Baylor
Indiana
BSB Welcomes No. 22 Indiana For Weekend Series
2/22/2024 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
Bears hosting Force Out Hunger Weekend against Hoosiers
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BAYLOR BEARS (1-3, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Mitch Thompson (Fort Hays St., 1988) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF) |
BAYLOR (1-3, 0-0) vs INDIANA (3-1, 0-0) Feb. 23, 2024 • 6:30 p.m. CT Feb. 24, 2024 • 2:00 p.m. CT Feb. 25, 2024 • 1:00 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • Baylor Ballpark (5,000) LIVE STATS: BaylorStats.com WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ Talent: Lincoln Rose, Richard Cunningham, Kurtis Quillin (Sat.) LISTEN: ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM Talent: Tom Barfield, Joe Heineman Baylor Social Media:    |
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INDIANA HOOSIERS (3-1, 0-0 Big Ten) Location: Bloomington, Ind. Conference/Affiliation: Big Ten Head Coach: Jeff Mercer (Wright St., 2009) Roster | Stats | Game Notes |
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Taking early leads in each of the last three games, Baylor baseball (1-3) struggled to sustain that momentum, scoring just two runs combined over the last six innings.
Even in Tuesday's 11-5 win over Lamar, the Bears jumped out to a 10-1 lead in the first three innings only to see the Cardinals scratch across four runs and make a game of it.
"We had a really good three innings of offense," said second-year Baylor head coach Mitch Thompson, whose team will host 22nd-ranked Indiana (3-1) at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Baylor Ballpark in the opener of a three-game series. "And then, we kind of shut it down for four or five innings. So, the challenge is to keep the foot on the gas. All gas, no brakes."
In the season-opening Shriners Children's College Showdown at Globe Life Field last weekend, the Bears lost early leads in falling to Oregon, 7-4, and Tennessee, 11-5, after a 4-1 loss to Nebraska when Mason Marriott struck out a career-high 10 and took a no-hitter into the sixth.
"I think we just keep doing what we're doing," said senior outfielder/DH Hunter Simmons, who hit a grand slam home run four batters into the Lamar game and is hitting .353. "Don't change anything. Go in there and try to punch them in the mouth early and just keep the energy on them. Coach Thompson said it: 'Put the gas to the pedal.'''
Baylor's first four batters in the lineup – Enzo Apodaca, Hunter Teplanszky, Ty Johnson and Simmons – went a collective 9-for-18 and had nine RBIs versus Lamar. That same group has had 22 of the team's 32 hits with a .328 batting average and 15 RBIs.
Conversely, the bottom half of the lineup has struggled. Mason Greer, Wesley Jordan, Tyriq Kemp and Will Pendergrass are hitting a combined .082 with one extra-base hit, four RBIs and four runs scored.
"It's really going to be important for us as we continue to grow," Thompson said, "for the bottom half of the lineup – whoever's hitting in the 8, 9 hole – to understand that when they get on base, it's a huge thing for our team. It's a huge thing to be able to get on base for the guys as we flip the lineup back over and go 1 through 4 again."
On the mound, Marriott and redshirt freshman Collin McKinney both had impressive starts in the opening weekend. Coming back from Tommy John surgery, McKinney struck out five in 4.1 innings, took a no-hitter into the fifth and left with a 4-1 lead against Oregon.
"Mason and Collin both had really good starts on Friday and Saturday for us . . . gave us great opportunities to be in those games," Thompson said. "That's going to be their job every time out this year. So, it's important for us to see it again. It's important for them to get back out there and do it again. And that's what we're hoping to see this weekend."
A region finalist that won 43 games last year, Indiana had a strong opening weekend with wins over George Mason and a ranked Coastal Carolina team and a 6-3 loss to 12th-ranked Duke. Sophomore starters Brayden Risedorph (0-1, 1.93), Connor Foley (0-0, 0.00) and Ethan Phillips (0-0, 4.91) allowed just three runs over 12.1 innings.
"They're loaded, they've got a really stacked club, a really good team; athletic, big, strong, physical dudes," Thompson said. "Returned a bunch of their guys from last year. Big arms that'll be starting for them and just a quality ballclub, quality-coached team."
Marriott (0-0, 1.93) will be matched against Risedorph in Friday's 6:30 p.m. series opener, with McKinney (0-0, 6.23) and Foley scheduled to start the 2 p.m. game on Saturday. The starters for Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale have not been announced.
Sidelined for 16 months following his arm surgery, McKinney said he had "a lot of time to work on things, perfect my craft and just go out there and be ready to pitch."
"(I was) a little nervous before the game, but that's expected," McKinney said. "Big league park, good team and everything. But once I got out there, at the end of the day, it's baseball. I just went out there and pitched and kind of forgot about the crowd, forgot everybody and just tried to get after it."
All three games will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose and former Baylor outfielder Richard Cunningham calling the action.
STORYLINES
LEADING OFF
• Baylor Baseball continues its season-long, nine-game homestand this weekend with a three-game set against No. 22 Indiana.
• The Bears are coming off an 11-5 victory over Lamar on Tuesday night, in which they blasted three home runs and struck out 13 Cardinals.
• The Bears have eclipsed double digits in strikeouts in all four games so far in 2024, increasing the total to 24 games in the Thompson era in which BU has fanned at least 10 opponents.
• BU opened its season competing hard at the 2024 Shriners Children's College Showdown, though the Bears dropped contests to Nebraska, Oregon and No. 5 Tennessee at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
• Baylor received a pair of great starting pitching performances from Mason Marriott (5.2 IP, H, ER, 10 K's) and Collin McKinney (4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 5 K's) against Nebraska and Oregon, respectively.
• Marriott was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week for his efforts, the first weekly award of his career and Baylor's 44th Big 12 Pitcher of the Week accolade all-time.
• BU is facing the nation's toughest schedule statistically through March 14, according to Pro Baseball Radar, based on 2023's RPI and win percentage.
• Baylor plays 26 games against the RPI top-50 this season, the most in the Big 12.
• Fifteen Bears have made their Baylor debuts across the opening week of the season, including 11 players making their Division I debut and seven freshmen making their collegiate debuts.
• Fifth-year senior INF Mason Greer collected his 100th career hit with a single on Opening Day vs. Nebraska, then later delivered BU's first home run of the year on Saturday against Oregon.
• Senior catcher Harrison Caley crushed his first-career homer on Sunday night vs. No. 5 Tennessee.
LAST TIME OUT
• In Tuesday's win over Lamar, redshirt junior OF Enzo Apodaca tied his career high with four hits and drove in three runs, including a 2-run HR -- his first as a Bear.
• Apodaca went back-to-back with junior INF Hunter Teplanszky, who's long ball traveled 414 feet. The pair of home runs marked BU's first two-homer inning since May 3, 2023 vs. Texas A&M-CC and first back-to-back blasts since April 6, 2023 against Oklahoma.
• After a trio of singles began the bottom of the first, senior OF Hunter Simmons delivered a 107-mph grand slam to open the scoring. The slam was BU's first in a home opener since Paul Witt hit one against UT Arlington on Feb. 15, 2005.
• Baylor scored three or more runs in each of the first three innings on Tuesday, marking the first time since Feb. 21, 2021, vs. UTRGV that the Bears had scored 3+ in three-straight frames.
• Redshirt junior RHP Drew Leach recorded his first-career win after throwing 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.
• Redshirt freshman RHP Tanner Duke made his first-career start in his collegiate debut.
• Redshirt junior RHP Gabe Craig struck out the side in the ninth to match his personal best with three punchouts.
• Freshman RHP Stephen Sepulveda recorded the first scoreless outing of his career.
BY THE NUMBERS
• This will be the first all-time meeting between Baylor and Indiana.
• BU is 17-12-1 against Big Ten foes, exclusing former Big 12 rival Nebraska.
• The Bears are 129-129-1 all-time against ranked teams at home.
• Baylor is 18-19 at home under second-year head coach Mitch Thompson.
PROBABLE STARTERS
• Fri, Feb. 23 • 6:30 p.m. • RHP Mason Marriott (0-0, 1.59) vs. RHP Brayden Risedorph (0-1, 1.93 ERA)
• Sat, Feb. 24 • 2:00 p.m. • RHP Collin McKinney (0-0, 6.23) vs. RHP Connor Foley (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• Sun, Feb. 25 • 1:00 p.m. • TBD vs. TBD
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• All three games this weekend will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) and former Baylor outfielder Richard Cunningham (color analyst) calling the action on Friday and Sunday. Kurtis Quillin will provide the play-by-play on Saturday alongside Cunningham.
• Fans can also tune in to the Baylor radio broadcast on ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM, featuring Tom Barfield and former Baylor pitcher Joe Heineman on the call.
NO MORE ROOM AT HOTEL MARRIOTT
• Junior RHP Mason Marriott was fantastic as Baylor's Opening Day starter on Friday against Nebraska.
• The native of Tomball, Texas went 5.2 innings and allowed just one run on one hit with two walks and a career-high 10 strikeouts.
• He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and ultimately took a no-decision after exiting in a tied 0-0 ballgame.
• Marriott's 10 strikeouts were the most by a Baylor starter on Opening Day since Shawn Tolleson fanned 11 against Duke on Feb. 19, 2010.
• Marriott cruised through the Nebraska lineup early, retiring the side in order in four of his first five frames.
• He worked around a pair of walks in the top of the second to strand a runner in scoring position, then retired the next 10 he faced, including striking out the side in the top of the fifth, just one pitch shy of an immaculate inning.
• Marriott's award marks the second in the Thompson era and 44th Big 12 Pitcher of the Week accolade in program history.
ADD IT TO THE K-COUNTER
• The Bears have eclipsed double-digit strikeouts on the mound 24 times in the Thompson era, including all 4 games in 2024.
• Tuesday's 13 punchouts against Lamar marked the 12th time under Thompson that BU has fanned at least 13 opposing batters.
• Furthermore, Baylor racked up 15 or more K's in four games last season, including a program record in a Big 12 game with 18 at Oklahoma State on March 24.
• Baylor racked up a total of 492 strikeouts in 2023, good for the fifth-most in a single season in program history.
SCORING EARLY IN '24
• 18 of BU's 21 runs so far this season have been scored in the first three innings.
• The Bears have been led by their top four spots in the batting order -- Apodaca, T. Johnson, Teplanszky and Simmons -- who have combined to rack up 22 of Baylor's 32 hits so far this season and driven in 15 of the 21 runs.
FORCE OUT HUNGER WEEKEND
• Baylor Baseball is hosting Force Out Hunger Weekend at the Ballpark, where fans can donate three canned goods each day and receive free admission.
• All donations will be delivered to Caritas Waco, a local food bank, to give back to the Central Texas Community.
• Other weekend promotions include the Bears hosting their Mental Health Awareness Game on Friday, wearing helmet decals to break the stigma of mental health; fans can receive free admission with their men's basketball ticket to Saturday's game; kids can run the bases on Sunday after the game.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
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