Baylor Baseball Travels to No. 23 TCU for Rivalry Road Series

Thu Apr 24 15:45:00 CDT 2025

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 24, 2025

Baylor Baseball Travels to No. 23 TCU for Rivalry Road Series
Bears looking for first series win against the Horned Frogs since 2019
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

[BU Logo]
BAYLOR BEARS (26-14, 8-10 Big 12)
Location: Waco, Texas
Conference/Affiliation: Big 12
Head Coach: Mitch Thompson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mitch-thompson/2403> (Fort Hays St., 1988)

Roster<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster> | Stats<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/stats/2024> | Game Notes (PDF)<https://baylorbears.com/documents/2025/4/24/Baylor_BSB_Game_Notes_2025_41-43_TCU.pdf>
BAYLOR (26-14, 8-10) at TCU (29-12, 12-6)
April 25, 2025 • 6:00 p.m. CT
April 26, 2025 • 2:00 p.m. CT
April 27, 2025 • 1:00 p.m. CT
Fort Worth, Texas • Lupton Stadium (4,500)

LIVE STATS: BaylorStats.com<https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=bay>
WATCH: ESPN+
LISTEN: ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM
Talent: Derek Smith, Tom Barfield

Baylor Social Media: [auto twitter icon] <https://twitter.com/BaylorBaseball>  [instagram png] <https://www.instagram.com/baylorbaseball/?hl=en>  [Facebook PNG] <https://www.facebook.com/BaylorBaseball/>
[TCU Logo]
TCU HORNED FROGS (29-12, 12-6 Big 12)
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Conference/Affiliation: Big 12
Head Coach: Kirk Saarloos (Cal State Fullerton)

Roster<https://gofrogs.com/sports/baseball/roster?path=baseball> | Stats<https://gofrogs.com/sports/baseball/stats>

STORYLINES
LEADING OFF
• Baylor Baseball travels to rival TCU this weekend for a three-game series in Fort Worth before heading to face Sam Houston in Huntsville next Tuesday, April 29, for its final road midweek contest of 2025.
• BU is currently in a tie for seventh place in the Big 12 standings at 8-10 in the league, alongside Cincinnati and Texas Tech. The top 12 teams in the conference standings this season will qualify for the Big 12 Championship Tournament in Arlington, Texas at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers.
• For the 10th week in a row, Baylor is currently receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 25 poll. Baylor has not been ranked in a major poll since 2019.
• Baylor returns 22 players from its 2024 roster, including six position player starters, and welcomes 18 newcomers.
• BU has 16 seniors on its 2025 roster, including six fifth-year players and three sixth-year players.
2025 NOTABLES
• Baylor completed its first Opening Weekend sweep since 2019, outscoring Youngstown State 38-11.
• The Bears posted back-to-back shutouts against UTSA and Gonzaga, the team's first consecutive shutouts since April 1-2, 2021.
• BU recorded its third shutout of the year on April 19 vs. Utah, its most in a single season since 2022 (3).
• Tuesday, March 11's game attendance (2,283) against Sam Houston was the largest crowd against a non-conference opponent, and the seventh-largest overall, of the Thompson era.
BEARS BY THE NUMBERS
• Baylor is 18-2 when striking out nine or more batters this season.
• BU is 17-3 when allowing two walks or less in 2025.
• The Bears are 15-4 this year when racking up 10+ hits offensively.
• Baylor owns a +87 overall run differential this season (292 runs scored, 205 runs allowed), which ranks 5th in the Big 12. Only West Virginia (+164), Kansas (+150), UCF (+121) and TCU (+101) are ahead of the Bears.
• Baylor's 3.27 walks per nine innings ranks 11th in the country and its 1.29 WHIP ranks 22nd nationally.
IT'S ABOUT THE RESPONSE
• Baylor is 10-4 this season in games following a loss.
• Baylor has nine come-from-behind wins this season, including one walk-off victory (April 1 vs. HCU).
• BU's most recent comeback victory came on Tuesday, April 15, at UTA (trailed 7-4, won 9-8).
• Baylor erased a five-run deficit to win 9-7 on Sunday, March 16 at Kansas, the largest comeback of the Thompson Era.
HISTORY AGAINST THE HORNED FROGS
• Baylor leads the all-time series against TCU, 151-136, but is looking for its first series win over the Frogs since 2019.
• TCU has won seven-straight and 13 of the last 14 meetings, dating back to BU's sweep of the Frogs in Fort Worth in 2019.
• The Bears swept TCU in 2018 and 2019, as part of a seven-game win streak against the Frogs which included a win in the 2018 Big 12 Tournament Championship title game.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
• Fri. April 25 • 6:00 p.m. • LHP Mason Green<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/mason-green/13512> (0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. RHP Tommy LaPour (6-2, 2.15 ERA)
• Sat. April 26 • 2:00 p.m. • LHP Carson Bailey<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/carson-bailey/14018> (3-1, 4.95 ERA) vs. RHP Caedmon Parker (2-1, 4.01 ERA)
• Sun. April 27 • 1:00 p.m. • TBD vs. RHP Trever Baumler (2-3, 6.12 ERA)
SOUTHPAW STARTERS
• Baylor has started a left-handed pitcher in each of its last 29 games, dating back to March 2 (Cole Stasio<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-stasio/13524> vs. Auburn).
• 2025 is the only season in the Statcrew Era (since 2003) that BU has started six different left-handed pitchers at any point in the year, and the third time in the same span with four different LHP starters.
• 2025 is the only time in the Statcrew Era that the Bears have started four different southpaws consecutively.
HEALTH CAMP
• After suffering eight season-ending injuries in 2024 and having 17 players miss at least one game due to injury, the Bears are healthy entering the 2025 season.
• Redshirt senior Hunter Simmons<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-simmons/13523> returns after suffering a gruesome lower leg injury in 2024 and playing just five games last season. The former outfielder figures to see time as BU's designated hitter in 2025.
• After playing in just one game lat season, redshirt junior 1B/OF Gavin Brzozowski<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/gavin-brzozowski/13505> is back for the Bears, along with redshirt senior INF Will Pendergrass<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/will-pendergrass/13520>, who played in 19 games last year before suffering the second season-ending injury of his career.
• The Bears also return redshirt sophomore INF Jack Little<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/13519>, who suffered a preseason injury in 2024 and did not see action.
TYRIQ KEMP! FROM THE NETHERLANDS!
• Senior shortstop Tyriq Kemp<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyriq-kemp/13517> was named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List in mid-April, an award that honors the nation's top shortstop.
• The 5-foot-7 sparkplug from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, has been one of Baylor's best players in 2025, hitting .361 through 40 games with a team-leading 13 doubles and five home runs.
• In his last 10 games, Kemp is batting .444 (16-for-36) with seven extra-base hits, including three home runs.
• Kemp owns a 16-game hitting streak, the longest of his career, and has played phenomenal defense up the middle.
TRAV ON A TEAR
• Redshirt sophomore second baseman Travis Sanders<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/travis-sanders/14035> has out-done Kemp at the plate over the last 10 games, hitting .474 (18-for-38) and slugging .868 (4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs).
• Since taking over as a full-time starter (March 15 at Kansas), Sanders has led the team with a .386 average (32-for-83) and slugged a team-leading .687 (eight doubles, one triple, five home runs).
• Sanders has hit three home runs in his last two games, including his first-career multi-HR game against Utah on Saturday, April 19.
CLOSING TIME
• On the mound, sixth-year senior closer Gabe Craig<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/gabe-craig/13509> earned a spot on two midseason watch lists: College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of the Year and the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award.
• In 17 appearances so far this season, Craig has been outstanding with a 2-0 record, 0.95 ERA and six saves.
• 15 of his outings have been scoreless, 11 have been hitless, and he has recorded multiple strikeouts in 11 outings.
• Craig boasts a 30:2 (15:1) strikeout-to-walk ratio and an impressive 0.53 WHIP, having allowed just eight hits, and has held opponents to a .129 batting average.
• Craig's six saves rank as the second-most in the Big 12 and 32nd in the country; his 13 games finished are the most in the league.
"HE WHO HAS THE BULLPEN WINS"
• A signature Mitch Thompson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mitch-thompson/2403> tagline, BU has leaned heavily on its experienced right-handed arms out of the 'pen.
• Outside of closer Gabe Craig<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/gabe-craig/13509>, Thompson has called upon each of the following frequently:
• Senior RHP Will Glatch<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/will-glatch/13511> (23:6 K:BB) has been solid in leverage situations with a 1.17 ERA and 3-2 record across 23.0 IP.
• Senior RHP Caleb Bunch's<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/caleb-bunch/14023> 15 appearances rank 3rd on the team; he sports a 2.33 ERA across 27.0 IP.
• Junior RHP Grayson Murry<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/grayson-murry/14033> (1.93 ERA) has made 10 scoreless appearances and is 3-0 on the season.
• Redshirt sophomore RHP Lucas Davenport<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/lucas-davenport/14026> (29.0 IP, 4th on team) has eaten up innings as a long reliever.
• BU's bullpen has allowed 82 earned runs across 201.0 innings of relief, good for a 3.67 ERA, and has allowed just one earned run over its last 17 innings pitched (since RJ Ruais'<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/rj-ruais/13522> 1.2 innings on Thursday vs. Utah).
CONTROLLING THE RUNNING GAME
• Opponents have attempted to run just 28 times against Baylor, and have been caught stealing eight times.
• Senior catcher Cortlan Castle<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cortlan-castle/13508> has nabbed six of 15 attempted basestealers so far this season.
• Baylor's 48 bags through 40 games as a team offensively are its most in a single-season since 2015 (64).

BROADCAST INFORMATION
• All three games this weekend will be available to watch on ESPN+.
• Fans can also tune in to the Baylor radio broadcast on 1660AM/92.3FM, featuring Derek Smith and Tom Barfield on the call.

To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.

-BaylorBears.com-

__________________________________

Max Calderone | Director of Athletics Communications (Baseball, Football)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-265-1639

[signature_501719519]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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