<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 23, 2019</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;background:white">BEARS WALK OFF WEST VIRGINIA IN BIG 12 OPENER
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.25pt">Davis Wendzel delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning.
<br>
</span></i><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For more information contact: </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Rachel Caton, 254-652-2061, <u><a href="mailto:Rachel_Caton@baylor.edu"><span style="color:windowtext">Rachel_Caton@baylor.edu</span></a></u></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">THE RUNDOWN<br>
WACO, Texas</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"> – It took some bottom of the ninth heroics, but the Bears walked off West Virginia, 6-5, in the Big 12 opener on Friday evening at Baylor Ballpark.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Davis Wendzel waited until the big moment for his first hits of the day, driving home Nick Loftin who reached on a single to lead off the inning
and advanced to second on a sac bunt to give the Bears (14-6) the 6-5 victory in the bottom of the ninth inning.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The Bears were led on the day by Shea Langeliers, who was 3-for-4 , while Wendzel led the team with two RBIs.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The Bears were down early, as a two-run home run with two outs by Marques Inman in the top of the first put the Mountaineers up early. The Bears
answered right back, however, plating two runs of their own, first on an RBI triple by Richard Cunningham and a second on an RBI ground out by Andy Thomas.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The Bears added one more in the bottom of the third on a Nick Loftin sacrifice fly, bringing home Josh Bissonette, who tripled to lead off the inning.
The run put the Bears up for the first time on the day, 3-2. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Baylor starter Paul Dickens settled in after his first inning of trouble, and struck out a career-high nine batters in 6.0 innings of work. He put
up zeroes in the second, third and fourth before hitting some trouble in the fifth inning. The Mountaineers plated three on a bases-clearing double by Inman, making it a 5-3 ballgame. Dickens put up one more zero before the Bears went to the bullpen. He allowed
five runs on six hits, walking two and striking out a career-high nine. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Baylor’s bullpen shut things down for the next three frames, allowing the offense to make the comeback.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Jacob Ashkinos entered first in relief, and got the first two outs of the seventh before giving way to Ryan Leckich, who entered for the lefty-lefty
matchup. Leckich ended up throwing 2.0 innings, allowing just 2 hits and striking out two. With two out and one on in the top of the ninth, Kyle Hill entered and got the out to give the Bears the ability to complete the comeback in the bottom half of the inning.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Offensively, the Bears chipped away at the deficit, adding one run in the seventh on a sac fly from Wendzel, making it 5-4, Mountaineers.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">In the eighth, Shea Langeliers led off the inning with a single, took second on a balk and a sac bunt by Davion Downey put the game-tying run just
90 feet away with one out. At that point the Bears chased West Virginia’s ace, Alek Manoah, who gave way for reliever Sam Kessler. With two out, Bissonette singled to right to make it a tie ballgame.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">In the bottom of the ninth against Kessler, the Bears manufactured the game-winning run. Loftin led things off with a single to right and Cunningham
laid down a perfect sac bunt to put the game-winning run in scoring position. Wendzel took the 1-0 offering from Kessler back up the middle to plate the game-winning run.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Baylor reliever Kyle Hill earned the win to improve to 3-0 on the year, while Kessler took the loss for West Virginia, falling to 1-1.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><br>
<b>NOTES</b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">*The walk-off victory is the second of the year. First was on Feb. 16 in game one of the double header vs. Holy Cross, 8-5 victory in 10 innings off Bertelsman’s three-run homer.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">*Four players had multi-hit nights, with Shea Langeliers leading the way with three hits, followed by Loftin, Cunningham and Bissonette with two apiece.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">*Wendzel has now hit safely in 18 of 20 games on the year.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">*Downey with HBP for the 10<sup>th</sup> time this season.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*The Bears have recorded an extra base hit in 19 of 20 games this season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Cunningham blasted his third triple of the year.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Bissonette collected his third triple of the year.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Langeliers was 2-for-2 in caught stealing attempts on the day, gunning down both. He has thrown out 8-of-9 would-be base stealers on the year.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Dickens collected a career-high 9 strikeouts on the day.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Since inserting Nick Loftin in the leadoff spot, the Bears have scored 47 runs on 75 hits in their last seven games. Loftin is 9-for-26 with 3 HR,
5 RBI and 7 runs scored during the stretch. The Bears are 5-2 in such games.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Cunningham extended his on-base streak to eight games.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Davion Downey extended his on-base streak to eight games.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Jacob Ashkinos made his seventh relief appearance of the year.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Ryan Leckich made his 11<sup>th</sup> appearance of the year on the mound.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Kyle Hill made his 10<sup>th</sup> appearance of the year and earned his third win of the year.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Dickens made his fourth start of the year and second-straight Friday night start.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*The Bears are now 2-2 in Big 12 opening games during Coach Rodriguez’s tenure and have won the last two.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#C00000"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">STAT OF THE DAY</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;background:white">6-5 – The score of tonight’s walk-off victory is the same score as the Bears’ walk-off 11-inning victory over TCU to win the Big 12 Tournament title, the last time the Bears
played a Big 12 foe. Fitting that that score is the same as today’s conference opener, where the 2018 Big 12 Tournament title was celebrated and the first 1,000 fans received replica rings.
</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#C00000"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">QUOTES OF THE DAY</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
</span><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">On how the team played today…</span></i></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“</span>“<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">I think our guys did a great job just putting the ball in play, making solid contact, we were able to get
some free base runners home. Overall we were able to execute offensively today.”</span><b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> -Baylor head coach Steve Rodriguez
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">On Wendzel’s game-winning single…<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“He [Davis Wendzel] has had some really good bats and really good swings most of the night. Put it this way, if he didn’t get it done, I knew there would be a really good swing
attached to it.”<i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">-Baylor head coach Steve Rodriguez
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<b>WHAT'S NEXT</b><br>
<span style="background:white">The Bears will host West Virginia in game two of the series on Saturday, March 23 at 1:05 p.m. CT. It is Bark at the Park, where fans are welcome to bring their dogs to the ballpark and will receive a special Baylor dog toy.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">For tickets to home games, visit: </span><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#00220F"><a href="https://baylorbears.com/sports/2018/9/11/tickets.aspx"><span style="color:#00220F">https://baylorbears.com/sports/2018/9/11/tickets.aspx</span></a></span></u><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">. </span></u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">For
updates on the program follow @baylorbaseball on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<br>
<br>
</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">-baylorbears.com-</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black">___________________________________</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#006132">Rachel Caton</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#006132"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">| Associate Sports Information Director</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">O: 254-710-3784</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 254-652-2061</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:4.0pt;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:4.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="127" height="26" style="width:1.3229in;height:.2708in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D4E107.D21A32E0" alt="cid:image001.png@01D3533B.25DEF160"></span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:4.0pt;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>