April 3, 2003
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#10 Baylor Baseball (23-9, 6-3 Big 12)
at/vs. #12 Texas (22-11, 6-3 Big 12)
Friday, April 4 (6:30 p.m.)
Disch-Falk Field * Austin, Texas
Saturday, April 5 (6 p.m.)
Sunday, April 6 (2 p.m.)
Baylor Ballpark * Waco, Texas
This Week in Baylor Baseball
The 10th-ranked Baylor baseball team faces No. 12 Texas this weekend, heading to Austin for the series opener Friday at 6:30 p.m., then returning to Waco to host the defending national champs Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
The two teams last met in the 2002 NCAA Austin Regional, where the Longhorns beat the Bears twice (10-8 and 2-0). Prior to that, Baylor had defeated Texas two games to one in the regular season series. The regional results meant that the Longhorns took the season series from the Bears for the first time in head coach Steve Smith's eight seasons. Smith holds a 20-10 all-time record against Texas. The 303 games played between the Bears and Longhorns make Texas the most-played opponent in Baylor baseball history.
Saturday, the Baylor Athletic Department, the 2BU Program and Baylor Student Government are hosting the first annual Bear Smokeout, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The event will feature local barbeque vendors, live bands, and various midway games.
All Baylor baseball games are carried in Central Texas on KRZI 1660/1580 AM. Live stats are also available for all home games and most road games at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the Official College Sports Network.
Baylor Quick Hits
* Senior Chris Durbin recorded his 64th career double Friday night, tying Eric Nelson (1996-1999) for the Baylor career record. Durbin already holds the school single season record, having knocked out 25 doubles in 2001 and again in 2002.
* Junior outfielder David Murphy has hit safely in 28 of the Bears' 32 games this season and has reached base in all but two of those games. Fellow outfielder Chris Durbin has hit safely 25 times in 31 games, reaching base in all but two games.
* Baylor has averaged 3,062 fans per game, the best average-game attendance in program history. Friday's game against Texas A&M drew 4,717 fans, the fifth-best crowd in Baylor Ballpark history.
* Baylor student-athletes begin the weekend ranking first or second in the Big 12 in 12 statistical categories. Bears lead the league in batting (Ross Bennett), runs (Chris Durbin), hits (David Murphy), doubles and total bases (Michael Griffin), strikeouts and starts (Steven White), and opposing batting average (Abe Woody). Additionally, Bears rank second in the league in RBI (Bennett), home runs and walks (Durbin), hits (Griffin), innings pitched (White) and ERA (Woody).
* In conference games only, Baylor pitchers own the pitching triple crown; Sean Walker leads the Big 12 in wins and ERA, while Steven White leads the league in strikeouts. Trey Taylor ranks second in opposing batting average. Among the hitters, Ross Bennett is third in the Big 12 in home runs and RBI; Chris Durbin is second in runs; Michael Griffin and Trey Webb are tied for second in doubles; and David Murphy is second in hits and runs.
* With a runner on third and less than two outs, Ross Bennett has brought home the run 12 times out of 13 (.923).
* With 27 career saves, Zane Carlson remains one shy of the Big 12 Conference record of 28 held by Oklahoma's Jeff Bajenaru.
* Senior Jared Theodorakos, a weekend starter for the Bears early this season, is out indefinitely due to several wear-and-tear injuries on his left (throwing) arm.
* For the season, the Bears have a .441 on-base percentage when leading off an inning.
* Off the bench, the Bears are hitting .302 (13-for-43).
* Since moving into Baylor Ballpark early in the 1999 season, the Bears have compiled an impressive 114-35 record (.765). That mark includes a 13-5 mark at home this season.
Last Time Out
* TUESDAY: at #10 Baylor 10, UTSA 3
Baylor batters hit a season-high four home runs Tuesday night to fuel a 10-3 win over Texas-San Antonio at Baylor Ballpark. Sophomore Michael Griffin homered in the first and again in the sixth inning for his first career two-homer game. Chris Durbin slammed a solo homer in the fourth, his team-leading ninth of the year, and Ross Bennett knocked out a two-run shot in the fifth. Six Baylor pitchers combined to strike out 11 Roadrunners as the Bears improved to 17-0 against UTSA under head coach Steve Smith.
WEEKEND: 1-2 VS./AT #23 TEXAS A&M (L 2-7, W 9-1, L 3-4)
Baylor lost at home Friday, then split two games in College Station last weekend. The Bears' largest crowd of the season (4,717) saw Texas A&M easily handle Baylor Friday night in a 7-2 Aggie win at Baylor Ballpark. Texas A&M batted around in the fourth, scoring four times to take a 5-0 lead. Ross Bennett drove in the Bears' only two runs when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded not once, but twice.
Saturday, Baylor recorded 17 hits and scored four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to beat Texas A&M 9-1 in College Station. A crowd of 7,687, the sixth-largest crowd ever at Olsen Field, watched Sean Walker go the distance for his first career complete game. David Murphy and Michael Griffin each had three hits for the Bears, two of the five Bears to record multiple-hit nights.
Baylor's poor defense combined with Texas A&M's few clutch hits were enough to give the Aggies a 4-3 win over Baylor Sunday afternoon. Texas A&M managed just four hits, but five errors commited by Baylor third baseman Paul Witt were too much for the Bears to overcome. Mark Saccomanno hit a solo homer in the fifth to give the Bears the 3-2 lead, but Texas A&M's Cory Patton came through with a base hit with two outs and the winning run on third in the bottom of the ninth.
Baylor in the Rankings
After going just 1-3 in the polls last week, Baylor dropped severely in each of the national polls. At No. 10, the Bears are back to where they began the season.
Baylor dropped three spots to No. 10 in Baseball America's poll, fell five spots to No. 11 in the USA Today Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches' Poll, lost five places down to No. 12 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA) poll, and slid eight spots to No. 16 in Collegiate Baseball's poll.
Baylor's best-ever final ranking is No. 6 (Collegiate Baseball, 1978), while the team's highest ranking at any time was No. 3 (Baseball America, May 8, 2000). The Bears have ranked as high as No. 6 twice this season (March 3, Baseball America; March 24, USA Today Sports Weekly/Coaches).
Bears' RPI Sky-High
Baylor ranks third in the nation in the Iterative Strength Rankings from BoydsWorld.com, through games of March 30. The ISRs are an alternate ranking formula similar to the RPI system. The Bears trail only Rice and Cal State Fullerton in the ISRs, and are ahead of Big 12 foes Texas A&M (7th), Texas (8th), Nebraska (9th) and Texas Tech (14th). Other Baylor opponents among the top 25 include Long Beach State (5th), Arizona (12th) and Southern California (18th).
BoydsWorld.com also offers a Pseudo-RPI, which attempts to duplicate the official RPI formula used by the NCAA in its tournament seeding. Baylor ranks ninth through games of March 30. Baylor opponents in the top 25 include Rice (2nd), Long Beach State (10th), Texas (12th), Nebraska (15th), Texas A&M (16th) and Louisiana-Monroe (25th).
The Bears' schedule is ranked as the third-toughest in the nation; only USC and Stanford are said to be playing harder schedules this year.
Ford Named to Bench Award Watch List
Baylor catcher Josh Ford was listed among 32 players named to the watch list for the 2003 Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate catcher.
Ford, a sophomore from Baytown, Texas, was one of just six sophomores named to the list. Ten semifinalists will be selected from those on the watch list and announced on May 20; a national panel will then select three finalists, who will be announced June 2 prior to the College World Series. The winner will be announced at the 6th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet in Wichita, Kan.
The award, sponsored by Coleman and named after Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, was first given to LSU's Brad Cresse in 2000. Baylor all-American Kelly Shoppach earned the award in 2001 after hitting .397 and making just one error all season behind the plate. Alabama's Jeremy Brown won the honor in 2002.
For more information on the award, including a complete listing of the 2003 watch list, please visit www.WichitaSports.com.
Bears Among Big 12 Season Stat Leaders...
A number of Bears rank among the Big 12 individual statistical leaders, through games of April 3. As a team, the Bears are lead the league in doubles with 73, are second in home runs with 32 and slugging at .486, and third in hitting at .317. The Baylor pitching staff ranks fourth in ERA at 3.59 but easily leads the conference in strikeouts with 249.
Noteable among the hitters: three Bears rank among the top 10 in the Big 12 in hitting. Ross Bennett leads the league at .427, followed by David Murphy (sixth, .397) and Michael Griffin (seventh, .385). Bennett is second in RBI (38); Chris Durbin leads the Big 12 in runs (47) and is second in home runs (9) and walks (22); and Murphy leads the conference in hits (56). Griffin leads the league in doubles (14) and total bases (95), and is second only to Murphy in hits; the sophomore ranks among the league leaders in eight categories.
On the mound, Steven White leads the Big 12 in strikeouts (67) and starts (9), while Abe Woody leads the league in opposing batting average (.156) and is second in ERA (1.69). White ranks second in innings pitched (59.1), while Ryan LaMotta and Sean Walker are tied for fourth in the conference in wins (5).
The complete list:
Ross Bennett: 1st in batting (.427), 2nd in RBI (38), 6th in on-base percentage (.475), 7th in slugging percentage (.650), 8th in hits (44), t-10th in total bases (67)
Zane Carlson: t-5th in saves (4), t-6th in appearances (14)
Chris Durbin: 1st in runs (47), 2nd in home runs (9), 2nd in walks (22), 5th in total bases (78), 8th in slugging percentage (.624)
Josh Ford: 6th in RBI (34), t-10th in doubles (9)
Michael Griffin: t-1st in doubles (14), 1st in total bases (95), 2nd in hits (55), 5th in triples (4), 5th in slugging percentage (.664), t-6th in home runs (6), 7th in batting (.385), t-8th in RBI (32)
Ryan LaMotta: t-4th in wins (5), 5th in appearances (15)
David Murphy: 1st in hits (56), t-3rd in runs (35), 6th in total bases (76), 6th in batting (.397)
Trey Taylor: t-3rd in games started (8)
Sean Walker: t-4th in wins (5), t-5th in complete games (1), 7th in ERA (2.95), 8th in opposing batting average (.235)
Trey Webb: t-5th in doubles (12)
Steven White: 1st in strikeouts (67), t-1st in starts (9), 2nd in innings pitched (59.1), 12th in ERA (3.79)
Abe Woody: 1st in opposing batting average (.156), 2nd in ERA (1.69), t-6th in appearances (14)
... And Among Big 12 Conference Stat Leaders
In league games, Baylor leads the Big 12 Conference in ERA by a wide margin; the Bears' 2.57 ERA is over 60 points lower than Texas, the next closest team.
Several individuals rank among the league leaders, as well. The complete list:
Ross Bennett: t-3rd in home runs (3), 3rd in RBI (14), t-5th in doubles (3), t-5th in total bases (22), 10th in slugging percentage (.667)
Chris Durbin: t-2nd in runs (11), t-10th in walks (5)
Josh Ford: t-5th in hits (14), t-5th in RBI (11), t-6th in home runs (2), t-7th in total bases (21), 21st in batting (.359)
Michael Griffin: t-2nd in doubles (4), t-7th in total bases (21)
Ryan LaMotta: t-2nd in appearances (5)
David Murphy: 2nd in hits (16), t-2nd in runs (11), 5th in batting (.457), 5th in on-base percentage (.537), t-6th in walks (6), t-9th in total bases (20)
Trey Taylor: t-1st in starts (3), 2nd in opposing batting average (.208), 7th in ERA (2.13)
Sean Walker: t-1st in wins (3), 1st in ERA (1.21), t-1st in starts (3), t-2nd in complete games (1), 4th in innings pitched (22.1), 5th in opposing batting average (.233)
Trey Webb: t-2nd in doubles (4)
Steven White: 1st in strikeouts (27), t-1st in starts (3), 9th in innings pitched (17.2), 19th in ERA (5.09)
Bennett's Bat Burning Up Opposition
Senior Ross Bennett continues to lead the Bears in average, bringing in a season average of .427, an on-base percentage of .475 and a .650 slugging percentage to the weekend series against Texas.
A fifth-year senior, Bennett has raised his career average 21 points this season, vaulting into third place in the Baylor recordbooks at .347 (160-for-460).
The senior from Cape Girardeau, Mo., w as named Big 12 Player of the Week for games played Feb. 24-March 2 for his feats against UT-San Antonio and UC-Irvine. For the week, Bennett hit .786 (11-for-14) with five RBI and five runs scored.
Bennett's selection gave the Bears back-to-back Players of the Week, after Chris Durbin was so honored the week before. The honor was the first of Bennett's career.
White Moving Up the Charts
Senior starter Steven White has put his name into the Baylor recordbooks, ranking among the top 10 in multiple career records. White is within reach of setting a new school record for career starts; he is currently in second place with 49 career starts, one shy of Josh Scott's record of 50.
White is also fifth in strikeouts with 257, tied for fifth with 22 wins and fifth in innings pitched (298.2).
Durbin's Bat Rewriting Baylor Recordbook
Senior Chris Durbin continues to make his mark on the Baylor recordbook. Against Texas A&M on March 28, Durbin recorded his 64th career double to tie the school record, held by Eric Nelson.
Durbin already holds the school single-season doubles record, having pounded out 25 two-base hits in both 2001 and 2002. On the Baylor career charts, Durbin ranks among the top 10 in doubles (t-1st), hits (4th), extra-base hits (4th), runs (4th), total bases (5th), slugging percentage (6th), home runs (7th), RBI (8th) and average (9th).
Walker Flourishing in Starting Role
Sophomore Sean Walker has stepped into a weekend starting role and performed quite admirably. In three starts against Big 12 teams, Walker has gone 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA. Included in those numbers was his first career complete game, a 9-1 win in College Station against then-No. 23 Texas A&M.
Walker now leads the league in wins and ERA (conference play only). For the season, his 2.95 ERA is the best among the Bears' starters. Even more impressive, he has brought his ERA below three after allowing four runs in his first two appearances this season without recording an out. Take out those two dismal outings, and his ERA would be a miniscule 2.11.
No Knock On Woody
Redshirt freshman Abe Woody has been nothing short of sensational out of the Bears' bullpen this season. The righty from Round Rock, Texas, ranks second in the Big 12 in ERA (1.69) while compiling a 4-0 record to go along with two saves.
Woody leads the league in opposing batting average (an amazing .156) while ranking among the most-used relievers in the league (32.0 innings in 14 appearances). With numbers like those, Woody has teamed with fellow freshman Ryan LaMotta and Baylor career saves leader Zane Carlson to provide the Bears with confidence going to the pen late in games.
Closer Carlson Nears Another Saves Record
With four saves this season, junior closer Zane Carlson now has 27 for his career. That total stands just one shy of the Big 12 Conference career saves record of 28, set by Oklahoma's Jeff Bajenaru (1999-2000).
Carlson already holds the Baylor career and single-season saves records; he laid claim to both records after saving 15 games as a freshman in 2000. Carlson also holds the Cape Cod League career saves record with 24. The NCAA record is 49, set by Southern California's Jack Krawczyk (1995-98).
Bears Best in the Big 12
Baylor has the best conference record of any team in the Big 12 Conference since the league's start in 1997. At 115-62 (.650), the Bears are a notch above Texas Tech (116-64-1, .644). Included in the first six seasons for Baylor are one Big 12 championship (2000) and a pair of runner-up finishes (1998, 1999).
On top of that, Baylor is the only Big 12 Conference school to have ranked in the top 10 nationally during each of the past six seasons (1998-2003).
Baylor also leads all conference schools in Big 12 history in both first team All-Big 12 selections (18) and in first team Academic All-Big 12 selections (30).
Bears' Schedule Toughest in Nation
Baylor's 2003 schedule is the toughest in the nation, according to a statistical measure produced at the start of the season at BoydsWorld.com and based on teams' 2002 records.
Nine of the Bears' 2002 opponents qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago: Houston, Long Beach State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rice, Southern California, Texas and Texas Tech. Of those, Nebraska, Rice and Texas each advanced to the College World Series last year, with the Longhorns coming away as national champions.
Smith Reaches Another Milestone
Friday's game against Texas Tech marked head coach Steve Smith's 500th game at the helm of the Bears.
Earlier this season, Smith earned his 300th career win (Feb. 9 at Arizona, an 11-9, 11-inning victory). Now in his ninth season at the helm of the Bears, Smith holds a career-record of 321-189-1, all at Baylor.
Smith leads all Baylor coaches in career winning percentage (.629), and he trails only Baylor legend Mickey Sullivan among Bears' head coaches in total wins. Sullivan, whom Smith replaced in 1995, compiled a 649-428 record while helming the Bears from 1974-1994.
Baylor-Missouri Game Picked For TV
The Baylor-Missouri game on April 19 has been picked as one of five games to air on Fox Sports Net as part of the Big 12 Conference television package.
The other four games to be aired are Nebraska at Oklahoma (March 29), Kansas State at Texas (April 26), Texas A&M at Texas (May 17) and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament Championship Game (May 25). All four games will be aired regionally by Fox Sports Net's Southwest, Rocky Mountain and Midwest affiliates.
The April 19 game vs. Missouri, set for 3 p.m., will be the Bears' 20th televised game since 1988; Baylor is 9-10 on TV during that time. Baylor will also likely have at least one more televised game as part of the Lone Star Series; any additional televised dates will be announced at a later date.
Griffin's Six Hits Set Record
Sophomore Michael Griffin went 6-for-6 Feb. 9 at Arizona, setting a new school record for hits in a game. Griffin broke the previous record of five hits, which had been accomplished 18 times, including once last season by teammate Trey Webb.
Griffin knocked out five singles and a home run in the Bears' 11-9, 11-inning win over the Wildcats and tied his career-high with six RBI.
Six Bears Named All-Tournament in Houston
Six Bears were named to the 2003 Minute Maid Park College Classic All-Tournament Team, led by Most Outstanding Player Michael Griffin. The sophomore left fielder hit .517 in three games with a double, a triple, a home run, four runs scored and 4 RBI. Griffin became the third Bear in three years to be named tournament MVP at the Astros' classic, following Kelly Shoppach (2001) and Tim Hartshorn (2002).
Joining Griffin on the all-tournament team were Josh Ford (C), Paul Witt (2B), Trey Webb (SS), Chris Durbin (OF) and David Murphy (OF).
Webb Snares Top Honor
Baseball America named junior shortstop Trey Webb the top defender among this year's draft-eligible collegiate players.
The publication noted that "While he's relatively small at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, SS Trey Webb is the hands-down choice as the top college defender at a premium position. He has soft hands, good range and enough arm strength to be a legitimate shortstop in pro ball."
Durbin Named Player of the Week
Centerfielder Chris Durbin was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week (Feb. 17-23).
Durbin, a senior from Wylie, Texas, hit .588, slugged 1.176 and reached base at a .650 clip as the Bears went 4-0 on the week, including a weekend sweep of No. 7 Southern California. Durbin scored eight times in four games and drove in five runs, including knocking home the winning run in three of the four games.
The award marked the first time Durbin has been named Big 12 Player of the Week. The senior centerfielder was also named CollegeBaseballInsider.com's West Region Player of the Week.
Baylor Home Attendance Ranked
The Baylor baseball program finished the 2002 season 15th in the nation in average home attendance, according to numbers released by the NCAA.
In 31 home dates, 89,343 fans came through the turnstiles at Baylor Ballpark, an average of 2,882 fans per game. The 2002 average was the best in program history, while the total attendance was third-best in Baylor's nearly 100 years of baseball. The Bears' total home attendance was the 18th highest total in the nation for 2002.
Baylor has ranked among the top 20 programs in the nation in average and total attendance each year since moving into Baylor Ballpark, with program-best rankings of ninth in average attendance and 13th in total attendance set in 2001.
It's In Their Blood
As might be expected, a number of this year's Bears have sports -- baseball or otherwise -- in their blood. Notable examples:
Freshman infielder Kyle Reynolds' father Craig played fifteen seasons in the major leagues (1975-1989), including 11 with the Houston Astros. Craig was selected for the 1978 and 1979 All-Star Games.
Redshirt sophomore Reid Brees' brother Drew became a household name among college football fans when he finished third in the 2000 Heisman voting while at Purdue. Drew is now the starting quarterback for the San Diego Chargers.
Freshman Russell Reichenbach's uncle, Mickey Reichenbach, was named the 1975 College World Series MVP while a sophomore at Texas. A four-year lettermen for the Longhorns, Mickey hit .455 with three doubles and a home run to earn MVP honors.
Baylor Ballpark No. 3 Stadium in the Nation
Baylor Ballpark was named the No. 3 collegiate baseball park in the country in a nationwide survey of college coaches released by Baseball America in January.
In voting by the nation's coaches, Baylor Ballpark placed third, just behind Auburn's Plainsman Park and Arkansas' Baum Stadium. Nebraska's Haymarket Park and LSU's Alex Box Stadium rounded out the top five.
College media relations contacts were also asked to vote on their favorite stadiums. Baylor Ballpark finished fourth in that survey, behind Auburn, Mississippi State's Dudy Noble Field and Arkansas.
The survey asked coaches and media relations contacts to rank their top 10 parks based on aesthetics, facilities (dugout, locker rooms, extra cages/bullpens, etc.), fan amenities, playing conditions and tradition.
Preseason Projections
Juniors David Murphy and Trey Webb were each dubbed preseason all-conference selections. Baseball America named both Bears to their preseason all-Big 12 team, while the Dallas Morning News named Webb a first-team shortstop and Murphy a second-team outfielder.
Freshman pitcher Mark McCormick was also recognized by each publication. The rookie earned preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year recognition from Baseball America and was named to the Dallas Morning News' list of 10 Big 12 Newcomers to Watch.
The Dallas Morning News, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, Sports Weekly/ESPN and even a survey of Big 12 coaches each named Baylor the No. 2 team in the Big 12 for 2003, behind only defending national champion Texas.
Baseball America Preseason Honors
In its annual preseason publication, Baseball America awarded a number of honors to Baylor players. Included among those:
* Chris Durbin: Best Outfield Arm in the Big 12
* Mark McCormick: Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Big 12 Top Newcomer, No. 2 fastball in the Big 12
* David Murphy: Preseason All-Big 12, No. 3 Pure Hitter in the Big 12
* Trey Webb: Preseason All-Big 12, Best Defensive Shortstop in the Big 12, Best Infield Arm in the Big 12
O Captain, My Captain
Senior Jared Theodorakos and junior David Murphy have been selected by their teammates as team captains for the 2003 season.
Baylor Developing Pro Prospects
Baseball America/Perfect Game recently recognized Baylor as one of the top programs in the nation at producing top professional prospects.
In BA/PG's list of the Top 100 Professional Prospects for in College Baseball for the 2003 and 2004 drafts, Baylor was one of only six schools in the nation to have three or more prospects listed among the Top 100 in both 2003 and 2004. (The others: Arizona State, Rice, Stanford, Texas and Southern California).
Draft Dodgers
Seven members of the 2003 Baylor squad have turned down opportunities to enter the world of pro ball in order to join up with the Bears:
Team Year Round TeamTrey Taylor 2001 2nd Colorado RockiesMark McCormick 2002 11th Baltimore OriolesSteven White 2002 18th Milwaukee BrewersRoss Bennett 1998 42nd Montreal ExposJared Theodorakos 2002 49th Colorado RockiesDavid Murphy 2000 50th Anaheim AngelsKyle Reynolds 2002 50th Arizona Diamondbacks
Baylor and USA Baseball
Last fall, USA Baseball named Baylor the 26th-best program in the nation at providing players for the USA National Team.
Five Bears have played a total of six seasons wearing the Red, White and Blue: Pat Combs (1988), Jason Jennings (1997-98), Bryan Loeb (1998), Jon Topolski (1998) and Zane Carlson (2000).
Stanford, Miami, Cal State Fullerton, Southern California and Florida State were recognized as the top five programs based on their contributions to USA Baseball from 1984-2002.
Baylor Alums in the Pros
19 former Bears completed the 2002 season at some level of professional ball. Leading the way are former first-round picks Jason Jennings and Kip Wells, who are leading members of the rotations for the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively.
In 2002, Jennings won National League Rookie of the Year honors after going 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA (see above note). Wells, meanwhile, was honored as the Houston-Area Major League Pitcher of the Year.
NOTES: Jennings started Opening Day 2003 for the Rockies in Houston against the Astros, his first opening day start... Jeremy Dodson was let go by the Royals but is now in the Cardinals' system... Chad Hawkins has officially retired due to recurring injury problems... Eric Nelson and Charley Carter have also both left the world of professional baseball.
For a complete list of Baylor alums in the pros, see the sidebar on page eight of these notes.
Baylor's Jennings 2002 NL Rookie of the Year
Baylor alum and current Colorado pitcher Jason Jennings was named the 2002 National League Rookie of the Year, as voted on by a panel of the Baseball Writers' Association of America
The 24-year-old Jennings went 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA and became the first Colorado player to win the award. He got 27 first place votes and five seconds for 150 points in voting by the BBWAA.
The award came as no surprise to Baylor fans, who saw Jennings named consensus National Collegiate Player of the Year after compiling a 13-2 record, 2.58 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 146.2 innings as a junior in 1999. Jennings also served as the Bears' DH, hitting .386 with 17 home runs and 68 RBI that season. Following his outstanding year, Jennings was drafted in the first round (16th overall pick) by the Rockies.
A three-year starter, Jennings holds Baylor records for wins in a season (13), innings pitched in a season (146.2) and strikeouts in a season (172) and in a career (377). He is second in career wins (27) and career saves (13), third in career home runs (39) and fourth in career batting average (.344).
Head Coach Steve Smith
Head coach Steve Smith is in his ninth season as head coach at Baylor in 2003; in that time, he has compiled a 321-189-1 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 five straight NCAA appearances. Through the 2002 season, Smith ranked 39th among active coaches in winning percentage with a .623 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 six pitchers in the last 11 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 11 years.
In Smith's eight full seasons as head coach, the Bears have produced three first-round draft picks, nine all-Americans, five Academic All-Americans, one National Player of the Year, one GTE/CoSIDA Academic all-American of the Year, 22 first-team all-conference performers, seven freshman all-Americans, and three conference players of the year. Baylor has also placed 30 players on the Academic All-Big 12 first team in the past six seasons, a number that leads the Big 12.
Baylor on the Air
Catch every inning of Baylor baseball in 2003 on the flagship station for Baylor athletics, News/Talk Radio KRZI 1660/1580-AM.
Tom Barfield and Lark Smith begin their first season together as the primary play-by-play and color men for Baylor baseball. Barfield, the operations manager for KRZI/KRZX and KLRK-FM in Waco, is best known as co-host of the afternoon "You Make the Call" call-in show. Barfield saw his first action calling Baylor baseball last season, when he and Smith called the Bears' sweep of Southern California at Dodger Stadium.
Smith, whose attachment to Baylor baseball dates back to the days of coach Dutch Schroeder, was Sports Director for the Baylor campus radio station in the late 1970s and served as play-by-play voice for the Bears' 1977 and 1978 College World Series teams. After nearly two decades in broadcasting, Smith now works for the Heart O'Texas Federal Credit Union in Waco.
All Baylor Baseball games in 2003 will be available on the internet at www.BaylorBears.com. BU baseball is also a staple of the daily "Baylor SportsBeat" hosted by Morris and airing weekdays at 7:25am and 5:25pm on KRZI 1660/1580-AM.
Inside Baylor Sports
"Inside Baylor Sports", a half-hour look at the world of Baylor athletics, airs weekly throughout Central Texas and the region. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott-Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6, Fox Sports Net Southwest and the College Channel (Waco cable channel 18). KCEN carries the show at 10:30 p.m. Sundays, and it airs at 1 p.m. Wednesdays on FSN Southwest.
BaylorBears.com
Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.BaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases, photos, biographical sketches and audio broadcasts, is part of the Official College Sports Network. OCSN currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including eight Big 12 schools.
Live scoring updates are available on BaylorBears.com for all Baylor baseball home games and most road games.
