Baylor Baseball Hampered by Early Errors in 5-2 Loss to No. 3 Texas

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 28, 2026

Baylor Baseball Hampered by Early Errors in 5-2 Loss to No. 3 Texas
Bullpen shows strong, but four errors undo Bears early against undefeated Longhorns
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

HOUSTON – Baylor baseball fought tough but ultimately fell to No. 3 Texas, 5-2, on Saturday night at the 2026 BRUCE BOLT College Classic at Daikin Park in Houston.

The Bears (6-4) committed four errors, including two in the first inning, and left 11 men on base against the Longhorns (10-0). Senior left-hander Ethan Calder got the start for BU and went three innings and allowed five runs, just three of which were earned.

The Baylor bullpen trio of sophomore right-hander Zack Wallace, freshman righty Luke McLeod and junior southpaw RJ Ruais combined to keep Texas scoreless the rest of the way, but the Bears couldn’t find their way back in it offensively searching for a breakthrough against the five different arms that UT ran out of its bullpen.

THE RUNDOWN
A pair of hits and two Baylor errors gave the Longhorns a 3-0 lead after the first inning. Calder walked one and hit another to load the bases, then an RBI single got under the glove of freshman outfielder Brady Janusek and rolled to the wall, clearing the basepaths and giving UT the early advantage.

Despite a walk to redshirt junior infielder Travis Sanders in the second, the Bears were held quiet the first time through the lineup. Once the order flipped around in the top of the third, BU worked a couple of two-out walks by Janusek and sophomore infielder Pearson Riebock, but they were left stranded after an inning-ending strikeout.

In the bottom of the third, Texas added to its lead with two more thanks to an RBI single and a run-scoring safety squeeze bunt.

Trailing 5-0, Baylor got on the board in the top of the fourth as redshirt sophomore catcher Brayden Buchanan scored on a wild pitch. After the second walk of the inning and fifth of the night, UT turned to its bullpen with BU threatening for more in the frame. An RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of fifth-year senior outfielder Ty Johnson cut the deficit to 5-2, but that would be all for the Bears as they stranded a pair of runners on base.

Wallace entered for BU in the bottom half and went on to toss three scoreless innings in relief. He worked out of a two-out jam in the home half of the sixth to leave a pair of Longhorns on base and keep the Bears within striking distance down three.

Baylor got the first two to reach in the top of the seventh, but left both runners stranded as a new Texas reliever came on to strike out the side. In the eighth, the Bears once again got the leadoff batter on board, but failed to bring him around. McLeod and Ruais combined for a pair of late zeros, but despite a two-out walk to redshirt senior first baseman Tyce Armstrong in the top of the ninth, BU left the potential game-tying run in the on deck circle.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor’s bullpen combined for five scoreless innings of relief.
• Baylor hitters have worked at least eight walks in five of its 10 games to start the season.
• Freshman OF Brady Janusek has reached base safely in all 10 games to start the 2026 season.
• Janusek swiped his team-leading sixth bag of the season.
• Sophomore INF Pearson Riebock has also reached base safely in all 10 games this year.
• By being hit by a pitch and walking once, Riebock earned his sixth multi-free pass effort of the year.
• Redshirt junior INF Travis Sanders extended his on-base streak to 15 games, dating back to last season.
• Redshirt sophomore C Brayden Buchanan extended his on-base streak to five games.
• Redshirt freshman OF Hunter Snow extended his on-base streak to five games.
• Junior INF Robert De La Garza made his Baylor debut as the designated hitter.
• Sophomore RHP Zack Wallace made his fourth scoreless appearance of the season and extended his scoreless innings streak to 7.1.
• Freshman RHP Luke McLeod worked his third-straight scoreless outing to begin his college career. He has not allowed a run in 3.2 innings of work so far this year.
• Junior LHP RJ Ruais made his third scoreless appearance of the season.

STAT OF THE DAY
5 – Baylor’s bullpen trio of Wallace, McLeod and Ruais combined for five scoreless innings of relief.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On tonight’s ballgame…
“We’re competitive. There’s things that we’ve really got to get better at, no doubt, but we’re learning. We’re in every game, if we get one more guy on [in the ninth] then we bring the tying run to the plate. The guys are fighting, but it hasn’t been easy. We’re not facing chopped liver out there. I’m going to give them a heck of a compliment – I’ve been watching Texas baseball for 30 years and that’s the best Texas pitching staff I’ve ever seen. Were we great tonight? Not even close. And we can be better and we’re going to work at being better. But those guys don’t give you much room to breathe.”

Sophomore RHP Zack Wallace
On his mentality on the mound…
“Sned, our pitching coach, preaches strikes, strikes, strikes. The odds are obviously in the pitcher’s favor. Hitting is a hard thing to do in this sport, if not any sport. So if they beat me, they beat me, but I just like to pound the zone and see what happens. I’ve got faith in my guys and faith in my coaching staff to put me in the best position possible. My job is to throw up zeros and keep my offense in the game. That’s always the mindset I’ve got going in.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (6-4) rounds out its weekend at the BRUCE BOLT College Classic by facing No. 23 UTSA (9-1) on Sunday, March 1. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. from Daikin Park in Houston.

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

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