Preview: Baylor Baseball Opens Season at Shriners Children’s Showdown

ARLINGTON, Texas – Baylor baseball will open the season and kick off the Shriners Children's Showdown against Nebraska at 11 a.m. on Friday, followed by games against Oregon at 11 a.m. on Saturday and No. 9 Tennessee at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be streamed on Flo Baseball.

Baylor Bears

Jack Mackenzie - SicEm365

Mitch Thompson’s Bears have the toughest schedule in the country over the first month of the season, according to Baseball Radar.

• 2023 Record: 20-35
• 2023 Big 12 Record: 6-18
• 2023 RPI: No. 174

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 392-173 (11th season) 
• Record at Baylor: 20-35 (2nd season) 

2024 Projections

• D1Baseball: 12th in the Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 11th in the Big 12

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska Athletics

Baylor baseball will open the season and kick off the Shriners Children's Showdown against Nebraska at 11 a.m. on Friday.

• 2023 Record: 33-23
• 2023 Big 10 Record: 15-9
• 2023 RPI: No. 100

Head Coach: Will Bolt

• Career Record: 237-153 (9th season) 
• Record at Nebraska: 97-75 (5th season) 

2024 Projections

• D1Baseball: 5th in the Big Ten
• Coaches Poll: 5th in the Big Ten

Oregon Ducks

Oregon Athletics

Oregon was upset at home by Oral Roberts last season in the NCAA Tournament. Baylor will face ORU, who went on to reach the CWS, in two weeks.

• 2023 Record: 41-22 (Loss to Oral Roberts in Eugene Super Regional)
• 2023 Pac-12 Record: 16-14
• 2023 RPI: No. 24

Head Coach: Mark Wasikowski

• Career Record: 211-152 (8th season) 
• Record at Oregon: 124-70 (5th season) 

2024 Projections

• D1Baseball: 5th in the Pac-12
• Coaches Poll: 4th in the Pac-12

No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee has made two College World Series appearances (2021, 2023) since Tony Vitello took over as head coach in 2018.

• 2023 Record: 44-22 (Loss in College World Series)
• 2023 SEC Record: 16-14
• 2023 RPI: No. 12

Head Coach: Tony Vitello

• Career Record: 235-99 (7th season) 
• Record at Tennesee: 235-99 (7th season) 

2024 Projections

• D1Baseball: 2nd in the SEC East
• Coaches Poll: 3rd in the SEC East

Baylor Probable Starting Fielders

*2023 Stats: BAVG = Batting Average, OB% = On-Base Percentage, AB = At-Bats, GS = Games Started)*

Jack Mackenzie - SicEm365

Third baseman Hunter Teplanszky is arguably Baylor’s best player heading into the spring.

• C: Cortlan Castle (Jr.) - (.299 BAVG, .364 OB%, 117 AB, 30 GS)
• 1B: Will Pendergrass (RJr.) - (.250 BAVG, .327 OB%, 44 AB, 10 GS)
• 2B: Mason Greer (Missouri State, Sr.) - (.235 BAVG, .319 OB%, 102 AB, 28 GS)
• SS: Tyriq Kemp (Western Oklahoma CC, Jr.) - (.375 BAVG, .486 OB%, 208 AB, 62 GS)
• 3B: Hunter Teplanszky (Jr.) - (.308 BAVG, .406 OB%, 172 AB, 46 GS)
• LF: Hunter Simmons (Sr.) - (.297 BAVG, .374 OB%, 158 AB, 42 GS)
• CF: Ty Johnson (McLennan CC, Jr.) - (.364 BAVG, .488 OB%, 165 AB, 49 GS)
• RF: Enzo Apodaca (Gonzaga, RJr.) - (.281 BAVG, .382 OB%, 199 AB, 52 GS)
• DH: Wesley Jordan (Navarro, Jr.) - (.337 BAVG, .419 OB%, 184 AB, 53 GS)

Projected Bench

• C: Harrison Caley (Sr.) - (.164 BAVG, .292 OB%, 55 AB, 18 GS)
• C: Brayden Buchanan (Fr.) - (N/A)
• 2B: Cole Posey (Sr.) - (.279 BAVG, .397 OB%, 179 AB, 47 GS)
• OF/1B: Gavin Brzozowski (RSo.) - (.247 BAVG, .367 OB%, 146 AB, 39 GS)

Baylor Probable Starting Pitchers

*2023 Stats: ERA = Earned Run Average, WHIP = Walks & Hits Per Inning Pitched, IP = Innings-Pitched, APP = Appearances)*

• RHP: Mason Marriott (Jr.) - (7.52 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, 58.2 IP, 24 APP)
• RHP: Collin McKinney (RFr.) - (N/A)
• TBD

Top Quotes

Daniel Bowden - Lamar

Patrick Hail (RJr.) was Baylor’s lone pitching addition in the transfer portal this offseason.

Head coach Mitch Thompson on what he hopes to learn about his team this weekend:

• “I want to see us compete as hard as we can. I want to see our pitchers go out there and throw strikes, handle the game and control the running game. I want to see our hitters compete up and down the lineup. I want to see some of the things we expect – the competitiveness we’ve had throughout the fall and the early spring. I want to see us compete against somebody else. I know we’re going to get challenged. There are really good teams up there. We’re going to face good pitching. We’re going to face really good hitters. It’s a steep challenge, no question.”

Junior third baseman Hunter Teplanszky on whether the lineup is the strength of the team:

• “I believe the lineup is going to be a real big part of our success. You’ve got guys coming in from JUCO, D1 transfers, [the lineup] is going to be really strong, and we’re going to give people problems.”

Junior third baseman Hunter Teplanszky on what to expect from Baylor this weekend:

• “I think you’ll find out how well we’re going to compete. I think you’re going to see a lot of grit from the guys. I think you’re going to see kind of what we’re made of. We, obviously, don’t expect to play our best baseball early, but we’re going to attempt to. … To compete well against teams like this at the beginning of the year can really show us where we can be by the end of the year.”

Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Patrick Hail on playing at Globe Life Field - the home of the World Champion Texas Rangers:

• “I think there will be a little bit of an “ooh-and-ahh” moment right when we get there, but like [Teplanszky] said, just understanding it’s the same field, it’s the same game we’ve been playing since we were three, four, five-years-old is really big for us going into the weekend.”

What I’m Looking For This Weekend + Other Notes

Gonzaga Athletics

The jewel of this offseason’s transfer class is Enzo Apodaca, a speedy outfielder from Gonzaga who is a former Freshman All-American.

• Thompson’s squad won’t have any opportunity to ease their way into the season. Right out of the gates, they’ll be facing three solid Power Five teams at the Shriners Showdown, and shortly after, Baylor will have weekend series against two 2023 NCAA Tournament teams – Indiana and Oral Roberts. It will be interesting to see if the young Bears are competitive and ready to meet the challenge.
• Sometimes in baseball, offenses can take a few weeks to heat up and get back into the swing of things. Baylor has four really talented players at the top of its batting order: Enzo Apodaca (RJr.), Hunter Teplanszky (Jr.), Ty Johnson (Jr.) and Hunter Simmons (Sr.). If the Bears want any chance at leaving Arlington with a couple of wins, they’ll need the top of the lineup to lead the way.
• Collin McKinney’s (RFr.) long-awaited college debut on the mound will finally come this Saturday against Oregon. After missing last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, the talented 6-foot-5 righty sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and has one of the highest ceilings on the team.
• Tanner Duke (RFr.) is another young arm who missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Duke’s fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s, and I anticipate him finding his way into the weekend rotation at some point this spring. Whether he’s the first guy out of the pen on Friday or Saturday or the starter on Sunday is to be determined.
• While Cort Castle (Jr.) is Baylor’s lone returning All-Big 12 player, it’s no longer a sure thing that he’ll be the starting backstop this weekend. Despite a bad 2023 season, Harrison Caley (Sr.) has put together a solid spring at the plate and might be a slight defensive upgrade over Castle.
  

  Jack Mackenzie - SicEm365

  Harrison Caley (Sr.) has put together a solid spring at the plate and might start at catcher this weekend.
• Wichita State transfer Jack Little (So.) was shaping up to be the Bears starting second baseman this spring but suffered an injury that will keep him out for the season. Returning infielder Cole Posey (Sr.) is also playing banged up and will not start Friday. Missouri State transfer Mason Greer (Sr.) is expected to start at second base, and Will Pendergrass (RJr.) will get the nod at first base.
• Prediction: Baylor splits the contests against Nebraska and Oregon but loses to No. 9 Tennessee on Sunday to go 1-2 at the Shriners Showdown.

Want to go further in-depth? Check out Baylor baseball’s full season preview here.