Baylor Baseball Hosts Rice For First Time in 17 Seasons

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 13, 2023

Baylor Baseball Hosts Rice For First Time in 17 Seasons
Bears and Owls haven’t met at Baylor Ballpark since 2006
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>


[BU Logo]
BAYLOR BEARS (5-11, 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/2023/3/13/BU_BSB_Game_Notes_2023_17_Rice.pdf>
BAYLOR (5-11, 0-0) vs RICE (8-8, 0-0)
March 13, 2023 • 6:30 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: Learfield / ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM & 92.3 FM
Talent:  Derek Smith, Ryan Boyd

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/>
[Rice logo]
RICE OWLS (8-8, 0-0 C-USA)
Location: Houston, Texas
Conference/Affiliation: Conference USA
Head Coach: Jose Cruz Jr. (Rice, 2013)

Roster<https://riceowls.com/sports/baseball/roster> | Stats<https://riceowls.com/sports/baseball/stats/2023> | Game Notes (PDF)

STORYLINES

LEADING OFF

• Baylor Baseball enters the third week of its 14-game homestand, hosting Rice in a midweek contest before beginning Big 12 play against Kansas State 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.

• Baylor was swept in its most recent weekend series against Mercer, falling in a pair of three-run ballgames in addition to dropping an 11-2 series opener.

• On Friday night, Baylor pitchers struck out a season-high 16 batters, the most by BU in a 9-inning game since March 30, 2019, at Kansas.

• Fifth-year senior RHP Blake Helton<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-helton/11490> has started 49 of the last 56 batters he has faced with a first-pitch strike.

• Junior LHP/OF Cam Caley<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/cam-caley/11478> struck out a career-high eight batters in his Sunday start against Mercer.

• Junior INF Will Pendergrass<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/will-pendergrass/12081> led the Bears on the week with a .375 clip (6-for-16) and four extra-base hits, including his first home run in the green and gold.

• In its last midweek game, BU claimed a thrilling, 12-inning victory over Dallas Baptist last Tuesday night by an 8-7 final score.

• 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 against the Patriots.

• After the weekend series against Mercer, Branch has now reached base in all 16 games this season.

FRESHMAN 15

• Freshman INF Kolby Branch<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/kolby-branch/12083> is off to a torrid start, hitting .344 with six doubles, three homers and 17 RBI through his first 16 collegiate games.

• Through his first 15 career games, Branch's numbers compare favorably to each of BU's last five Freshman All-America honorees:

Kolby Branch<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/kolby-branch/12083> (2023) -- .333 (20-for-60) / 3 HR / 17 RBI

Jared McKenzie<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/jared-mckenzie/11272> (2020) -- .400 (26-for-65) / 0 HR / 5 RBI

Nick Loftin (2018) -- .222 (10-for-45) / 0 HR / 4 RBI

Shea Langeliers (2017) -- .300 (18-for-60) / 2 HR / 10 RBI

Logan Vick (2010) -- .356 (21-for-59) / 1 HR / 6 RBI

Max Muncy (2010) -- .344 (21-for-61) / 4 HR / 16 RBI

ADD IT TO THE K-COUNTER

• The Bears have eclipsed double-digit strikeouts on the mound in 12 of their 16 games so far this season.

• BU has punched out at least 13 opposing hitters in eight games this year.

• Baylor leads the Big 12 with 185 strikeouts. It's 11.40 strikeouts per nine innings mark also leads the conference and ranks 17th nationally.

SERIES HISTORY VS RICE / BY THE NUMBERS

• Baylor leads the all-time series with Rice, 129-88-1.

• The Bears took a 9-0 contest last season in Houston after previously having not played Rice since 2019.

• This will be the first time since 2006 that the Owls have come to Baylor Ballpark, when Rice grabbed a 6-4 win over BU.

• All-time, Baylor is just 1-3 against Rice at Baylor Ballpark, with its lone win coming in Baylor Ballpark's inaugural season (1999).

• BU is 2-1 in midweek games this season, which have all been played against teams from the state of Texas.

PROBABLE STARTERS

• Tuesday, March 13 • 6:30 p.m. • TBD vs. TBD

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• Tuesday's game 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 and Ryan Boyd, on ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM.

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_657778275]<http://baylorbears.com/>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230313/08111d5f/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/20230313/08111d5f/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/20230313/08111d5f/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/20230313/08111d5f/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/20230313/08111d5f/attachment-0009.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image005.png
Type: image/png
Size: 8748 bytes
Desc: image005.png
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230313/08111d5f/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/20230313/08111d5f/attachment-0011.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: BU BSB Game_Notes_2023_17_Rice.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 6224653 bytes
Desc: BU BSB Game_Notes_2023_17_Rice.pdf
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20230313/08111d5f/attachment-0001.pdf>