vs. |
Baylor (28-21, 9-13 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma State (29-23, 8-16 Big 12) Waco, Texas | Baylor Ballpark (5,000) |
FRIDAY, MAY 21 | 6:30 P.M. |
Probable Starters:BU - RHP Logan Verrett 5-3, 2.89 ERA, 74.2 IP, 20 BB, 84 K OSU - LHP Mike Strong4-3, 4.30 ERA, 60.2 IP, 33 BB, 66 K | 
| SATURDAY, MAY 22 | 3:00 P.M. |
Probable Starters:BU - RHP Shawn Tolleson 2-6, 4.12 ERA, 67.2 IP, 27 BB, 80 K OSU - RHP Brad Propst2-1, 4.03 ERA, 44.2 IP, 10 BB, 37 K | 
| SUNDAY, MAY 23 | 1:00 P.M. | Probable Starters:BU - RHP Craig Fritsch 0-3, 3.59 ERA, 52.2 IP, 17 BB, 40 K OSU - LHP Andrew Heaney 5-2, 5.22 ERA, 60.1 IP, 23 BB, 50 K |
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Complete Release in PDF Format 
Baylor looks to lock up a spot in the Big 12 Championship when it takes on Oklahoma State in a battle for the final tournament berth in a three-game series at Baylor Ballpark this weekend.
With one win in the series, the Bears would clinch a tournament bid, but Baylor could finish as high as fifth in the conference standings. Oklahoma State needs to win all three games to avoid missing the tournament for a second straight season.
The Bears broke out of a six-game losing streak in Big 12 road games by taking two of three at then-second-place Texas Tech last weekend. Baylor won a series in Lubbock for the first time since 1998 by coming from behind to win Sunday's series finale 12-5.
Baylor continued its string of solid pitching in a 6-2 win over Dallas Baptist in midweek action. The win was the Bears' 19th in their last 23 games at Baylor Ballpark.
Oklahoma State is coming off a tough weekend that saw the Cowboys get swept by Texas A&M, but OSU rebounded during midweek action with a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on €ˆTuesday.
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 is available for all three games of the series against Oklahoma State. For more information, follow the Baylor All-Access link at www.BaylorBears.com.
SERIES INFORMATION
OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
Overall: Oklahoma State leads 35-26
Waco: Series tied 12-12
Stillwater: Oklahoma State leads 15-11
Neutral Site: Oklahoma State leads 8-3
Smith vs. OSU: 23-21
First Meeting: 4/20/1925
Last Meeting: 4/18/2009
COACHES
BAYLOR: Steve Smith
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986
Career Record: 580-384-1 (16th season)
Record at Baylor: 580-384-1 (16th season)
OKLAHOMA STATE: Frank Anderson
Alma Mater: Emporia State, 1983
Career Record: 262-155 (seventh season)
Record at OSU: 262-155 (seventh season)
BAYLOR-ISP SPORTS NETWORK
1660 ESPN RADIO (Waco)
Tom Barfield (pxp) and Lark Smith (color)
BAYLOR - OKLAHOMA STATE SERIES HISTORY
Baylor and Oklahoma State have met 61 times and the Cowboys hold a 35-26 advantage in the all-time series. However, Baylor leads 21-13 in games played in Waco. OSU is 15-11 against the Bears in Stillwater, and the Cowboys have won eight of 11 neutral site meetings. Baylor is 21-22 against OSU during the Steve Smith era, including a 9-4 mark at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears dropped the series opener, but came back to win th series the last time the teams met at Baylor Ballpark in 2008, and BU and Oklahoma State split two games in Stillwater last season. Baylor swept the Cowboys at home in 2006, but OSU returned the favor with a sweep on its home field in 2007.
LAST SEASON VS. OKLAHOMA STATE
BAYLOR 8, OKLAHOMA STATE 5 • APRIL 17, 2009 • ALLIE P. REYNOLDS STADIUM • STILLWATER, OKLA.
Aaron Miller blasted a two-out, two-run homer well over the wall in right-center in the top of the first inning, and Kendal Volz never relinquished that lead as seventh-ranked Baylor defeated Oklahoma State 8-5 in Friday night's Big 12 Conference series opener at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. Baylor (25-11, 10-6) earned its first victory in a series opener at Stillwater since 2003. Oklahoma State (24-15, 4-9) has lost five straight Big 12 games.
Volz (3-3) allowed five runs - only two of which were earned - on nine hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over 8.1 innings, a career-long outing. It was his first Big 12 victory on the road since April 15, 2007, at Kansas. Miller's first-inning home run sent Volz to the mound in the bottom of the first with a lead for the first time since the Bears scored two runs in the top of the first against Oklahoma in the final pool-play game at the 2007 Big 12 Championship.
Landis Ware pushed the Bears' lead to 3-0 with a two-out RBI single in the top of the fourth. Oklahoma State got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Neil Medchill's one-out solo homer. Baylor answered in the sixth as Kenton Gedwed delivered a two-out, two-run, pinch-hit single. It was Gedwed's sixth hit in 10 pinch-hit appearances this season.
Raynor Campbell extended Baylor's lead to 7-1 with a one-out single in the seventh. That proved to be a crucial hit as Oklahoma State plated three runs in the bottom of the inning. Shaver Hansen's two-out fielding error kept the inning alive, and Kevin David made the Bears pay with a three-run double down the line in left. Tyrone Hambly followed with a deep fly ball to center, but Lucas Hileman made the catch a step shy of the wall.
Ware led off the eighth with a single and later scored on Miller's RBI fielder's choice. Michael Dabbs delivered a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, but that was as close as the Cowboys would get. Volz gave way to Logan Verrett after Dabbs' home run. Verrett walked the first batter he faced but got a strikeout and a groundout to end the game.
Oklahoma State starter Tyler Blandford (6-2) took the loss; he allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Ware and Hansen both had three-hit nights, while Campbell was 2-for-3 with a pair of walks. Campbell and Hansen scored twice each, and Miller had three RBI. Dustin Dickerson led off the third with a single, extending his career-long hitting streak to 22 games. That is the longest streak in the Big 12 this season, the fourth-longest in Baylor history and the longest by a Bear since Kelly Shoppach's 28-game streak in 2001.
OKLAHOMA STATE 4, BAYLOR 3 • APRIL 18, 2009 • ALLIE P. REYNOLDS STADIUM • STILLWATER, OKLA.
Mark Ginther's tie-breaking solo home run in the bottom of the sixth gave Oklahoma State a 4-3 victory over seventh-ranked Baylor in Saturday afternoon's Big 12 Conference game at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. Baylor (25-12, 10-7) fell to 11-3 in one-run games this season, suffering its second one-run loss this week. Oklahoma State (25-15, 5-9) snapped a five-game Big 12 losing streak with the win.
Baylor starter Aaron Miller struck out Neil Medchill to start the sixth and got a first-pitch strike on Ginther. After missing the zone on his second pitch, Miller hung a pitch up on the inside part of the plate, and Ginther turned on for his second home run of the season.
Dustin Dickerson drew a leadoff walk in the eighth, but OSU reliever Randy McCurry retired the next three batters and stranded Dickerson at second. Ben Booker singled to open the ninth and moved to second on Landis Ware's sacrifice bunt. Brooks Kimmey's flew out to center, pushing Booker to third, and Joey Hainsfurther drew a full-count walk. McCurry closed the door, though, getting a game-ending ground out from Raynor Campbell.
Oklahoma State starter Tyler Lyons (5-3) earned the win; allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 7.0-plus innings, leaving the game after walking Dickerson to open the eighth. McCurry recorded two strikeouts over 2.0 scoreless innings for his seventh save of the season.
Miller (3-1) took the loss for the Bears. He allowed four runs on seven hits and no walks with nine strikeouts. Shawn Tolleson stranded a runner in sixth and tossed 2.1 perfect innings with two strikeouts.
Medchill's one-out sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first gave OSU a 1-0 lead. Baylor answered in the third when Campbell and Shaver Hansen walked ahead of Miller's three-run homer to right-center. It was Miller's second home run of the series. In the bottom of the fourth, Thomas Belza tied the game at 3-3 with a one-out, two-run single.
The Bears stranded seven runners on the day, including five in scoring position. Campbell opened the game with a single but was stranded at third. Campbell delivered a one-out single in the fifth but was stranded at second. Miller doubled to start the sixth but was stranded at third.
Campbell, Miller and Booker all had two-hit days for the Bears. Dustin Dickerson singled in the first, extending his career-long hitting streak to 23 games. Dickerson's streak is the longest in the Big 12 this season and the third-longest in Baylor history. He also has hit safely in 15 consecutive conference games, the longest streak in the league this season and the fifth-longest Big 12 streak in school history.
QUICK NOTES
• The Baylor bullpen has combined to post a 17-5 record with 15 saves and a 3.05 ERA over 200.1 innings.
• Opponents are hitting .248 against BU relievers, and nine Bears have made at least eight relief appearances and posted ERAs of 4.50 or lower in those roles.
• Baylor is now 23-2 when leading after the sixth inning.
• Baylor is one of only two Big 12 programs that ranks in the top four of the conference in both hitting (.310 batting average -- fourth) and pitching (3.86 ERA -- fourth). Oklahoma ranks third in both.
• The Bears has won 45 of their last 46 games when leading after eight innings -- lone loss at TCU on April 27.
• Baylor is 18-4 in its last 22 games at Baylor Ballpark.
• The Baylor pitching staff has held its opponents to five or fewer runs in 10 consecutive games. The Bears have allowed six runs or less in 15 straight Big 12 games, and five or less in 13 of those 15 contests.
• Baylor ended the regular season with wins in 14 of its last 16 non-conference games
• With one win this weekend, Baylor would join Oklahoma as the only teams to make all 14 Big 12 tournaments.
PLAYER NOTES
• True freshman Logan Vick has already broken the program's record for walks by a freshman with 49, but he needs six more walks to tie Jon Topolski (1999) for the most in a single season in program history.
• Joey Hainsfurther enters the weekend ranked 10th in the Big 12 with a .369 batting average.
• Hainsfurther strikes out just once every 15.23 at-bats, making him the toughest Baylor player to strike out. He has struck out just four times in 99 at-bats in Big 12 play.
• Max Muncy is tied for eighth in the Big 12 Conference with 11 home runs, five of which have come in Big 12 play.
• Muncy is tied for the team lead with 21 extra-base hits (10 doubles, 11 home runs)
• Gregg Glime has thrown out more than 50 percent of attempted base stealers this season (22 of 43).
• Glime also leads the team with 19 two-out RBI.
• Brooks Pinckard is tied for ninth in the Big 12 with 14 stolen bases. He has been successful on 22 of his last 23 attempted steals.
• Cal Towey has started 13 of Baylor's last 14 games after starting six times in the first 35 games of the season.
• Towey enters the weekend on a four-game multi-hit game streak, and the redshirt freshman has hit safely in each of his last eight games at Baylor Ballpark.
• Vick is the only Baylor player to start every game this season.
• Vick leads the Big 12 in walks (49) - 13 more than any other player in the league and 27 more than any other Baylor player.
• Vick has reached base safely in 49 of 96 (.510)times he's led off an inning.
• Vick ranks ninth in the Big 12 with a .466 on-base percentage, and he is on pace to break the Baylor freshman record of .455 set by Eric Nelson in 1996.
• Vick is also tied for the team lead with 21 extra-base hits (14 doubles, one triple, six home runs), and his 49 walks are tied for the fourth-most ever in a single season at Baylor.
• Josh Turley leads the team and is tied for 10th in the Big 12 with 23 appearances on the mound.
• Turley and Kolt Browder both have four wins in relief, which places them two shy of the Baylor freshman record for wins in relief.
• Logan Verrett enters the weekend ranked seventh in the Big 12 with a 2.89 ERA. Verrett is also seventh in the league with 84 strikeouts.
• Verrett's 2.45 ERA in conference games ranks sixth in the Big 12, and league opponents are hitting just .229 against him, which ranks ninth in the conference.
• Pinckard is fourth in the Big 12 with nine saves.
• Willie Kempf leads the team with six wins this season, and his 19 career wins are seven more than any other player on the Baylor roster.
• Shawn Tolleson has 80 strikeouts on the season, which places him 10th in the Big 12.
• Tolleson's 4.12 ERA is the 15th-best in the league.
• Craig Fritsch enters the weekend with a 3.89 ERA, which ranks ninth in the Big 12.