Baylor Baseball Knocks Off No. 12 Arizona, 8-5

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 28, 2025

Baylor Baseball Knocks Off No. 12 Arizona, 8-5
All nine BU starters either scored or drove in a run in Bears’ upset victory
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

TUCSON, Ariz. – Baylor baseball knocked off No. 12 Arizona, 8-5, Friday night at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz.

All nine starters for the Bears either scored a run or drove in a run in the upset victory, while the BU bullpen allowed just one run over the final four innings to hold off the Wildcats.

Senior infielder Tyriq Kemp had two hits, including a two-run single to get the scoring started, while sophomore catcher JJ Kennett delivered a big two-run home run. Redshirt senior designated hitter Hunter Simmons extended his on-base streak to 31 games with another two-hit performance, his team-leading 13th multi-hit game of the year.

On the mound, junior left-hander Ethan Calder did well through 4.1 frames before turning it over to senior righty Will Glatch, who was excellent yet again in 2.2 innings with two strikeouts. Senior right-hander Caleb Bunch worked a 1-2-3 eighth before sixth-year closer Gabe Craig shut it down in the ninth for his fifth save of the season.

THE RUNDOWN
Arizona opened the scoring in the bottom of the first after a one-out triple came around to score on a two-out single, though Calder picked up two strikeouts in the opening frame.

Baylor would answer right back in the top of the second, as Wildcats starter Collin McKinney unraveled for four walks in the inning. A two-run single off the bat of Kemp put the Bears ahead, 2-1, and effectively chased McKinney from the ballgame, who exited after facing just nine batters and recording four outs.

In the bottom of the third, UA tied the score at 2-2 after the BU outfield lost a ball in the desert twilight sky that went for a double. That run came across to score on a bloop double with two outs and evened the series opener.

Kennett launched his second homer of the year in the top of the fourth, a two-run shot to propel Baylor back in front at 4-2. Calder allowed a run in the home half but escaped further damage by stranding two Wildcats to end the inning before redshirt sophomore infielder Travis Sanders added to the lead with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, making it 5-3.

After Arizona got one back in the bottom of the fifth, the Bears pulled away with two more runs in the top of the sixth with an RBI double by senior outfielder Wesley Jordan and a run-scoring knock off the bat of Simmons, increasing the advantage to 7-4.

An RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inched the Wildcats closer, but that’s when Bunch came on to work a 1-2-3 eighth inning and halt any hopes of a comeback. Senior outfielder Ty Johnson delivered a clutch RBI double in the top of the ninth to add some insurance for the Bears, giving Craig a three-run lead to work with as he shut things down in the ninth.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor improved to 5-7 all-time against Arizona and now holds a 3-4 record in games in Tucson.
• BU collected its fifth win against a ranked opponent under third-year head coach Mitch Thompson.
• This is Baylor’s first ranked win since topping No. 23 Texas Tech on March 17, 2024, in Waco.
• This is BU’s first top-15 win since upsetting No. 12 Texas on April 15, 2023, in Waco.
• This is the Bears’ first ranked win on the road since defeating No. 16 Texas Tech in the second game of a doubleheader on April 22, 2023, in Lubbock.
• Baylor did not allow a walk tonight, marking just the second time to do so this season.
• The Bears are 12-2 in 2025 when allowing two walks or less.
• Baylor hitters logged double-digit hits for the 13th time this season.
• Redshirt senior OF Enzo Apodaca extended his on-base streak to nine games and his hitting streak to seven games.
• Senior OF Wesley Jordan extended his on-base streak to nine games.
• Redshirt senior DH Hunter Simmons extended his on-base streak to 31 games, dating back to the 2023 season, and now owns a 17-game hitting streak.
• Simmons tallied his team-leading 13th multi-hit game of the season.
• Freshman INF Pearson Riebock extended his on-base streak to 15 games.
• Redshirt sophomore INF Jack Little extended his on-base streak to 19 games.
• Senior INF Tyriq Kemp collected his ninth multi-hit and fifth multi-RBI game of the year.
• Sophomore C JJ Kennett launched his second home run of the season and notched his fourth multi-RBI game of the year.
• Senior RHP Will Glatch picked up his second win of the season after tossing 2.2 innings of one-run relief.
• Senior RHP Caleb Bunch worked his sixth scoreless appearance of the year.
• Sixth-year senior RHP Gabe Craig earned his fifth save of the season with a scoreless inning, his ninth scoreless appearance of the season.

STAT OF THE DAY
5 – Baylor collected its fifth ranked win of the Mitch Thompson era.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On tonight’s win…
“Really, really good effort by everybody. Really good team win. Lots of things happened in that game that were outstanding. Ethan Calder really battled hard for us through some tough luck. The bullpen was outstanding. [Will] Glatch, [Caleb] Bunch and Gabe Craig at the end were all fantastic. How about those plays Tyriq Kemp made in the second inning, that was a defensive clinic, buddy. That was some fantastic shortstop play. And we battled up and down the lineup.”

Sophomore C JJ Kennett
On what the win means for the team and his home run…
“It’s a togetherness. It starts with belief and when we all come together and we truly believe and we attack, it allows us to come out and compete. It’s truly awesome to see it happen because we’re capable of a lot of things. It’s awesome – it’s just the belief everyone has in me, letting me be myself and come out here with energy. It’s a team game at the end of the day, but when everyone believes in you, that gives you all the support in the world.”

Senior RHP Caleb Bunch
On his performance on the mound…
“I was ready to get out there and throw the ball. Defense had been playing well all night, so my job was just to come in, fill up the zone and let those guys make some plays.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (18-7, 3-4) and No. 12 Arizona (19-6, 5-2) return for game two of the weekend series on Saturday, March 29, with first pitch set for 8 p.m. CT at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz.

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_2817212663]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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