Baylor Baseball Begins Thompson Era Against Central Michigan

Thu Feb 16 13:05:38 CST 2023

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 16, 2023

Baylor Baseball Begins Thompson Era Against Central Michigan
Bears return 15 letterwinners, welcome 23 newcomers in 2023
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

[BU Logo]
BAYLOR BEARS (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Location: Waco, Texas
Conference/Affiliation: Big 12
Head Coach: Mitch Thompson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mitch-thompson/1881> (Fort Hays St., 1988)

Roster<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster> | Stats<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/stats/2023> | Game Notes (PDF)<https://baylorbears.com/documents/2023/2/16/BU_BSB_Game_Notes_2023_1-3_CentralMichigan.pdf>
BAYLOR (0-0, 0-0) vs CENTRAL MICHIGAN (0-0, 0-0)
Feb. 17, 2023 • 3:00 p.m. CT
Feb. 18, 2023 • 2:00 p.m. CT
Feb. 19, 2023 • 1:00 p.m. CT
Waco, Texas • Baylor Ballpark (5,000)

LIVE STATS: BaylorStats.com<https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=bay>
WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (Friday Only)
Talent:  Lincoln Rose (Play-by-Play), Richard Cunningham (Analyst)
LISTEN: Learfield / ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM & 92.3 FM (Fri. & Sun.)
Talent:  Derek Smith, Ryan Boyd
LISTEN: Learfield / FOX Sports Central Texas 1330 AM & 93.9 FM (Sat.)
Talent:  Ryan Boyd, Tyler Thomas<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-thomas/11284>

Baylor Social Media: [auto twitter icon] <https://twitter.com/BaylorBaseball>  [instagram png] <https://www.instagram.com/baylorbaseball/?hl=en>  [Facebook PNG] <https://www.facebook.com/BaylorBaseball/>
[Central Michigan]
CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Location: Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Conference/Affiliation: Mid-American
Head Coach: Jordan Bischel (St. Norbert, 2003)

Roster<https://cmuchippewas.com/sports/baseball/roster> | Stats<https://cmuchippewas.com/sports/baseball/stats/2022?path=baseball>

STORYLINES
LEADING OFF
• Baylor Baseball opens its 2023 season with four-straight home games, including a three-game series against Central Michigan this weekend before hosting HCU next Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Baylor Ballpark.
• The Bears are celebrating the 25th season at Baylor Ballpark with a special logo and planned promotions throughout the 2023 campaign.
• Eighteen of the Bears' first 21 games this season are home games. The Bears leave the state of Texas just three times this year, all before April 3 (at Duke, at Oklahoma State, at Kansas).
• Baylor returns just 15 players from its 2022 roster and welcomes 23 newcomers, including 10 true freshmen and 13 transfers.
• Nine of the 13 transfers have previous Division I experience in Austin Stracener<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/austin-stracener/12074>, Hunter Teplanszky<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-teplanszky/12075>, Daniel Altman<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/daniel-altman/12078>, Cole Posey<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-posey/12079>, Will Pendergrass<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/will-pendergrass/12081>, Casey Sunseri<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/casey-sunseri/12082>, Cole Tremain<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-tremain/12084>, John Ceccoli<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/john-ceccoli/12089> and Gabe Craig<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/gabe-craig/12090>.
• Of the 15 returners, just one position player starter returns while eight newcomers are expected to round out the starting nine.
• Fifth-year senior RHP Blake Helton<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-helton/11490> was named No. 123 on D1Baseball's list of the top-200 starting pitchers in the nation.
• Fourth-year junior RHP Will Rigney<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/will-rigney/11505> was named one of the top-50 seniors, regardless of position, by Perfect Game.
SERIES HISTORY VS CENTRAL MICHIGAN
• Baylor leads the all-time series over Central Michigan, 5-1, though the two sides have not met since 1989.
• BU and CMU first faced off in 1977, where the Bears won both meetings on a March 17 doubleheader in Waco by tallies of 7-3 and 16-3.
• The Chippewas returned to Waco in 1978 for a midweek matchup in which the Bears claimed a 4-3 decision.
• After an eight-year hiatus, the series resumed in 1986 with Central Michigan earning its lone win over Baylor, 5-2, in a neutral site battle as part of the Citrus Tournament in Edinburg, Texas.
• Then in 1989, the Bears won each of the last two meetings against the Chippewas with 5-4 and 8-2 wins in the renamed Palm Valley Tournament held in Edinburg.
BASEBALL IS BACK - BY THE NUMBERS
• Baylor is 64-36 all-time in season openers, with wins in six of its last nine Opening Days.
• BU is 76-26 all-time in home openers, having won eight of its last 11 games at home to start the year.
• The Bears have won 10 of their last 15 opening weekend series, dating back to 2008.
PROBABLE STARTERS*
• Friday, Feb. 17 • 3:00 p.m. • RHP Blake Helton<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-helton/11490> (0-1, 2.61 ERA) vs. LHP Garrett Navarra (10-3, 5.15 ERA)
• Saturday, Feb. 18 • 2:00 p.m. • LHP Cam Caley<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cam-caley/11478> (4-0, 6.68 ERA) vs. LHP Adam Mrakitsch (7-1, 2.37 ERA)
• Sunday, Feb. 19 • 1:00 p.m. • RHP Mason Marriott<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/mason-marriott/11495> (2-3, 5.96 ERA) vs. RHP Keegan Batka (5-3, 4.50 ERA)**
*Stats from 2022 season | **At Kellogg Community College
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• Friday's game will be available on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Lincoln Rose will provide the play-by-play, while former Baylor outfielder Richard Cunningham will join the broadcast as the color analyst.
• Fans can also tune in to ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM or 92.3 FM for the Baylor radio broadcast on Friday and Sunday, featuring Derek Smith (play-by-play) and Ryan Boyd (analyst) on the call.
• Boyd will shift over to the play-by-play role for Saturday's game, which will be carried on FOX Sports Central Texas 1330 AM and 93.9 FM. Former Baylor pitcher Tyler Thomas<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-thomas/11284> will make his broadcast debut as the color analyst.
2023 AT A GLANCE
• 36 of Baylor's 55 regular-season games in 2023 will be played at home at Baylor Ballpark, including conference series against Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia.
• BU will play a combined 21 games against eight NCAA Tournament teams and face off against four conference champions from a year ago.
• 14 30-game winners headline the 2023 slate, including six squads that won 40 or more games last season.
• Notably, 51% of the Bears' 2023 schedule will feature opponents who finished 2022 with a top-75 RPI, including five non-conference foes in Central Michigan, UTSA, Dallas Baptist, Mercer and Grand Canyon.

-BaylorBears.com-

__________________________________

Max Calderone | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (BSB, FB, EQ)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-265-1639

[signature_3296081882]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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