Baylor Baseball Hosts Abilene Christian For Midweek Clash

Tue Feb 27 16:55:27 CST 2024

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 27, 2024

Baylor Baseball Hosts Abilene Christian For Midweek Clash
Bears lead all-time series over Wildcats, 14-4
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

[BU Logo]
BAYLOR BEARS (1-6, 0-0 Big 12)
Location: Waco, Texas
Conference/Affiliation: Big 12
Head Coach: Mitch Thompson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mitch-thompson/2258>
                            (Fort Hays St., 1988)

Roster<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster> | Stats<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/stats/2024> | Game Notes (PDF)<https://baylorbears.com/documents/2024/2/27/BU_BSB_Game_Notes_2024_8_ACU.pdf>
BAYLOR (1-6, 0-0) vs ABILENE CHRISTIAN (6-3, 0-0)
Feb. 28, 2024 • 4:00 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: John Morris, Pat Combs
LISTEN: ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM
Talent: Derek Smith, Tom Barfield

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/>

[logo]
ABILENE CHRISTIAN WILDCATS (6-3, 0-0 WAC)
Location: Abilene, Texas
Conference/Affiliation: WAC
Head Coach: Rick McCarty (Murray St., 2003)

Roster<https://acusports.com/sports/baseball/roster> | Stats<https://acusports.com/sports/baseball/stats/>

STORYLINES

LEADING OFF

• Baylor Baseball continues its season-long, nine-game homestand this week with four more home games at Baylor Ballpark, including a midweek matchup against Abilene Christian and a weekend series against Oral Roberts.

• BU is facing the nation's toughest schedule statistically through March 14, according to Pro Baseball Radar, based on 2023's RPI and win percentage.

• Baylor plays 26 games against the RPI top-50 this season, the most in the Big 12.

• Three of BU's first five opponents in 2024 have been ranked or received votes in any of the five major polls (Oregon, Tennessee, Indiana).

• 55% of Baylor's offense (30 of 55 hits) has been produced by underclassmen or players in their first season at Baylor.

• True or redshirt freshmen have accounted for 44% of innings pitched on the mound this season.

• Seventeen Bears have made their Baylor debuts so far in 2024, including 12 players making their Division I debut and eight freshmen making their collegiate debuts.

• The Bears have eclipsed double digits in strikeouts in four of their seven games so far in 2024, increasing the total to 24 games in the Thompson era in which BU has fanned at least 10 opponents.

• Baylor's top three trio of Enzo Apodaca<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/enzo-apodaca/13013>, Ty Johnson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-johnson/13020> and Hunter Teplanszky<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-teplanszky/13010> have combined for 28 hits, 13 runs, two home runs and 13 RBIs through BU's first seven games.

WEEK TWO IN REVIEW

• Baylor is coming off a 1-3 week in which the Bears collected their first win of 2024 over Lamar on Tuesday, but were swept by No. 22 Indiana over the weekend.

• Redshirt junior OF Enzo Apodaca<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/enzo-apodaca/13013> led the Bears at the plate, hitting .471 (8-for-17) on the week with a double, a home run and six RBIs.

• Apodaca match his career high with four hits and drove in three, including hitting a two-run home run, on Tuesday against the Cardinals.

• Apodaca moved from the leadoff spot to the three-hole for Sunday's series finale against IU and went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

• On Tuesday, Apodaca and junior INF Hunter Teplanszky<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-teplanszky/13010> hit back-to-back homers, Baylor's first since April 6, 2023.

• Baylor scored three or more runs in each of the first three innings on Tuesday, marking the first time since Feb. 21, 2021, vs. UTRGV that the Bears had scored 3+ in three-straight frames.

• Freshman RHP Stephen Sepulveda<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/stephen-sepulveda/13016> pitched twice on the week and totaled four hitless innings across his two outings.

• Redshirt junior RHP Drew Leach<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/drew-leach/13012> earned his first-career win on Tuesday; redshirt junior OF Kade Fletcher<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/kade-fletcher/13048> picked up his first-career hit and RBI on Sunday; redshirt freshman RHP Tanner Duke<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/tanner-duke/12998> and freshman LHP Jackson Wilkerson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/jackson-wilkerson/13037> each made their collegiate debuts on the week.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Baylor leads the all-time series over Abilene Christian, 14-4.

• The Wildcats took both of 2023's two meetings with a 5-2 win in Waco in 11 innings and a 9-8 win in Abilene.

• Baylor is 18-22 at home under second-year head coach Mitch Thompson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/mitch-thompson/2258>, including a 1-3 mark in 2024.

• The Bears are 10-13 in the Thompson era against in-state opponents, including a 1-0 mark in 2024.

• BU is 9-7 in midweek games under Coach Thompson, including a 1-0 mark in 2024.

PROBABLE STARTERS

• Wed., Feb. 28 • 4:00 p.m. • LHP RJ Ruais<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/rj-ruais/13049> (0-0, 2.08) vs. TBD

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• Wednesday's game will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with the Voice of the Bears John Morris and former Baylor left-handed pitcher Pat Combs on the call.

• Fans can also tune in to the Baylor radio broadcast on ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM/92.3 FM, featuring Derek Smith and Tom Barfield calling the action.

YOU GO, WE GO, 'ZO!

• Of the 14 times that redshirt junior OF Enzo Apodaca<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/enzo-apodaca/13013> has reached base, he has either scored a run or driven in a run eight times (57%).

• In the 18 innings that Baylor has scored at least one run, Apodaca has reached base in 11 of them (61%).

SCORING EARLY IN '24

• 26 of BU's 31 runs so far this season have been scored in the first four innings.

• Baylor has out-scored its opponents 13-8 in the first two innings and 20-19 in the first three frames.

• The Bears have been led by their top four spots in the batting order -- Enzo Apodaca<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/enzo-apodaca/13013>, Ty Johnson<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-johnson/13020>, Hunter Teplanszky<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-teplanszky/13010> and Hunter Simmons<https://baylorbears.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-simmons/13008> -- who have combined to rack up 34 of Baylor's 55 hits so far this season and driven in 19 of the 30 runs.

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 (Baseball, Football)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-265-1639

[signature_2340973016]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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