May 28, 2003
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#14 Baylor Baseball (41-21, 15-12 Big 12)
at NCAA Hattiesburg Regional
May 30-June 1, 2003
Pete Taylor Park
Hattiesburg, Miss.
Baylor at the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional
Fresh off a run to the Big 12 Conference Tournament title game, 14th-ranked Baylor heads to Hattiesburg, Miss. and the campus of Southern Miss for a sixth-straight NCAA Regional.
Baylor is the only Big 12 school and one of just 12 schools nationwide to have been named to each of the past six NCAA Tournament fields; the others are Auburn, Cal State Fullerton, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Oral Roberts, Rice, South Alabama, Stanford and Tulane.
The Bears trekked east to Gainesville, Fla. in 1998 to start the NCAA streak in head coach Steve Smith's fourth season. Baylor hosted regionals in 1999 and 2000, then was sent on the road in 2001 (Rice) and 2002 (Texas). On top of that, the Bears have reached a regional championship game three times in the last four years (1999, 2001, 2002).
Baylor is one of five Big 12 schools to make the 2003 tournament, joining Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M. The Huskers, Longhorns and Aggies are each No. 1 seeds and hosting. The Tigers are a No. 3 seed at Mississippi State. Baylor is the only No. 1 seed in the country not hosting a regional.
Baylor has played five of the 16 No. 1 seeds in the 2003 field of 64 this season, and eight tournament teams in total.
Joining Baylor at the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional are No. 12 Southern Miss, the Conference USA regular-season and tournament champs; No. 29 Southern, the SWAC conference champions led by National Player of the Year candidate Rickie Weeks; and Murray State, the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champs.
All Baylor baseball games are carried in Central Texas on KRZI 1660/1580 AM. Live stats are available at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the Official College Sports Network.
Baylor Quick Hits
* Baylor is the only Big 12 school and one of just 12 schools nationwide to have been named to each of the past six NCAA Tournament fields; the others are Auburn, Cal State Fullerton, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Oral Roberts, Rice, South Alabama, Stanford and Tulane.
* Baylor is the only No. 1 seed in the country not hosting a regional.
* The Bears are 9-10 in NCAA Tournament play under head coach Steve Smith, including an 8-8 mark in regional tournaments (Baylor is 1-2 in its only Super Regional appearance).
* While playing the second-toughest schedule in the country (according to BoydsWorld.com), the Bears have managed 40+ wins for the fourth time in Smith's nine seasons and the ninth time in school history.
* Baylor's 41 wins makes 2003 the team's first 40-win season since the 2000 Big 12 Championship campaign. The total ties for the fifth-most wins in school history.
* Baylor has already set a new team record with 764 hits on the season. The Bears need just two doubles to set a new school record, and the team's .330 average would be the best in program history.
* The Bears need just 41 hits to break the Big 12 record for hits in a season (804 by Texas A&M in 1999).
* Baylor's .330 team batting average ranked 11th nationally, through games of May 25. The Bears also ranked 16th in the country in runs per game (8.2).
* Two Bears ranked among the nation's top hitters, through games of May 25. David Murphy's .417 average ranked 17th in the nation, and Michael Griffin was 21st in triples per game (8/62, 0.13) and 27th in the country in RBI per game (75/62, 1.21).
* Junior outfielder David Murphy's 113 hits on the season are both a new school record (passing Eric Nelson's 102 hits in 1999) and a new Big 12 Conference record (passing Tim Moss' 112 hits in 2002).
* Other school single-season records tied or broken this season: runs (Chris Durbin), doubles (Michael Griffin), and batting average (David Murphy). New career records: doubles and extra-base hits (Durbin), starts and innings pitched (Steven White), and relief appearances (Zane Carlson). Carlson also set a new Big 12 record for career saves (32).
* Since the start of the Big 12 in 1997, the Bears have the league's best conference record at 124-71 (.636). Baylor leads all conference schools in both first-team All-Big 12 selections (21) and first-team Academic All-Big 12 selections (35).
2003 Big 12 Tournament Recap
Baylor fought through the losers' bracket to advance to the Big 12 Tournament title game for the third time in five years, but dropped the championship game in extra innings to defending national champ Texas.
Wednesday, the Bears run-ruled Missouri 11-0 in seven innings to open the tournament. The Bears scored five times in the fourth and six more times in the sixth, and Steven White tossed a three-hit shutout. The next day, Nebraska sent Baylor into the losers' bracket with a 9-5 loss. The Bears brought the tying run to the plate twice in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to complete the comeback.
Zane Carlson tossed 2.1 scoreless innings to close out a 9-8 win over Missouri Friday night. Four unearned runs in the top of the seventh for the Tigers nearly erased a 9-4 Baylor lead, but Carlson got the Bears out of the mess to prolong the team's run.
Baylor upset Nebraska twice Saturday to reach the title game. In the afternoon game, the Bears outlasted the Huskers 7-5 in 14 innings. Carlson earned the victory in relief, tossing 5.1 innings of one-hit shutout ball; he walked one and tied his career high with seven strikeouts after freshman Ryan LaMotta had thrown seven innings and allowed just three runs to the Big 12 regular season champs.
Two more freshmen shut down Nebraska in the nightcap. Mark McCormick and Abe Woody combined to hold the Huskers to just two hits, their lowest total of the season, in a 6-2 Baylor win. McCormick went seven innings, his longest outing of the year, and struck out eight. Woody took over with two on and nobody out in the eighth and pitched the final two innings without allowing a hit, striking out two. Mark Saccomanno's three-run homer capped a four-run third inning and gave the Bears more than enough room to win.
After finishing that win at 1:05 a.m. Sunday morning, Baylor matched pace with Texas for nine innings before Curtis Thigpen's two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th gave the Longhorns a 10-8 win. The Bears led 6-1 going to the bottom of the fifth before Texas began its comeback. White, Carlson, McCormick, Saccomanno, Josh Ford and David Murphy were all named to the all-tournament team.
Baylor in the Rankings
Advancing to the Big 12 Tournament title game did little more than nudge Baylor up slightly in the national polls this week.
The Bears jumped eight spots to No. 14 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA) poll, but moved up only one place in the USA Today Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches' Poll (to No. 15), one spot in Baseball America's poll (to No. 18) and one mark in Collegiate Baseball's poll (to No. 21).
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 seventh in the nation in the Iterative Strength Rankings from BoydsWorld.com, through games of May 25. The ISRs are an alternate ranking formula similar to the RPI system. Each of the six teams ahead of Baylor (Cal State Fullerton, Rice, Stanford, Arizona State, Texas and Long Beach State) is hosting a regional, as are Big 12 foes Texas A&M (9th) and Nebraska (10th).
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 10th through games of May 25. Baylor opponents in the top 25 include Rice (8th), Texas (9th), Long Beach State (12th), Texas A&M (14th) and Nebraska (21st).
The Bears' schedule is ranked as the second-toughest in the nation; only Southern California is said to have played a harder schedule this year.
Baylor vs. the Regional Field
Baylor has played a combined total of just four games against the other three teams at the Hattiesburg Regional. The Bears have never faced Murray State, and have just one game on record against Southern -- back in 1913, so long ago that no result is on file.
Baylor is 2-1 all-time against Southern Miss. The Bears and Eagles met twice in Hattiesburg in 1996, with Baylor taking both games. Eric Nelson singled in two unearned runs with two outs in the ninth to claim the first game, 6-5, and Kip Wells took advantage of a seven-run fourth inning to pitch Baylor to a 7-6 victory the next day. One year later, Southern Miss returned the favor, scoring 12 runs in the third inning and coasting to a 16-7 win in Waco.
Durbin on Player of the Year Watch Lists
Baylor centerfielder Chris Durbin was added May 11 to Baseball America's Collegiate Player of the Year watch list, a select listing that includes 18 of the top athletes in the country.
Durbin has also been included on the Rotary Smith Award Watch List and was among 25 players named to the watch list for the 2003 Golden Spikes Award.
Ford Named Bench Award Semi-Finalist
Baylor catcher Josh Ford was listed among 10 players named May 27 as semi-finalists 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 three sophomores to make the cut. The other semi-finalists are: Brady Burrill, Michigan State, Senior; Ryan Garko, Stanford, Senior; Chris Grossman, California, Junior; Devin Ivany, South Florida, Sophomore; Jason Jaramillo, Oklahoma State, Sophomore; Colt Morton, North Carolina State, Junior; Landon Powell, South Carolina, Junior; Tony Richie, Florida State, Junior; and Brian Rose, Florida, Senior.
A national panel will now select three finalists, who will be announced June 3 prior to the College World Series. The winner will be announced at the 6th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 24 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.
Bennett Named Academic All-America
Baylor senior Ross Bennett was named to the 2003 Verizon Baseball Academic All-America First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Bennett is just the third Bear to earn first-team academic all-America honors in program history; he joins Charley Carter (1998) and Jason Jennings (1999) on that short list. Pat Combs and Jon Topolski are the only other academic all-Americans in Baylor history (Jennings and Topolski were each two-time selections).
A biochemistry/pre-dental major, Bennett earlier earned his second-straight Academic All-District First Team selection. He is also a three-time Academic All-Big 12 first team honoree (2000, 2002, 2003).
Sophomore Michael Griffin was named to the 2003 Verizon District VI Academic second team. A business major, Griffin's selection was the first of his career.
Ten Bears Named to Coaches' All-Big 12 Team
Ten Baylor student-athletes were named to the 2003 All-Big 12 Conference Baseball Team, as selected by the league's coaches.
Three Bears were named to the league's first team in outfielders Chris Durbin and David Murphy and utilityman Michael Griffin. Three more earned selection to the second team: DH Ross Bennett, starting pitcher Steven White and reliever Zane Carlson. Catcher Josh Ford, first baseman Mark Saccomanno and relievers Ryan LaMotta and Abe Woody each earned honorable mention honors.
The 10 total selections marks the highest total for Baylor in program history. Only twice before (1998 and 2000) have the Bears received more than the three first-team honorees they earned this season.
Durbin earned all-conference honors for the third straight season, while Bennett, Carlson and White each earned their second all-Big 12 selection. The other six players were each first-time selections.
Through the first seven seasons of the Big 12 Conference, Baylor leads the league in All-Big 12 First Team selections (21) and Academic All-Big 12 First Team selections (35).
Seven Bears Named Academic All-Big 12
Seven Baylor student-athletes were among the 47 players named to the 2003 Baseball Academic All-Big 12 Teams. The Bears finished behind only Nebraska with five first-team selections and seven total honorees.
Seniors Ross Bennett and Steven White, sophomores Michael Griffin and Sean Walker and redshirt freshman Zach Dillon were all named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team. Sophomores Trey Taylor and Paul Witt were named to the second team.
Bennett became the sixth Bear in school history to earn three Academic All-Big 12 First Team selections, joining Tim Hartshorn, Jason Jennings, Eric Nelson, Jon Topolski and Preston Underdown. White earned his third straight Academic All-Big 12 selection and second straight first-team honor. Griffin, Walker, Dillon, Taylor and Witt each earned their first Academic All-Big 12 honors.
Baseball America Draft Predictions
Baseball America has pegged junior OF David Murphy as a likely first-round pick for the 2003 Major League draft.
In May, the publication named Murphy the No. 7 draft prospect in Texas and projected him to be taken by St. Louis with the 28th overall pick. Steven White was named the No. 18 prospect in the state, followed by Chris Durbin (No. 21) and Trey Webb (No. 44).
Bears Among Big 12 Season Stat Leaders...
A number of Bears rank among the Big 12 individual statistical leaders, through games of May 27. As a team, the Bears lead the league in average (.330), slugging (.522), runs (511), hits (764), doubles (156), home runs (79) and RBI (481). The Baylor pitching staff ranks fourth in ERA at 4.44 but easily leads the conference in strikeouts with 478.
Noteable among the hitters: David Murphy leads the league in batting (.417) by an amazing 24 points, and also tops the conference in hits (113 - a new conference record) and total bases (170). Murphy, Michael Griffin, and Chris Durbin rank 1-2-3 in the Big 12 in total bases. Durbin also leads the Big 12 in runs (89) and is second in the league in home runs (17). Griffin leads the league in doubles (25) and triples (8). Murphy ranks among the league leaders in 10 different categories.
On the mound, Steven White leads the Big 12 in strikeouts (112), starts (17) and innings (113.1), while Ryan LaMotta is fourth in the league in ERA (3.68).
The complete list:
Ross Bennett: 12th in batting (.376)
Zane Carlson: t-3rd in saves (9), t-3rd in appearances (27)
Chris Durbin: 1st in runs (89), 2nd in home runs (17), 3rd in total bases (167), 4th in walks (40), 5th in slugging (.650), t-5th in doubles (21), 6th in hits (89), 7th in on-base pct. (.458), 20th in batting (.346)
Josh Ford: t-5th in home runs (12), t-6th in RBI (58), t-8th in doubles (18), 10th in total bases (136), 10th in runs (57)
Michael Griffin: t-1st in doubles (25), t-1st in triples (8), 2nd in RBI (75), 2nd in total bases (169), 3rd in hits (98), 8th in slugging (.619), 15th in batting (.359)
Ryan LaMotta: t-3rd in appearances (27), 3rd in opposing batting average (.232), 4th in ERA (3.68)
David Murphy: 1st in batting (.417), 1st in hits (113), 1st in total bases (170), 2nd in runs (78), 4th in RBI (62), 4th in on-base percentage (.485), 6th in walks (36), 7th in slugging (.627), t-7th in triples (4), t-9th in home runs (11)
Mark Saccomanno: 6th in batting (.384), 9th in slugging (.616)
Sean Walker: t-4th in wins (8), t-10th in complete games (1), 19th in ERA (5.07)
Trey Webb: t-5th in doubles (21)
Steven White: 1st in strikeouts (112), 1st in starts (17), t-1st in innings pitched (113.1), t-1st in shutouts (1), t-4th in complete games (3), 7th in opposing batting average (.255), t-9th in wins (7), 15th in ERA (4.37)
Abe Woody: t-8th in appearances (25)
... And Among Big 12 Conference Stat Leaders
In league games only, Baylor finished first in the Big 12 in hitting (.327), on-base percentage (.396), runs (219), hits (323), doubles (68) and RBI (206). For league games only, the following Bears rank among the Big 12 leaders:
Zane Carlson: t-9th in saves (2)
Chris Durbin: 1st in runs (38), t-2nd in home runs (8), 3rd in total bases (77), 4th in slugging (.688), 5th in doubles (11), t-8th in hits (40), t-8th in walks (14), 10th in on-base percentage (.459), 13th in batting (.357)
Michael Griffin: t-2nd in doubles (12), t-3rd in triples (3), t-6th in RBI (30), t-8th in hits (40), 24th in batting (.342)
Ryan LaMotta: t-6th in appearances (12)
David Murphy: t-2nd in walks (17), 3rd in hits (46), 3rd in runs (34), 3rd in on-base percentage (.485), 4th in batting (.411), t-6th in triples (2), 9th in total bases (68) Mark Saccomanno: 8th in slugging (.652), 10th in batting (.371)
Sean Walker: t-2nd in wins (6), t-8th in complete games (1), 10th in innings (52.0), 12th in ERA (3.98)
Trey Webb: t-6th in doubles (9)
Steven White: t-1st in starts (9), 2nd in strikeouts (65), t-3rd in complete games (2), t-6th in wins (4), 6th in opposing batting average (.253), 9th in innings (57.2), 18th in ERA (5.15)
Record-Setting Seasons
Several Bears are seriously assaulting Baylor single season records. Most impressively, David Murphy's .417 average would equal Steve Macko's modern-era record. Murphy has already set a new school record with 113 hits on the season. In May, Chris Durbin set new single-season and career runs records. Michael Griffin has tied the single-season doubles record, previously set by Durbin.
While complete updated recordbooks are found later in these notes, below are listed some of the most endangered records (pre-existing records in italics):
Average: .417, David Murphy [modern record: .417, Steve Macko, 1977]
Hits: 113, David Murphy [102, Eric Nelson, 1999]
Runs: 89, Chris Durbin [77, Eric Nelson, 1999]
Doubles: 25, Michael Griffin [25, Chris Durbin, 2001/2002]
Home Runs: 17, Chris Durbin [21, Charley Carter, 1998]
Extra-Base Hits: 43, Michael Griffin [47, Charley Carter, 1998]
Total Bases: 170, David Murphy [190, Charley Carter, 1998]
White Moving Up the Charts
Senior starter Steven White has taken over the top spot in the Baylor recordbooks for career starts and career innings, and has moved into second place in strikeouts (behind only Jason Jennings) and third place in wins (two shy of Burl Coker's school record).
White ranks among the Baylor career leaders in:
Games Started: 57 1stWins: 26 t-3rd (needs 1 to t-2nd, 2 to t-1st)Innings Pitched: 352.2 1stStrikeouts: 302 2nd (needs 75 to t-1st)
Durbin's Bat Rewriting Recordbook
Senior Chris Durbin continues to make his mark on the Baylor recordbook. Durbin has moved into first place in the career listings for doubles and extra-base hits this season, and ranks among the top 10 in virtually every offensive statistic.
Against Texas on April 4, Durbin recorded his 65th career double to set a new school record; he has added 12 more since then for a total of 77. That total also is a new Big 12 Conference record, surpassing Jeff Ontiveros' 66 doubles for Texas (1999-02).
With his first of two doubles April 26, Durbin broke a tie with Jon Topolski to set a new career extra-base record.
Durbin's career numbers:
Average: .345 5th (needs 1 point to t-3rd)Games Played: 224 t-6th (needs 1 to t-4th, 3 to t-3rd, 15 to t-2nd)At-Bats: 865 3rd (needs 81 to t-2nd)Hits: 298 4th (needs 20 to t-3rd)Runs: 231 2nd (needs 54 to t-1st)Doubles: 77 1stHome Runs: 40 3rd (needs 3 to t-2nd)RBI: 166 t-6th (needs 3 to t-5th, 8 to t-4th)Extra-Base Hits: 126 1stTotal Bases: 513 3rd (needs 10 to t-2nd)Walks: 111 t-7th (needs 3 to t-6th, 7 to t-5th)Slugging Pct: .593 4th (needs 2 points to t-3rd, 20 points to t-2nd)
Closer Carlson Claims Another Saves Record
Junior closer Zane Carlson laid claim to yet another saves record April 27, when he recorded his 29th career save. That total broke the old Big 12 Conference career saves record of 28, set by Oklahoma's Jeff Bajenaru (1999-2000).
Carlson also holds the Baylor career and single-season saves records; he laid claim to both records after saving 15 games as a freshman in 2000. On top of that, 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).
Carlson ranks among the Baylor career leaders in:
Games Pitched: 85 t-2nd (needs 6 to t-1st)Games Relieved: 84 1stSaves: 32 1st
Bears Gunning for Conference Records
A number of Big 12 single-season and career records are in danger of falling to Bears this season. Already this year, Zane Carlson set new Big 12 records for career appearances and saves, Chris Durbin set a new standard for career doubles and David Murphy recorded a Big 12-record 113 hits in a season.
A complete list follows (pre-existing records in italics):
Season Runs: 89, Chris Durbin [97, Keith Ginter, TT, 1998]
Career Runs: 231, Chris Durbin [236, Matt Hopper, NU, 2000-present]
Season Hits: 113, David Murphy [112, Tim Moss, UT, 2002]
Career Hits: 298, Chris Durbin [329, Matt Hopper, NU, 2000-present]
Season Doubles: 25, Michael Griffin [32, Jeff Guiel, OSU, 1997]
Career Doubles: 77, Chris Durbin [66, Jeff Ontiveros, UT, 1999-02]
Career Total Bases: 513, Chris Durbin [570, Matt Hopper, NU, 2000-present]
Career Saves: 32, Zane Carlson [28, Jeff Bajenaru, OU, 1999-00]
Career Appearances: 85, Zane Carlson [85, Kyle Edens, BU, 1999-02]
Career Starts: 57, Steven White [59, Shane Komine, NU, 1999-02]
(Hopper's numbers through games of May 26)
Best in History? Part One
By year's end, the 2003 seasons put together by Chris Durbin and David Murphy will likely rank among the best offensive performances in school history. The thought is backed up by a statistic quickly becoming a favorite among sabermaticians, OPS.
OPS is simply on-base percentage plus slugging percentage, and the statistic is considered to be perhaps the best "easy" measure of a player's overall offensive ability.
Charley Carter, 1998 1.232Steve Macko, 1977 1.190Jason Jennings, 1999 1.158Marty Crawford, 1996 1.153Jon Topolski, 1998 1.147Mike Malinak, 1986 1.135Kelly Shoppach, 2001 1.117Jon Topolski, 1999 1.116David Murphy, 2003 1.112Chris Durbin, 2003 1.108Eric Nelson, 1999 1.079Gene de los Santos, 1980 1.077
Best in History? Part Two
One could make a strong argument that Baylor is featuring its most dynamic offense in school history this season. The Bears' .330 team batting average would be their best ever, and their 764 hits are a new school record. Baylor also needs just two doubles to set a new team record in that category.
The 2003 squad has already moved into the top five in doubles (2nd), home runs (3rd), RBI (3rd), extra-base hits (3rd), total bases (3rd), slugging percentage (3rd) and runs (3rd).
Considering that scoring across the country has declined since the late 1990s (when the Bears set most school team records for offense), the 2003 season may showcase the best-hitting Baylor team ever.
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, has struggled in two starts, but has been dominant in relief.
As a reliever, Woody is 6-0 with a 2.61 ERA over 23 appearances. In 51.2 innings, he has struck out 34 with a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) under 1.00 (34 hits, 13 walks).
Though just short of having enough innings to qualify, Woody ranks among the top five pitchers in the league in opposing batting average (.208) while ranking among the most-used relievers in the Big 12. With numbers like those, Woody has teamed with fellow freshman Ryan LaMotta and Big 12 career saves leader Zane Carlson to provide the Bears with confidence going to the pen late in games.
Thrice is Nice for Players of the Week
Baylor received three Big 12 Player of the Week honors this season. Centerfielder Chris Durbin and first baseman Ross Bennett earned back-to-back Big 12 Conference Player of the Week awards during the first month of the season, and Durbin was honored again in late April
Durbin was named the Big 12 Player of the Week (Feb. 17-23) after hitting .588, slugging 1.176 and reaching 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 was named Big 12 Player of the Week. The senior centerfielder was also named CollegeBaseballInsider.com's West Region Player of the Week.
The very next week, Bennett duplicated Durbin's honor. 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. The honor was the first of Bennett's career.
Two months later, Durbin received his second player of the week award. The senior hit.524 and slugged .857 for the week as Baylor pounded TCU 22-4, then took two of three from Kansas on the weekend. Durbin got the Bears' offense rolling in all four games, reaching base safely to start every game last week. He hit four doubles, homered, drove in four runs and scored eight times out of the leadoff spot in the order.
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 124-71 (.636), the Bears are ahead of Texas Tech (120-77-1, .609). Included in the first seven 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).
Including this season's totals, Baylor leads all conference schools in Big 12 history in both first team All-Big 12 selections (21) and in first team Academic All-Big 12 selections (35).
Smith Reaches Another Milestone
Baylor head coach Steve Smith has recorded his 300th career win, his 325th career win and his 500th game at the helm of the Bears this season. Smith earned his 300th career win Feb. 9 at Arizona, an 11-9, 11-inning victory. One month later, the Bears' game against Texas Tech March 14 marked Smith's 500th game as head coach of the Bears, and Smith recorded win No. 325 against Missouri April 18. Now in his ninth season at the helm of the Bears, Smith holds a career-record of 339-201-1, all at Baylor.
Smith leads all Baylor coaches in career winning percentage (.628), 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.
Griffin's Cycle a Rarity
Sophomore Michael Griffin became the first Bear to hit for the cycle in 25 years May 6 against Centenary when he went 4-for-5 with a single, a double, a triple and a home run.
The last Baylor player to hit for the cycle was Shane Nolen vs. Texas Tech on March 10, 1978. In addition to his four hits, Griffin scored three times and tied his career high with six RBI.
To put the feat in perspective, in the Major Leagues, there have been more no-hitters than cycles. The same applies for Baylor; since Nolen hit for the cycle in 1978, the Bears have recorded five no-hitters - but only one cycle (Griffin's).
Bear Fans Rush Through Turnstiles
Baylor baseball attracted fans in record numbers this season. In 28 home dates, the Bears drew a total of 85,620 fans, an record average of 3,057 per game.
Average attendance at Baylor Ballpark has increased each season since the park's opening in 1999. Last season, the Bears drew 2,882 fans per game, ranking 15th in the nation in average attendance. Baylor has ranked among the top 25 in both average and total attendance each year since moving into Baylor Ballpark.
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... Paul Thorp and Kelly Shoppach are each in extended spring training rehabbing injuries... Wells hit the longest home run by a Pirate in PNC Park history April 25 against the Dodgers, a 457-foot shot to dead center... Jon Topolski began the season at Triple-A New Orleans but was bumped back to Double-A Round Rock after appearing in just five games, hitting .364.... Matt Williams began the season at Low-A Peoria, moved up to High-A Palm Beach after just two games, then was released April 29... Mark Outlaw was released May 2.
For a complete list of Baylor alums in the pros, see the sidebar on page nine 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 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.
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).
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.
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 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
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.
Bears' Schedule Toughest in Nation
Baylor's 2003 schedule was 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.
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."
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 339-201-1 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 are in 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 John Morris and airing weekdays at 7:25am and 5:25pm on KRZI 1660/1580-AM.
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.
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.
