Baylor Baseball Hosts Mercer For Three-Game Set

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 9, 2023

Baylor Baseball Hosts Mercer For Three-Game Set
Bears looking to remain unbeaten all-time against SoCon opponents
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>


[BU Logo]
BAYLOR BEARS (5-8, 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/2023/3/9/BU_BSB_Game_Notes_2023_14-16_Mercer.pdf>
BAYLOR (5-8, 0-0) vs MERCER (9-5, 0-0)
March 10, 2023 • 6:30 p.m. CT
March 11, 2023 • 2:00 p.m. CT
March 12, 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+
Talent:  Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) & Pat Combs (analyst)
LISTEN: ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM & 92.3 FM (Sat & Sun.)*
LISTEN: FOX Sports Central Texas 1330 AM & 93.9 FM (Fri.)
Talent:  Derek Smith, Ryan Boyd, Tyler Thomas<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-thomas/11284>
*Contingent upon Baylor men's and women's basketball results

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/>
[Mercer]
MERCER BEARS (9-5, 0-0 SoCon)
Location: Macon, Ga.
Conference/Affiliation: Southern Conference
Head Coach: Craig Gibson (Mercer, 1985)

Roster<https://mercerbears.com/sports/baseball/roster> | Stats<https://mercerbears.com/sports/baseball/stats/2023> | Game Notes (PDF)
STORYLINES
LEADING OFF
• Baylor Baseball is in the middle of a 14-game homestand, hosting Mercer for a three-game set this weekend at Baylor Ballpark in Waco. The home stretch lasts until March 24, when the Bears travel to take on Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., in the second week of Big 12 play.
• BU is coming off a thrilling, 12-inning victory over Dallas Baptist Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark.
• In a back-and-forth affair, there were four ties and five lead changes before freshman INF Kolby Branch<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/kolby-branch/12083> delivered the walk-off RBI single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th.
• Baylor pitchers struck out a season-high 15 batters, the most by BU in a single game since Feb. 26, 2021 vs. Texas A&M.
• Junior RHP's Grant Golomb<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/grant-golomb/11487>, Cole Stasio<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cole-stasio/11509> and Hambleton Oliver<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/hambleton-oliver/11502> combined for nine strikeouts in 7.2 innings out of the bullpen without allowing an earned run.
NEW BEARS ON THE BLOCK
• 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>.
• A total of 21 Bears have made their Baylor debuts so far in 2023, including nine freshmen.
CARDIAC KIDS
• Six of Baylor's 13 games this year have been decided by two runs or less, including three one-run ballgames.
• In each of BU's five wins this year, the game has been tied in the 7th inning or later.
• BU has won two games on walk-off hits, both in extra innings.
• Baylor has already played three extra-inning games so far in 2023, it's most in a season since playing three in 2018.
• The last time BU played four extra-inning games in a season was 2015.
ADD IT TO THE K-COUNTER
• The Bears have eclipsed double-digit strikeouts on the mound in 10 of their 13 games so far this season.
• BU has punched out at least 13 opposing hitters in six games this year.
• Baylor leads the Big 12 with 147 strikeouts. It's 11.12 strikeouts per nine innings mark also leads the conference and ranks 31st nationally.
SERIES HISTORY VS MERCER
• This will be the first meeting in program history between Baylor and Mercer.
• BU is 5-0 all-time against teams from the SoCon, having swept ETSU in a three-game series last year and defeated Wofford twice in 2016.
BEAR ON BEAR CRIME
• Both Baylor and Mercer's mascots are the Bears.
• BU is 10-15 all-time against opposing schools with a Bear mascot.
• 10-15 includes games against schools who are the Bruins.
• Baylor's last win over a similar mascot came in 2022 against UCLA, a 2-1 win at the Shriners Children's College Classic.
PROBABLE STARTERS
• Friday, March 10 • 6:30 p.m. • RHP Blake Helton<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-helton/11490>  (0-1, 7.71 ERA) vs. RHP Josh Harlow (3-0, 1.50 ERA)
• Saturday, March 11 • 2:00 p.m. • RHP Mason Marriott<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/mason-marriott/11495> (0-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. RHP Ryan Lobus (1-1, 2.70 ERA)
• Sunday, March 12 • 1:00 p.m. • LHP Cam Caley<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cam-caley/11478> (0-2, 9.75 ERA) vs. RHP Josh Farmer (0-1, 7.71 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• All three games this weekend will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) and former Bear Pat Combs (analyst) on the call.
• Fans can also tune in to the Baylor home radio broadcast, featuring Derek Smith, Ryan Boyd and Tyler Thomas<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-thomas/11284>.
• Friday's game will be available on FOX Sports Central Texas 1330 AM and 93.9 FM. Saturday and Sunday's games will depend on Baylor men's and women's basketball results at their respective Big 12 Tournaments.
SIX IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
• Baylor is 5-0 this season when scoring six or more runs, and 0-8 when scoring five or fewer runs.
• The Bears are 3-1 when holding their opponents to five or fewer runs.
• When leading after six innings, BU is 4-0.
A WIN WOULD...
• A win in Friday's series-opener would be Baylor's third win in a row.
• Prior to Tuesday's victory over DBU, the Bears had yet to win back-to-back games in 2023.
• BU had only five win streaks of three or more in 2022.
• Baylor's next win will mark its 2,400th in program history.
• BU won its 2,300th game at TCU on April 26, 2019, as part of a three-game road sweep of the Horned Frogs.


To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.

-BaylorBears.com-

__________________________________

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

[signature_3063666834]<http://baylorbears.com/>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230309/c73be1f6/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 6589 bytes
Desc: image001.png
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230309/c73be1f6/attachment-0006.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 3173 bytes
Desc: image002.png
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230309/c73be1f6/attachment-0007.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.png
Type: image/png
Size: 616 bytes
Desc: image003.png
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230309/c73be1f6/attachment-0008.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image004.png
Type: image/png
Size: 439 bytes
Desc: image004.png
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230309/c73be1f6/attachment-0009.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image005.png
Type: image/png
Size: 20682 bytes
Desc: image005.png
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230309/c73be1f6/attachment-0010.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image006.png
Type: image/png
Size: 11693 bytes
Desc: image006.png
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230309/c73be1f6/attachment-0011.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: BU BSB Game_Notes_2023_14-16_Mercer.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 6216028 bytes
Desc: BU BSB Game_Notes_2023_14-16_Mercer.pdf
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230309/c73be1f6/attachment-0001.pdf>