big 12 Tournament in 2002, they will become what is believed to be the first NCAA team to play in three major league stadiums in one season. The Bears' first two weekends were spent at Enron Field in Houston for the Astros College Classic and at Dodger Stadium (three-game series vs. USC). The Big 12 Tournament will be played at the Ballpark in Arlington for the first time in 2002, previous Big 12 Tournaments were played at the minor league park in Oklahoma City.
rough start? so what!
Twice in the last 25 years (prior to 2002) have the Bears started a season 0-3. The most recent occurance came in 1998, when Baylor opened on the road against Arizona State and was swept in the series. The Bears finished 41-20-1 and qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time under coach Steve Smith.
Before that, the last time Baylor opened with three straight losses was 1978. That season, too, turned out okay, despite the start, the Bears advanced to the College World Series for the second straight year.
control freaks
As a staff, Baylor pitchers have compiled an impressive 3.7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio through the first 14 games of the season. The Bears have struck out 115 opponents (in 126.1 innings) while walking just 31 batters. Senior RHP Justin Taylor leads the staff with 24 strikeouts and has just six walks, while closer Kyle Edens has 13 strikeouts and no walks in 12.1 innings.
murphy missing
Sophomore outfielder David Murphy will miss the first four-to-six weeks of the season after breaking the hamate bone in his right (non-throwing) hand. Murphy had surgery on Jan. 22, but could return to the line-up as soon as this week.
working their way up the charts
Every save recorded by junior closer Zane Carlson adds to his school record for saves. Carlson has 23 career saves, he set the Baylor single season and career records with 15 saves as a freshman and added eight more as a sophomore. Carlson also has 52 career appearances, six shy of cracking the top 10.
Junior outfielder Chris Durbin began 2002 with the 10th best career batting average in school history at .338 and the eighth best career slugging percentage at .574. He has 35 career doubles (six short of 10th place) and 17 career home runs (four shy of 10th place).
Through games of March 3, senior reliever Kyle Edens ranks fourth for career winning percentage with a 10-3 record (.769). He also ranks fifth in Baylor history in career games relieved with 51, and his seven career saves are tied for fifth all-time.
Junior Mike Huggins' 39 career doubles are two short of 10th place in school history.
Senior RHP Justin Taylor ranks fourth in career winning percentage (20-6, .769), fifth in career games relieved (49), seventh in career games pitched (65), and 10th in career wins (20).
Junior RHP Paul Thorp is eighth in school history in career relief appearances (43).
baylor on the air
Catch every inning of Baylor baseball in 2002 on the flagship station for Baylor athletics, News/Talk Radio KRZI 1660/1580-AM.
John Morris, Baylor's Director of Broadcasting, heads up the team as he begins his seventh season as the "Voice of the Bears." Morris is also the signature voice for Baylor's football and men's basketball broadcasts and serves as co-host of the weekly TV show "Inside Baylor Sports."
Mark Rogers, a former Baylor pitcher and currently a sports reporter for KCEN-TV in Central Texas, enters his third season providing color commentary for the baseball broadcasts.
Pete Kenworthy, Sports Director and weekday sports anchor for KWTX-TV, Tom Barfield, Program Director and on-air personality for flagship station KRZI, and Trent Weaver, a Baylor baseball letterman in 1988-89, will also be a part of the broadcast team for several games.
All Baylor Baseball games in 2002 will be available world-wide on the internet at www.GoBaylorBears.com. Baylor baseball is also a staple of the daily "Baylor SportsBeat" hosted by John Morris and airing weekdays at 7:25am and 5:25pm on KRZI 1660/1580-AM.
bears in the pros
Catcher Kelly Shoppach topped a list of five Baylor players taken in the 2001 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Shoppach was taken in the second round by the Boston Red Sox (48th overall), and was actually Boston's first pick of the draft.
Trevor Mote (15th round, Houston Astros), Matt Williams (15th round, St. Louis Cardinals) and Josh Scott (25th round, Philadelphia Phillies) each signed after completing their careers at Baylor.
First baseman Mike Huggins was taken in the 25th round by the Colorado Rockies, but elected to return for his junior season.
Three Baylor signees were also taken. Outfielder Alan Moye (3rd round, Cincinnati Reds) and infielder Josh Barfield (4th round, San Diego Padres) each chose to go pro, while LHP Trey Taylor turned down the Colorado Rockies, who used a supplemental pick before the third round on him.
Baylor alums and former first-round draft picks Jason Jennings and Kip Wells will enter 2002 contending for spots in major league rotations -- Jennings with the Rockies, and Wells with the Pittsburgh Pirates (after an offseason trade). In all, 15 former Bears are active at some level of professional baseball.
head coach steve smith
Head coach Steve Smith is in his eighth season as head coach at Baylor, in that time, he has compiled a 271-159-1 record. Smith led the Bears to their first-ever 50 win season in 1999 and a Big 12 Championship in 2000, and has piloted the team to four straight NCAA appearances. Through the 2001 season, Smith ranked 40th among active coaches in winning percentage with a .629 mark.
The 2000 Big 12 Coach of the Year, Smith came to Baylor from Mississippi State, where he was an assistant under Ron Polk for five seasons. Prior to that, he served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M.
A former standout pitcher at Baylor in 1982-1983, Smith led the Southwest Conference with a 1.72 ERA as a junior, bettering league foes and future major leaguers Norm Charlton, Roger Clemens, Doug Drabek and Calvin Schiraldi.
An accomplished pitching coach, Smith has tutored five pitchers in the last 10 years who were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. He has also had at least one pitcher named to the all-conference first team in each of the last 10 years. In 1999, right-hander/designated hitter Jason Jennings won the Golden Spikes Award and was the 16th overall pick by the Colorado Rockies.
In Smith's seven full seasons as head coach, the Bears have produced three first-round draft picks, eight all-Americans, five GTE/CoSIDA Academic all-Americans, one GTE/CoSIDA Academic all-American of the Year, 21 first-team all-conference performers, three freshman all-Americans, and three conference players of the year. Baylor has also placed 25 players on the Academic All-Big 12 first team in the past five seasons.
