Hot Bats Help Baylor Baseball Past Kansas State, 8-4

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 18, 2023

Hot Bats Help Baylor Baseball Past Kansas State, 8-4
Bears tie season high with 14 hits to even series with Wildcats
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – Led by a season high-tying 14 hits, Baylor baseball (7-12, 1-1) evened its series with Kansas State (13-6, 1-1) thanks to an 8-4 win on Saturday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark in Waco.

Junior OF Hunter Simmons notched a personal-best four hits and drove in three runs, while sophomore C Cortlan Castle contributed a career-high three knocks of his own. Fourth-year junior INF/OF Cole Posey recorded his third-straight two-hit performance, which included a two-run double in the eighth inning that provided some insurance runs for the Bears.

Sophomore RHP Mason Marriott matched his longest outing of his career, going six innings while allowing just one run on three hits. He fanned six for the third time in his five starts this season, earning the first win by a BU weekend starter in 2023. Junior RHP Cole Stasio collected the first save of his career by recording the final five outs and allowing just one baserunner.

THE RUNDOWN
K-State hopped out to an early advantage with a run in the first off one walk and one hit, but Baylor would score the game’s next three runs in three-straight innings and never relinquished the lead.

Castle singled in a run to tie it in the second, then sophomore 1B John Ceccoli walked with the bases loaded in the third inning to put BU ahead. In the fourth, Simmons delivered an RBI knock to make it 3-1, Baylor.

Marriott escaped a couple of KSU threats in the middle innings, but consistently found ways to get out of trouble. He left runners on the corners with a strikeout in the fourth, induced a foul pop out with two aboard in the fifth, then made use of a strike ‘em out-throw ‘em out double play in the sixth to end his afternoon with a quality start.

In the bottom of the sixth, Simmons stayed hot with a two-run single, extending the Bears’ lead to 5-1 before Posey’s ground-rule double brought home another run in for a 6-1 tally.

The Wildcats plated an unearned run in the top of the seventh and a pair of runs in the eighth to pull within two. With two on and two out, an RBI single looked to extend the inning for K-State, but a great throw from freshman OF Caleb Bergman nabbed a baserunner at third to bring the top of the frame to a close.

In the bottom half, Posey delivered a clutch two-run double with two away to give the Bears some breathing room with an 8-4 lead entering the ninth. That allowed Stasio to shut it down, retiring the side in order for BU’s first conference win of the season.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor improved to 54-33 all-time against Kansas State.
• BU improved to 7-0 this season when scoring six or more runs.
• BU improved to 6-0 when out-hitting its opponent and when leading after six innings.
• 14 hits tied for a Baylor season-high and was the sixth time this season that the Bears have eclipsed double digits in the hits column.
• Junior OF Hunter Simmons collected a career-high four hits for his fifth multi-hit performance of the season.
• Simmons also matched his personal best with three RBIs, his third multi-RBI effort of the year.
• Sophomore C Cortlan Castle recorded a career-high three hits, for his second multi-hit outing in as many games.
• Sophomore INF Hunter Teplanszky tallied his fifth multi-hit game of the year with two.
• Junior INF/OF Cole Posey doubled twice for his third-straight multi-hit performance.
• Posey also drove in three runs, a season-high, for his second multi-RBI game of 2023.
• Freshman INF Kolby Branch extended his on-base streak to 19 games with a single in the first inning.
• Sophomore RHP Mason Marriott tied his career-long with 6.0 innings of work, striking out six while allowing just one run on three hits.
• Junior RHP Cole Stasio picked up the first save of his career with 1.2 scoreless innings on the mound.
• The outing marked Stasio’s fifth scoreless appearance of the season, and third in a row.

STAT OF THE GAME
14 – Baylor matched its season-best with 14 hits, which included multi-hit games from four starters.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On today’s win…
"Wins are better than losses, I’ll promise you that. I liked the way the guys came out and competed today, [they] responded. That’s a big point of emphasis for us. When you lose a ballgame, you’ve got to come back out and get the next one. We’re trying to play them one pitch at a time, one game at a time, and that was a nice job today. We had production up and down the lineup, got a really nice start from Mason Marriott too, so I was proud of that.”

Sophomore RHP Mason Marriott
On his outing…
“It felt good. It was good to have the team work all together today. The hitters did an unbelievable job and [Cortlan] Castle had a really good game behind the plate. That’s one of the best games I’ve had someone catch for me. We were freshmen last year together and he caught me a lot, so it felt good to get this win with him. We’re getting closer and the team is coming together. We’re all working to accomplish the same goal and hopefully it keeps rolling.”

Sophomore C Cortlan Castle
On the team bouncing back to even the series…
“Today felt really good. Last night didn’t go the way we wanted it to go, but I felt we bounced back and brought the energy today. It’s really easy to play with energy when you have Mason Marriott out there throwing a good game and encouraging his teammates. We were just trying to pass the bat to the next guy and keep it moving. We were able to do that today so it felt good.”

Junior INF/OF Cole Posey
On how he’s developed so far this season…
“A big part of it has been adjustments. I’ve been working with the coaches and we’ve been thinking about trying things out that can help a little bit. And for whatever reason, I feel like I tend to be a slow starter. I don’t know why, that’s kind of been my college career. It takes me a while to get going, but then I find a groove. Adjustments are a big part of that.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (7-12, 1-1) and K-State (13-6, 1-1) are back for a rubber match on Sunday, March 19, at Baylor Ballpark in Waco. First pitch is scheduled for 1 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_1898492905]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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