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GAMES 36-38 • APRIL 15-17, 2005
No. 12 BAYLOR (22-13, 9-3)
at
KANSAS (24-15, 3-6)
HOGLUND BALLPARK • LAWRENCE, KAN.
THE SERIES
Overall Record: Baylor leads 25-3
Waco: Baylor leads 15-0
Lawrence: Baylor leads 9-3
Neutral Site: Baylor leads 1-0
Since Start of Big 12: Baylor leads 20-3
Smith vs. Kansas: 20-3
First Meeting: at Baylor 8, Kansas 1 [1957]
Last Meeting: at Baylor 9, Kansas 2 [4/25/2004]
COACHES
BAYLOR: Steve Smith
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986
Career Record: 394-247-1 (11th season)
Record at Baylor: 394-247-1 (11th season)
KANSAS: Ritch Price
Alma Mater: Willamette, 1978
Career Record: 309-302-1 (11th season)
Record at Kansas: 90-74-1 (3rd season)
BAYLOR RADIO NETWORK
ESPN/KRZI 1660 AM (Waco)
Tom Barfield, play-by-play
Lark Smith, color
INTERNET FEEDS
GameTracker: www.BaylorBears.com
Audio: www.BaylorBears.com
Video: None
BAYLOR NATIONAL RANKINGS
Baseball America 15th
Sports Weekly/ESPN/Coaches 17th
NCBWA 24th
Collegiate Baseball 21st
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday, April 15
BU - LHP Trey Taylor (3-3, 3.88 ERA)
KU - LHP Mike Zagurski (4-3, 4.22 ERA)
Saturday, April 16
BU - RHP Mark McCormick (4-2, 3.02 ERA)
KU - LHP Sean Land (3-2, 5.14 ERA)
Sunday, April 17
BU - LHP Cory VanAllen (6-2, 3.63 ERA)
KU - RHP Kodiak Quick (8-3, 3.51 ERA)
Baylor returns to action this weekend, traveling to Lawrence, Kan., for a three-game Big 12 Conference series at Kansas. The Bears and the Jayhawks meet Friday at 7 p.m. CDT, Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Baylor (22-13, 9-3) dropped a 2-0 decision Tuesday night at Texas-Arlington. The Bears, ranked 12th in this week's Baseball America Top 25, swept Kansas State at home last weekend and have won 14 of their last 20 games. Baylor is 12-3 in its last four weekend series, including a 5-2 mark in road games.
Kansas (24-15, 3-6) lost 5-1 Wednesday night at in-state rival Wichita State. The Jayhawks, currently ninth in the Big 12 standings, dropped two of three last weekend at Oklahoma.
All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on ESPN/KRZI 1660 AM in Waco. Live streaming audio and GameTracker also are available for all Baylor baseball games online at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor Athletics and a member of the College Sports Network.
LEADING OFF
BEARS REMAIN HIGH IN PSEUDO RPI RANKINGS
Through games of April 10, Baylor ranks sixth nationally in the pseudo RPI rankings at www.BoydsWorld.com. With a 0.632 rating, the Bears are just behind Arkansas, College of Charleston and Florida (all at 0.634). Tulane (0.658) ranks first, followed by Texas (0.637).
A large reason for Baylor's high RPI ranking is its strength of schedule and the Bears' record against strong opponents. Baylor holds the nation's best record against nationally ranked opponents at 10-1, and the Bears' schedule ranks as the nation's 10th-toughest entering the week.
Of Baylor's 35 games this season, 30 were against teams ranked in the RPI top 100 with 18 games against the RPI top 50 and 14 games against the RPI top 30. The Bears are 10-4 against the top 30, including a 3-0 mark against the top 10.
QUICK NOTES ...
• Baylor and Kansas meet for the 29th, 30th and 31st times this weekend. The Bears hold a 25-3 advantage in the all-time series, including a 20-3 edged as Big 12 Conference foes.
• Baylor's 9-3 start in Big 12 play is its best four-series start since starting the 2001 season 9-3. The 2000 Big 12 Champions team started 7-5 and went 16-2 the rest of the way.
• According to the latest rankings at www.BoydsWorld.com (April 12), Baylor ranks sixth nationally in RPI and 10th in ISR (Iterative Strength Rating).
• Baylor's strength of schedule ranks 10th nationally, according to www.BoydsWorld.com.
• Baylor is 11-7 against the latest RPI top 50, including a 10-4 mark against the top 23 and a 3-0 mark against the top 10.
• Through games of April 10, Baylor's opponents have a combined record of 453-256-1 (.639). The Bears' opponents have played 194 games against each other, giving Baylor's opponents an adjusted winning percentage (total record minus games each other and all games vs. Baylor) of .715 (344-137-1).
• At 10-1, Baylor owns the nation's best record against nationally ranked opponents.
• The Bears have won a program-best nine consecutive games against Top 25 teams. The previous program best was a six-game streak in 1999.
• Baylor has won a program-best six consecutive games against teams ranked in the top 10 nationally. The previous program best was five in 1999.
• The Bears are 20-4 this season when the starting pitcher goes at least 5.0 innings.
• Baylor is 8-1 this season on Sunday.
• Baylor is 9-1 this season in gold jerseys.
• Baylor is 16-1 this season when scoring first.
• Baylor is 6-0 when leading after the first inning, 7-1 after two, 10-0 after three, 12-0 after four, 14-0 after five, 18-0 after six and 19-0 after the seventh or later.
• The Bears are averaging 9.3 runs per nine innings in April.
• RHP Mark McCormick has allowed only 13 runs, seven earned, on 23 hits and 19 walks with 42 strikeouts over his last 44.0 innings. In that time, he has posted a 1.43 ERA and held opposing batters to a .150 average. McCormick's overall ERA has dropped from 10.27 to 3.02 in that time.
• Baylor is 7-2 this season in McCormick's seven starts.
• In LHP Trey Taylor's last 20 starts, he has allowed three or fewer earned runs 16 times and two or fewer 12 times. Baylor is 13-4 in Taylor's last 17 starts; he is 7-3 in that time.
• C/DH Josh Ford has hit safely in 11 consecutive games, a career-long streak and the longest by a Bear this season. It is the longest hitting streak by a Bear since Michael Griffin's 16-game streak last season. Ford is hitting .366 (15-for-41) with three home runs, 11 RBI, eight runs, a .634 slugging percentage and a .435 on base percentage during his streak.
• Ford has reached safely in 30 consecutive games (a career-long streak) and in 34 of 35 games this season.
• RHP Ryan LaMotta has pitched scoreless ball in 15 of 17 appearances this season. Currently, LaMotta has pitched 23.0 consecutive scoreless innings covering his last 11 appearances.
• LaMotta allowed three of the first seven runners he inherited this season to score. Since then, only one of 10 has scored.
• RHP Jeff Mandel has not allowed an earned run in eight consecutive appearances, allowing only two unearned runs in that time (15.1 innings).
• 1B Kyle Reynolds has doubled his career home run total entering the season. He has three home runs in the last six games, hitting .348 (8-for-23) in that time.
• LHP Cory VanAllen has won four consecutive decisions over a five-start span. He has lasted at least 6.0 innings in seven of nine starts this season. The only two in which he did not were his only two losses this year. In the other seven starts, VanAllen is 6-0 with a 2.03 ERA and a .220 opponents' batting average.
• SS Paul Witt leads the team with 11 two-out RBI this season (he has 15 total RBI).
• Baylor's leadoff batter has reached base in 114 of 309 innings this season (36.9 percent); 67 times that base runner has scored (58.8 percent). The Bears have scored in 100 innings this season; the leadoff batter reached base safely in 67 of those innings (67.0 percent).
• Entering the 2005 season, 2B Michael Griffin is the NCAA active career leader in games played (189), at bats (782) and hits (243). He also is third and one shy of the lead in doubles (50), second and two shy of the lead in RBI (166), and third and four shy of the lead in total bases (405).
• Since the start of the Big 12 in 1997, the Bears have the league's best conference record at 143-86 (.624). Baylor leads all conference schools in both first-team All-Big 12 selections (21) and first-team Academic All-Big 12 selections (47), and the Bears are the only Big 12 Conference program to have ranked in the top 10 nationally at some point during each of the past eight seasons (1998-2005).
• Baylor ranks 26th nationally in total wins since 2000, third among Big 12 Conference teams, with 214 wins through games of April 10, 2005.
• Since 1998, Baylor also is third in the Big 12 in total wins with 305 victories behind only Texas (335) and Nebraska (324) through games of April 10, 2005.
BAYLOR STARTERS
LHP Trey Taylor (3-3, 3.88) makes his 10th start of the season Friday, his seventh Friday start this year. In 53.1 innings this season, Taylor has allowed 28 runs, 23 earned, on 50 hits and 22 walks with 44 strikeouts. Opponents hit .255 against the southpaw. ... Friday's start is the 44th of his career, fifth in Baylor history. The Bears are 28-15 in Taylor's previous 43 starts. ... Taylor enters Friday's game needing 12 strikeouts to crack Baylor's career top 10 list. He currently has 202.
RHP Mark McCormick (4-2, 3.02) earns his 10th start of the 2005 season Saturday, his fifth Saturday start this year. In 53.2 innings this season, McCormick has allowed 24 runs, 18 earned, on 33 hits and 30 walks with 52 strikeouts. Opponents hit .174 against McCormick. Baylor has a 7-2 record in his nine starts this season, including a 6-1 mark in his last seven starts. ... Saturday is McCormick's 35th career start, two shy of cracking Baylor's all-time top 10 list. Baylor is 22-12 in McCormicks previous 34 starts.
LHP Cory VanAllen (6-2, 3.63) closes out the series with his 10th start of the season Sunday, his sixth Sunday start of the season. In 51.0 innings this season, VanAllen has allowed 22 runs, 21 earned, on 52 hits and 14 walks with 31 strikeouts. Opponents hit .269 against VanAllen, who has won four straight decisions in a five-start span. ... Sunday is VanAllen's 14th career start. Baylor is 8-5 in his previous 13 starts.
THE KANSAS SERIES
Baylor and Kansas meet for the 29th, 30th and 31st times this weekend. The Bears hold a 25-3 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to an 8-1 Baylor victory during the 1957 season. Baylor is 9-3 all-time against the Jayhawks at Lawrence and 20-3 against Kansas as Big 12 Conference opponents.
The Bears have won 20 of the last 21 meetings, sweeping six of the last seven season series. The only non-sweep in that span was in 2003 when the Bears took two of three at Lawrence. Last season's series was shortened to two games due to inclement weather.
THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Kansas (24-15, 3-6) is in its third season under the direction of head coach Ritch Price, a 1978 Willamette graduate. Price is 90-74-1 in his three seasons as the Jayhawks' skipper. Prior to his time at Kansas, Price was head coach at Cal Poly for eight seasons. Now in his 10th season as a Division I head coach, Price has a career tally of 309-302-1.
KU Notes: The Jayhawks 12-3 with only losses at Stanford in that time. Kansas is 12-12 since that point. ... KU is 3-7 in its last 10 games. ... The Jayhawks have taken one of three games in each of their first three Big 12 series. Kansas opened at home against Nebraska, followed by series at Texas A&M and at Oklahoma. ... KU hits .304 as a team with 36 home runs, 89 doubles, 11 triples and 41 stolen bases in 53 attempts. The Jayhawks score 7.7 runs per game. ... Kansas boasts a 4.13 staff ERA with two complete games, one shutout, five saves and 287 strikeouts against 137 walks in 344.1 innings. Opponents hit .268 against Jayhawk pitching. ... The Jayhawks field at a .957 clip with 68 errors and 25 double plays turned. Opponents are 34-of-55 in stolen base attempts.
SMITH NEARS ANOTHER MILESTONE
Baylor head coach Steve Smith enters this weekend's series at Kansas six wins shy of victory No. 400 in his collegiate career, all coming at Baylor. Now in his 11th season at the helm of the Baylor program, Smith is 394-247-1.
BEARS CLIMB THREE SPOTS IN BASEBALL AMERICA
Baylor climbed three spots in this week's Baseball America Top 25, landing at No. 12 in the season's 11th poll. The Bears posted a 3-1 record last week, including a weekend three-game series sweep of Kansas State.
The top seven teams remained unchanged from last week's rankings with Texas still as the nation's top-ranked team, followed by Cal State Fullerton, Tulane, Georgia Tech, Florida, Arizona and North Carolina. South Carolina climbed four spots to No. 8 after sweeping last week's eighth-ranked team, Louisiana State, at Baton Rouge. Miami, Fla., and Arkansas also climbed four spots each to rank ninth and 10th, respectively. Oregon State moved up five spot, leaping Baylor and landing at No. 11.
Baylor remains the second highest-ranked Big 12 team behind Texas. Other Big 12 teams ranked this week include No. 13 Missouri, which climbed 10 spots after sweeping Texas A&M, and No. 17 Nebraska, which did not move after dropping two of three at home to Texas. Texas A&M fell out of the rankings for the first time this season.
In the other rankings, Baylor climbed one spot to No. 16 in the Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll, one spot to No. 23 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association Top 35 and five spots to No. 16 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30.
BAYLOR SCHEDULE AMONG NATION'S TOUGHEST
Baylor's 2005 schedule ranked fourth nationally preseason and is so ranked in this week's rankings at www.BoydsWorld.com after one week as the nation's toughest. That tough schedule should come as no surprise; Baylor has ranked 13th or better in strength of schedule each of the past six seasons.
The Bears are a national-best 10-1 this season against ranked opponents, including a 6-0 mark against teams ranked in the top 10.
Baylor opened the season at the Minute Maid Park College Classic, followed by a streak of six consecutive weekend series against teams ranked nationally in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25. The Bears played 20 consecutive weekend games against teams ranked nationally in one of the four major polls at some point this season.
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 146-86 (.629), the Bears are ahead of Texas Tech (142-92-1; .606) and Texas (141-94; .600). Included in the first eight 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 eight seasons (1998-2005). Baylor joins Oklahoma State as the only schools to have never finished below .500 in Big 12 play.
Including the 2004 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 (41).
ARSENAL OF OPPOSING ARMS CONTINUES
Through Baylor's first 35 games, only two opposing pitchers this season had a losing record going into the game: UTSA's Ryan Crew (0-1) and Arizona State's Pat Bresnehan (0-1).
In fact, the 35 opposing starting pitchers Baylor has faced this season had a combined 66-23 record entering their starts against Baylor. However, the Bears' opposing starting pitchers are 11-18 in their games against the Bears.
Baylor's opposing starters over the past 23 games have entered the games with combined records of 58-17. The Bears are 15-8 in that time, and those starting pitchers went 8-12 against the Bears.
Additionally, Baylor has faced three of the nation's five returning 12-game winners, doing so in successive weekend series against Oral Roberts (Dennis Bigley), Arizona State (Jason Urquidez) and Long Beach State (Cesar Ramos).
FORD, REYNOLDS ON WALLACE AWARD WATCH LIST
1B Kyle Reynolds and C Josh Ford represent Baylor on the watch list for the Wallace Award, which is presented to the nation's top collegiate player by the College Baseball Foundation. Cal State Fullerton catcher Kurt Suzuki won the initial Brooks Wallace Award last season.
The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semi-finalists by May 24. The selection committee then will narrow the list to three finalists following the NCAA Super Regionals.
The selection committee for the Wallace Award is comprised of a national panel of coaches, sports information directors, former winners and media. Screening Committee members will evaluate the candidates and will continue their review throughout the entire baseball season. Additional Wallace Watch candidates may be added as the season progresses. Voting for the three finalists and the Wallace Award winner will be conducted by confidential balloting, with totals tabulated by the J.W. Anderson & Associates accounting firm in Lubbock.
WOODY NAMED TO STOPPER WATCH LIST
RHP Abe Woody has been named to the initial watch list for the 2005 National Stopper of the Year Award, sponsored by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. One of 30 Division I closers from across the nation in the running for the first-year award, Woody joins Texas junior J. Brent Cox as the only Big 12 Conference closers on the list.
A product of Round Rock [Texas] High School, Woody boasts a career record of 11-1 with a 3.58 ERA and 10 saves in 57 career relief appearances. He led the Bears with five saves last season and is currently tied for second in the Big 12 with two saves this season. Woody has tallied 83 career strikeouts in 110.1 innings of work while holding opponents to a .212 batting average.
At the end the regular season, the Division I leader in saves and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as the award's finalists. These finalists will be released June 1, just prior to the beginning of NCAA regional play. From the list of finalists, the NCBWA's All-America Committee will select a winner. The inaugural winner will be announced on June 8, two days prior to the beginning of NCAA Super Regional action.
McCORMICK ON CLEMENS AWARD WATCH LIST
RHP Mark McCormick is among 42 pitchers named to the initial watch list for the 2005 Clemens Award, presented July 14 to the nation's top collegiate pitcher by the Greater Houston Baseball Association.
McCormick, who is projected to be a first-round draft pick in June's First-Year Player Draft, was 2-4 with a 4.70 ERA in 46.0 innings covering 11 appearances and 10 starts last season. However, he missed six weeks of the season due to a shoulder injury. McCormick was named first-team preseason All-America by Baseball America earlier this year.
The list is comprised of all Division I pitchers who were named as pre-season All-Americans by either Baseball America or Collegiate Baseball, in addition to those pitchers who have been honored so far this season as National Pitchers of the Week by the National College Baseball Writers Association. Weekly winners of the writer's award will be added to the list until the start of the first round of voting at the end of April. Additional nominees will be added to the ballot based on notable performances and rankings in the NCAA statistical rankings.
HEAD COACH Steve Smith
Steve Smith begins his second decade as head coach at Baylor in 2005. In his first decade, Smith guided the program to near unprecedented heights, including the most successful six-year run in the program's 100-year history.
Smith has compiled a 394-247-1 (.614) career record, all at Baylor. He holds the best winning percentage of any coach in Baylor baseball history, and he ranks second among the program's 18 head coaches in career victories. Smith has led Baylor to six NCAA Regional appearances, two NCAA Super Regional appearances and the 2000 Big 12 Conference title. He also has coached 12 All-America selections and seven USA Baseball National Team members while at Baylor.
In January 2005, Smith was named head coach of the USA Baseball National Team for the upcoming summer. Smith is just the second Big 12 Conference coach to serve as head coach of the national team. He also previously served as an assistant coach under his former Mississippi State boss Ron Polk on the 1998 USA Baseball National Team that posted an overall record of 30-12.
Smith led the Bears to their first-ever 50-win season in 1999 and a Big 12 championship in 2000, and piloted the team to six straight NCAA appearances from 1998 to 2003. His Bears have the best conference record in the Big 12 since the league began. Through the 2004 season, Smith ranked 47th nationally among active coaches in winning percentage with a .628 mark, fourth among Big 12 coaches.
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. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1983 Major League Draft by the San Francisco Giants and played four years of pro ball before moving into the coaching ranks.
An accomplished pitching coach, Smith has tutored six pitchers in the last 12 years who were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. He also had at least one pitcher named to the all-conference first team for 11 straight years (1992-2002).
In Smith's 10 seasons as head coach, the Bears have produced four first-round draft picks, 10 All-Americans, six Academic All-Americans, one National Player of the Year, one GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, 25 first-team all-conference performers, nine freshman All-Americans, and three conference players of the year. Baylor has also placed a league-leading 41 players on the Academic All-Big 12 first team in the past eight seasons.
STREAMING VIDEO AVAILABLE FOR SELECT GAMES
Live streaming video is available for select games during the 2004 season. A total of 24 games will be available online at www.BaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor athletics and a member of the College Sports Online network. Seventeen of the 24 webcasts will be against Big 12 Conference opponents, including the Bears' three-game league sets against Oklahoma, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Missouri, as well as the home portion of the Texas series.
Fans may purchase the games for $4.95 per game or $9.95 for a three-series. Fans also have the option of purchasing monthly ($6.95) or annual ($49.95) subscriptions which include all BearCasts in that time period. These remaining games will be available in the BearCast package:
April 29, 30, May 1 - Texas Tech
May 13, 14, 15 - Texas A&M
May 20, 21, 22 - Missouri
BAYLOR BASEBALL RADIO NETWORK
Catch every inning of Baylor baseball in 2005 on the flagship station for Baylor athletics, ESPN/KRZI 1660 AM Waco.
Tom Barfield and Lark Smith are in their fourth 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 in 2002, 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.
Live streaming audio for all 2005 Baylor baseball games are 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 ESPN/KRZI 1660 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 College Sports Online network, which currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including four Big 12 schools.
INSIDE BAYLOR SPORTS TV SHOW
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.
UP NEXT ...
Baylor continues an eight-game road swing Tuesday, April 19, traveling to Fort Worth, Texas, for a midweek game at TCU. First pitch at Lupton Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT. The Bears defeated the Frogs 4-3 last month at Baylor Ballpark on a Michael Griffin walk-off sacrifice fly in the 10th inning.
