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<a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS –
</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Feb. 21, 2023<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:black">Branch, Brzozowski Help Baylor Baseball Down HCU, 11-4<br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black">Bears 1-2 punch combine for six hits and 10 RBIs in victory
<br>
</span></i><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> Max Calderone, 254-265-1639,
</span><a href="mailto:Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">
</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><br>
<br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">WACO, Texas –</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"> Baylor baseball (2-2) downed HCU (0-4) by a final of 11-4 Tuesday evening at Baylor
Ballpark in Waco.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Freshman INF Kolby Branch and redshirt freshman OF Gavin Brzozowski combined to go 6-for-10 with a pair of home runs and 10 RBIs to lead the charge from the top two spots in
the lineup. The Bears’ bullpen threw 7.1 innings of one-run baseball, helping BU come back from a 3-0 deficit to outscore the Huskies 11-1 from the second inning on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">THE RUNDOWN<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">HCU put up a quick three spot in the top of the first inning thanks in part to a two-run home run and an RBI double, but after junior RHP Jared Matheson entered from the bullpen
the Huskies’ bats went quiet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Matheson put up zeros in his Baylor debut, racking up four strikeouts in 2.1 innings before handing the ball off to fellow junior righty Adam Muirhead. In his season debut
for the Bears, Muirhead also notched four punchouts in 1.2 scoreless frames.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">In the bottom of the fourth, the Bears broke through after Branch crushed a grand slam for his first-career home run. After junior INF Will Pendergrass reached on an error,
freshman C Zach Mazoch and junior INF/OF Cole Posey both walked to set up the Branch bomb, giving Baylor a 4-3 lead.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">The Huskies would tie the ledger in the top of the seventh, cashing in on a pair of walks and wild pitches. However, BU responded in the bottom half with a two-run homer off
the bat of Brzozowski to climb back in front, 6-4.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">After junior RHP Hambleton Oliver retired the HCU side in order in the top of the eighth, the Bears put the game away with a five-spot in the bottom of the inning. Once again,
it was Branch who delivered the knockout blow, a two-run double that chased in sophomore INF Hunter Teplanszky and junior C Harrison Caley. Brzozowski followed it up with a two-run single and later scored on junior INF Casey Sunseri’s pinch-hit sacrifice fly
to make it 11-4.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Fifth-year junior righty Anderson Needham closed it down in the ninth, setting the Huskies down in order on just nine pitches as Baylor improved to 2-2 on the season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">HIGHLIGHTS</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Baylor improved to 7-2 all-time against HCU and has now won each of the last three meetings over the Huskies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Baylor won its first midweek game of the season after going 10-3 in such games in 2022.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• BU is 1-0 against teams from the state of Texas in 2023. The Bears went 12-10 against Lone Star State opponents a year ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• This is the fourth-straight game in which Baylor’s pitching staff has struck out double-digit batters. The last time the Bears had such a stretch was a five-game span from
March 5 to March 12, 2021, against Memphis and Xavier.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Kolby Branch went 4-for-5 with six RBIs and was a triple shy of the cycle. He is the first Bear to drive in six since Andy Thomas did so on May 9, 2021, against Kansas State.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Branch hit BU’s first grand slam since Jared McKenzie’s against Oklahoma State on May 19, 2022. It was Branch’s first-career homer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Gavin Brzozowski drove in four runs and hit his first-career home run.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Casey Sunseri collected his first-career RBI.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Jared Matheson made his Baylor debut with four strikeouts in 2.1 scoreless innings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Adam Muirhead made his first appearance of the year with four strikeouts in 1.2 scoreless frames.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Hambleton Oliver picked up his first win of the season after going 1.2 innings without allowing a hit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Anderson Needham pitched a clean ninth inning in his first outing of 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">• Zach Mazoch made his first-career start for the Bears behind the plate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">STAT OF THE GAME<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">10 – Freshmen Kolby Branch and Gavin Brzozowski combined to drive in 10 of Baylor’s 11 runs against HCU.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">QUOTABLE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Head Coach Mitch Thompson<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">On playing from behind…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">"We’re obviously going to try [playing with a lead], that’s going to be a lot more fun. But you know, the good news is that there’s no quit in us. We’re going to battle, we’re
going to compete and that’s what we’ve done even in the game we got blown out in. We came back and tried to score, so you know the thing I’m probably the most proud of was watching the bullpen come in. [Jared] Matheson for the first time, [Adam] Muirhead for
the first time, [Anderson] Needham for the first time, and then having [Blake] Rogers and Hambleton Oliver come in and really do a nice job in pressure situations. [Oliver] pitched like a veteran, so it’s fun to watch guys do that.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">Freshman INF Kolby Branch<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">On his grand slam…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">“It was amazing. I had a lot of fun. I saw he gave me three curveballs before and I saw it again. It was fun. It was fantastic. I’m happy to be with the guys and bring home four
runs for us.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">Redshirt freshman OF Gavin Brzozowski<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">On battling back…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">“Coach Thompson was just telling us that we have been behind in every game, but we’re battling back, and that’s one thing I love about this team. We’re going to battle. No matter
who we’re playing, Houston Christian, Duke, it doesn’t matter. We’re gonna battle and we’re gonna come back and win the game.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">WHAT’S NEXT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Baylor (2-2) heads out east to square off with Duke (2-1) in a three-game set. The series opener is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 24, at 3 p.m. CT at the Durham Bulls Athletic
Park. All three games will be carried on ACC Networks via ESPN+.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:center;background:white">
<i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><br>
-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#154734">Max Calderone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (BSB, FB, EQ)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D94649.9F6C1D80" alt="signature_1163410721"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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