THE SERIES
Overall Record: Arizona State leads 4-1
Waco: Never Met
Tempe: Arizona State leads 4-1
Neutral Site: Never Met
Smith vs. ASU: 1-2
First Meeting: ASU 3, Baylor 1 [2/16/1978]
Last Meeting: Baylor 8, ASU 7 (10) [2/27/2005]

COACHES
BAYLOR: Steve Smith
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986
Career Record: 423-258-1 [12th season]
Record at Baylor: 423-258-1 [12th season]
ARIZONA STATE: Pat Murphy
Alma Mater: Florida Atlantic
Career Record: 769-341-2 [19th season]
Record at ASU: 451-225-1 [12th season]

BAYLOR/ISP SPORTS NETWORK
1660 ESPN RADIO (Waco)
Tom Barfield, play-by-play
Lark Smith, color

INTERNET FEEDS
GameTracker: www.BaylorBears.com
Audio: www.BaylorBears.com
Video (Friday & Sunday): www.BaylorBears.com

BAYLOR NATIONAL RANKINGS
Baseball America NR
USA Today/Sports Weekly Coaches 25th
Collegiate Baseball 20th
NCBWA 30th

Baylor returns to action this weekend, hosting Arizona State for a three-game series at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears and the Sun Devils meet Friday at 6 p.m. CST, Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are available by calling the Baylor ticket office at 254.710.1000 or online at www.BaylorBears.com.
The Bears (5-0) have played only five innings of baseball since Feb. 14. Baylor defeated Texas-San Antonio 5-0 in five innings at home Tuesday night; the game was called prior to the start of the sixth inning due to heavy fog. Last weekend, all three game's of Baylor's series against California were cancelled due to inclement weather. The Bears are ranked 25th nationally in the latest USA Today/Sports Weekly Coaches Poll and 20th in this week's Collegiate Baseball Top 30.
The Sun Devils (8-4) swept a three-game series at home against Houston last weekend. This is Arizona State's first competition outside the state of Arizona. ASU played three games at the Coca-Cola Classic in Surprise, Ariz. Each of the Sun Devils other nine games was played at Packard Stadium in Tempe. ASU is unranked in this week's Baseball America Top 25. The Sun Devils are ranked 30th in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30, 22nd in the NCBWA Top 30 and 11th in the USA Today/Sports Weekly Coaches' Poll.
All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on Waco's 1660 ESPN Radio. 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 CSTV Network.
Live streaming video also is available for the Friday and Sunday games of the ASU series. For more information, visit the BearCasts link at www.BaylorBears.com.

QUICK HITS ...
• Since the start of the 2003 season, Baylor is:
- 92-27 (.773) when its starting pitcher last at least 5.0 innings
- 23-7 (.767) when its pitching staff records at least 10 strikeouts
- 92-24 (.793) when scoring first since
- 107-21 (.836) when out-hitting its opponent
- 92-24 (.793) when holding its opponent to fewer than five runs
- 91-18 (.835) when scoring at least six runs
- 80-13 (.860) when scoring at least seven runs
• Baylor has won 26 consecutive games when scoring at least seven runs.
• Baylor has won 14 consecutive games when hitting at least two home runs.
• 2B Kevin Russo has hit safely in 12 consecutive games dating back to last season.
• Russo has committed one error since May 11, 2005 at Rice (27 games, 78 chances).
• C Zach Dillon has reached safely in 13 consecutive games dating back to last season.
• OF Kevin Sevigny has not committed an error since May 14, 2004 vs. Nebraska (75 games, 145 chances)
• Baylor has recorded seven shutouts since the beginning of the 2004 season. LHP Cory VanAllen has appeared in four of those seven shutouts, including each of the last of the last two and three of the last four.
• SS Beamer Weems is the first Baylor true freshman to start at shorstop since Jace Brewer in 1999.
• Weems has hit safely in four consecutive games.
• 1B Ben Booker is the first Baylor true freshman to start at first base since Ken Kolkhorst in 1975.
• Baylor's 2006 schedule was rated as the nation's 10th toughest, according to preseason rankings at www.BoydsWorld.com. Georgia, which ranks ninth, joins Baylor as the only non-California school in the top 10.
• From the weekend of Feb. 17-19 to March 3-5, Baylor plays three consecutive weekend series against opponents ranked preseason.
• Baylor plays 21 games against eight teams that appeared in the 2005 NCAA Regionals. The Bears play 11 games against four teams that appeared in the 2005 NCAA Super Regionals and nine games against three teams that reached the College World Series last season.
• Baylor Ballpark has ranked 21st or better nationally in average attendance every year since the facility's opening in 1999, including a program-best ninth in 2001. Baylor ranked 16th nationally in total attendance last season with a school-record mark of 109,621 and 17th nationally in average attendance at 3,045 per game, second all-time at Baylor.
• Since the start of the Big 12 in 1997, the Bears have the league's best conference record at 156-91 (.631). Baylor leads all conference schools in total first- and second-team All-Big 12 selections (42), first-team Academic All-Big 12 selections (45), NCAA appearances (7) and Major League Baseball draft selections (51).
• The Bears are the only Big 12 Conference program to have been ranked in the top 10 nationally at some point during each of the past eight seasons (1998-2005).
• Baylor is the only Big 12 school to have never suffered a sub-.500 season in conference play.
• The Bears join Oklahoma and Oklahoma State as the only programs to have qualified for every Big 12 Tournament.

THE ARIZONA STATE SERIES
Baylor and Arizona State meet for just the sixth, seventh and eighth times this weekend. The Sun Devils hold a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series. Each of the first five meetings was at Tempe, Ariz.
The teams first met in Feb. 16, 1978, in a doubleheader to open the Bears season. The Sun Devils won both games -- 3-1 and 5-1.
Baylor and ASU did not meet again until last season when the Sun Devils took two of three games at Packard Stadium. Arizona State won the first two games by scores of 5-3 and 12-4. The Sun Devils led Sunday's finale 5-0 only to see Baylor rally for an 8-7 victory in 10 innings.

BAYLOR vs. THE PAC-10 CONFERENCE
Baylor is 14-13 all-time against Pac-10 opponents, 12-10 during head coach Steve Smith's tenure.

BAYLOR STARTERS
Baylor's opening weekend rotation of RHP Ryan LaMotta, LHP Cory VanAllen and RHP Tim Matthews remains intact for the Arizona State series.
LaMotta makes his sixth career start Friday. Baylor is 4-1 in his previous five starts; LaMotta is 3-1 with one no-decision.
VanAllen makes his 25th career start Saturday. Baylor is 16-8 in his previous 24 starts; VanAllen is 11-6 with seven no-decisions.
Matthews, a sophomore transfer from UT-Tyler, makes his second career start Sunday. He held Stephen F. Austin to one run on three hits with six strikeouts over 6.0 innings in a no-decision Feb. 12.

TRIPLE YOUR PLEASURE
Through five games, Baylor has seven triples. The Bears had only 21 three-baggers in 70 games last season. LF Seth Fortenberry leads the Big 12 Conference with three triples, collecting one in each of the Bears' first two games and a third Feb. 14 against UT-Arlington. SS Beamer Weems recorded his second triple Tuesday night against UT-San Antonio. DH Jeff Mandel and RF Kevin Sevigny and have the other two triples. In fact, seven of Baylor's 13 extra-base hits this season are triples.

BEARS PRODUCE WITH TWO OUTS
Baylor hits .309 (17-for-55) with two outs this season, nearly 100 points higher than with less than two outs (.222, 20-for-90). The Bears have produced 23 of their 35 RBI with two outs (65.7 percent). C Zach Dillon leads the team with seven two-out RBI, while LF Seth Fortenberry and 2B Kevin Russo have six two-out RBI each. Dillon and Fortenberry lead the team with four two-out hits each.

RUNS AHEAD OF HITS
Through the season's first five games, Baylor has produced more runs (42) than hits (37). While the Bears are hitting only .255 as a team, they average 8.4 runs per game. In fact, Baylor has produced more runs than hits in four of five games.
A large reason for the scoring production without a gaudy batting average is the Bears' .401 team on base percentage. Baylor batters have drawn 36 free passes this season (28 walks, eight HBP) against only 18 strikeouts. Six of Baylor's eight regular starters have more free passes than strikeouts, including C Zach Dillon (six walks, two HBP) and CF Chase Gerdes (six walks) who have not yet struck out this season.

LaMOTTA JOINS 200 CLUB
RHP Ryan LaMotta became the 15th pitcher in Baylor history to record at least 200 strikeouts with his first strikeout of the 2006 season. He has 204 career strikeouts in 222.2 innings pitched. Here are the Baylor pitchers who have amassed at least 200 career strikeouts:
Jason Jennings - 377
Steven White - 320
Kris Lambert - 292
Kip Wells - 288
Josh Scott - 285
Trey Taylor - 253
Justin Taylor - 229
Glenn Nevill - 225
Zane Carlson - 225
Brett Bergman - 224
Mark McCormick - 223
Chad Hawkins - 214
Frank Foltyn - 209
Jared Theodorakos - 205
Ryan LaMotta - 204

BAYLOR IN BIG 12 STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Through games of Feb. 21, Baylor ranks ninth in the league in team batting average (.255), first in team ERA (1.10) and fifth in team fielding percentage (.971).
Individually at the plate, LF Seth Fortenberry ranks 19th in batting average (.385) and leads the conference with three triples. C Zach Dillon is tied for fifth in home runs (2) and tied for second in walks (7). Fortenberry is tied for fourth in on base percentage (.579), while Dillon is tied for seventh (.571). Fortenberry also ranks third in the conference in slugging percentage (1.077). CF Chase Gerdes is tied for sixth in walks (6), and SS Beamer Weems is tied for second in triples (2).
Individually on the mound, RHP Ryan LaMotta and LHP Cory VanAllen are tied for the conference lead in ERA (0.00), while RHP Tim Matthews is 11th (1.29). LaMotta also is tied for second in wins (2) and tied for ninth in opponents' batting average (.182). VanAllen and Matthews also are tied for ninth in opponents' batting average (.182). RHP Jeff Mandel is tied for fouth with one save.

SCHEDULE AMONG NATION'S TOUGHEST
Baylor's 2006 schedule was ranked as the nation's 10th toughest in preseason rankings at www.BoydsWorld.com. The Bears and ninth-ranked Georgia were the lone non-California schools in the top 10.
Last season, Baylor's schedule was ranked seventh at season's end as the only non-California school in the top 10. The Bears' strength of schedule has ranked 11th or better nationally in each of the past five seasons, ranking 11th in 2004, fifth in 2003, seventh in 2002 and 10th in 2001.

LaMOTTA NEARS CENTURY MARK
RHP Ryan LaMotta makes his 98th career appearance Friday with his start against Arizona State. Of his previous 97 appearances, 92 were in relief. The senior drew three starts as a freshman in 2003, including the championship game of the NCAA Hattiesburgh Regional. In that game, he held Southern Mississippi to a pair of runs on six hits over 8.1 innings.
LaMotta aims to become just the second pitcher in Baylor history to appear in at least 100 games. Zane Carlson appeared in 111 games from 2000 to 2004, a mark that ranks first in Big 12 history and 20th in NCAA Division I history.
If LaMotta appears in 15 games this season, Baylor would join Georgia Tech, Miami (Fla.) and North Carolina as the only schools in NCAA Division I history to have two pitchers appear in at least 110 career games. LaMotta and Carlson, who played together in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, would be the first Division I teammates to both reach the milestone.
Florida closer Darren O'Day entered the season with entered the season with 84 career appearances. Should O'Day reach 26 appearances this season prior to LaMotta's 15th appearance, Florida would be the first school with teammates to both reach 110 career appearances (Florida's Connor Falkenbach appeared in 124 games from 2002 to 2005). O'Day has appeared in six games this season through games of Feb. 22.

2005 SEASON HIGHLIGHT DVD ON SALE
"Experience the Dogpile," a comprehensive season highlight DVD that chronicles Baylor's 2005 season, is on sale at the Baylor baseball office. The one-hour, 47-minute piece features highlights, interviews and commentary on the program's most successful season. To order, call 254.710.3029.

BAYLOR/ISP SPORTS NETWORK
Catch every inning of Baylor baseball in 2006 on the flagship station for Baylor athletics, 1660 ESPN Radio.
Popular on-air personality Tom Barfield enters his fourth season as the primary play-by-play man 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 also serves as host for the "Countdown to Kickoff" and "The Baylor Fifth Quarter Show" during football season. He has previously served as the radio voice for Tarleton State, McLennan Community College, Mary Hardin-Baylor and several high schools across the state.
Barfield is joined by Lark Smith in the booth. 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 audio for all Baylor baseball games also are available online at www.BaylorBears.com.

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 CSTV Network, which currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including four Big 12 schools.

BEARCASTS AVAILABLE FOR SELECT GAMES
Live streaming video is available for select games during the 2006 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 CSTV Network. Thirteen of the 24 webcasts will be against Big 12 Conference opponents, including the Bears' three-game league sets against Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Nebraska, as well as the home game of the Texas series.

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.

HEAD COACH Steve Smith
Steve Smith is in his 12th season as head coach of Baylor's baseball program in 2006. In his first 11 years, Smith guided the program to unprecedented heights, including the most successful eight-year run in the program's 100-year history and a College World Series appearance in 2005.
Smith has compiled a 423-258-1 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 seven NCAA Regional appearances, three NCAA Super Regional appearances, one College World Series appearance and two Big 12 Conference titles. He also has coached 12 All-America selections and seven USA Baseball National Team members while at Baylor.
The 2005 USA Baseball National Team head coach, 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 for Mark Johnson at Texas A&M from 1987 to 1989.
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.
Smith has tutored seven pitchers in the last 13 years who were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. He also has coached at least one all-conference pitcher in each of the last 13 years.

BEARS POSSESS BIG 12'S MOST TENURED STAFF
With 38 years of combined service at Baylor, the Bears' on-field staff is the Big 12 Conference's most tenured. Head coach Steve Smith joins Missouri head coach Tim Jamieson as the league's second-most tenured head coaches, both in their 12th season in 2006 and trailing only Texas Tech's Larry Hays (20th season).
Assistant coach Mitch Thompson (12th year) joined the Baylor staff in Smith's first season, while assistant coach Steve Johnigan (11th year) joined the following season. Volunteer assistant coach Chris Berry (7th year) joined the staff prior to the 2000 season and assumed pitching coach duties this season.
Thompson and Johnigan are the second- and third-most tenured assistant coaches in the Big 12 behind only Texas' Tommy Harmon (16 seasons). In fact, Harmon, Thompson, Johnigan and Missouri's Evan Pratte are the only assistant coaches with more tenure at their respective schools than Berry.
BAYLOR - 38 seasons
Texas - 29 seasons
Texas Tech - 27 seasons
Missouri - 24 seasons
Kansas - 7 seasons
Kansas State - 7 seasons
Oklahoma - 7 seasons
Nebraska - 6 seasons
Oklahoma State - 5 seasons
Texas A&M - 0 seasons

UP NEXT ...
Baylor hits the road for the first time this season Tuesday, traveling to San Marcos, Texas, for a single game at Texas State. The Bears and the Bobcats meet at Bobcat Field for a 6:30 p.m. CST first pitch.
This is the first of three meetings between Baylor and Texas State this season. The Bobcats visit Baylor Ballpark for single games April 18 and May 9.