Baylor Baseball Season Preview: Pair Of Pitchers Highlight Top Transfers
As Baylor baseball’s Opening Day matchup against Youngstown State (Feb. 14) approaches, it's time to start breaking down the roster, plus the biggest storylines and questions heading into the 2025 season. Today, we’ll assess the top transfer portal additions.
LHP Bryson Bales: (4-2 W/L, 13-13 APP/GS, 4.21 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, .234 B/AVG, 68.1 IP, 32 ER, 34 BB, 76 SO, 61 H, 15 XBH)
Sixth-year senior left-handed pitcher Bryson Bales was a late-summer, under-the-radar pickup for head coach Mitch Thompson and Baylor but might prove to be one of the Bears' most significant offseason additions.
Bales is transferring from Hendrix College, a Division III program in Conway, Ark., where he started 13 games last season for the Warriors and compiled a 4.21 ERA across 68.1 innings pitched. Bales has consistently pounded the strike zone in his career and punched out 76 batters while surrendering 34 walks last spring.
The 6-foot-3 southpaw started to make waves over the summer as an integral member of the 2024 Cape Cod League Champion Harwich Mariners. Bales made seven appearances for the Mariners, including three starts, and boasted a 2.95 ERA. In 21.1 innings pitched, he struck out 21 batters.
Bales is expected to be in Baylor’s starting rotation this spring and could even be the Bears’ Friday ace. The Round Rock native has a three-pitch mix with a fastball that sits in the low 90s.
RHP Caleb Bunch: (2-1 W/L, 4 SV, 17-0 APP/GS, 2.58 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, .194 B/AVG, 45.1 IP, 13 ER, 16 BB, 40 SO, 33 H, 13 XBH)
Right-handed pitcher Caleb Bunch arrives in Waco after earning Second-Team All-Southland Conference honors with Northwestern State last spring. Bunch appeared in 17 games out of the bullpen for the Demons, recorded a 2.58 ERA and held opponents to a .194 batting average.
The 6-foot-6 righty struck out 40 batters compared to just 16 walks and didn’t allow two or more earned runs in any of his outings, aside from surrendering a season-high three runs in a five-inning outing against Lamar on May 23.
Bunch is expected to be one of Baylor’s top relievers and was listed as one of the 75 most impactful transfer pitchers, according to D1Baseball. Bunch is a strike thrower with a fastball in the upper 80s and is believed to have the nastiest array of offspeed pitches on the team.
Before his lone year at Northwestern State, Bunch pitched two seasons at Ranger College. Originally from Keller, Texas, he played high school ball at Covenant Christian.
INF Travis Sanders: (13-6 GP/GS, .242 BAVG, .390 OB%, .784 OPS, 33 AB, 11 R, 8 H, 5 XBH, 7 RBI, 13 TB, 6 BB, 2 HBP, 11 SO)
While the majority of Baylor’s offseason needs revolved around pitching, redshirt sophomore infielder Travis Sanders was a perfect low-risk, high-reward addition for the Bears over the summer.
Originally a native of Copperas Cove, Sanders was rated as the No. 90 prospect in the country and the No. 6 player in the state of Texas in the 2022 recruiting class. Sanders was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 14th round of the 2022 MLB Draft but elected to attend Texas Tech instead.
After redshirting in 2023 due to a season-ending injury, Sanders was log-jammed behind the Red Raiders' talented underclassmen middle infield duo of Tracer Lopez and TJ Pompey last spring. Across 13 appearances and six starts in 2024, Sanders hit .242, with five of his eight hits coming for extra bases.
With Baylor’s senior-heavy lineup, Sanders will likely be competing for the starting second base position along with returning redshirt sophomore Jack Little, who missed the entire 2024 season with an injury. However, Sanders can slide over and play shortstop or third base if needed; he played errorless defense in the middle infield for Texas Tech with 19 putouts and 18 assists.
It’s also important to note that if returning third baseman Hunter Teplanszky (Sr.) or shortstop Tyriq Kemp (Sr.) have extended struggle periods, as they both did last spring, don’t be surprised if Sanders gets an opportunity on Baylor’s left side of the infield.
More Reading
- Top Questions Surrounding Baylor Baseball Heading Into Mitch Thompson's Third Season
- Baylor Baseball Season Preview: Outfield Trio Headlines Top Returning Players
- Practices Underway for Mitch Thompson and Baylor Baseball: 'Our Guys Are Excited'