Preview: Baylor Baseball Travels to Lubbock for Series against No. 16 Texas Tech

LUBBOCK, Texas – Baylor baseball (14-23, 5-10) is set to face off against the No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders (26-12, 6-6) for a weekend series at Rip Griffin Park.

The first pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU. Saturday’s game will kick off at 2 p.m., and Sunday’s finale is also set for 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Baylor is 0-6 on the road in conference play.

Baylor Bears

2023 Record (RPI): 14-23 (No. 182)

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 14-23 (1st season) 
• Record at Baylor: 14-23 (1st season)

2023 Projections

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

No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders

2023 Record (RPI): 26-12 (No. 62)

Head Coach: Tim Tadlock

• Career Record: 405-204 (11th season) 
• Record at Texas Tech: 405-204 (11th season) 

2023 Projections

• D1Baseball: 3rd in the Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 3rd in the Big 12

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Freshman SS Kolby Branch leads the Bears in virtually every offensive category.

2023 STAT LEADERS

• AVG: Kolby Branch (.356)
• H: Kolby Branch (52)
• 2B: Kolby Branch (14)
• HR: John Ceccoli (5)
• RBI: Kolby Branch (33)
• R: Kolby Branch (38)
• OB%: Kolby Branch (.461)
• BB: Kolby Branch (29)

Probable Starting Fielders: Baylor

• C: Jr. Harrison Caley (.171, .306 OB%)
• 1B: So. John Ceccoli (.246, .353 OB%) 
• 2B: Jr. Cole Posey (.318, .440 OB%)
• 3B: So. Hunter Teplanszky (.350, .442 OB%)
• SS: Fr. Kolby Branch (.356, .461 OB%)
• LF: Jr. Hunter Simmons (.309, .370 OB%)
• CF: Fr. Caleb Bergman (.262, .338 OB%)
• RF: Jr. Cole Tremain (.279, .347 OB%)
• DH: Fr. Walker Polk (.200, .378 OB%)

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Junior RHP Will Rigney has recorded 28 strikeouts in 21.1 innings pitched.

Probable Starting Pitchers

• BU SP1: RHP Blake Helton (0-4, 7.88 ERA)
• TTU SP1: LHP Mason Molina (3-2, 4.60 ERA)
• BU SP2: RHP Mason Marriott (1-5, 8.60 ERA)
• TTU SP2: RHP Trendan Parish (2-0, 5.09 ERA)
• BU SP3: RHP Will Rigney (3-1, 3.80 ERA)
• TTU SP3: RHP Jacob Rogers (1-2, 7.71 ERA)

Top Quotes

Head coach Mitch Thompson on Baylor’s pitching, hitting and defense all coming together:

• It’s always going to depend on the guys on the mound … We’re getting closer, for sure, offensively. At times, there are defensive lapses … When you think back at our last eight games, three with OU, three with Texas, DBU and Sam Houston. That’s eight really good games against good opponents, and we’re right there. We’re making strides.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on the outlook of this season:

• “We’re not having a good year; there’s no question about that. But at the same time, I don’t feel despair. I don’t think [the players] do either. They’re upbeat. They’re pulling together. We’re growing as a team; they can see the improvement. And I think our fans can see the improvement. I think they showed out this weekend and they kept coming out. They see the fight in this team, so there are lots of good things there.”

Freshman OF Caleb Bergman on picking up the first road win of the season Tuesday night over Sam Houston:

• “It was huge. Really good for the team morale. It showed us that we can actually get it done. Coming into a big weekend against Tech with some games that we need to win, proving to ourselves that we can do it on the road and getting that win [over Sam Houston] at the time that it was. There is definitely some good momentum heading into Lubbock.”

Freshman OF Caleb Bergman on the series against No. 19 Texas last weekend:

• “Our guys just fought. We never give up. For the first time this year, I feel like we came to the field expecting to win. Friday night showed us we could play with them. Saturday, again, coming back in that last inning was huge. Going forward, it’s a lot of momentum to carry, especially into this weekend.”

What I Am Looking For

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Baylor is currently tied for last place in the Big 12 heading into the series against No. 16 Texas Tech.

• This series has big implications for the conference tournament in late May. Baylor (5-10) currently sits tied for last place with Oklahoma (4-8) but holds the tiebreaker over the Sooners if both teams finished with the same record. For more information on the Big 12 race, check out this article.
• One issue that plagues the young Bears is that they remain winless on the road in conference play and are 1-11 away from Baylor Ballpark. Their first road win of the season came over Sam Houston Tuesday, 7-6.
• Sophomore 3B Hunter Teplanszky extended his on-base streak to 25 games and his hitting streak to 13 games in the victory over Sam Houston. In three consecutive contests, Teplanszky has delivered either the game-tying, go-ahead or game-winning hit.
• Thompson confirmed Thursday morning that junior OF Hunter Simmons will not play in the series against No. 16 Texas Tech. “[Simmons] won’t be available this weekend. That’s going to be a big blow for us; we’d like for him to hit in that West Texas wind.”