Baylor Baseball: BSB Looks to Remain Hot with Two Midweek Matchups

[Rhodes, Zach]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 15, 2021

Baseball Looks to Remain Hot with Two Midweek Matchups
The Bears will play UTSA on Tuesday and Prairie View A&M on Wednesday at Baylor Ballpark
Game Notes: http://baylorbea.rs/3r9TtUN
For more information contact: Zach Rhodes, 919-247-7585, Zach_Rhodes at baylor.edu

WACO, Texas – Riding an eight-game win streak, the Baylor baseball team will look to remain hot against UTSA on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT and then versus Prairie View A&M on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Baylor Ballpark.

Individual tickets for both games are still available on BaylorBears.com.

SERIES INFO
Date: March 16-17 (Tues.-Wed.)
Game Times: 6:30 p.m./6:30 p.m.
Site: Waco, Texas / Baylor Ballpark (5,000) (25 percent)
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
                • Talent: Lincoln Rose (pxp), Pat Combs (color)
Radio: ESPN 1660/92.3 FM
• Talent: Derek Smith (pxp)
Live Stats: BaylorStats.com
Twitter Updates: @BaylorBaseball
Series History:  (UTSA) BU leads, 34-8
                        Streak: BU, W1
                        First Meeting: March 6, 1996
                        Last Meeting: May 6, 2017 (BU won 10-0)
                        Under Rodriguez: 2-1
Series History: (PVAM) BU leads, 10-0
                        Streak: BU, W10
                        First Meeting: April 20, 2005
                        Last Meeting: May 9, 2018 (BU won 13-0)
                        Under Rodriguez: 5-0

PITCHING MATCHUP
Tues. March 16 – Baylor RHP Hambleton Oliver (2-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. UTSA xxx (0-0, 1.29 ERA)
Wed. March 17 – Baylor TBA vs. Prairie View A&M TBA

STORY LINES
• The Bears continued their win streak after earning the three-game sweep over the weekend against Xavier. BU has now won its last eight games (all at home) and over those contests, Baylor is outscoring its opponents 74-22. The Bears tied their longest win streak since opening the 2019 season 8-0 (Feb. 15-26). During the win streak, BU has shut out three opponents which is sixth-most in the country.

• The Bears are starting to settle in on the mound, over the last eight games, the pitching staff has a combined 2.31 ERA while holding opponents to a .195 batting average. In each of their last two starts, Tyler Thomas has a 1.50 ERA, Hayden Kettler 1.54 ERA and Blake Helton 3.86 ERA. The bullpen has been stellar over win streak as well with Luke Boyd and Hambleton Oliver not allowing a run in seven combined appearances, while Jimmy Winston is sporting a 0.79 ERA in his last three outings and Logan Freeman has a 1.29 ERA in his last four.

• JUCO transfer Antonio Valdez led the Bears starters this past week with a .667 batting average (6-for-9), good enough for second in the Big 12, including his first career double, four runs scored and three RBI in Baylor's three-game home sweep over Xavier. Valdez also had a team-best three walks as BU extended its win streak to eight games. On the season, Valdez leads the team and is second in the Big 12 with a .432 batting average.

• Baylor has hit 221 home runs in 251 games under Rodriguez, including 14 already in 2021. The Bears are also averaging a league-best .337 batting average (2nd in the nation) and second in on-base percentage, .422 (15th nationally). Every batter in Baylor’s lineup is hitting .300 or better, including three batters coming in the top-8 of the Big 12 in batting average, Antonio Valdez .432 (2nd), Jared McKenzie .391 (6th), Jack Pineda .370 (8th).

• The Bears are starting to settle in on the mound, over the last eight games, the pitching staff has a combined 2.31 ERA while holding opponents to a .195 batting average. In each of their last two starts, Tyler Thomas has a 1.50 ERA, Hayden Kettler 1.54 ERA and Blake Helton 3.86 ERA. The bullpen has been stellar over win streak as well with Luke Boyd and Hambleton Oliver not allowing a run in seven combined appearances, while Jimmy Winston is sporting a 0.79 ERA in his last three outings and Logan Freeman has a 1.29 ERA in his last four.

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).

-BaylorBears.com-


Zach Rhodes | Associate Director of Athletics Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 919-247-7585 | O: 254-710-3784

[signature_1045310895]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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