Rigney Returns as Baylor Baseball shuts out Rice, 6-0

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (6-11) ended its three-game losing streak and defeated Rice (8-9), 6-0, in Tuesday night’s contest at Baylor Ballpark.

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Freshman INF Kolby Branch leads the team with a .368 batting average 17 games into the season.

In the win, the Bears pitched a combined shutout and allowed only two hits, their lowest total of the season.

Baylor’s offense combined for ten hits, and four Bears had multi-hit games. Freshman INF Kolby Branch led the way with a 3-4 performance, extending his on-base streak to 17 games.

Junior RHP Will Rigney started on the mound Tuesday night for Baylor. It was Rigney’s second appearance of the season and first start since suffering a season-ending injury last April against Texas.

The 6-foot-6 Waco Midway product struck out five of six batters faced and did not surrender a hit or run in two innings pitched.

“It felt really good to get out there and just try and help the team win,” Rigney said after the game. “I got to throw at Duke and felt good and then kind of had some ups and downs the next couple of weeks. Just getting back out there and being able to help the team … it felt good.”

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Junior DH Hunter Simmons is tied for second on the team with 14 hits.

The Bears struck early in the bottom of the first with back-to-back triples from Branch and freshman RF Gavin Brzozowski.

Junior DH Hunter Simmons knocked an RBI single into left field, and freshman Zach Mazoch followed with a sacrifice fly to put Baylor up 3-0 early.

Branch and Simmons both added RBI singles in the second to extend the lead to 5-0. Simmons finished going 2-3 with 2 RBIs.

“It’s way better to play with the lead than to be chasing it all the time,” coach Mitch Thompson said postgame. “After this last weekend, we never had a lead. When you’re always behind, and you’re always chasing, it’s a lot better to play with a lead and be ahead.”

Freshman Ethan Calder recorded his first career hit and RBI in the bottom of the eighth.

Juniors Anderson Needham, Adam Muirhead, Brett Garcia and Gabe Craig combined to throw seven scoreless frames in relief. Baylor’s pitching staff struck out 15 Rice batters on the night and have eclipsed double-digit strikeouts in 13 of the 17 games this season.

“The guys on the mound were outstanding,” Thompson said. “I think Will Rigney probably gave us a little shot in the arm. Everyone was excited to see Will out there again. And he gave us two good innings, and we followed that up with Needham, Muirhead, Garcia and then Craig. It was an outstanding ballgame from our pitching staff.”

Final: Baylor 6 - Rice 0

W: Will Rigney (1-0) L: Mauricio Rodriguez (0-3)

POTG: Kolby Branch 3-4, 3B, RBI, 2 R

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor Baseball (6-11) will open conference play against Kansas State (11-5) this weekend at Baylor Ballpark. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday.