Baylor Baseball Walks Off OSU in Home Finale, 5-4

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – May 11, 2025

Baylor Baseball Walks Off OSU in Home Finale, 5-4
Bears top four hitters combine for nine hits and four runs in victory
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball won its series finale over Oklahoma State in walk-off fashion, 5-4, in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark in Waco.

BU rallied from a three-run deficit in the sixth to tie things up in the eighth and walk it off in the bottom of the 10th, as senior infielder Tyriq Kemp slid in safely at home after a bobbled groundball by the OSU shortstop.

The Baylor offense out-hit the Cowboys, 11-7, with five different Bears tallying multi-hit performances, including each of the top four hitters in the Bears lineup, who combined for nine hits and scored four runs. Redshirt sophomore infielder Travis Sanders led the way with three hits, while four veterans followed suit with two-hit efforts in redshirt senior outfielder Enzo Apodaca, Kemp, senior outfielder Wesley Jordan and senior outfielder Ty Johnson.

On the mound for BU, sixth-year senior Gabe Craig tallied his longest outing of his career, allowing just two hits and no walks over 4.1 scoreless frames with four punchouts, earning his third win of the season. Redshirt senior right-hander Cole Stasio was also strong in relief, tallying his fourth scoreless outing of the season while allowing just one hit and no walks with two strikeouts in two innings.

THE RUNDOWN
Although OSU took a 1-0 lead in the first, driving in a run on an RBI single after two early free passes, Baylor responded in the bottom half of the third to tie the ballgame. Redshirt sophomore infielder Jack Little walked and came around to score on Apodaca’s opposite-field RBI single to even things at 1-1.

The Pokes regained the lead in the top of the fifth as a two-out walk followed by a base hit down the right-field line plated a run. The Bears called on their closer, Craig, one inning later with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth. He was tagged for a two-run base knock that padded the OSU lead at 4-1, but that would be it for the Pokes as Craig shut the visitors down the rest of the way.

The Bears answered right back in the bottom half as Apodaca doubled and came around to score on a double play, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Then, in the eighth, Baylor rallied with three-straight hits from Sanders, Kemp and Jordan to score a run. An intentional walk to freshman infielder Peason Riebock loaded the bases for redshirt senior designated hitter Hunter Simmons, who drove a sacrifice fly into left to score Kemp from third and tie the ballgame at 4-4.

Neither team could pull ahead after nine complete, so BU headed into extra innings for the third time this season. Craig continued his dominance on the mound, facing the minimum in his final four frames of work and fanning four Cowboys. The only hit he allowed was promptly erased on a line-out double play to Apodaca in right field.

Kemp kickstarted things in the bottom of the 10th with a single up the middle and moved into scoring position by an OSU balk. With two outs and a runner on second, another intentional walk to Riebock brought Simmons to the plate again with a chance to win it. Down in an 0-2 count, the veteran DH fought off two pitches before stinging a grounder to short that was bobbled, allowing Kemp to race around third and slide in safely at the plate, beating the throw by inches to secure the walk-off victory, 5-4.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor won its 13th game of the year in come-from-behind fashion, erasing a three-run deficit in the win.
• BU improved to 2-1 in extra-innings this year and 6-5 all-time under third-year head coach Mitch Thompson.
• The Bears are 13-7 this year in games following a loss.
• Baylor improved to 18-5 this season when racking up 10+ hits offensively.
• Redshirt senior OF Enzo Apodaca extended his hitting streak to 18 games and tallied his 15th multi-hit game of 2025, his second in as many games.
• Redshirt sophomore INF Travis Sanders logged his 15th multi-hit game of the year and his fifth game this year with three hits.
• Senior INF Tyriq Kemp extended his on-base streak to a career-high 27 games and logged his 18th multi-hit game of the year, a team high.
• Senior OF Wesley Jordan extended his on-base streak to seven games and logged his 14th multi-hit game of 2025.
• Freshman INF Pearson Riebock extended his on-base streak to 14 games.
• Senior OF Ty Johnson recorded his 13th multi-hit game of the year.
• Redshirt senior RHP Cole Stasio tallied his fourth scoreless outing of the year.
• Sixth-year senior RHP Gabe Craig set a career high with 4.1 innings pitched and collected his third win of the year.
• Craig also notched his 20th scoreless appearance and 15th multi-strikeout outing of 2025.

STAT OF THE DAY
22 – The Bears earned their 22nd victory of the year at Baylor Ballpark this afternoon, capping off the 2025 home slate in walk-off fashion.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On Tyriq Kemp’s performance…
“There are a lot of heroes, but Tyriq Kemp just continues to be better and better. His at-bats all year long have been great. We started with him in the nine-hole, and he was doing so well down there that I just didn’t want to mess with it, and I didn’t want to move him, but he deserved to be moved. He’s on base in front of the top of the lineup anyhow. And, when you see the plays that he made here today, every day you show up out here and watch him play defense, you’ve got a chance to see something that’s pretty unique in college baseball.”

Senior INF Tyriq Kemp
On scoring the game-winning run and playing his final game at Baylor Ballpark…
“I’m a fast runner, so they knew I was there and trying to get their attention – maybe something happens. And something happened. I was just thinking it doesn’t matter what happens here, if it’s going to be a hit, an error, I’m scoring. I’m going to score when something happens. It felt amazing, knowing that it’s our last game here, and just enjoying it with the guys. It was the perfect way to end it, so we had fun. I’m just trying to enjoy the game, knowing that this is my last year, so I’m trying to enjoy every moment I have here.”

Senior Closer Gabe Craig
On his final game with the senior class…
“It’s really special to get this win. I can’t speak enough about this group of seniors. I love playing with them. I love all of those guys. It’s really cool for us to put up the fight we did for this last home game of the season.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (31-20, 11-16) heads to Orlando, Fla., to face UCF (27-24, 8-19) in its final series of the regular season. The series is set to start on Thursday, May 11, with first pitch at 5 p.m. CT.

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_3799450513]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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