April 28, 2006
GAMES 44-46
BAYLOR (26-17, 9-9) at MISSOURI (19-20, 7-11)
APRIL 28-30 • SIMMONS FIELD • COLUMBIA, MO.
6:30 P.M., 2:00 P.M. CDT, 1:00 P.M. CDT
THE SERIES
Overall Record: Baylor leads 22-15
Waco: Baylor leads 10-7
Columbia: Baylor leads 7-5
Neutral Site: Baylor leads 5-3
Since Start of Big 12: Baylor leads 18-15
Regular-Season Big 12: Baylor leads 15-12
Smith vs. Missouri: 20-15
First Meeting: 5/5/1905
Last Meeting: Missouri 10, at Baylor 4 [5/22/2005]
COACHES
BAYLOR: Steve Smith
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986
Career Record: 444-275-1 [12th season]
Record at Baylor: 444-275-1 [12th season]
MISSOURI: Tim Jamieson
Alma Mater: New Orleans, 1984
Career Record: 383-282-2 [12th season]
Record at Missouri: 383-282-2 [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: None
BAYLOR NATIONAL RANKINGS
Baseball America NR
Sports Weekly/ESPN/Coaches 21st
NCBWA RV
Collegiate Baseball NR
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY, APRIL 28
BU RHP Ryan LaMotta (5-3, 3.09 ERA)
MU LHP Nathan Culp (7-4, 2.96 ERA)
SATURDAY, APRIL 29
BU LHP Cory VanAllen (5-4, 4.45 ERA)
MU RHP Aaron Crow (0-4, 4.83 ERA)
SUNDAY, APRIL 30
BU TBA
MU TBA
Baylor returns to action this weekend, traveling to Columbia, Mo., for a three-game Big 12 Conference series at Missouri. The Bears and the Tigers meet Friday at 6:30 p.m. CDT, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. All games will be played at Simmons Field on the Missouri campus. Baylor enters the weekend tied for fourth in the Big 12 Conference standings, while Missouri is seventh.
The Bears (26-17, 9-9) split a pair of midweek games at home, defeating Texas Southern 11-1 in eight innings Tuesday night and falling to McNeese State 7-0 Wednesday night. The Bears are unranked in this week's Baseball America Top 25. Baylor is among teams receiving votes in this week's Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll, 29th in this week's Collegiate Baseball Top 30 and among teams receiving votes in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 30.
The Tigers (19-20, 7-11) defeated Southeast Missouri 14-3 Wednesday afternoon at Kansas City. Missouri's Tuesday night game against Creighton was cancelled due to inclement weather. The Tigers dropped two of three in their most recent Big 12 series last weekend at home against Oklahoma State.
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:
- 108-36 (.750) when its starting pitcher lasts at least 5.0 innings
- 26-7 (.788) when its pitching staff records at least 10 strikeouts
- 104-30 (.776) when scoring first
- 121-24 (.834) when out-hitting its opponent
- 110-27 (.803) when holding its opponent to fewer than five runs
- 103-22 (.824) when scoring at least six runs
- 92-15 (.860) when scoring at least seven runs
• Baylor has won 16 consecutive games when hitting at least two home runs.
• Since the start of the 2002 season, Baylor is 143-7 (.953) when leading after eight innings. The April 11 loss to Rice ended a 34-game winning streak in such games and was Baylor's first loss when leading after eight inning at home since Feb. 4, 2003.
• RHP Ryan LaMotta is second in the Big 12 Conference among starting pitchers with a 2.58 ERA in league games.
• LaMotta's complete-game loss at Texas A&M last Friday was the first by a Baylor pitcher since May 16, 2003, when Steve White went the distance in a 6-2 loss at Nebraska.
• C Zach Dillon has reached safely in 27 consecutive games, in 42 of 43 games this season and in 108 of 112 games since the start of the 2005 season. He also has reached safely in 29 consecutive Big 12 games and in 43 of 45 league contests since the start of the 2005 season.
• Dillon's on base percentage is 43 points higher than any other player in the league; that gap is larger than the gap between second and 10th (41 points).
• Dillon leads the nation in walk-to-strikeout ratio among players with at least 40 walks.
• Dillon is hitting .457 (21-for-46) over the last 14 games with two doubles and 14 RBI. In that time, he has drawn 13 walks and been hit three times with only two strikeouts for a .578 on base percentage.
• Dillon is hitting .443 (27-for-61) with a .538 on base percentage in Big 12 games, both tops in the league and both on pace to shatter Baylor's single-season records.
• 2B Ben Booker is hitting .432 (19-for-44) with 11 runs scored, four doubles, two home runs, five RBI and a .659 slugging percentage and three stolen bases over his last 11 games. He has hit safely in nine of those games and reached safely in all but one. Prior to this stretch, Booker had never recorded a multiple-hit game; he has eight in that span, including two three-hit outings.
• RF Kevin Sevigny is hitting .397 (23-for-58) over the last 14 games with 13 runs, six doubles, four triples, 10 RBI and a .638 slugging percentage. He has hit safely in 12 of those 14 games, including nine multiple-hit outings in that span.
• Opposing batters are 18-for-86 (.209) in first at bats against Baylor relievers, including a 1-for-17 mark (.059) against RHP Nick Cassavechia. Opposing batters are 2-for-22 (.111) in first at bats against Cassavechia during his career.
• Cassavechia is 2-2 with two save and a 1.29 ERA in 12 career appearances at Baylor Ballpark. In 21.0 innings, he has allowed seven runs, three earned, on 16 hits with 14 strikeouts.
• A Baylor catcher has reached safely in 145 consecutive games. The last game in which a Baylor catcher did not reach safely was April 2, 2004, at Missouri.
• Since the start of the Big 12 in 1997, the Bears have the league's best conference record at 165-100 (.623). 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 (seven) and Major League Baseball draft selections (51).
• 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.
BAYLOR STARTERS
Baylor's opening weekend rotation of RHP Ryan LaMotta, LHP Cory VanAllen and RHP Tim Matthews changed for last weekend's Texas A&M series as RHP Jeff Mandel replaced Matthews in the Sunday slot. LaMotta and VanAllen will make their scheduled starts this weekend Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Bears have yet to announce a starter for Sunday's series finale.
Last weekend was Baylor's first in-season change in its weekend pitchers since the May 14-16, 2004, Nebraska series. After a six-week absence with a shoulder injury, Mark McCormick joined Sean Walker and Trey Taylor in the rotation for the 2004 season's final two weekends. Andy Pape and Jared Theodorakos saw time in the rotation during McCormick's absence. Last season, Baylor used the same three pitchers -- Taylor, McCormick and VanAllen in three different orders -- in every series.
Friday will be the 107th career appearance and 15th career start for LaMotta, who makes his first career start against Missouri. Baylor is 9-5 in LaMotta's previous 14 starts; he is 6-4 with four no-decisions.
VanAllen makes his 34th career start Saturday. Baylor is 20-13 in his previous 33 starts; VanAllen is 15-10 with eight no-decisions.
THE MISSOURI SERIES
Baylor and Missouri meet for the 38th, 39th and 40th times this weekend. The Bears hold a 22-15 advantage in a series that dates back to the 1905 season. Baylor holds a 20-15 lead in the series since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997, including a 15-12 advantage in regular-season Big 12 meetings. However, the Tigers have won seven of the last 11 meetings.
The Bears are 7-5 all-time against the Tigers at Columbia after taking two of three at Simmons Field in 2004. The visiting team has won the series each of the past four seasons, all two games to one. The Baylor-Missouri series has the distinction of being the only series in Big 12 history to have never featured a sweep.
Missouri won two of three at Baylor Ballpark last season. Baylor won Friday night's opener 7-5 behind Mark McCormick's 12-strikeout performance to clinch a share of the Big 12 title. However, Missouri spoiled Baylor's out-right title hopes with 7-3 and 10-4 victories in the final two games.
LAST TIME vs. MISSOURI
MISSOURI 10, BAYLOR 4 -- MAY 22, 2005 • WACO, TEXAS
Missouri scored nine runs in the final two innings to rally and defeat Baylor 10-4 at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears suffer their lone home series loss in conference play of the season, while the Tigers posted their first road series win since sweeping at Kansas State to open Big 12 play.
Baylor led 3-1 with two outs in the top of the eighth. However, back-to-back doubles by Trevor Helms and Derek Chambers started the rally for the Tigers, who plated six runs on four hits in the eighth. Kevin Russo pulled the Bears to within three at 7-4 with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning, but Missouri put the game away with a three-spot in the top of the ninth.
Baylor's loss coupled with Nebraska's 3-1 win at home against Kansas State meant the Bears and the Huskers were co-champions, the first time in the league's nine-season history that two teams tied for the title.
Missouri scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning. With one out, Chambers walked, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a James Boone double off the wall in left.
The Bears took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Zach Dillon drew a bases-loaded walk and Kevin Russo followed with an RBI infield single. Baylor added an unearned run in the fourth when Jeff Mandel reached on a bunt single, moved to third on an errant throw and then scored on a Michael Griffin single up the middle.
Baylor starter Cory VanAllen recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work. He allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks and did not factor in the decision. Ryan LaMotta who faced three batters in the eighth, suffered the loss.
Missouri starter Taylor Parker was touched for two runs on two hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings. Doug Mathis took the victory, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.
BEARS LOOK TO BREAK ROAD-TRIP BLUES
Baylor's 2006 squad has been markedly more successful at home, posting a 20-7 mark at Baylor Ballpark and a 6-10 record in away games. The Bears are 7-2 in Big 12 play at home and a reciprocal 2-7 in road games.
Individually, C Zach Dillon is the only Baylor player with a minimum of 10 at bats in both scenarios hitting above .310 in road games (.431, 22-for-51) than in home games (.357, 30-for-84). Dillon and C/DH Matt Sodolak are the only players hitting better in road games than in home games. Even with that being the case, He Dillon still leads the team in batting average both at home and on the road.
LaMOTTA STEADY IN FRIDAY NIGHT ROLE
RHP Ryan LaMotta has settled into his role as Baylor's Friday night starter in Big 12 play. Through his first six starts in league play, LaMotta, who had never started a Big 12 game prior to this season, is 3-1 with a 2.58 ERA. He has allowed 15 runs, 13 earned, on 39 hits and 15 walks with 25 strikeouts over 45.1 innings. Opponents hit .235 against LaMotta.
LaMotta's importance can best be seen when comparing his numbers with the remainder of Baylor's staff in Big 12 play. The Bears have used 10 pitchers other than LaMotta in Big 12 play. That group has compiled a 6-8 record with a 5.80 ERA and a .301 opponents' batting average.
DILLON NAMED TO JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
C Zach Dillon was named to the 2006 Coleman Company Johnny Bench Award Watch List, the Greater Wichita [Kan.] Area Sports Commission announced Thursday. Now in its sixth year, the Bench Award is given annually to the nation's top collegiate catcher. The inaugural award was presented to Baylor's Kelly Shoppach in 2001.
A product of Dowling High School in Urbandale, Iowa, Dillon joins Texas Tech's Matt Smith as the only Big 12 catchers on the 34-man list. Ten semifinalists will be announced May 11, and three national finalists will be decided upon by a voting panel and announced May 31.
Dillon leads the Big 12 Conference in walks (41), on base percentage (.532), free passes (47) and times reached base safely (99). He also ranks seventh in the Big 12 with a .385 batting average, a league-best among catchers. Dillon's on base percentage is 43 points higher than any other player in the league; that gap is larger than the gap between second and 10th (41 points).
In Big 12 action, Dillon has been even more lethal. He leads the conference with a .443 batting average in league games and is one of only eight players hitting .400 or better in league play. Dillon also ranks third in hits (27), tied for second in walks (12), tied for third in RBI (18), first in on base percentage (.538), tied for first in free passes (16) and second in times reached base safely (43) in conference games.
Dillon has reached safely in 27 straight games overall, in all but one game this season and in 108 of 112 games since the start of the 2005 season. He has reached safely in 29 consecutive Big 12 games and in all but two league contests over the past two seasons. He joins Matt Sodolak and former Baylor catchers Josh Ford and Tyler Bullock to form Baylor's streak of 145 consecutive games in which a catcher has reached safely.
BAYLOR IN NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Through games of April 23, Baylor ranks 137th nationally in team batting average, 86th in team ERA and 23rd in team fielding percentage. The Bears are 84th nationally in runs per game, seventh nationally in triples per game, 89th in stolen bases per game and 54th in double plays per game.
Individually, LF Seth Fortenberry ranks 11th nationally in triples per game, and RF Kevin Sevigny ranks 19th. C Zach Dillon ranks 12th in walks per game 100th in batting average. RHP Jeff Mandel is 42nd in saves.
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Through games of April 26, Baylor ranks eighth in the league in team batting average (.290), sixth in team ERA (4.26) and third in team fielding percentage (.971). The Bears are second in the league in triples (23), third in walks (182) and third in stolen bases (60). Baylor (.290/.382) and Missouri (.284/.384) are the only Big 12 teams with on base percentages at least 90 points higher than their batting average.
In league games, Baylor ranks third in the Big 12 in team batting average (.303), seventh in team ERA (4.87) and fifth in team fielding percentage (.972). Baylor is the only team hitting better in league play than in non-conference games. The Bears are hitting 24 points better in league games than in non-Big 12 contests (.279). This would be the fourth consecutive season in which Baylor has posted a higher batting average in Big 12 action than in non-conference action.
Here is how Baylor players rank individually:
OVERALL
BATTING AVERAGE: Zach Dillon (7th, .385)
TRIPLES: Seth Fortenberry (1st, 7); Kevin Sevigny (t-2nd, 6); Beamer Weems (t-6th, 4)
HOME RUNS: Seth Fortenberry (t-9th, 7)
STOLEN BASES: Seth Fortenberry (7th, 14); Kevin Russo (t-8th, 12)
WALKS: Zach Dillon (1st, 41)
ON BASE PERCENTAGE: Zach Dillon (1st, .532)
ERA: Ryan LaMotta (8th, 3.09)
WINS: Ryan LaMotta (t-10th, 5)
SAVES: Jeff Mandel (4th, 7); Nick Cassavechia (t-8th, 4)
INNINGS PITCHED: Ryan LaMotta (9th, 67.0)
GAMES STARTED: Ryan LaMotta (t-9th, 11)
COMPLETE GAMES: Ryan LaMotta (t-3rd, 2)
SHUTOUTS: Ryan LaMotta (t-1st, 1)
BIG 12 GAMES
BATTING AVERAGE: Zach Dillon (1st, .443); Beamer Weems (9th, .394); Kevin Sevigny (19th, .343)
HITS: Zach Dillon (3rd, 27); Beamer Weems (t-4th, 26)
RUNS: Beamer Weems (1st, 21)
RBI: Zach Dillon (t-3rd, 18)
DOUBLES: Beamer Weems (t-2nd, 7); Ben Booker (t-6th, 6)
TRIPLES: Kevin Sevigny (1st, 3); Seth Fortenberry (t-2nd, 2); Matt Sodolak (t-8th, 1); Beamer Weems (t-8th, 1)
HOME RUNS: Seth Fortenberry (t-8th, 3)
TOTAL BASES: Beamer Weems (6th, 41); Seth Fortenberry (t-9th, 36)
SLUGGING PERCENTAGE: Beamer Weems (8th, .612)
STOLEN BASES: Seth Fortenberry (t-1st, 8); Kevin Russo (t-3rd, 6); Chase Gerdes (t-5th, 5); Matt Sodolak (t-10th, 4)
WALKS: Zach Dillon (t-2nd, 12); Kevin Russo (t-2nd, 12); Beamer Weems (t-5th, 11)
ON BASE PERCENTAGE: Zach Dillon (1st, .538); Beamer Weems (6th, .469)
ERA: Ryan LaMotta (3rd, 2.58)
WINS: Ryan LaMotta (t-4th, 3); Tim Matthews (t-4th, 3)
INNINGS: Ryan LaMotta (3rd, 45.1); Cory VanAllen (6th, 36.2)
STRIKEOUTS: Ryan LaMotta (9th, 25)
APPEARANCES: Nick Cassavechia (t-7th, 8); Jeff Mandel (t-8th, 6)
GAMES STARTED: Ryan LaMotta (t-1st, 6); Cory VanAllen (t-1st, 6)
SAVES: Nick Cassavechia (t-5th, 2), Jeff Mandel (t-5th, 2)
COMPLETE GAMES: Ryan LaMotta (t-3rd, 2)
SHUTOUTS: Ryan LaMotta (t-1st, 1)
OPPONENTS' BATTING AVERAGE: Ryan LaMotta (8th, .228)
BEARS TOUGH WITH LEAD IN NINTH
Baylor's April 11 loss to No. 2 Rice snapped a streak of 34 consecutive wins for Baylor when leading after eight innings. It was the first such loss for the Bears at home since Feb. 4, 2003, against Texas State. Baylor is 143-7 when leading after eight innings since the beginning of the 2002 season.
Baylor has not lost when leading by more than one run after eight since the 2003 game against Texas State when the Bobcats scored seven runs in the ninth to overcome a 5-2 Baylor lead.
NUMBERS WATCH
• CF Chase Gerdes needs one stolen base to reach 30 career steals.
• RHP Ryan LaMotta needs 17 strikeouts to move into sixth place on Baylor's career strikeouts list. He also needs 14.0 innings to move into a seventh-place tie on Baylor's career innings top 10 list and one win to reach 20 career wins.
• RHP Jeff Mandel needs two saves to move into a sixth-place tie on Baylor's career saves list. He needs one save to move into a sixth-place tie on Baylor's single-season saves list and three saves to become the fifth pitcher in Baylor history to record at least 10 saves in one season.
LaMOTTA CLIMBS STRIKEOUTS LIST
RHP Ryan LaMotta moved into seventh place on Baylor's career strikeouts earliers this season. He needs 17 strikeouts to match Trey Taylor for sixth all-time at Baylor. LaMotta currently has 236 career strikeouts in 284.1 innings pitched.
1. Jason Jennings - 377
2. Steven White - 320
3. Kris Lambert - 292
4. Kip Wells - 288
5. Josh Scott - 285
6. Trey Taylor - 253
7. Ryan LaMotta - 236
8. Justin Taylor - 229
9. Glenn Nevill - 225
10. Zane Carlson - 225
TRIPLE YOUR PLEASURE
Baylor has 23 triples through its first 43 games of the 2006 season. The Bears had only 21 three-baggers in 70 games last season.
LF Seth Fortenberry leads the Big 12 Conference with seven triples, three more than his career total entering the 2006 season and two more than CF Chase Gerdes' team-leading total of five last season. Fortenberry entered the week 11th nationally with 0.17 triples per game. RF Kevin Sevigny is tied for second in the conference with six triples; he entered the week 19th nationally with 0.15 triples per game. SS Beamer Weems is tied for sixth in the Big 12 with four triples. C Matt Sodolak and Gerdes have two each, while C Zach Dillon and 1B/RHP Jeff Mandel have one each.
BAYLOR, FLORIDA NEARING INTERESTING APPEARANCES MARKS
RHP Ryan LaMotta enters Friday's start with 106 career appearances; he is 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.
Florida will reach an interesting distinction the next time it sends Darren O'Day to the mound. It will be career appearance No. 110 for O'Day, giving Florida two players with at least 110 career appearances who played together (Connor Falkenbach appeared in 124 games from 2002 to 2005). Florida will be the first program in NCAA Division I history to have two players play at least one season together and still have at least 110 career appearances each. Baylor looks to be the next program to accomplish the feat with LaMotta and Carlson.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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 443-274-1 career record, all at Baylor. He holds the best winning percentage (.618) 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.
BAYLOR: 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 returns home Tuesday, May 2, hosting Texas-Arlington for a 6 p.m. CDT game at Baylor Ballpark. This is the third meeting between the Bears and the Mavericks this season. Baylor defeated UTA 17-4 in the first midweek game of the season, and the Bears posted a 9-4 win at Arlington in early March. Following Tuesday's game, Baylor takes a week-long break for final exams, returning to action Tuesday, May 9, at home against Texas State.
