April 9, 2003
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#16 Baylor Baseball (23-13, 6-6 Big 12)
at #17 Oklahoma State (22-9, 7-2 Big 12)
Friday, April 11 (6 p.m.)
Saturday, April 12 (2 p.m.)
Sunday, April 13 (2 p.m.)
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium * Stillwater, Okla.
This Week in Baylor Baseball
The 16th-ranked Baylor baseball team continues a five-game road stretch on the weekend, heading up Interstate-35 to Stillwater for a three-game set with No. 17 Oklahoma State. Game times are set for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
After opening their Big 12 schedule 5-1 against Texas Tech and Oklahoma, the Bears have gone just 1-5 the last two weekends against Texas A&M and Texas. OSU, meanwhile, took two of three from Texas and Kansas, and swept Kansas State last weekend in Stillwater.
Including that rough conference stretch, Baylor has lost seven of its last nine games, the team's roughest stretch of the year. Correspondingly, the Bears have slipped to 16th in the nation, their lowest ranking of the year.
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.
Last Time Out
* TUESDAY: at Texas-Arlington 10, #16 Baylor 8
After Baylor scored four runs in the first inning, Texas-Arlington scored 10 unanswered runs and held on to beat the Bears 10-8 Tuesday night. Baylor outhit UTA 14-11 and scored four runs in the final two innings, but the Bears also stranded a season-high 14 runners on the night. Michael Griffin's three-run homer in the first gave Baylor an early lead. Kyle Reynolds slugged his first collegiate home run in the ninth, a three-run shot that brought the Bears within two at 10-8. The Bears added two more hits in the inning but stranded the tying run on first.
WEEKEND: 0-3 AT/.vs #12 TEXAS (L 5-11, L 7-13, L 3-11)
Texas swept Baylor at home for the first time since 1983 over the weekend, winning all three games in decisive fashion. Poor defensive play sunk the Bears as Texas won the series opener against Baylor Friday night, 11-5. Baylor made four errors on the night; on top of that, the Bears led off each of the first five innings with a hit, but the only one of those five Bears to score was Mark Saccomanno, who led off the fifth with a home run. Saccomanno homered again in the seventh, and Paul Witt his his first collegiate home run later in the inning, but it was too little too late.
Baylor showed heart, but the Longhorns showed muscle in a 13-7 Texas win Saturday night at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor battled back from a 7-0 deficit, getting within a run at 7-6 in the fourth, but the Bears would never get closer as the Longhorns hit four home runs to win going away. Mark Saccomanno homered for the third time in two days, but the early defecit proved to be too much.
Justin Simmons held Baylor to three hits in eight innings as Texas won Sunday, 11-3. After recording two doubles in the first inning, Baylor did not get another hit until David Murphy's solo home run in the eighth inning. Baylor's defense continued to struggle, as the Bears made five errors for the third time this season.
Baylor in the Rankings
A weekend sweep at the hands of Texas dropped Baylor further in each of the national polls. At No. 16, the Bears received their lowest ranking this season.
Baylor dropped six spots to No. 16 in Baseball America's poll, slid five spots to No. 16 in the USA Today Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches' Poll, lost eight places to No. 20 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA) poll, and fell five places to No. 21 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, and March 24, USA Today Sports Weekly/Coaches).
Bears' RPI Sky-High
Baylor ranks fourth in the nation in the Iterative Strength Rankings from BoydsWorld.com, through games of April 6. The ISRs are an alternate ranking formula similar to the RPI system. The Bears trail only Rice, Cal State Fullerton and Stanford in the ISRs, and are ahead of Big 12 foes Texas (5th), Texas A&M (8th), Nebraska (9th), Missouri (20th) and Texas Tech (25th). Other Baylor opponents among the top 25 include Long Beach State (10th), Arizona (16th) and Southern California (19th).
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 12th through games of April 6. Baylor opponents in the top 25 include Rice (2nd), Texas (7th), Nebraska (16th), Texas A&M (17th) Long Beach State (21st) and Southern California (22nd).
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.
Power Surge for Saccomanno
Fifth-year senior Mark Saccomanno has taken to his starting role at first base, stepping into the role of a power hitter with gusto.
After beginning the season with just three home runs in 118 career games, Saccomanno has hit five home runs in just 15 starts this season, tied for third on the team with slugging catcher Josh Ford.
Saccomanno, who started 59 games at shortstop for the Bears in 2001, hit three home runs last weekend against Texas, including his first career two-homer game April 4 in Austin. His slugging percentage of .611 ranks second on the team, while his .361 average ranks fourth among the team's usual starters.
Bears Among Big 12 Season Stat Leaders...
A number of Bears rank among the Big 12 individual statistical leaders, through games of April 6. As a team, the Bears lead the league in doubles with 79 and in home runs with 37, and rank third in hitting at .312. The Baylor pitching staff ranks sixth in ERA at 3.95 but easily leads the conference in strikeouts with 272.
Noteable among the hitters: three Bears rank among the top 10 in the Big 12 in hitting. Ross Bennett leads the league at .416, followed by David Murphy (sixth, .387) and Michael Griffin (ninth, .377). Bennett is second in RBI (40); Chris Durbin leads the Big 12 in runs (48) and is second in home runs (9) and walks (24); and Murphy leads the conference in hits (60). Griffin leads the league in total bases (99), is second only to Murphy in hits (58) and ranks second in doubles (15); the sophomore ranks among the league leaders in eight categories.
On the mound, Steven White leads the Big 12 in strikeouts (72) and starts (10), while Abe Woody leads the league in opposing batting average (.176) and is fifth in ERA (2.15). White ranks second in innings pitched (64.2), while Ryan LaMotta and Sean Walker are tied for sixth in the conference in wins (5).
The complete list:
Ross Bennett: 1st in batting (.416), t-2nd in RBI (40), 6th in on-base percentage (.474), 8th in slugging percentage (.628), 9th in hits (47)
Zane Carlson: t-5th in appearances (16), t-6th in saves (4)
Chris Durbin: t-1st in runs (48), 2nd in home runs (9), t-2nd in walks (24), 7th in total bases (82), 10th in slugging percentage (.603)
Josh Ford: 7th in RBI (34), t-7th in doubles (11), t-10th in hits (46)
Michael Griffin: 1st in total bases (99), 2nd in hits (58), t-2nd in doubles (15), 5th in triples (4), 5th in slugging percentage (.643), 6th in RBI (35), t-8th in home runs (6), 9th in batting (.377)
Ryan LaMotta: t-5th in appearances (16), t-6th in wins (5)
David Murphy: 1st in hits (60), 3rd in runs (38), 6th in batting (.387), 6th in total bases (83)
Trey Taylor: t-3rd in games started (9)
Sean Walker: t-5th in complete games (1), t-6th in wins (5), 14th in ERA (3.83)
Trey Webb: 6th in doubles (12)
Steven White: 1st in strikeouts (72), t-1st in starts (10), 2nd in innings pitched (64.2), 17th in ERA (4.18)
Abe Woody: 1st in opposing batting average (.176), 5th in ERA (2.15), 8th in appearances (15)
... And Among Big 12 Conference Stat Leaders
For league games only, the following Bears rank among the Big 12 leaders:
Ross Bennett: t-3rd in RBI (16), t-3rd in doubles (4), t-5th in home runs (3)
Zane Carlson: t-7th in appearances (5)
Chris Durbin: t-7th in walks (7), t-10th in runs (12)
Josh Ford: t-6th in hits (18), t-9th in total bases (27), 20th in batting (.353)
Michael Griffin: t-2nd in doubles (5)
Ryan LaMotta: t-4th in appearances (6)
David Murphy: t-2nd in hits (20), t-2nd in runs (14), 7th in batting (.408), t-9th in total bases (27), t-10th in walks (6)
Mark Saccomanno: t-2nd in home runs (4), 5th in slugging (.771), t-9th in total bases (27), 14th in batting (.371)
Trey Taylor: t-1st in starts (4), 6th in opposing batting average (.212), 18th in ERA (3.95)
Sean Walker: t-1st in wins (3), t-1st in starts (4), t-3rd in complete games (1), t-7th in innings pitched (24.1), 11th in ERA (2.96)
Trey Webb: t-3rd in doubles (4)
Steven White: 1st in strikeouts (32), t-1st in starts (4), t-9th in innings pitched (23.0)
Abe Woody: 4th in opposing batting average (.196), 10th in ERA (2.63)
Bennett's Bat Burning Up Opposition
Senior Ross Bennett continues to lead the Bears in average, beginning the weekend with a season average of .402, an on-base percentage of .464 and a .607 slugging percentage.
A fifth-year senior, Bennett has raised his career average 18 points this season, vaulting into fourth place in the Baylor recordbooks at .344 (163-for-474).
The senior from Cape Girardeau, Mo., was 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, moving into a tie for the school record with 50 career starts, tying Josh Scott (1998-2001).
White is also fifth in career strikeouts with 262, tied for fifth with 22 career wins and fifth in innings pitched (304.0).
Durbin's Bat Rewriting Baylor Recordbook
Senior Chris Durbin continues to make his mark on the Baylor recordbook. Against Texas on April 4, Durbin recorded his 65th career double to set a new school record.
Durbin also 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 (1st), hits (4th), extra-base hits (4th), runs (4th), total bases (5th), home runs (7th), slugging percentage (8th), RBI (8th) and average (9th).
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 among the Big 12 leaders in ERA (2.15) while compiling a 4-0 record to go along with two saves.
Through games of April 6, Woody leads the league in opposing batting average (.176) while ranking among the most-used relievers in the league (37.2 innings in 15 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 115-65 (.639), the Bears are percentage points ahead of Texas Tech (116-66-1, .637). 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).
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.
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
Baylor's game against Texas Tech March 14 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 321-193-1, all at Baylor.
Smith leads all Baylor coaches in career winning percentage (.624), 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 preseason 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).
Baseball America updated its list in early April; that ranking included David Murphy as the No. 39 college draft prospect for 2003, and Steven White at No. 47.
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 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).
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.
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 321-193-1 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.
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 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.
