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<a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS –
</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">July 12, 2021<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BSB’s Thomas Drafted by Seattle Mariners<br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor has now had at least one player selected in each of the last 31 drafts
<br>
</span></i><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> Max Calderone, 254-265-1639,
</span><a href="mailto:Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">WACO, Texas –</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"> Baylor baseball fifth-year
senior catcher Andy Thomas was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the fifth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft Monday afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Thomas, the 144<sup>th</sup> overall selection, becomes the 145<sup>th</sup> Bear to be drafted all-time. BU has now had at least one player
selected in each of the last 31 MLB drafts, dating back to 1991.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">A career .327 hitter, Thomas earned All-American status (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Third Team, ABCA/Rawlings Third Team) for the first time
in his career following an outstanding 2021 campaign in which he hit a career-best .337 with a team-leading 11 home runs and 60 RBI. The Murrieta, Calif., native was also named a Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year finalist, in addition to
garnering ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region First-Team honors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Thomas wrapped up his Baylor career with 216 hits, 124 runs scored, 19 home runs and 141 RBI in 184 games played for the Bears.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">For BU head coach Steve Rodriguez, Thomas becomes the 59<sup>th</sup> draft pick he has coached in his 18-year career, and 13<sup>th</sup> player
drafted during his time at the helm in Waco.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Thomas joins former teammate Kyle Hill (10<sup>th</sup> round, 2019) and fellow BU alumni Shaver Hansen (6<sup>th</sup> round, 2009), Jaime Bubela
(7<sup>th</sup> round, 2000), and Dean Crow (10<sup>th</sup> round, 1993) as Bears to be selected by the Mariners all-time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow their official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.<br>
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<i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"-webkit-standard",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#154734">Max Calderone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (VB, MTEN, EQ)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">O: 254-710-3073 | C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<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@01D7773F.BE05DFE0" alt="signature_1663250517"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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