March 2, 2006
GAMES 10-12 • MARCH 3-5, 2006
BAYLOR (7-2)
at 16 LONG BEACH STATE (9-5)
BLAIR FIELD • LONG BEACH, CALIF.
THE SERIES
Overall Record: LBSU leads 9-3
Waco: LBSU leads 2-1
Long Beach: LBSU leads 7-2
Neutral Site: Never Met
Smith vs. LBSU: 3-9
First Meeting: Baylor 3, LBSU 2 [2/5/1999]
Last Meeting: Baylor 7, LBSU 1 [3/6/2005]
COACHES
BAYLOR: Steve Smith
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986
Career Record: 425-260-1 [12th season]
Record at Baylor: 425-260-1 [12th season]
LONG BEACH STATE: Mike Weathers
Alma Mater: Chapman, 1971
Career Record: 445-369-2 [16th season]
Record at LBSU: 166-89 [5th 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: none
BAYLOR NATIONAL RANKINGS
Baseball America NR
USA Today/Sports Weekly Coaches RV
Collegiate Baseball 23rd
NCBWA RV
Baylor continues its five-game road trip this weekend, traveling to Long Beach, Calif., for a three-game series at Long Beach State. The Bears and the Dirtbags meet Friday at 8:30 p.m. CST, Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. This is the fourth consecutive seaon in which Baylor and Long Beach State have played a three game series.
The Bears (7-2) edged Texas State 4-3 Tuesday night at San Marcos in their first game away from Baylor Ballpark this season. Baylor is ranked 23rd nationally in this week's Collegiate Baseball Top 30 and are receiving votes in this week's USA Today/Sports Weekly Coaches Poll and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 30. The Bears are unranked in this week's Baseball America Top 25.
The Dirtbags (9-5) dropped a 6-3 decision to UCLA at home Tuesday night. Long Beach State has won five of its last seven, sweeping Illinois-Chicago last weekend at Blair Field. The Dirtbags opened the season with a three-game sweep of Southern California in a split series. LBSU also lost two of three at California, dropped a one-run decision at Pepperdine and won two of three at the Coca-Cola Classic in Houston, where the Bags defeated Lamar and Rice and lost to Oklahoma. The Beach is ranked 16th nationally in both the Baseball America Top 25 and the Collegiate Baseball Top 30, and 15th in both the USA Today/Sports Weekly Coaches Poll and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Top 30.
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.
QUICK HITS ...
• Since the start of the 2003 season, Baylor is:
- 93-27 (.775) when its starting pitcher last at least 5.0 innings
- 24-7 (.774) when its pitching staff records at least 10 strikeouts
- 93-24 (.795) when scoring first since
- 107-21 (.836) when out-hitting its opponent
- 94-24 (.797) 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.
• Since the start of the 2002 season, Baylor is 127-6 when leading after eight innings. The Bears have won 21 straight and 56 of their last 57 such games.
• Baylor has won three consecutive Tuesday games for the first time since four straight with wins over Texas State, Northwestern State and TCU on the final three Tuesdays of March and a win over Sam Houston State on the second Tuesday of April during the 2004 season.
• Baylor has not lost three consecutive games since being swept at Texas Tech in the 2004 regular season's final series. The Bears have lost consecutive games six times in that span.
• Baylor did not play a Friday game in the month of February for the first time since 1985.
• Baylor faces its first ranked opponent this weekend (Long Beach State) in the season's 10th game. That is the deepest into a season Baylor has gone before facing its first ranked opponent since 1996 (19th game).
• Baylor has nine triples in nine games. Last season, the Bears had 21 triples in 70 games.
• Baylor is hitting .284 (27-for-95) with two outs. The Bears have produced 33 of their 49 RBI with two outs (67.3 percent).
• Opposing batters are 3-for-25 (.120) in first at bats against Baylor relievers.
• Baylor relievers have yet to allow an inherited runner to score (0 of 7).
• CF Chase Gerdes has reached safely in eight of nine games, walked in seven of nine.
• 2B Kevin Russo has gone hitless in four consecutive games for the first time in his 79-game Baylor career. He has gone hitless in consecutive games only four other times as a Bear.
• Russo has committed one error since May 11, 2005 at Rice (31 games, 96 chances).
• C Zach Dillon has reached safely in 17 consecutive games dating back to last season.
• Dillon has drawn at least one walk in all eight of nine games this season. Tuesday at Texas State was the first game in which Dillon did not draw a walk.
• Dillon leads the team with eight two-out RBI, 80 percent of his overall total.
• OF Kevin Sevigny has not committed an error since May 14, 2004 vs. Nebraska (79 games, 154 chances).
• SS Beamer Weems is the first Baylor true freshman to start at shorstop since Jace Brewer in 1999.
• After not reaching in the opener, Weems has reached in eight straight.
• 1B Ben Booker is the first Baylor true freshman to start at first base since Ken Kolkhorst in 1975.
• 3B Drew Bias has reached safely in six of eight games in which he had a plate appearance.
• With three, 3B Tim Jackson has half the team's doubles. He had two of those Tuesday.
• 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.
• 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).
THE LONG BEACH STATE SERIES
Baylor and Long Beach State meet for the 13th, 14th and 15th times this weekend. The Dirtbags hold a 9-3 advantage in the all-time series. This is the fourth consecutive season in which the teams have played a three-game series. The Bags swept Baylor at Long Beach in 2004 and took two of three in 2003 and 2005. LBSU also took two of three from the Bears at The Beach in 1999.
Seven of the 12 previous meetings have been decided by one run, including five of the six games played at Blair Field. Baylor won the series finale last season 7-1, snapping a five-game Baylor winning streak.
This is the final season Baylor and Long Beach State are scheduled to play a three-game series.
BAYLOR vs. THE BIG WEST CONFERENCE
Baylor is 8-16 all-time against current members of the Big West Conference, all coming during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. The Bears have played three of the conference's eight programs to date and add a fourth next weekend as Pacific visits Baylor Ballpark for the Quala-T Imprints Baylor Classic.
BAYLOR STARTERS
Baylor's opening weekend rotation of RHP Ryan LaMotta, LHP Cory VanAllen and RHP Tim Matthews remains intact for the Long Beach State series.
LaMotta makes his seventh career start Friday. Baylor is 4-2 in his previous six starts; LaMotta is 3-2 with one no-decision.
VanAllen makes his 26th career start Saturday. Baylor is 16-9 in his previous 25 starts; VanAllen is 11-7 with seven no-decisions.
Matthews, a sophomore transfer from UT-Tyler, makes his third career start Sunday. Baylor is 2-0 in his two previous starts; however, he has yet to earn a decision.
BAYLOR STRONG IN LATEST APR REPORT
Baylor's baseball team scored a 961 in the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR), released Wednesday by the NCAA. That score was the best among the eight Big 12 schools whose scores were released; scores for Kansas and Texas A&M have not yet been released. Baylor was the only Big 12 baseball team that scored above the national male student-athlete average (943). The Bears joined Missouri as the only Big 12 baseball teams to score above the national baseball average (931).
961 BAYLOR
941 Missouri
924 Nebraska
906 Oklahoma
903 Kansas State
888 Texas
812 Oklaohma State
778 Texas Tech
n/a Kansas
n/a Texas A&M
SMITH CLAIMS No. 425
Head coach Steve Smith earned career victory No. 425 in Tuesday's 4-3 win at Texas State. Smith ranks second all-time at Baylor in wins and first all-time in winning percentage. He also ranks third in the Big 12 among active coaches in career wins at the Division I level.
BEARS STRUGGLE TO FIND RHYTHM DUE TO WEATHER
Six of Baylor's 12 scheduled dates this season have been affected by inclement weather (three cancellations, two postponements, one game called after five innings due to fog). In fact, Baylor did not play a Friday game in the month of February for the first time since 1985 because of weather.
CONSECUTIVE LOSSES STREAK CONTINUES
For the sixth time since late in the 2004 season, Baylor avoided losing three straight Sunday when it rallied past Arizona State in the series finale. The Bears have not dropped three consecutive games since being swept at Texas Tech in the 2004 regular season's final series. That works out to a span of 82 consecutive games without a losing streak of at least three games and only six occasions of consecutive losses.
BEARS CONTINUE NINTH-INNING DOMINANCE
Baylor is now 127-6 when leading after eight innings since the beginning of the 2002 season. In fact, the Bears have won 21 straight and 56 of their last 57 such games. The lone loss in that span was at TCU last season when the Horned Frogs tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth and later won 2-1 in 11 innings. Baylor has not lost when leading by more than one run after eight since Feb. 4, 2003, against Texas State when the Bobcats scored seven runs to overcome a 5-2 Baylor lead.
TRIPLE YOUR PLEASURE
Baylor has nine triples through its first nine games of the 2006 season. The Bears had only 21 three-baggers in 70 games last season. LF Seth Fortenberry is tied for the Big 12 Conference lead with three triples, one shy of his career total entering the 2006 season. SS Beamer Weems recorded his second triple last Tuesday night against UT-San Antonio. C Zach Dillon, DH/C Matt Sodolak, DH/RHP Jeff Mandel and RF Kevin Sevigny and have the other four triples. In fact, nine of Baylor's 20 extra-base hits this season are triples.
BEARS PRODUCE WITH TWO OUTS
Baylor hits .284 (27-for-95) with two outs this season, significantly higher than with less than two outs (.192, 32-for-167). The Bears have produced 33 of their 49 RBI with two outs (67.3 percent).
C Zach Dillon leads the team with eight two-out RBI, 80 percent of his RBI total for the season. LF Seth Fortenberry and 2B Kevin Russo have six two-out RBI each. Dillon also leads the team with seven two-out hits.
RUNS AHEAD OF HITS
Through the season's first nine games, Baylor has produced as many runs (59) as hits (59). While the Bears are hitting only .225 as a team, they average 6.6 runs per game. In fact, Baylor has produced more runs than hits in five of nine games.
A large reason for the scoring production without a gaudy batting average is the Bears' .373 team on base percentage. Baylor batters have drawn 63 free passes this season (52 walks, 11 HBP) against only 56 strikeouts. Five of Baylor's nine regular starters have more free passes than strikeouts. C Zach Dillon leads the team with 12 free pases (11 walks, one HBP) and has struck out only twice; CF Chase Gerdes has 10 free passes (nine walks, one HBP).
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Through games of March 2, Baylor ranks 10th in the league in team batting average (.225), fifth in team ERA (3.51) and second in team fielding percentage (.978).
Here is how Baylor players rank individually:
TRIPLES: Seth Fortenberry (t-1st, 3), Beamer Weems (t-3rd, 2)
HOME RUNS: Zach Dillon (t-8th, 2)
STOLEN BASES: Seth Fortenberry (t-9th, 5)
WALKS: Zach Dillon (t-3rd, 11), Chase Gerdes (t-8th, 9)
ON BASE PERCENTAGE: Zach Dillon (5th, .556)
SLUGGING PERCENTAGE: Zach Dillon (7th, .739)
ERA: Tim Matthews (14th, 2.08)
WINS: Ryan LaMotta (t-6th, 2), Nick Cassavechia (t-6th, 2)
SAVES: Jeff Mandel (t-3rd, 3)
OPP. BATTING AVERAGE: Tim Matthews (9th, .190)
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 - 205
LaMOTTA NEARS CENTURY MARK
RHP Ryan LaMotta made his 98th career appearance last Saturday 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 seven games this season through games of Feb. 26.
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.
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 424-260-1 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.
UP NEXT ...
Baylor concludes its first road trip of the season, a five-game swing, Tuesday, March 7, traveling to Arlington, Texas, for a single game at Texas-Arlington. The Bears and the Mavericks meet at 6:30 p.m. CST at Clay Gould Park on the UTA campus.
This is the second of three meetings between Baylor and UTA this season. The Bears defeated the Mavericks 17-4 Feb. 14 at Baylor Ballpark. The Mavericks also visit Waco May 2.
