Preview: Baylor Baseball Opens Big 12 Play against Kansas State

WACO, Texas — Baylor baseball (6-11) will open Big 12 play against Kansas State (12-5) this weekend at Baylor Ballpark. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening. Saturday’s contest will kick off at 2 p.m., and Sunday’s game is scheduled for 1 p.m. All three games will be televised on ESPN+.

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Baylor has been swept in two of the four series they have played so far.

BAYLOR BEARS

2023 Record: 6-11

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 6-11 (1st season) 
• Record at Baylor: 6-11 (1st season)

2023 Projections

• D1Baseball: 9th in the Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 9th in the Big 12

Kansas State Wildcats

2023 Record: 12-5

Head Coach: Pete Hughes

• Career Record: 762-589 (26th season) 
• Career Record: 110-97 (5th season) 

2023 Projections

• D1Baseball: 8th in the Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 8th in the Big 12

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Freshman INF Kolby Branch leads Baylor in seven offensive categories: average, hits, home runs, RBI, runs, on-base % and BB.

2023 STAT LEADERS

• AVG: Kolby Branch (.368)
• H: Kolby Branch (25)
• 2B: Kobe Andrade (7)
• HR: Kolby Branch, John Ceccoli (3)
• RBI: Kolby Branch (18)
• R: Kolby Branch (19)
• OB%: Kolby Branch (.476)
• BB: Kolby Branch (13)

Probable Starting Fielders: Baylor

• C: Fr. Zach Mazoch (.206, 34 AB, 6 R, 7 H, 7 RBI, 5 BB, .349 OB%)
• 1B: So. John Ceccoli (.265, 49 AB, 8 R, 13 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 5 BB, .345 OB%) 
• 2B: Jr. Cole Posey (.219, 32 AB, 7 R, 7 H, 3 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 7 BB, .405 OB%)
• 3B: So. Hunter Teplanszky (.300, 40 AB, 6 R, 12 H, 2 2B, 3B, 6 RBI, 6 BB, .392 OB%)
• SS: Fr. Kolby Branch  (.368, 68 AB, 19 R, 25 H, 6 2B,  3B, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 13 BB, .476 OB%)
• LF: Jr. Hunter Simmons (.275, 51 AB, 5 R, 14 H, 3 2B, 9 RBI, 4 BB, .367 OB%)
• CF: Jr. Kobe Andrade (.215, 65 AB, 10 R, 14 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, HR, 8 RBI, 7 BB, .297 OB%)
• RF: RS-Fr. Gavin Brzozowski (.213, 47 AB, 7 R, 10 H, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 13 BB, .403 OB%)
• DH: Jr. Will Pendergrass (.256, 43 AB, 7 R, 11 H, 3 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, .333 OB%)

Probable Starting Pitchers

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Junior RHP Will Rigney started on Tuesday for the first time since last April. He said after the game that his goal is to pitch in some capacity this weekend.

• BU SP1: RHP Blake Helton (0-2, 7.91 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, 19.1 IP)
• KSU SP1: LHP Owen Boerema (2-0, 3.26 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 19.1 IP)
• BU SP2: RHP Mason Marriott (0-2, 6.11 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 17.2 IP)
• KSU SP2: RHP Jackson Wentworth (1-1, 8.36 ERA, 2.07 WHIP, 14.0 IP)
• BU SP3: LHP Cam Caley (0-3, 8.64 ERA, 2.10 WHIP, 16.2 IP)
• KSU SP3: RHP German Fajardo (0-1, 6.75 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 17.1 IP)

   

What I Am Looking For This Weekend

• It will be interesting to see if Baylor can compete with another team projected at the bottom of the Big 12. If the Bears get blown out several times this weekend, the coaches were spot-on picking BU last in the conference.
• Junior OF/DH Hunter Simmons said after the win against Rice that the team is really starting to focus on a pitch-by-pitch approach at the plate. It definitely showed Tuesday night, but let’s see if that continues through the weekend.
• Overall, the starting pitching has not been good for Baylor. They need a good showing in the Kansas State series.
• "It's probably day by day,” junior RHP Will Rigney said on Tuesday when asked when he will pitch next. “I'm hoping and shooting for this weekend, wherever that is. If I have to eat some innings when we are up, down, whatever it is, I'll do whatever, and I'm looking forward to it."