Baylor Baseball Welcomes K-State for Big 12 Home Opener

Thu Mar 20 17:19:18 CDT 2025

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 20, 2025

Baylor Baseball Welcomes K-State for Big 12 Home Opener
Bears set to Go Gold Friday night, honor 2005 CWS team on Saturday
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

[BU Logo]
BAYLOR BEARS (15-5, 1-2 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/2025/3/20/Baylor_BSB_Game_Notes_2025_21-23_K-State.pdf>
BAYLOR (15-5, 1-2) vs. KANSAS STATE (13-7, 3-0)
March 21, 2025 • 6:30 p.m. CT
March 22, 2025 • 2:00 p.m. CT
March 23, 2025 • 1:00 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+
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/>
[K-State Logo]
KANSAS STATE WILDCATS (13-7, 3-0 Big 12)
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Conference/Affiliation: Big 12
Head Coach: Pete Hughes (Davidson, 1990)

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

STORYLINES

LEADING OFF

• Baylor Baseball opens its home Big 12 slate by welcoming Kansas State to Waco for a three-game series this weekend.

• The Bears are coming off a dominant 19-3 run-rule win over Texas State on Tuesday, the largest margin of victory of the Thompson era.

• Baylor has won 10-straight midweek games, dating back to the 2024 season.

• 19 runs were the most scored by the Bears during the Thompson era and BU's 10-run sixth-inning was the most runs in a single-inning since Baylor set a program record on May 9, 2021, with a 17-run inning against K-State.

• BU salvaged its series finale last weekend at Kansas, marking just the second time under third-year head coach Mitch Thompson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mitch-thompson/2403> that the Bears have won after trailing 0-2 on the weekend.

• Baylor erased an early five-run deficit to come from behind and win 9-7 on Sunday, the largest comeback of the Thompson Era.

• All nine starters tallied at least one hit on Sunday, the first time the Bears have done so this season.

• 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.

• 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.

STRONG FIRST MONTH

• 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's sweep over LMU signaled the fourth time since 2017 that the Bears have swept two opponents at home within the first four weekends of the year.

• 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.

• Baylor's 3.21 walks per nine innings ranks 12th in the country and its 1.20 WHIP places 17th nationally.

• BU's bullpen has allowed just 29 earned runs across 95.1 innings of relief, good for a 2.74 ERA.

• For the fifth 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.

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS

• On Friday night, Baylor will wear its gold uniforms as part of the "Go Gold" promotion, encouraging fans to Gold Out Baylor Ballpark.
• On Saturday, BU will recognize the 20th Anniversary of its 2005 College World Series team with a special pregame recognition.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST KANSAS STATE

• Baylor leads the all-time series against Kansas State, 55-33.

• The Bears are 2-1 against the Wildcats under third-year head coach Mitch Thompson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mitch-thompson/2403>, having taken the Saturday and Sunday meetings in Waco in 2023 (BU and KSU did not play in 2024).

• Baylor has won four of its last five series against K-State.

PROBABLE STARTERS

• Fri. March 21 • 6:30 p.m. • LHP Ethan Calder<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/ethan-calder/13507> (3-2, 4.44 ERA) vs. LHP Jacob Frost (0-0, 4.50 ERA)

• Sat. March 22 • 2:00 p.m. • LHP Bryson Bales<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/bryson-bales/14021> (1-1, 6.98 ERA) vs. LHP Michael Quevedo (3-0, 3.91 ERA)

• Sun. March 23 • 1:00 p.m. • LHP Carson Bailey<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/carson-bailey/14018> (2-0, 3.92 ERA) vs. LHP Lincoln Sheffield (4-1, 3.64 ERA)

SOUTHPAW STARTERS

• 2025 is just the third season in the Statcrew Era (since 2003) that Baylor has started four different left-handed pitchers at any point in the year.

• 2025 is the only time in the Statcrew Era that the Bears have started four different southpaws consecutively.

• A left-handed pitcher has started each of BU's last nine games entering the weekend series against K-State.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• All three games this weekend will be available on ESPN+, with Pat Combs providing color commentary alongside a rotating panel of play-by-play announcers: Pete Sousa (Fri.), Kyle Youmans (Sat.) and Kurtis Quillin (Sun.)

• Fans can also tune in to ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM for the Baylor radio broadcast, featuring Derek Smith and Tom Barfield on the call. The home radio broadcast will shift to 1590 AM/99.3 FM in the event of a conflict with a Baylor men's basketball game.

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_52388720]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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