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<a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS –
</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">March 20, 2023<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:black">Baylor Baseball’s Rigney Named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week
<br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black">Fourth-year junior RHP also named one of Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s National Players of the Week<br>
</span></i><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> Max Calderone, 254-265-1639,
</span><a href="mailto:Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">
</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">WACO, Texas –
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Baylor baseball fourth-year junior right-handed pitcher Will Rigney has been named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, as announced Monday afternoon by the conference office.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Rigney was brilliant across two outings on the week, throwing five perfect innings and striking out 11 of the 15 batters he faced. He also earned two wins, including the first
by a Baylor starter this year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">In just his second appearance since coming back from the third season-ending injury of his collegiate career, Rigney made the midweek start against Rice on Tuesday, March 13,
and worked two innings with five strikeouts. He also collected the win as part of BU’s two-hit shutout over the Owls.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Then, he came on in relief on Sunday, March 19, against Kansas State and one-upped himself by going three innings with six punchouts, retiring all nine that he faced in order.
After entering in the top of the fourth with the Bears trailing 4-0, it was his energy and dominance against the Wildcats that sparked Baylor’s eight-run sixth-inning comeback and helped lift the Bears to an 8-4 come-from-behind victory in the rubber match.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">For his efforts, Rigney was also named one of
<i>Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s</i> 13 National Players of the Week. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">On the year, the local product from Midway High School boasts an unblemished 0.00 ERA across six innings of work. He has allowed just two hits and surrendered no walks, while
13 of the 18 outs he has recorded have come via a strikeout. Opposing hitters are batting just .100 against Rigney, lowering his career batting average against to .191.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">This is Baylor’s first weekly award under head coach Mitch Thompson and BU’s 43<sup>rd</sup> Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honoree all-time. Rigney also becomes the eighth Bear
to be recognized as a <i>Collegiate Baseball Newspaper</i> National Player of the Week, and first since Josh Ludy was honored in 2012. For Rigney, this is his first-career award of any kind.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">2023 BAYLOR BASEBALL HONORS<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Blake Helton, RHP<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Preseason - D1Baseball Top 200 Starting Pitchers (No. 123)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Will Rigney, RHP<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Preseason - Perfect Game Top 50 Seniors<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">March 20 - Big 12 Pitcher of the Week<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">March 20 –
<i>Collegiate Baseball Newspaper</i> National Player of the Week<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><br>
-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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 (BSB, FB, 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">C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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