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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 25, 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">Baseball Heads to Fort Worth to Play No. 12 TCU<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 Big 12 road slate against the Horned Frogs on Friday 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:
</span></b><a href="http://baylorbea.rs/3r9TtUN"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">http://baylorbea.rs/3r9TtUN</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><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">FORT WORTH, 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">– Baylor
is set for its Big 12 road opening series against No. 12 TCU on March 26-28 at Lupton Baseball Stadium at Williams-Reilly Field in Fort Worth, Texas. The Bears (13-7, 1-2 Big 12) will look to bounce back after losing three of their last four, while the 12<sup>th</sup>-ranked
Horned Frogs (13-7, 0-0 Big 12) open their conference season.<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>March 26-28 (Fri.-Sun.)<br>
<b>Game Times: </b>6:30 p.m./2 p.m./1 p.m.<br>
<b>Site: </b>Fort Worth, Texas / Lupton Baseball Stadium (4,500)<br>
<b>TV: </b>Big 12 Now (ESPN+)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Talent: Chuck LaMendola (pxp), Connor Wanhanen (color)<br>
<b>Radio:</b> ESPN 1660/92.3 FM <br>
• Talent: Derek Smith (pxp)<br>
<b>Live Stats</b>: GoFrogs.com<br>
<b>Twitter Updates: </b>@BaylorBaseball<br>
<b>Series History: </b>BU leads, 150-124<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
<b>Streak:</b> TCU, W1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
<b>First Meeting:</b> April 4, 1904<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
<b>Last Meeting:</b> May 25, 2019 (TCU, 5-2)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
<b>Under Rodriguez:</b> 10-5<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">Fri. March 26 – Baylor LHP Tyler Thomas (2-1, 1.93 ERA) vs. TCU Russell Smith (3-1, 2.39 ERA)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Sat. March 27 – Baylor RHP Blake Helton (1-1, 4.43 ERA) vs. TCU LHP Austin Krob (2-0, 3.16 ERA)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Sun. March 28 – Baylor RHP Hayden Kettler (2-0, 1.45 ERA) vs. TCU RHP Johnny Ray (1-1, 3.38 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">• The Bears have swept the last two series against the Horned Frogs in 2018 and 2019. In those six games, BU outscored TCU 49-11. Baylor also won the series in 2017 and 2016. Head
Coach Steve Rodriguez is 10-5 all-time against TCU, including a 5-1 at Lupton Baseball Stadium.<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">• The Bears are first in the nation with 229 total hits and are averaging a league-best .325 batting average (6th in the nation). Eight of Baylor’s top 10 hitters are hitting .300
or better with Jared McKenzie (.374) and Jack Pineda (.372) leading the way. On the season, BU has had double-digit hits in 15-of-20 games.<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">• Friday night and Sunday afternoon starters, Tyler Thomas and Hayden Kettler have been on a tear in the rotation this season. T-Tom has continued to impress after compiling a 1.93
ERA while sporting a 2-1 record. The Keller, Texas native has a team-best 30 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .184 batting average in five starts. Thomas has 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">• As a fifth-year senior, Kettler has anchored down the rotation with a 1.45 ERA and 2-0 record in his three Sunday starts. The Coppell, Texas native has struck out 18 batters compared
to two walks in 18.2 innings pitched. In his last two starts, he has tied his career-long outing by going seven innings vs. Xavier (March 14) and vs. Texas (March 21) and having a combined 0.64 ERA in those two starts<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">• Fifth-year senior Andy Thomas finished last week hitting 11-for-21 (.524) and a .905 slugging percentage, including two home runs, two doubles, seven runs scored and eight RBI in
the five games. On the week he also finished second in the Big 12 in total bases (19). In his first Big 12 series in 2021, he went 8-for-15 (.615) with five runs and three RBI against No. 10 Texas. On the season, Thomas is hitting .355, with 24 RBI (3rd in
Big 12) and 24 runs scored (5th in Big 12). For his efforts, he was named the Bobby Bragan Player of the Week on Wednesday.<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"><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@01D72170.6B7962D0" alt="signature_1445975702"></span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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