Baylor Baseball Greets Gonzaga for First Time in Program History

Thu Feb 20 17:48:42 CST 2025

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 20, 2025

Baylor Baseball Greets Gonzaga for First Time in Program History
Bears and Bulldogs to play three-game series in Waco in first meeting on the diamond
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

[BU Logo]
BAYLOR BEARS (4-0, 0-0 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/2025/2/20/Baylor_BSB_Game_Notes_2025_5-7_Gonzaga.pdf>
BAYLOR (4-0, 0-0) vs. GONZAGA (1-2, 0-0)
Feb. 21, 2025 • 3:00 p.m. CT
Feb. 22, 2025 • 2:00 p.m. CT
Feb. 23, 2025 • 12:00 p.m. CT
Waco, Texas • Baylor Ballpark (5,000)

LIVE STATS: BaylorStats.com<https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=bay>
WATCH: ESPN+
Talent: Derek Smith, Matt Menard (Fri. & Sun.)
Talent: Kurtis Quillin, Matt Menard (Sat.)
LISTEN: ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM (Fri. & Sun.)
LISTEN: Kicker Country 99.3 FM/1590 AM (Sat.)
Talent: Tom Barfield, Mark Outlaw (Fri.), Matt Czimskey (Sat.), Cole Posey<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-posey/13007> (Sun.)

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/>

[Zags]
GONZAGA BULLDOGS (1-2, 0-0 WCC)
Location: Spokane, Wash.
Conference/Affiliation: West Coast
Head Coach: Mark Machtolf (Stanford, 1987)

Roster<https://gozags.com/sports/baseball/roster> | Stats<https://gozags.com/sports/baseball/stats/2025>

STORYLINES

LEADING OFF

• Baylor Baseball continues its season-opening eight-game homestand this weekend, hosting Gonzaga for a three-game series. The Bears round out their opening slate at home with a midweek tilt against SFA on Tuesday, Feb. 25, before traveling to Arlington for a premier weekend at Globe Life Field against Oregon State, Ohio State and Auburn.

• On Tuesday night, Baylor recorded its second shutout of the Thompson era, blanking UTSA 5-0 as five Bears combined to hold the Roadrunners scoreless. Enzo Apodaca<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/enzo-apodaca/13995> provided a big two-run home run, while Jack Little<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/13519> and Tyriq Kemp<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyriq-kemp/13517> each added three hits in the win.

• BU is coming off a weekend sweep over Youngstown State, its first Opening Weekend series sweep since 2019 vs. Holy Cross and first such sweep in a three-game series since 2017 vs. Niagara.

• The Bears scored 38 runs on 46 hits in their three-game series against YSU, including 14 extra-base hits, and were led offensively by senior OF Wesley Jordan<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/wesley-jordan/13516> (9-for-13, HR, 7 RBIs).

• Junior LHP Ethan Calder<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/ethan-calder/13507> struck out a career-high 13 batters in just five innings on Opening Day, the most strikeouts by a Bear since Logan Verrett fanned 14 in a complete game shutout vs. Louisiana Tech on March 11, 2011.

• Calder's 13 punchouts were the most by a Bear on Opening Day in the StatCrew Era (since 2003).

• 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.

• The Bears are led by the outfield trio of seniors -- Enzo Apodaca<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/enzo-apodaca/13995>, Ty Johnson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-johnson/13515> and Wesley Jordan<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/wesley-jordan/13516>, who accounted for nearly 36% of the team's offense a year ago (176 of 491 hits)

• Baylor plays a combined 13 games against five NCAA Tournament teams in 2025 and will face 10 30-game winners, including two squads that won 40 or more games last season.

• 46% of the schedule features opponents that finished 2024 with a top-75 RPI.

LAST TIME OUT

• Baylor blanked UTSA, 5-0, on Tuesday night as five Bears combined to hold the Roadrunners scoreless, including freshman LHP Carson Bailey<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/carson-bailey/14018>, who made his first-career start and threw three innings with five strikeouts. Redshirt sophomore LHP Caleb Jameson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/caleb-jameson/14028> made his Baylor debut with two strong frames and sophomore LHP RJ Ruais<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/rj-ruais/13522> made his season debut with a scoreless eighth inning.

• Enzo Apodaca<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/enzo-apodaca/13995> provided a big two-run home run, while Jack Little<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/13519> and Tyriq Kemp<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyriq-kemp/13517> each added three hits in the win.

• Last weekend, Baylor completed its first Opening Weekend series sweep since 2019 with a three dominating victories over Youngstown State, 10-3, 16-4, and 12-4.

• The Bears received strong starting pitching from junior LHP Ethan Calder<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/ethan-calder/13507> (5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 13 SO), senior LHP Bryson Bales<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/bryson-bales/14021> (4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO) and senior RHP Cole Stasio<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-stasio/13524> (4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO).

MAKING NOISE ON THE NATIONAL SCENE

• Baylor is currently receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25 poll.

• Entering the weekend, the Bears ranked seventh nationally with a .396 team batting average and 12th in the country with 55 total hits.

• Individually, Jack Little<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-little/13519> is tied for fifth in the country with 10 hits through the first four games.

• Ethan Calder's<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/ethan-calder/13507> 13 strikeouts were tied for most in the nation after the first weekend, and were the single-most by any P-4 pitcher.

• As a pitching staff, BU holds the nation's 20th-best strikeout-to-walk ratio at 4.18, which also leads the Big 12.

PROBABLE STARTERS

• Fri. Feb. 21 • 3:00 p.m. • LHP Ethan Calder<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/ethan-calder/13507> (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP Gabe Brabec (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0 IP)

• Sat. Feb. 22 • 2:00 p.m. • LHP Bryson Bales<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/bryson-bales/14021> (1-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. LHP Miles Gosztola (0-1, 3.86 ERA)

• Sun. Feb. 23 • 12:00 p.m. • RHP Cole Stasio<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-stasio/13524> (1-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Feld (0-1, 9.82 ERA)

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• All three games this weekend will be televised on ESPN+, with radio voice of Baylor Baseball Derek Smith sliding over to TV to provide play-by-play on Fri./Sun. alongside former Bear Matt Menard doing color. Kurtis Quillin will tag in on Saturday to call the action with Menard.

• Fans can also tune in to ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM (Fri./Sun.) and Kicker Country 1590 AM/99.3 FM (Sat.) to hear the Baylor radio broadcast featuring Tom Barfield and former Bears Mark Outlaw (Fri.), Matt Czimskey (Sat.), and Cole Posey<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-posey/13007> (Sun.) 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_3522993566]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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