Gameday Thread: Baseball Returns Home to Face UT Arlington

BAYLOR (12-11, 2-4) vs UT ARLINGTON (8-15, 2-4)
March 29, 2022 • 6:30 p.m. CT
Waco, Texas • Baylor Ballpark (5,000)

LIVE STATS: BaylorStats.com
WATCH: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
LISTEN: Learfield / ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM & 92.3 FM
Talent:  Derek Smith, Ryan Boyd

STORYLINES

LEADING OFF

• Baylor returns home after a 2-2 week for four games at Baylor Ballpark, including a Tuesday night tilt against UT Arlington and a three-game series against East Tennessee State, its final non-conference weekend series of 2022.

• Baylor out-hit Oklahoma in all three games of its series last weekend and holds a 9-3 record this season when out-hitting its opponent.

• The Bears notched 11 extra-base hits over the weekend and have now collected at least three XBH in four of their last six games.

• BU has eclipsed double-digits in hits nine times this season, including in four of their last six games.

• Baylor continues to turn double plays at a high rate, leading the Big 12 and ranking second in the nation with 27 total twin killings, 1.17 per game.

• The Bears rank third in the Big 12 with a 4.22 ERA, while current members of the weekend rotation boast a combined 2.68 ERA.

• The Bears are 5-4 against ranked opponents in 2022, with wins over No. 23 Duke, No. 23 UCLA, No. 7 LSU and No. 21 TCU.

• Baylor stays close to home in 2022, as 43 of its 52 regular-season contests will be played in the state of Texas.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Baylor leads the all-time series 88-35 over UT Arlington.

• Under seventh-year head coach Steve Rodriguez, the Bears are 3-4 against the Mavericks.

• BU took the most recent meeting, a 7-6 ballgame, in Waco on April 6, 2021.

• Baylor is 47-16 in midweek contests under Rodriguez, posting a 4-1 mark so far in 2022.

• BU is 79-33 (.705) at home over the past five seasons, including 2022.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Tuesday, March 29 • 6:30 p.m. CT • RHP Brett Garcia (0-0, 5.59 ERA) vs. RHP Cade Citelli (0-2, 7.36 ERA)

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• Tuesday's game will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

• The broadcast will pull the home radio feed, featuring Derek Smith and Ryan Boyd on the call.

• Fans can also tune in to ESPN Central Texas 1660 AM and 92.3 FM for the radio broadcast.

BEARS BATS HEATING UP

• In their last six games, the Bears have erupted for 70 hits as a team, posting a .302 batting average.

• The Bears have tallied 18 extra-base hits over that stretch, including four games with at least three such knocks.

• BU has recorded its top-three hitting outputs in that stretch, including a 17-hit game vs. TCU (3/19), and 14-hit efforts against the Horned Frogs (3/20) and Sooners (3/27).

• Baylor leads the Big 12 in hits during conference play with 66.

• The top of the order has led the charge, as Jack Pineda (8-17, .276), Tre Richardson (13-28, .464) and Jared McKenzie (12-30, .400) have combined for a total of 33 hits.