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Bears Return Home, Open Big 12 Play
March 13, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format
GAMES 15-17 • MARCH 14-16 • BAYLOR BALLPARK • No. 10 BAYLOR (11-3, 0-0) vs. No. 23 FRIDAY: 6:30 p.m. CST -- Game sponsored by Dodge; replica jersey T-shirts for first 500 fans SATURDAY: 6:30 p.m. CST -- Boy Scout Night ($3 tickets for all scouts in uniform) SUNDAY: 1:00 p.m. CST -- Equipment Depot Baylor Baseball Card giveaway (first 1000 kids 12 & under) Baylor returns to action this weekend, hosting The Bears (11-3, 0-0) dropped a pair of midweek games at Oral Roberts after sweeping a three-game series at All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS FRIDAY Baylor: RHP Kendal Volz, So. (3-0, 1.71 ERA, 21.0 IP, 7 BB, 21 K) SATURDAY Baylor: RHP Shawn Tolleson, Fr. (1-0, 7.43 ERA, 13.1 IP, 8 BB, 10 K) SUNDAY Baylor: RHP Willie Kempf, So. (2-0, 2.60 ERA, 17.1 IP, 10 BB, 12 K) THE SERIES Overall: Neutral Site: Smith vs. OSU: 18-19 First Meeting: Last Meeting: COACHES BAYLOR: Steve Smith Alma Mater: Baylor, 1986 Career Record: 501-314-1 [14th season] Record at Baylor: 501-314-1 [14th season] Alma Mater: Career Record: 165-93 [4th season] Record at OSU: 165-93 [4th season] BAYLOR/ISP SPORTS NETWORK 1660 ESPN RADIO ( Tom Barfield, play-by-play Lark Smith, color INTERNET FEEDS GameTracker: www.BaylorBears.com Audio: www.BaylorBears.com Video: www.BaylorBears.com BAYLOR- Baylor and OSU leads the series 11-10 in games played in The Cowboys hold a 20-18 advantage in the series since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997, including a 16-15 edge in Big 12 regular season games. The teams also have met four in the Big 12 Tournament (OSU won in 1997 and 2001; Baylor won in 2005 and 2007) and three times in the 1999 NCAA Super Regional (OSU won two of three). Baylor won the season series in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006; the 2002 and 2004 series were rain-shortened, and the teams split two games. The Bears hold a 5-4-2 Big 12 series advantage, going 2-1-2 in BAYLOR IN CONFERENCE OPENERS Since 1960, Baylor is 29-19 in conference openers, covering time in both the Southwest and Big 12 conferences. The Bears are 8-3 in Big 12 Conference openers and have won six of the last seven such contests. This is the fifth consecutive season in which Baylor open's Big 12 play against a nationally ranked opponent. In 2004, the Bears took two-of-three against ninth-ranked Texas A&M, winning the series opener 8-7 at Last season snapped a streak of eight consecutive series wins to open Big 12 play for Baylor. This is only the second time (2006 vs. Kansas) that Baylor has not opened Big 12 play against Texas, Texas A&M or Texas Tech since 2000, when the Bears took two of three at home against Oklahoma State. BEARS IN THE MIDST OF RARE STRETCH This weekend's series against The eight-day run caused by inclement weather last weekend in Baylor's Monday game at Mississippi State was its first regular-season Monday game since that eight-game, eight-day stretch in 1995. BAYLOR AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS Baylor faces its first ranked opponent of the season this weekend. The Bears are 149-222-1 against ranked opponents since the beginning of the Baseball America rankings in 1981, including a 104-135-1 mark under head coach Steve Smith. Baylor is 82-80 against ranked opponents at home and 124-186-1 in regular-season games. Historically, Baylor's best month to face a ranked opponent is March -- the Bears are 40-48 (.455) against ranked opponents in the year's third month. Baylor is 96-135 against ranked conference opponents, including a 48-54 mark against ranked Big 12 opponents. SMITH CLAIMS WIN No. 500 Baylor head coach Steve Smith joined his college coach -- Mickey Sullivan -- as the only coaches in Baylor athletics history to amass at least 500 career victories last weekend during the Bears' three-game series sweep at CARDIAC KIDS Baylor is 7-1 this season in one-run games after going 4-5 in such contests last season. The Bears already are one one-run win shy of matching their season total from 2006 (8-7). Baylor's 2005 College World Series squad was 15-8 in one-run games; the previous year, the Bears led the nation in one-run games (23) and one-run losses (16). WEEKEND WARRIORS Baylor is 9-0 this season in weekend games, sweeping series against Purdue and BEARS CLIMB TO No. 10 IN BASEBALL Baylor climbed one spot to No. 10 in the latest Baseball America Top 25. It is the third consecutive week that the Bears have moved up in the ranking, climbing from 15th to 13th and from 13th to 11th in the previous two weeks. The Bears' 7-0 start matched the 1987 and 1993 squads for the best start by a Baylor team since the 1984 Bears opened 13-0. Furthermore, Baylor was the last undefeated team in the Big 12 Conference. The Bears also moved up to No. 9 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll and in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30, and to No. 12 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 30. VOLZ LOOKS TO BUILD ON FRESHMAN SUCCESS RHP Kendal Volz became the ninth freshman in Baylor history to record at least six victories last season. Furthermore, he is only the third to accomplish the feat during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. Here is a look at how the nine pitchers fared as sophomores and in their careers: PLAYER YEARS FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE CAREER Ricky Fox 1971-1974 6-4 3-5 19-17 Mike Roberts 1976-1979 6-2 3-1 20-6 Andy Beene 1976-1979 8-1 0-0 15-5 Ted Bruce Aguilar 1986-1989 6-3 2-1 21-13 Aaron Lineweaver 1993-1995 9-5 4-6 16-18 Ryan LaMotta 2003-2006 7-3 2-5 21-16 Abe Woody 2003-2005 6-0 5-1 21-4 Kendal Volz 2007-present 6-2 3-0 9-2 BAYLOR IS EXTRA SPECIAL Baylor is 15-4 in extra-inning games since the start of the 2003 season, including a 1-0 mark in such games this season. Baylor was 2-1 in extra-inning games last season, 0-1 in 2006, 6-1 in 2005, 1-0 in 2004 and 5-1 in 2003. Five of the 15 wins over the past six seasons have come on an opponent's home field ( Baylor's luck was not as good in 2002 when the Bears were 1-5 in extra-inning games, including a span of three consecutive games lost in extra innings during mid-May. FIVE BAYLOR GAMES SLATED FOR TELEVISION Five Baylor games are scheduled for television broadcast this season, including two home games. The Bears will be on CSTV twice: April 1 at TCU (7 p.m. CT) and April 22 vs. Since 1988, Baylor has played on television 57 times, including a program-best 12 games in 2005. Over the past 20 years, the Bears are 28-29 in televised games. TWO OUTLETS PICK BAYLOR FOR Baylor was projected as one of eight teams to reach the 2008 College World Series, according to Baseball BAYLOR BALLPARK CELEBRATES MILESTONE GAME Baylor's 2008 season opener was the Bears' 300th game at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears are 225-83 (.731) at home since the stadium opened in 1999. Baylor Ballpark, which celebrates its 10th season in 2008, has drawn over 800,000 fans in its existence. Baylor is one of only eight Division I schools to average at least 2,700 fans per game each season since 2000. The facility was voted the nation's third-best college baseball stadium in a 2003 Baseball While the season opener was the Bears' 300th game at Baylor Ballpark, the facility already had celebrated its 300th college game. Including the 1999, 2000 and 2005 NCAA Regionals and the 2006 and 2007 Quala-T Imprints Baylor Classics, a total of 16 Division I games that did not involve the Bears have been played at Baylor Ballpark. CASSAVECHIA AMONG NATIONAL CAREER SAVES LEADERS RHP Nick Cassavechia entered the 2008 season with 19 career saves, a total that was tied for second in Baylor history and led all active Big 12 Conference pitchers. Furthermore, Cassavechia ranked sixth nationally in career saves among active players behind only Kelly Heyne (24, Cassavechia's career total is even more impressive considering he has been Baylor's closer for not even two full seasons. He moved into the closer role during the first week of April in 2006 and has amassed all his saves since that point. He tallied 11 saves as a junior in 2007, tying for fourth in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally. It also tied for the third-best season total in Baylor history. Cassavechia, who had eight saves as a sophomore in 2006, joins Zane Carlson (2000, 2001) as the only Baylor pitchers to record at least eight saves in consecutive seasons. TRIPLE YOUR PLEASURE Baylor batters tallied 58 triples over the past two seasons. Only Furthermore, Baylor joins Baylor's Jon Topolski led the nation with 11 triples in 1998. Seth Fortenberry tied for third nationally with 10 triples in 2006, and Ben Booker tied for 15th nationally last season with seven. Michael Griffin was 25th nationally with 0.12 triples per game in 2003, one year after Mike Huggins was 25th nationally with 0.11 triples per contest. BIG 12 COACHES PICK BAYLOR THIRD Baylor was picked third in the 2008 Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bears garnered one first-place vote and 65 total points, six behind second-place This is Baylor's highest preseason pick by the league's coaches since 2004 when the Bears were tabbed second. The Bears have been picked fourth in the preseason poll each of the past three seasons. In the 11-year history of the Big 12, only five schools have claimed regular-season titles: Baylor (2000, 2005); FIVE BEARS EARN PRESEASON HONORS Five Baylor players garnered preseason accolades from various publications and outlets this year, including two preseason All-America honors. RHP Nick Cassavechia was a preseason All-America pick by SS Beamer Weems was a second-team preseason All-America selection by Rivals.com and by RHP Shawn Tolleson was ranked second nationally on the Rivals.com 2008 Impact Freshmen List. He sat out the 2007 season as a medical redshirt. 2B Raynor RHP Kendal Volz was named the third-best pro prospect in the Big 12 Conference for the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. CASSAVECHIA NAMED TO PAIR OF WATCH LISTS RHP Nick Cassavechia was named to the 2008 Stopper of the Year Watch List, sponsored by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Cassavechia is one of 40 pitchers -- and one of only four from the Big 12 Conference -- on the initial list for the fourth-annual award given to the nation's top college closer. This is the second consecutive year he has been named to the award's preseason watch list. Other Big 12 pitchers on the watch list are Daniel Edwards ( Cassavechia also has been named to the watch list for the Clemens Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate pitcher. SIX BEARS ON BASEBALL Baseball RHP Shawn Tolleson was rated as the 15th-best prospect among freshmen; Tolleson, who missed the 2007 season with a medical redshirt, will be draft eligible in 2009 after his sophomore seasons. Four Bears appearend on the sophomore list: RF Aaron Miller (11th), RHP Kendal Volz (14th), 1B Dustin Dickerson (32nd) and 2B Raynor Campbell (50th). Of that group, only RHP Randall Linebaugh was rated as the 14th-best prospect among seniors. Linebaugh, one of only two three-year lettermen on Baylor's 2008 roster, has never been drafted. WEEMS NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD WATCH LIST SS Beamer Weems was named to the 2008 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. He is one of 75 players on the list, which is the first of its kind for the Golden Spikes Award. The list is rolling, which means other players may be added throughout the season. The Golden Spikes Award is sponsored by Major League Baseball and administered by USA Baseball. This is the 31st year of the award. Past winners include Terry Francona (1980), Will Clark (1985), Robin Ventura (1988), Jason Varitek (1994) and Baylor's Jason Jennings (1999). David Price of Vanderbilt was the 2007 Golden Spikes Award winner. CASSAVECHIA, WEEMS NAMED TO WALLACE WATCH LIST RHP Nick Cassavechia and SS Beamer Weems were named to the 2008 Brooks Wallace Award Preseason Watch List. Weems also was on the award's preseason watch list last year, while Cassavechia makes his first appearance. Dedicated to the memory of late Texas Tech shortstop and assistant coach Brooks Wallace, the award is in its fifth year and is given annually to the nation's top collegiate baseball player. Past winners are Kurt Suzuki (catcher, Cal State Fullerton, 2004), Alex Gordon (third baseman, BEARS ON SHORT LIST FOR RECENT NCAA SUCCESS Baylor is one of 15 NCAA Division I programs and one of only two from the Big 12 Conference with at least nine NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 10 years. The Bears have made nine tournament appearances in that time (missing only the 2004 event) with three Super Regional appearances and one College World Series appearance. Others on the elite list are: BAYLOR AMONG NATIONAL APR LEADERS Baylor received a public recognition award from the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program in 2007 for having an Academic Progress Rate (APR) score that ranks among the top 10 percent within their sport. The Bears' most-recent APR score was 983 with an adjusted squad size mark of 992. Baylor was one of 30 Division I programs honored by the NCAA. Head coach Steve Smith's squad was the only of Baylor's 19 varsity teams so honored. MIDWEEK PREVIEW Fresh off an eight-games-in-eight-days stretch, Baylor plays only one midweek game next week, hosting The Bears are 26-9 in regular-season midweek contests since the start of the 2006 season, including a 13-5 mark over the past two seasons. In Baylor's 2005 College World Series campaign, the Bears were just 7-8 in regular-season midweek games.
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