March 8, 2012
 vs.  |
Baylor (9-6) vs. Memphis (5-8)
March 9-11 | Waco, Texas | Baylor Ballpark (5,000)
GAME NOTES 
|
SAT. | 3:05 P.M.
Probable Starters:BU - LHP Josh Turley
1-0, 1.72 ERA, 15.2 IP, 12 K
MEM - LHP Sam Moll1-1, 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 16 K
|  | SAT. | 6:35 P.M.
Probable Starters:BU - RHP Trent Blank
4-0, 0.81 ERA, 22.1 IP, 8 K
MEM - RHP Dan Langfield3-0, 1.23 ERA, 22.0 IP, 27 K
| | SUN. | 1:05 P.M.
Probable Starters:BU - TBA
MEM - TBA
|
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Baylor concludes a stretch with nine games in 10 days when the Bears host Memphis for a three-game weekend series at Baylor Ballpark. Friday's series opener is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., followed by Saturday's 3:05 p.m. game and the 1:05 p.m. series finale on Sunday.
The series is Baylor's final weekend tune-up before opening Big 12 Conference play by hosting Texas Tech for three games March 16-18. The Bears' only other game prior to Big 12 play is a road game at UT Arlington at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on Waco's 1660 ESPN Radio. Tom Barfield provides the play-by-play with Lark Smith adding color commentary. 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 most weekend home games, and all three games of the Memphis series will be available. For more information, follow the Baylor All-Access link at www.BaylorBears.com.
SERIES INFORMATION
MEMPHIS TIGERS
Overall: Baylor leads 4-2
Waco: Baylor leads 2-1
Memphis: Baylor leads 2-1
Neutral Site: Never Met
Smith vs. UM: 4-2
First Meeting: 3/2/1996
Last Meeting: 2/23/1997
COACHES
BAYLOR: Steve Smith
Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986
Career Record: 628-421-1 (18th season)
Record at Baylor: 628-421-1 (18th season)
MEMPHIS: Daron Schoenrock
Alma Mater: Tennessee Tech, 1984
Career Record: 207-284 (10th season)
Record at UM: 182-232 (8th season)
BAYLOR-IMG COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK
1660 ESPN RADIO (Waco)
Tom Barfield (pxp) and Lark Smith (color)
BAYLOR - MEMPHIS SERIES HISTORY
Baylor leads the all-time series against Memphis 4-2, including a 2-1 mark in games played in Waco. The teams' only previous meetings were a three-game series in Waco in 1996 and a return trip to Memphis for three games in 1997. Baylor won the first two games of each of those series, but Memphis salvaged the finale both times.
BAYLOR vs. CONFERENCE USA
Baylor is 224-152-1 all-time against teams currently playing as members of Conference USA. The majority of those games came against Houston and Rice when those teams were members of the Southwest Conference along with Baylor. The Bears have played six different C-USA teams and they have a winning record against all six: Houston (86-60), Memphis (4-2), Rice (127-87-1), Southern Mississippi (3-1), Tulane (3-2) and UAB (1-0).
QUICK NOTES
• SERIES: Baylor leads the all-time series 4-2. The Bears and Tigers have played a three-game series on each team's home field, with Baylor taking two of three at home in 1996 and two of three in Memphis in 1997.
• Baylor is 224-152-1 all-time against teams currently playing as members of Conference USA.
• Baylor fell four spots to No. 25 in the latest USATODAY/ESPN Coaches' Poll.
• Baylor has been ranked in at least one in-season Baseball €ˆAmerica Top 25 poll in 14 of the last 16 seasons.
• Baylor leads the Big 12 in doubles (27) and walks (79). The Bears rank 2nd in the league in on-base percentage (.397), runs (77) and hits (130), and BU ranks 3rd in triples (5) and RBI (7
• Baylor's staff ERA €ˆof 3.75 ranks 4th in the Big 12, while its .237 opponents' batting average ranks 3rd.
• Baylor fell one spot to No. 28 in the latest NCBWA poll. The Bears went 3-2 in five games last week.
• 15 Baylor relievers have combined for 54 strikeouts, 53 hits and a .216 opponents' batting average over 68.2 IP.
• Baylor went 6-2 in its first 8 games of the season -- all against 2011 NCAA €ˆTournament teams.
• Baylor's 8-2 start tied the second-best 10-game start of the 18-year Steve Smith era (9-1 in 2008).
• Baylor's bullpen went 18.0 innings before allowing its first run this season (9th inning vs. TCU).
• Seven Baylor starters have on-base percentages of .409 or higher.
• Baylor tied an NCAA €ˆrecord with 10 batters hit by pitch Tuesday at TCU. The teams combined to hit 13 batters in the game, breaking the previous NCAA €ˆrecord of 12 combined hit batsmen.
• Baylor has 4 of the top 6 players in the Big 12 in walks drawn: Max Muncy (12) ranks 3rd, Logan Vick and Michael Howard (11) are tied for 4th and Cal Towey (10) is 6th.
• Baylor is 7-3 at home in 2012, and the Bears are 45-21 in their last 66 home games (26-9 in non-conference).
• Baylor is scheduled to play five games for the third straight week. This weekend's series wraps up a 9-game, 10-day stretch. The Bears are 2-4 through the first six games of the stretch.
• Senior RHP €ˆTrent Blank leads the Big 12 in innings pitched (22.1) and wins (4). He ranks 2nd in the league in ERA €ˆ(0.81) and opponents' batting average (.130). Blank entered the season with a 5.99 career ERA.
• In 38 total plate appearances, freshman Michael Howard has 9 hits and 11 walks for a .526 on-base percentage.
• Baylor is currently 17th nationally in average home attendance (2,776) and total home attendance (24,992).
• Baylor's 2012 schedule is rated the 13th-toughest nationally (No. 1 in Big 12) by Boyd's World.
• Baylor's 56-game 2012 schedule features 28 games against 2011 NCAA €ˆTournament teams.
• Baylor has ranked in the nation's top 25 in attendance in all 13 years since Baylor Ballpark opened in 1999.
• Baylor's 3-game sweep of Oral €ˆRoberts was its first series sweep since May 21-23, 2010.
• Since the start of the 2003 season, Baylor is 24-16 in extra-inning games.
• Baylor returned 20 of 25 letterwinners from last season's 31-28 Houston Regional runner-up team.
• The Bears were picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll, behind Texas A&M, Texas and Oklahoma.
• Eight players on Baylor's roster have been selected in previous MLB €ˆDrafts.
• Baylor is 1 of 14 programs nationally to play in 12+ NCAA Tournaments since 1998.
• Baylor has had a winning record in 11 of its last 17 regular season weekends.
• Baylor had won 4 straight series (at Nebraska, at No. 19 Oklahoma State, vs. No. 13 Oklahoma, vs. ORU) before dropping the final two games of a three-game set at No. 22 UCLA.
• Baylor snapped a 13-game homerless drought with three home runs in the first three innings of Sunday's series finale at UCLA.
• Three Baylor pitchers combined to carry a no-hitter through 7.2 IP in a 7-1 win vs. No. 15 TCU on Feb. 21.
• The Bears were 28-6 last season when scoring 4+ runs in a game and 3-22 when scoring 3 or fewer -- This season, Baylor is 7-3 when scoring 4+ runs and 2-3 when scoring 3 or fewer.
UP NEXT
Baylor hits the road for its second of four straight Tuesday road games when the Bears travel to Arlington for a 6:30 p.m. game against UT €ˆArlington. The Bears play at home in all five weekends in March, but all four Tuesday games are on the road against in-state teams. Baylor opens Big 12 Conference play next weekend when it hosts Texas Tech for a three-game series at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears' first three Big 12 series are all at home, with Kansas and Oklahoma State coming to Waco after Texas Tech.
