April 30, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

GAMES 44-46 • MAY 1-3

No. 17 BAYLOR (26-17, 10-10) vs. No. 8 TEXAS (30-11-1, 12-8-1)

FRIDAY: UFCU Disch-Falk Field; Austin, Texas; 8:04 p.m. CDT - ESPNU-TV

SATURDAY: Baylor Ballpark; Waco, Texas; 6:30 p.m. CDT - Senior Night; Bears in the Pros Poster Night (Kelly Shoppach)

SUNDAY: Baylor Ballpark; Waco, Texas; 1:30 p.m. CDT - Clean Out the Closet Day

Baylor returns to action this weekend, facing Texas in the annual split series. The Bears and Longhorns open the series Friday with an 8:04 p.m. CDT first pitch at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin. The series then shifts to Baylor Ballpark for games Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. This is the eighth Big 12 series for both teams.

The Bears (26-17, 10-10) are 3-7 in their last 10 games after ending a six-game skid Wednesday night with an 8-7 victory at home against UTSA. Baylor has lost four consecutive Big 12 games after being swept at home by then-No. 13 Oklahoma last weekend. Baylor is 4-2-1 in Big 12 series this season. The Bears are 19-10 at home and 7-7 on the road, including a 5-6 mark on opponents' home fields. Baylor is ranked 17th in this week's Baseball America Top 25 and 24th in this week's USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll.

The Longhorns (30-11-1, 12-8-1) are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. Texas lost the first two games of last weekend's series against Kansas State before the series finale ended in a 10-inning tie. The Horns defeated Texas State 12-2 at home Tuesday night. Texas is 22-5-1 at home this season, including a 7-4-1 mark in Big 12 play. The Horns are 8-6 away from home with a 5-4 record on the road in conference action. Texas is ranked eighth in this week's Baseball America Top 25 and ninth in this week's USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll.

Baylor and Texas have played 11 common opponents this season season: Dallas Baptist, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Rice, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech and UT Arlington. The Bears are 13-13 against those teams, while the Longhorns are 13-10-1.

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 CBS College Sports Network.

Live streaming video also is available for the Waco games of the Texas series at www.BaylorBears.com. Follow the All-Access links for more information.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

FRIDAY

Baylor: RHP Kendal Volz, Jr. (3-4, 3.57 ERA, 68.0 IP, 62 H, 29 BB, 62 K, .251 OBA)

Texas: RHP Chance Ruffin, So. (6-2, 2.64 ERA, 75.0 IP, 64 H, 15 BB, 68 K, .225 OBA)

SATURDAY

Baylor: LHP Aaron Miller, Jr. (3-2, 3.83 ERA, 42.1 IP, 17 BB, 55 K, .240 OBA)

Texas: RHP Cole Green, So. (3-1, 2.66 ERA, 61.0 IP, 15 BB, 37 K, .247 OBA)

SUNDAY

Baylor: TBA

Texas: TBA

SERIES INFORMATION

Overall: Texas leads 224-98-4

Waco: Texas leads 88-55-3

Austin: Texas leads 129-32-1

Neutral Site: Baylor leads 11-7

During Big 12 era: Texas leads 24-21

Smith vs. Texas: 26-28

First Meeting: Texas 13, Baylor 1 [4/4/1903]

Last Meeting: at Texas 2, Baylor 0 [5/4/2008]

COACHES

BAYLOR: Steve Smith

Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986

Career Record: 548-354-1 [15th season]

Record at Baylor: 548-354-1 [15th season]

TEXAS: Augie Garrido

Alma Mater: Fresno State, 1961

Career Record: 1,698-788-9 [41st season]

Record at Texas: 547-284-2 [13th season]

BAYLOR-ISP SPORTS NETWORK

1660 ESPN RADIO (Waco)

Tom Barfield, play-by-play

Lark Smith, color

ESPNU NATIONAL BROADCAST (FRIDAY)

Clay Matvick, play-by-play

Kyle Peterson, color

INTERNET FEEDS

GameTracker: www.BaylorBears.com

Audio: www.BaylorBears.com

Video (Saturday/Sunday): www.BaylorBears.com

BAYLOR-TEXAS SERIES HISTORY

Baylor and Texas meet for the 327th, 328th and 329th times this weekend; this the most-played series in Baylor baseball history. The Longhorns hold a 224-98-4 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to an 11-1 Texas victory April 4, 1903.

Texas leads the series both in games played in Waco (88-55-3) and at Austin (129-32-1). However, the Bears hold an 11-7 advantage in neutral-site meetings. Baylor is 26-28 against Texas during head coach Steve Smith's tenure.

Baylor is 21-24 against Texas since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997; the series is tied 18-18 in regular-season Big 12 meetings during that time. Both teams are 9-9 on their home fields in regular-season Big 12 matchups. Baylor has won seven of the 12 series in the Big 12 era, but Texas has won each of the last three and five of the last six. The Bears are 3-6 against the Longhorns in postseason meetings and 0-1 in regular-season, non-conference meetings since 1997.

Baylor and Texas have met 17 times over the past four seasons; neither team has played any other team more times in that span. The Bears won the first four of those meetings, sweeping the 2005 regular-season series and eliminating the Longhorns from the Big 12 Championship. However, Texas won the next 12 meetings, a streak that ended with Baylor's 6-0 victory at Austin in the second game of last year's series.

Seven of the last 13 regular-season meetings between Baylor and Texas have been decided by two runs or less, including five one-run games.

TEAM NOTES

• Baylor has seven last-at-bat victories this season, the most by a Baylor team since the 2005 squad had 12.

• The Bears are 4-0 in extra-inning games this season. Baylor batters are 10-for-13 in extra innings.

• Baylor is 12-4 in one-run games. After enjoying a 10-game winning streak in one-run games, the Bears lost three consecutive one-run games in a six-game span; that skid was snapped with Wednesday's 8-7 victory over UTSA.

• Baylor ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference in batting (.303), eighth in pitching (4.99) and eighth in fielding (.964) through games of April 29.

• Baylor ranks second in the league in home runs (64) behind only Oklahoma (77). The Bears also are second in the conference in home runs in Big 12 games (33) behind only Oklahoma (44).

• Baylor ranks 22nd nationally in home runs.

• Baylor is hitting .345 (153-for-443) with runners in scoring position. The Bears are hitting .333 (65-for-195) with runners in scoring position and two outs.

• Baylor has 111 two-out RBI this season, while holding its opponents to 73 two-out RBI. However, the Bears were out-scored 16-4 with two outs during the Oklahoma series last weekend.

• Baylor pinch hitters have tallied 20 hits this season. Kenton Gedwed leads the way, going 6-for-14.

• Baylor is hitting .388 (76-for-196) in the third inning. The Bears are are 10-for-13 (.769) in extra innings.

• Baylor has out-scored its opponents 129-74 over the first three innings this season, including a 46-28 edge in the first inning and a 58-20 advantage in the third inning.

• Baylor is 18-0 when leading after eight innings. The Bears have won 24 consecutive games when leading after eight innings since squandering a six-run, ninth-inning lead in last year's Texas A&M series finale (April 20).

PLAYER NOTES

• 1B Dustin Dickerson seventh in the Big 12 in batting average (.368), tied for sixth in hits (63), tied for 10th in home runs (9) and 10th in total bases (100). ... In league games, Dickerson is tied for 10th in hits (27), tied for fifth in home runs (5), tied for seventh in runs (18) and 10th in total bases (45).

• Dickerson has reached safely in all but four games this season.

• SS Shaver Hansen is tied for the Big 12 lead in home runs (15). He is tied for 18th nationally and ranks third nationally among shortstops. ... Hansen also is tied for the Big 12 lead with nine homers in league play. That is one shy of Charley Carter's 1998 Baylor record.

• Hansen has established Baylor's single-season record for home runs by a shortstop. He has 11 this season while playing short, topping Beamer Weems' 2007 record of nine. ... Hansen is the first Baylor infielder with 10-plus home runs in a season since Matt Williams (19) and Eric Nelson (17) accomplished the feat in 1999.

• Hansen is tied with Jeremy Dodson (1997) for ninth on Baylor's single-season home run list.

• Hansen is 15th in the conference in batting average (.352), tied for 10th in hits (58), tied for seventh in runs (43), fifth in RBI (47), third in total bases (113) and second in slugging percentage (.681). ... In league games, Hansen is tied for ninth in batting average (.364), tied for seventh in hits (28), second in runs (21), second in RBI (23), first in total bases (60), second in slugging percentage (.779) and sixth in on base percentage (.443).

• Hansen has hit safely in 18 of the last 24 games with 12 home runs, 36 RBI and 11 multiple-hit games.

• 3B Raynor Campbell has two triples in Big 12 play, tied for second in the league.

• RF/LHP Aaron Miller ranks 16th in the league in batting average (.349), ninth in home runs (10), fourth in on base percentage (.464) and seventh in slugging percentage (.628).

• Miller ranks third in the Big 12 and 12th nationally with 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

• In Big 12 games, Miller is 10th in ERA (3.94), tied fifth in strikeouts (47) and tied for sixth in saves (2). Miller is averaging a league-best 13.22 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in conference play.

• Miller is 18-for-41 (.439) with five home runs, 16 RBI, five doubles and 12 runs scored over the last 11 games. He also has homered in six of the last 14 games with seven homers in that span.

• Miller has reached safely in all but one game this season. He reached on an error and scored a run in the lone game in which he did not reach safely.

• On the mound, Miller has recorded 30 strikeouts against one walk over 21.2 innings in his last four outings. He enjoyed a streak of 19.2 consecutive innings without a walk, striking out 28 batters in that span.

• RHP Logan Verrett ranks 19th in the Big 12 in ERA (4.31), tied for second in wins (7) and tied for ninth in saves (3). ... In league games, Verrett is tied for fifth in wins (3).

• Verrett is tied for 20th nationally in wins, tied for third among freshmen. He also ranks 38th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (10.6).

• RHP Kendal Volz ranks 12th in the Big 12 in ERA (3.57), sixth in innings pitched (68.0) and 10th in strikeouts (62). ... In conference games, Volz is 15th in ERA (4.25), third in innings pitched (48.2) and fourth in strikeouts (49).

• RHP Willie Kempf is one of only six pitchers with shutouts in the Big 12 this season. He joins Missouri's Kyle Gibson and Kansas' T.J. Walz as the only pitchers to toss shutouts in conference games.

• Kempf is tied for fifth with three wins in Big 12 play.

• CF/RHP Brooks Pinckard leads all Big 12 freshmen with eight stolen bases. He has five swipes in Big 12 play, tied for sixth in the league.

MILESTONE WATCH

• OF Ben Booker has played 92 career Big 12 games, tied with Zach Dillon for sixth in Baylor history. ... Booker has 318 career at bats in Big 12 play, ninth all-time at Baylor. ... He needs three Big 12 hits to become the ninth player in Baylor history to amass 100 career hits in Big 12 play.

• 3B Raynor Campbell needs 13 hits in Big 12 play to reach 100 for his career.

• 1B/DH Dustin Dickerson 13 hits to reach 200 for his career.

• 1B/DH Dan Evatt needs three home runs to match Matt Williams' 1998 Baylor freshman record.

• SS Shaver Hansen needs 15 hits to reach 200 for his career. ... Hansen needs two home runs to move into a sixth-place tie on Baylor's single-season list. ... Hansen has 12 career home runs in Big 12 play, tied for 10th on Baylor's all-time list.

• RHP Willie Kempf's next appearance will be the 50th of his career.

• RF/LHP Aaron Miller needs four home runs to crack Baylor's career top-10 list. ... Miller needs two home runs to become the first Baylor player with at least 12 home runs in consecutive seasons since Josh Ford in 2003 (12) and 2004 (14).

• CF/RHP Brooks Pinckard needs two stolen bases to become the first Baylor freshman with at least 10 steals since Chase Gerdes had 10 swipes in 2004.

• RHP Kendal Volz has 212 career strikeouts; he needs 13 to crack Baylor's career top-10 list. He has 143 career strikeouts in Big 12 games, third all-time at Baylor behind only Jason Jennings (213) and Steven White (158). ... Volz needs three starts to crack Baylor's career list. ... Volz' next Big 12 start will be the 25th of his career, tying Josh Scott for second Baylor's all-time list.

BAYLOR ON TELEVISION

Baylor is 29-35 all-time in televised games since 1988. The Bears are 0-2 on television this season and have lost nine of 10 televised games dating back to the 2007 season. Baylor dropped a 4-3 decision at Oklahoma State two weeks ago and lost 12-4 last Saturday against Oklahoma; both games were televised by FSN.

The Bears are 6-5 all-time on the ESPN family of networks, going 3-2 on ESPN, 2-1 on ESPN2 and 1-2 on ESPN+plus. This is Baylor's first-ever appearance on ESPNU.

BAYLOR vs. RANKED OPPONENTS

Baylor is 158-238-1 against ranked opponents since the start of the Baseball America rankings in 1981. The Bears are 5-6 against ranked teams this year with two wins against TCU (13th/16th) and single wins against UCLA (ninth), UC Irvine (fifth) and Texas A&M (third). Baylor lost twice to third-ranked Texas A&M, once to 10th-ranked Rice and three times to 13th-ranked Oklahoma.

The Bears are 100-149 all-time against ranked conference opponents, including a 52-68 record during the Big 12 era. Baylor is 88-88-1 all-time against ranked opponents at home, including a 3-3 mark this season.

Baylor is 74-120 all-time against top-10 teams, including a 3-3 mark this year. The Bears have not defeated a top-10 opponent on its home field since edging then-No. 1 Texas 3-2 in the first game of the 2005 series; that is a streak of 10 consecutive losses in such games.

For more information on Baylor's history against nationally ranked opponents, reference page 141 in the 2009 Baylor Baseball Media Guide.

HANSEN HOMERUN TALLY AMONG BAYLOR BESTS

With 15 home runs on the season, SS Shaver Hansen is tied for the Big 12 lead in round-trippers; he also is tied for the conference lead with nine homers in league games. Hansen is tied for 18th nationally in home runs. He ranks third nationally among shortstops behind only New Mexico State's Bryan Marquez (19) and Morehead State's Drew Lee (17).

Hansen is the first Baylor infielder with 10-plus home runs in a season since Michael Griffin had 10 in 2004. Hansen's 15 homers are the most by any Baylor player ties for the ninth-best season total in Baylor history. His nine home runs in Big 12 play are one shy of Charley Carter's 1998 single-season Baylor record. Hansen also has established a single-season school record for home runs by a shortstop, and his 15 home runs rank second at Baylor since the minus-three bat restrictions began in 2000.

A product of Grand Junction, Colo., Hansen has 12 home runs in the last 24 games, homering in 10 of those 24 games. He is hitting .383 (36-for-94) in that time with 36 RBI, four doubles, 28 runs, 76 total bases and an .809 slugging percentage.

BAYLOR ON A HOMER BARRAGE

Baylor has blasted 64 home runs this season, tied for the fourth-best season total in school history and the most by a Baylor team since the 2003 squad had 83 homers in 68 games.

The Bears were shutout 6-0 April 4 at Kansas; the following day, the Bears tied a single-game school record with eight home runs. Baylor has hit at least one home run in each game since. That 16-game streak is the longest in program history; the Bears previously had homered in 12 consecutive games on four occasions.

Baylor has hit 33 home runs in Big 12 play, second in the conference this season and the most by a Baylor squad since the Bears hit 33 in 25 games during the 2004 season. The Bears hit 58 home runs in 28 Big 12 games during the 1998 season, 46 in 30 league games in 1997 and 43 in 27 league games in 1999. The 2003 squad hit 35 home runs in 27 conference games, the most since the bat weight-length ratio restrictions were adjusted for the 2000 season.

Here are some other homer notes from around the Big 12 Conference this season:

PLAYERS WITH MULTIPLE-HOMER GAMES

5 - BAYLOR (Dickerson [2], Campbell, Hansen, Hornung, Miller)

4 - Oklahoma (Baker [2], C. Johnson, J. Johnson, Wise)

4 - Oklahoma State (Kroll [3], Medchill [2], Dabbs, McMurry)

3 - Texas A&M (L. Anders, N. Anders, Colligan)

MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE-HOMER GAMES

3 - Mike Kroll, Oklahoma State

2 - Aaron Baker, Oklahoma

2 - Dustin Dickerson, Baylor

2 - Neil Medchill, Oklahoma State

2 - Tony Thompson, Kansas

HOMERS IN THREE-PLUS CONSECUTIVE GAMES

3 - Dustin Dickerson, Baylor (Missouri, UT Arlington, UT Arlington) [4 homers]

3 - Shaver Hansen, Baylor (Kansas State, Texas State, Prairie View A&M)

3 - Jed Hanson, Nebraska (Northern Colorado, Oklahoma, Wichita State)

3 - Jamie Johnson, Oklahoma (Washington State, UALR, UALR)

3 - Doug Kroll, Oklahoma State (Manhattan, East Carolina, College of Charleston)

3 - Neil Medchill, Oklahoma State (Cal State Fullerton, Rhode Island, Cal State Fullerton)

3 - Aaron Miller, Baylor (Oklahoma State, Oklahoma State, Sam Houston State) [4 homers]

3 - JT Wise, Oklahoma (Nebraska, Nebraska, Nebraska)

BEARS COMING THROUGH IN LATE INNINGS

Baylor has seven wins this season in its last at bat, including six walk-off victories. Four times the Bears have produced extra-inning, walk-off hits; 1B Dustin Dickerson produced two of those four hits. Dickerson also had a game-winning, two-run single in the top of the ninth in the Kansas series opener; the hit snapped a 6-6 tie and the Bears held on for an 8-6 win.

DICKERSON, MILLER STREAKS AMONG LEAGUE'S BEST

1B Dustin Dickerson and RF/LHP Aaron Miller have produced three of the five longest hitting streaks in the Big 12 this season. Dickerson posted a career-long, 24-game streak that was the longest in the league this season and was the third-longest in Baylor history.

Meanwhile, Miller posted streaks of 17 games - a career long - and 15 games. Miller has reached safely in all but one game this season; in that game, he reached on an error and scored.

Dickerson and/or Miller has hit safely in every game this season since both were hitless in the season opener.

Here is a look at the longest hitting streaks in the Big 12 this season (through games of April 29):

ALL GAMES BIG 12 GAMES

24 - Dustin Dickerson, Baylor 16 - Dustin Dickerson, Baylor

17 - Aaron Miller, Baylor 13 - Buck Afenir, Kansas

15 - Garrett Buechele, Oklahoma 13 - Michael Torres, Texas *

15 - Aaron Miller, Baylor 11 - Garrett Buechele, Oklahoma

15 - Chris Richburg, Texas Tech 11 - Kyle Colligan, Texas A&M ***

14 - Brandon Belt, Texas 11 - J.T. Wise, Oklahoma

14 - Tony Thompson, Kansas 10 - Brandon Belt, Texas

14 - Tony Thompson, Kansas **

13 - Adam Bailey, Nebraska

13 - Bryant Hernandez, Oklahoma

13 - Neil Medchill, Oklahoma State

12 - Michael Dabbs, Oklahoma State

12 - David Narodowski, Kansas

* - active

** - also hit safely in the final nine games of the 2008 season

*** - also hit safely in the final seven Big 12 game of the 2008 season

GEDWED AMONG BIG 12 PINCH-HIT LEADERS

OF Kenton Gedwed leads the Bears with six pinch hits this season, the most by a Baylor player since Ross Bennett had eight pinch hits in 2002 (Jared Clements also had six pinch hits in 2002). Through games of April 29, Gedwed is tied with Texas Tech's Logan Leslie for the Big 12 lead in pinch hits. Here is a look at the league's pinch-hit leaders with total pinch-hit at bats in parentheses:

6 - Kenton Gedwed, Baylor (14)

6 - Logan Leslie, Texas Tech (17)

5 - Tyler Ogle, Oklahoma (8)

4 - Ross Hubbard, Oklahoma (14)

4 - Mike Kindel, Kansas State (7)

4 - Joe Patterson, Texas A&M (10)

3 - five players

HANSEN, VERRETT NAMED TO NATIONAL AWARDS WATCH LISTS

SS Shaver Hansen and RHP Logan Verrett have been named to watch lists for prominent national honors. Hansen is one of 38 players named to the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, given to the nation's top collegiate shortstop. Verrett is one of 50 players named to the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year watch list.

Hansen, a junior from Grand Junction, Colo., is hitting .349 with 15 home runs, 47 RBI, 10 doubles, 43 runs, 58 hits and a .681 slugging percentage. He ranks among the Big 12's top 10 in home runs, RBI, runs, RBI, total bases and slugging percentage. Hansen is one of three Big 12 shortstops on the list; he joins Kansas State's Drew Biery and Oklahoma's Bryant Hernandez.

The Wallace Award, which began in 2004, is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace. In the award's first five seasons, it was given to the nation's top overall player. This year, it is designated as the award for the nation's top shortstop in collaboration with the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the Dick Howser Award, which continues as a national player of the year award for the 24th consecutive year.

A freshman from Corpus Christi, Texas, Verrett is tied for third nationally in victories among freshmen; he is 7-1 with a 4.31 ERA and three saves. The right-hander tied a Baylor record with seven consecutive wins to start his career and is tied for second in the Big 12 in wins. Verrett has tallied 56 strikeouts over 48.0 innings; his strikeout total is 26 shy of Baylor's freshman record.

Verrett, a 2009 USA Baseball National Team Trials invitee, is one of seven pitchers from the Big 12 on the list. He joins Kansas State's A.J. Morris, Texas' Austin Dicharry, Chance Ruffin and Austin Wood, Texas A&M's Brooks Raley and Texas Tech's Chad Bettis.

Both awards will be presented July 2 at the College Baseball Awards Show in Lubbock, Texas, in association with National College Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

VERRETT EARNS USA BASEBALL NATIONAL TEAM TRIALS INVITE

RHP Logan Verrett has been named one of 17 initial invitees to the 2009 USA Baseball National Team Trials, the governing body of amateur baseball in the United States announced Tuesday. Verrett is the lone player from the Big 12 Conference on the initial invitee list.

A freshman from Calallen High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, Verrett is 7-1 this season with two saves and a 3.50 ERA. He has leads the Bears with 54 strikeouts against 16 walks over 43.2 innings. Baylor is 11-2 this season in his 13 appearances, including an 8-1 mark when he pitches in relief.

Verrett is one of five freshmen on the invitee list, joining fellow right-handers Gerrit Cole (UCLA), Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt) and Tony Zych (Louisville), and infielder Anthony Rendon (Rice). Verrett currently is tied for 13th nationally in victories; he joins Florida State's Sean Gilmartin and Sacramento State's Jesse Darrah as the nation's only freshmen with seven wins.

This is the second consecutive year in which a Baylor player has received a National Team Trials invite. Kendal Volz and Shaver Hansen both received invites last year with Volz earning a spot on the team. Verrett is the first Baylor freshman to earn a National Team Trials invite since Zane Carlson in 2000.

The 2009 National Team Trials will be held June 15-24 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. The Trials will consist of 36 collegiate players vying for 22 spots on the National Team roster. Tulane head coach Rick Jones will serve as head coach for the 2009 National Team. Jones will be joined by pitching coach Mike Kennedy (Elon) and assistant coaches Dan McDonnell (Louisville) and Rob Cooper (Wright State).

EXTRA SPECIAL

Baylor is 19-7 in extra-inning games since the start of the 2003 season. After limping to a 1-3 record last season, the Bears already are 4-0 in extra frames this year. The Bears' 10-inning, 2-1 victory over Pacific in the 2009 season opener snapped a three-game losing streak in such games.

Five of the 19 wins over the past six-plus seasons have come on an opponent's home field (Arizona twice, Arizona State, Texas and Vanderbilt). Three of the 15 wins were either neutral-site games or games at Baylor Ballpark in which the Bears were the visitor. Four of the 15 wins have come in postseason play, including two at the Big 12 Tournament and one at the College World Series.

Baylor's luck was not as good in 2002 when the Bears were 1-5 in extra-inning games, including a span of three consecutive games lost in extra innings in mid-May.

VERRETT AMONG ELITE CLUB

RHP Logan Verrett is the 11th Baylor freshman to post at least six wins. Furthermore, he is only the fifth to accomplish the feat during head coach Steve Smith's tenure, joining Ryan LaMotta (2003), Abe Woody (2003), Kendal Volz (2007) and Shawn Tolleson (2008). Aaron Lineweaver established Baylor's record for wins by a freshman with nine in 1993.

Verrett, who is tied for fourth nationally in wins, is the fifth Baylor freshman to win at least seven games and the first to win accomplish the feat since LaMotta was 7-3 in 2003. Verrett's 7-0 start tied the school record for consecutive wins to start a career by a freshman; Ted Richardson finished the 1985 season at 7-0.

NEXT UP...

Following the Texas series, Baylor takes an eight-day break for spring semester final exams. The Bears return to the field Tuesday, May 12, hosting Stephen F. Austin for a 6:30 p.m. CDT first pitch at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor concludes its regular season that weekend, traveling to Lincoln, Neb., for a three-game series against Nebraska at Haymarket Park.