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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">May 23, 2023<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:black">Baylor Baseball’s Kolby Branch and Cortlan Castle Earn All-Big 12 Honors<br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black">Branch unanimously named to All-Freshman Team; Castle tabbed an honorable mention pick<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">IRVING, Texas –
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Baylor baseball underclassmen Kolby Branch and Cortlan Castle have received end-of-season All-Big 12 honors, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Branch, a freshman infielder, was unanimously selected to the All-Freshman Team, while sophomore catcher Castle picked up All-Big 12 honorable mention distinction.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">After leading the Bears in nearly every offensive category, Branch received votes from each of the league’s head coaches to land a spot on the 12-member rookie team. A product
of Lovejoy High School in Lucas, Texas, Branch hit .325 in 2023 with 69 hits, 49 runs, six home runs and 41 RBIs. His 17 doubles were one shy of the program’s freshman record and ranked tied for fourth nationally among Power 5 freshmen. Branch finished his
first season of collegiate baseball with more walks than strikeouts, 39 to 38, and was the only Bear to start and play in every game 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">Branch is Baylor’s first All-Freshman Team selection since Chase Wehsener in 2019, who was also a unanimous pick. Four of BU’s last seven All-Freshman Team members have been
unanimous selections now in Branch, Wehsener, Nick Loftin (2018) and Shea Langeliers (2017). The Bears have had 13 players all-time named to the Big 12’s All-Freshman Team.<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">Compared to BU’s last five Freshman All-America honorees – Jared McKenzie, Loftin, Langeliers, Max Muncy and Logan Vick -- Branch ranks second in RBIs, third in batting average
and fourth in home runs among their true freshman seasons.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">In his second season with the Bears, Castle led BU in league play and ranked fifth in the conference with a .393 batting average, nearly 40 points higher than the next closest
Big 12 catcher. Castle added his first-career home run, drove in a personal-best 13 runs and hit .299 for the full 2023 campaign. The sophomore backstop from nearby Woodway, Texas, appeared in 40 games and made 30 starts, racking up 35 hits, 23 runs and a
pair of stolen bases in 2023.<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"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">2023 ALL-BIG 12 AWARDS<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Honorable Mention<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Cortlan Castle, C<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">All-Freshman Team<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Kolby Branch, INF*<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">*Denotes unanimous selection<o:p></o:p></span></i></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;mso-ligatures:none">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#154734;mso-ligatures:none">Max Calderone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (BSB, FB, EQ)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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