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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 1, 2021</span></b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BSB Begins Five-Game Home Stand on Tuesday Against Sam Houston<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The Bears will open their 2021 home slate against the Bearkats tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Game Notes:
<a href="http://baylorbea.rs/3r9TtUN">http://baylorbea.rs/3r9TtUN</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact: </span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Zach Rhodes, 919-247-7585, </span><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">Zach_Rhodes@baylor.edu</span></u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">WACO, Texas</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">– For
the first time in 356 days, the Baylor baseball team will host a game in Baylor Ballpark when they welcome in Sam Houston for a midweek matchup on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Individual tickets to the game and season tickets are on-sale to the public.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">SERIES INFO</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<b>Date: </b>Tuesday, March 2<br>
<b>Game Times: </b>6:30 p.m.<br>
<b>Site: </b>Waco, Texas / Baylor Ballpark (5,000) (25 percent)<br>
<b>TV: </b>Big 12 Now on ESPN+ <br>
• Talent: Monday Lincoln Rose (pxp), Pat Combs (color)<br>
<b>Radio:</b>ESPN 101.3 FM<br>
• Talent: Derek Smith (pxp)<br>
<b>Live Stats</b>: BaylorStats.com<br>
<b>Twitter Updates:</b>@BaylorBaseball<br>
<b>Series History: </b>113th meeting (BU leads, 65-47)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
<b> Streak</b>: Baylor, W1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
<b> First Meeting</b>: March 7, 1954<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
<b>Last Meeting</b>: April 16, 2019 (BU won 9-6)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
<b>Under Rodriguez</b>: 4-4<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">PITCHING MATCHUP</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Tues. March 1 – Baylor RHP Logan Freeman (0-1, 6.75 ERA) vs. SHSU Dominic Robinson (0-0, 0.00 ERA)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<b>STORY LINES</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Logan Freeman will earn his first start of his career after primarily being used as a reliever since 2019 when he joined the program.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Head Coach Steve Rodriguez is in his sixth year at the helm for the Bears, sporting a 142-102 overall record.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Second-year freshman Jared McKenzie picked up right where he left off in 2020 through his first six games in 2021. After batting .406 in the shortened season, McKenzie currently
is tied for the Big 12 lead in hits (12), first in home runs (4) after having none in 2020, first in total bases (24), tied for first in RBI (9), second in runs scored (9), third in slugging percentage (.800) and tied for fifth in batting average (.400). At
the plate, McKenzie also ranks nationally in hits per game (10th - 2.0), home runs (5th - 4), total bases (12th - 24).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Newcomer Jack Pineda finished the three games at the Round Round Classic (Feb. 26-28) 5-for-12 (.417) with four runs scored and an RBI on the weekend. McKenzie hit .333 (5-for-15)
over the weekend, including going off against No. 17 Auburn on Saturday, after finishing 3-for-5 including two home runs in his first two at-bats and three RBI.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• JUCO transfers Pineda and Antonio Valdez have provided a spark for the Bears in their first six contests. Pineda is third in the Big 12 in hits with 11, while also second on the
team with a .393 average. Valdez has a .438 (7-for-16) average as a designated hitter for BU.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• On the mound, Tyler Thomas continued to impress as he earned his first win since May 14, 2019 against UT Arlington after throwing five innings, while only giving up one earned run
and striking out three on Saturday, vs. Auburn. Thomas has already thrown more innings than he did last year as he threw a total of 6.2 innings, all in relief after coming off of surgery to remove a rib in June 2019 due to his Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Through the first six games, BU leads the Big 12 in hits (18th nationally) and batting average (12th nationally). The Bears have had double-digit hits in every contest this year.
Pineda and third-year sophomore Chase Wehsener both have hits in each game in 2021.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Baylor has hit 215 home runs in 243 games under Rodriguez, including eight (3rd in Big 12) already in 2021. Before 2020, the Bears were coming off back-to-back-back seasons with
at least 50 home runs (51 in 2017, 54 in 2018, 57 in 2019) for the first time since 2008 (52), 2009 (73) and 2010 (57) and first time in the BBCOR era. In 2020, BU was on pace to hit over 50 home runs once again prior to the season getting canceled.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on Facebook (Baylor Baseball), Twitter (@BaylorBaseball) and Instagram (@BaylorBaseball).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt;background:white">-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#7F7F7F"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">Zach Rhodes</span></b><span style="color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">C: 919-247-7585 | O: 254-710-3784<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D70EB8.73FE3590" alt="signature_1803516675"></span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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