Dramatic Late Homers Lift Baylor Baseball Over Utah, 11-10

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – May 16, 2026

Dramatic Late Homers Lift Baylor Baseball Over Utah, 11-10
Bears complete largest comeback victory of Thompson Era to secure No. 8 seed at Big 12 Tournament
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

SALT LAKE CITY – Baylor baseball used four late home runs to come from behind and defeat Utah, 11-10, on Saturday afternoon at Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark in Salt Lake City.

The Bears (28-26, 14-16 Big 12) erased a 7-1 deficit for their largest comeback victory of the Mitch Thompson era, on the heels of a two-home run day by redshirt senior first baseman Tyce Armstrong. Redshirt junior infielder Travis Sanders and freshman outfielder Brady Janusek added big blasts to assist the come from behind effort, as the trio combined for eight hits and 10 RBIs on the day.

Fifth-year senior right-hander Caleb Bunch got the win, his fifth of the year, after going a season-long four innings in relief, striking out four and allowing just one run on one hit.

With the win, Baylor secured the No. 8 seed for the upcoming Big 12 Tournament in Surprise, Ariz., where the Bears will take on the winner of No. 9 BYU and No. 12 Texas Tech on Wednesday, May 20, at 4:30 p.m.

THE RUNDOWN
Utah (26-24, 12-18 Big 12) punched first, striking for five runs in the opening frame, cashing in on a sacrifice fly, RBI single and three-run home run to start the ballgame.

Freshman outfielder Dylan Perez doubled to start the top of the second for Baylor, then came around to score on sophomore infielder Pearson Riebock’s sacrifice fly, his fourth RBI of the series, to get the Bears on the board trailing 5-1.

Things would stay quiet until a two-run home run for the Utes in the bottom of the fourth extended the home team’s lead to 7-1.

In the top of the fifth, a two-out RBI base hit from Sanders sparked some life into BU. After a walk to Armstrong, Janusek hit a three-run home run to get the Bears right back in it at 7-5.

A solo home run for the Utes to start the bottom of the sixth extended UU’s lead to 8-5 and the home side looked poised to break things open, loading the bases with nobody out and adding one more on a walk. However, Bunch came on to induce a fielder’s choice groundout and a 6-3 double play to get Baylor out of the jam with minimal damage, still trailing at 9-5.

BU would respond in the top of the seventh, though, with a ground-rule double from freshman infielder Cole Lanclos setting up a two-run blast from Sanders. Armstrong followed suit with a mammoth shot over the batter’s eye, bringing Baylor back within one at 9-8.

Utah countered with a run of its own in the home half of the seventh, pushing one across on a fielder’s choice after a leadoff double and sacrifice bunt.

After a quiet eighth from both sides, the Bears got a one-out baserunner to start their rally in the top of the ninth as pinch hitter John Youens worked a walk. Then, Sanders singled on an 0-2 count to set up Armstrong’s go-ahead three-run home run, a demolished baseball that left the bat at 115 miles per hour and amounted to be the game-winner.

Bunch shut it down in the bottom of the ninth with a quick flyout and back-to-back strikeouts, clinching the series and sealing the No. 8 seed for the Bears.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor improved to 4-3 all-time against Utah and 4-2 against the Utes under fourth-year head coach Mitch Thompson.
• This is the largest deficit the Bears have erased in a win under Mitch Thompson, having trailed by as many as six runs.
• Baylor hit 11 home runs in the three-game series with Utah, its most in a series since at least 2004.
• BU has hit three or more home runs in four-consecutive games for a total of 15 home runs in its last four games.
• This is the seventh time this season the Bears have hit three or more home runs and the third time this year the Bears have hit four.
• Baylor has hit 59 home runs this season, its most in a single season since hitting 73 in 2009.
• This was BU’s 22nd game of the year with double-digit hits.
• Redshirt junior INF Travis Sanders extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 games and his on-base streak to 20 games.
• This is Sanders’ second on-base streak of at least 20 games now this season, as he started the season with a 30-game on-base streak.
• Sanders’ 80 hits on the season are the most by a Bear since Jared McKenzie had 82 knocks in 2021.
• Sanders logged his team-leading 24th multi-hit game of the season and 11th multi-RBI effort of the year.
• Sanders has now homered in four-consecutive games, becoming the second Bear to do so this season (Armstrong, five games).
• Redshirt senior 1B Tyce Armstrong extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 games and his career-best on-base streak to 26 games.
• Armstrong also notched his 17th multi-hit and 15th multi-RBI games of the season.
• This was Armstrong’s sixth multi-HR game of the year.
• Freshman OF Brady Janusek now owns a five-game hitting streak after hitting his 13th home run of the season.
• Janusek also recorded his 17th multi-hit and 11th multi-RBI games of the season.
• Freshman OF Dylan Perez extended his on-base streak to five games.
• Sophomore INF Pearson Riebock has driven in five runs over his last four games.
• Fifth-year senior OF Ty Johnson extended his on-base streak to 10 games.
• Freshman INF Cole Lanclos extended his on-base streak to 10 games.
• Senior LHP Ethan Calder has now made 19 career starts allowing just one walk or less. Of his 32 career starts, he has walked two or fewer batters now 28 times.
• Fifth-year senior RHP Caleb Bunch collected his fifth win of the season in his 11th multi-strikeout outing of the year.

STAT OF THE DAY
115 – Redshirt senior 1B Tyce Armstrong’s game-winning home run left the bat at 115 miles per hour.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On today’s win…
“That was as gritty of a performance as we’ve had in a long, long time. We got punched in the mouth right off the bat and responded and just hung in there. It was 7-1 and we kept coming. Our horses showed up, our big boys showed up. Tyce Armstrong showed up. Travis Sanders showed up. Brady Janusek showed up. And then Caleb Bunch showed up. I’m as proud of that win as any that we’ve had in a long, long time.”

Redshirt Senior 1B Tyce Armstrong
On the team’s 11 home runs this weekend…
“So proud of these guys. The past two days, I really hadn’t showed up like I’d liked to and they just carried me. They did their job and it was amazing to watch. It’s not about how good you are during the season, it’s about when you get hot. To see these guys get hot like they did, Pearson [Riebock] having two home runs, Ty [Johnson] having a home run, everybody is swinging the bat really well. I’m super excited for this next week and super excited for these guys.”

Fifth-Year Senior RHP Caleb Bunch
On his performance to close it out…
“When the offense is moving as well as they were today, it makes it really easy for us as pitchers to go out there and just do our thing. Being able to not only rely on those guys on the offensive side, but rely on them on the defensive side as well, it helps a lot. Tyce’s homer lit a fire under every single one of us. Him going up to the plate right there was a little poetic because he’s been the guy all year. When he gets put in that situation and he executes, it makes it easy for us to go out and do our job.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (28-26, 14-16 Big 12) secures the No. 8 seed for the upcoming Big 12 Tournament and will play its first game on Wednesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. CT at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz., against the winner of No. 9-seed BYU and No. 12-seed Texas Tech.

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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