Fall Ball Notes: Dillon, Blair Talk Depth of Lineup, Improvement on Mound, Urgency To Win
As fall baseball begins to wind down, the optimism and vibes surrounding the Baylor program are at an all-time high going into head coach Mitch Thompson's third season at the helm.
The Bears are coming off a disappointing 2024 season that was marred by untimely injuries. For the second consecutive year, Baylor finished with an under .500 record (22-31) and missed the conference tournament.
After an offseason of bringing in new talent via the transfer portal, holding onto key returning players and getting several impact players back healthy, the Bears are looking to build off a promising fall and make a significant push this spring.
"We've had a very productive fall," assistant coach Jim Blair told the media. "Team chemistry has been great, and the new guys are showing a lot of promise. The returners have also done exceptionally well getting their feet back underneath them."
Fellow assistant coach Zach Dillon reiterated that on Monday, saying, "We feel like the depth is the best place it's been since we've been here. Anytime you get talented guys pushing each other, you get that 'iron sharpens iron' mentality, and guys start to make jumps because of the competition."
"Internal competition is invaluable," Dillon added. "Unfortunately, in our first two years, we didn't have a ton of it. We had to play with the guys we had that could go out there and compete."
The coaching staff has a sense of urgency to show the public that this program is on a positive trajectory going into Thompson's third season. Youth and injuries can no longer be an excuse, and everybody understands the importance of this upcoming spring.
"We've had some struggles as a program for multiple years; getting everybody going in the same direction is how you start to build a winning program again," Dillon said. "That's where we're at — we're in the belief stage. It's time. We've got the pieces to be really competitive and put a good product on the field in the spring. Now it's about our guys believing it, taking it, owning it and then going and achieving it."
For Baylor to accomplish its goals this season and potentially get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, it starts at the top of the batting order with the trio of all-conference caliber outfielders: Enzo Apodaca (RSr.), Ty Johnson (Sr.) and Wesley Jordan (Sr.).
"Those guys are as solid as a rock," Blair said. "Those are the three guys at the top of our lineup, and having them all out there consistently working together is big for us. Those guys are staples right now, and you don't have to worry about them on a daily basis. They go about their business, and they're coaching our young guys as well."
Dillon added to that, saying, "Anytime you can return guys, especially in the current state of college athletics, it's a big deal. The leadership component of that is huge. Those guys are hungry to win and hold guys to a high standard. Having those guys in the clubhouse is an extension of the coaching staff."
Elsewhere in the batting order, the Bears are expected to have a senior-laden lineup of returners that includes catcher Cortlan Castle (Sr.) and infielders Tyriq Kemp (Sr.), Will Pendergrass (RSr.) and Hunter Teplanskzy (Sr.). Baylor will also be getting back key players who missed the entirety of last season: Hunter Simmons (RSr.), Gavin Brzozowski (RJr.) and Jack Little (RSo.).
"I feel like we're about to take another step offensively," Dillon said. "Anytime you return veteran guys who have been through a college season, you feel like you'll get a bump in production. We certainly feel that way about our guys returning."
"We do have some different types of players, and our level of depth with power hitters and runners has definitely improved," Blair said. "We have the ability to have some different lineups depending on what we might be facing that day and want to be able to take advantage of that."
The majority of questions surrounding the Bears are on the mound, however. After being at the bottom of the conference in virtually every pitching category, Thompson parted ways with James Leverton and hired veteran Lamar pitching coach Sean Snedeker to replace him.
Since arriving in Waco, Snedeker has emphasized throwing strikes, and early reports suggest that the pitching staff took massive steps forward this fall.
"I just can't say enough about Coach Snedeker's influence on our club and what he's done for the pitching staff, returning guys and new guys," Dillon said. "We were able to pitch at a high level this fall, one-through-19; guys have all had their moments on the mound. They're out there mixing three pitches and competing in the strike zone, which is giving us a great opportunity to be successful on that part of the field."
Snedeker has also put a renowned focus on holding runners on and preventing stolen bases, something that was overlooked last season and proved costly for the Bears time and time again.
"Sned has done an unbelievable job of getting those guys ready to handle the running game and understand that portion of it," Blair said. "The fact that we've handled that well and thrown as many strikes as we have is a real good sign for what we've got in the spring."
Behind the plate, both coaches raved about the improvement of Castle and Brayden Buchanan (So.) this offseason. Dillon noted that Castle, in particular, has had the best fall of his Baylor career and looks to have taken a step forward offensively.
"He's turned himself into a more complete player," Dillon said. "I think he's throwing the ball at a really, really high level and has become one of the better catch-and-throw guys in our league, in my opinion. He's also become a much better blocker, communicator and overall leader with the pitching staff, which is required."
For both coaches, who formally were stand-out players at Baylor, getting the program back on an upward trajectory is of the utmost importance this season.
"We were having success in other areas of our lives and were pretty happy and content, but this was more of a passion project for us," Dillon said. "We saw a once really proud top 25 program that had hit the skids a little bit, and we wanted to help Coach Thompson bring it back to what it was."
Meanwhile, Blair joined Thompson's staff when he took over the program in 2022 but was promoted from volunteer coach to assistant coach after the NCAA granted three full-time assistants to Division I college baseball programs in July 2023.
"I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to coach here, in any capacity, having played here a long time ago," he said. "To have an opportunity to come back and coach here, I certainly don't take it for granted. I'm glad Coach [Thomposon] thought enough of me to put me in that full-time role when it became available."
With a returning veteran lineup, an upgraded roster and a highly successful pitching coach brought in to help the pitching staff, Baylor baseball is now ready to get back on track.
"We feel like we're on our way," Dillon said. "It's taken some time, obviously, and some heartache and some adversity, but there's not a whole lot of quit in our coaching staff, so we're going to keep pushing day to day to get it back to where it was."