Baylor Baseball’s Season-High 16 Strikeouts Not Enough as Mercer Takes Opener

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 10, 2023

Baylor Baseball’s Season-High 16 Strikeouts Not Enough as Mercer Takes Opener
Bears punch out season-high 16 in loss, their most in four seasons
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (5-9) struck out a season-high 16 batters in its Friday night loss to Mercer (10-5), 11-2, at Baylor Ballpark in Waco.

BU couldn’t overcome a trio of big swings from the Mercer bats, as a pair of two-run shots and a three-run blast were the difference in the ballgame.

Baylor freshman INF Kolby Branch continued his hot start to the season with two more extra-base hits, including his third home run of his rookie campaign, and extended his on-base streak to 14 games in the loss.

THE RUNDOWN
After both sides went scoreless in the first, Mercer took advantage of a pair of Baylor errors in the top of the second and opening the scoring with a three-run blast off BU starter Blake Helton. Another two-run shot followed in the top of the third, as MU led 5-0 early.

In the bottom of the inning, sophomore 1B John Ceccoli led off with a solo home run to get Baylor on the board. Branch followed suit two batters later with his third dinger of the year to cut the deficit to 5-2.

However, that’s all Baylor would get as MU put up zeros the rest of the way, and added to its tally in three more frames. A two-run home run in the top of the fifth made it 7-2. Baylor would threaten in the bottom half, but an offensive pitch clock violation with two runners on and two outs would snuff out the scoring change.

Then, another run in the sixth increased the Mercer lead at 8-2. Finally, a three-spot in the eighth put the nail in the coffin, as MU sealed the series-opening victory.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor is now 3-4 halfway through its 14-game homestand.
• BU is now 5-1 all-time against teams from the SoCon.
• Baylor is now 13-16 all-time against opponents with a Bear mascot.
• BU pitchers struck out a season-high 16 batters against Mercer.
• 16 punchouts are the most by the Bears since fanning 16 at Kansas on March 30, 2019.
• The Bears have eclipsed double-digit strikeouts in 11 of 14 games this season.
• BU has punched out at least 13 opposing hitters in seven of 14 games this year.
• Baylor fifth-year senior RHP Blake Helton began 24 of the 29 batters he faced with a strike.
• 10 Mercer batters fell behind in the count 0-2, and went a combined 0-for-9 with eight strikeouts when doing so.
• Freshman INF Kolby Branch extended his on-base streak to 14 games.
• Branch recorded his fifth multi-hit game of the year with two extra-base hits, including his team-leading third home run of the year.
• Sophomore 1B John Ceccoli also launched his second HR of the season.
• Junior INF Will Pendergrass has a five-game on-base streak.
• Sophomore INF Hunter Teplanszky also has a five-game on-base streak.
• Junior RHP Brett Garcia struck out a career-high six batters in a season-high 2.2 innings of work.

STAT OF THE GAME
16 – Baylor pitchers continue to strikeout opponents at a high rate, with a season-high 16 in tonight’s ballgame, BU’s most since March 30, 2019 at Kansas.

QUOTABLE
Acting Head Coach Darin Thomas
On tonight’s ballgame…
"We knew we were in for a dogfight because they’re a good club and we knew what we were facing on the mound. [Mercer starter Josh Harlow]’s numbers are through the roof. We made a couple mistakes defensively that they took advantage of, and the ball was carrying tonight. They got the balls up and hit them hard. We got behind and were just fighting uphill from there.”

On what it takes for the pitchers to take the next step…
“Locate. Put the ball where you want to put it. You’ve got to pitch in against clubs that swing the bat like they do. You can’t leave everything out over the plate because they’ll hurt you. But it shows with how many strikeouts we’ve had that we’re capable.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (5-9) and Mercer (10-5) return for game two on Saturday, March 11, at Baylor Ballpark in Waco. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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_3447193792]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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