March 17, 2016  at  |
Texas Tech (Baylor (10-6) at Baylor (7-9)
March 18-20, 2016 | Waco, Texas | Baylor Ballpark (5,000)
SERIES NOTES 
|
FRI. | 2:05 P.M.
| Audio | Video
Probable Starters:
BU -LHP Daniel Castano
2-1, 4.37 ERA
TTU - RHP Davis Martin
1-0, 3.07 ERA
|  | SAT. | 3:05 P.M.
| Audio | Video
Probable Starters:
BU - RHP Drew Tolson
1-1, 4.94 ERA
TTU - LHP Steven Gingery
1-1, 6.75 ERA
| | SUN. | 1:05 P.M.
| Audio | Video
Probable Starters:
BU - RHP Nick Lewis
0-2, 6.23 ERA
TTU - RHP Ty Harpenau
0-0, 3.29 ERA
|
 |
WACO, Texas- Baylor baseball finishes its season-long eight-game home stand by opening Big 12 Conference play this weekend against Texas Tech at Baylor Ballpark. Games are scheduled for 2:05 p.m. CT Friday on FOX Sports Southwest, 3:05 p.m. Saturday on FOX College Sports and 1:05 p.m. Sunday on FOX Sports Plus.
All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on Waco's 1660 ESPN Central Texas (1330 AM/100.9 FM in Temple, Belton and Killeen). Derek Smith provides the play-by-play with Steve Johnigan adding color commentary. Live streaming audio, video and GameTracker also are available for all Baylor baseball games online at BaylorBears.com.
SERIESà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € INFO
Date(s): March 18-20, 2016
Time(s): 2:05 PM | 3:05 PM | 1:05 PM CT
Location: Waco, Texas
Stadium: Baylor Ballpark (5,000)
Radio: ESPN/KRZI 1660 AMà ¢Ã¢' ¬Ã‹ € (Waco)
Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Steve Johnigan (color)
TV: FSSW (Fri.) | FCS (Sat.) | FS+ (Sun.)
Talent: Cody Hall (pxp), Pat Combs (color)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: TTU leads 81-78
Streak: BU has won 1
Waco: BU leads 49-28
Lubbock: TTU leads 50-24
Neutral Site: BU leads 1-0
Rodriguez vs: 0-0
First Meeting: 1928
Last Meeting: May 22, 2015
SERIES MULTIMEDIA
Live Stats: BaylorBears.com
Audio: BaylorBears.com
Video: BaylorBears.com
Twitter Updates: @BaylorBaseball
BAYLOR BEARS
2016 Record: 7-9
2015 Big 12 Record: 9-15 (8th)
Head Coach: Steve Rodriguez
Career: 293-307 (13th season)
BU: 7-9 (1st season)
2016 STAT LEADERS
AVG: Darryn Sheppard (.350)
2B: Darryn Sheppard (5)
HR: Darryn Sheppard (3)
RBI: Darryn Sheppard (19)
SB: Steven McLean (3)
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
2016 Record: 10-6
2015 Big 12 Record: 13-11 (t-3rd)
Head Coach: Tim Tadlock
Career: 112-81 (4th season)
TTU: 112-81 (4th season)
2016 STAT LEADERS
AVG: Tanner Gardner (.449)
2B: Michael Davis (7)
HR: Tyler Neslony (4)
RBI: Gutierrez, Neslony (15)
SB: Michael Davis (4)
TEAM QUICK NOTES
*Baylor is 390-173 all-time at Baylor Ballpark and 5-7 under Steve Rodriguez.
*Baylor has scored at least one run in the first inning seven times this season in 16 games -- the Bears have won three of their last five games when scoring in the first frame and have scored 15 first-inning runs in 2016.
*Baylor is 1-4 on its current and season-long eight-game home stand.
*Baylor is 195-290-1 all-time against opponents ranked by Baseball America, 30-38 since 2011 and 1-2 this season.
*Among Big 12 leaders, Darryn Sheppard is second in RBI (19), third in total bases (37), fourth in runs (17), fifth in home runs (3) and sixth in slugging percentage (.617).
*Among Big 12 leaders, Richard Cunningham is second in triples (2).
*Among NCAA leaders, Sheppard ranks 68th in RBI (19) and Cunningham ranks 42nd in triples (2).
*Troy Montemayor ranks first in the Big 12 and 45th in the NCAA in saves (3).
*Daniel Castano had a career-high eight strikeouts last Friday vs. New Mexico State after tying a career high of six in his last outing -- he has 19 strikeouts over 18 innings in his last three starts.
-BU-
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation
After a rather bumpy non-conference slate that saw the Baylor baseball team lose six of its last seven games, coach Steve Rodriguez is hoping for a little smoother ride when the Bears open Big 12 play.
Baylor (7-9) opens conference by hosting Texas Tech (10-6) in a three-game weekend series, starting with Friday's 2:05 p.m. game at Baylor Ballpark. The game was originally scheduled for 4:05 p.m., but was moved due to expected inclement weather.
"Play well, that's the biggest thing," Rodriguez said. "The expectations and standards are always the same. I want them to play good baseball. The wins and losses will result from good baseball. They know that, and that's what we've talked about. Hopefully, they understand that just paying attention to what they have to do in the game and knowing their role will result in how the game ends up."
Coming into Big 12 play, the Bears rank eighth out of nine teams in both batting average (.257) and pitching ERA (5.45). The Red Raiders are hitting .280 with a league-high-tying 13 homers and have kept their ERA at a respectable 3.94.
While junior outfielder Darryn Sheppard ranks among the Big 12 leaders with a .350 average, three home runs and 19 RBI, the Red Raiders have a bevy of big bats. Sophomore centerfielder Tanner Gardner leads the conference with a .449 average, and senior leftfielder Tyler Neslony has cranked out four homers, including a grand slam in Tech's 6-4 win over UT-Arlington Tuesday night.
"They're an aggressive team," Rodriguez said. "They're going to swing, and everything they do is pretty fast. We understand that, and we're going to do our best to play great defense, make sure we keep the ball down, because we know they have some power."
On the mound, the series' matchups begin with Baylor junior lefty Daniel Castano (2-1, 4.37 ERA) facing Tech right-hander Davis Martin (1-0, 3.07). Saturday's 3:05 p.m. game will pit Baylor right-hander Drew Tolson (1-1, 4.94) against Tech lefty Steven Gingery (1-1, 6.75), with junior righty Nick Lewis (0-2, 6.23) starting Sunday's 1:05 p.m. game and opposed by Ty Harpenau (0-0, 3.29).
Lewis lasted just an inning in Sunday's 7-4 loss to New Mexico State, giving up three runs on five hits while battling an illness.
"His arm felt great, he just wasn't feeling all that well," Rodriguez said. "To be honest, there were several of our people who weren't feeling all that great. Unfortunately, he's one of the key guys out there because he has the ball every single time. But he's feeling better right now, so he should be ready to go."
The pitching could get a lift as well from fifth-year senior Austin Stone, who was redshirted last year because of a shoulder injury. Rodriguez said Stone has been "working really hard, diligently, to get back on the mound" and could return in the next week or two.
"I think if anything he would come in in middle relief or maybe even start a game or two, just to kind of get him into a routine that he's comfortable with, just to make sure his arm is in good health," Rodriguez said.
After finishing an eight-game home stand with the Tech series, the Bears will travel to face UT-Arlington Tuesday night and then play Dallas Baptist in a split series next weekend.
