Calder Strikes Out Career High as Baylor Cruises Past Penguins, 10-3, On Opening Day

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (1-0) opened its season with an emphatic 10-3 victory over Youngstown State (0-1) on Friday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.

Left-handed pitcher Ethan Calder (Jr.) opened the contest with a three-pitch strikeout, setting the tone for his outing. Calder was dominant in his fourth career start, striking out a career-high 13 batters and surrendering one run across five frames.

Calder was Baylor's most reliable pitcher last spring and earned honorable mention all-conference. He had the fourth-lowest ERA (3.23) in the Big 12 among qualified pitchers, and 12 of his 18 relief appearances in 2024 were scoreless.

"That's the reason that we gave him the ball; he's consistent with everything he does," head coach Mitch Thompson said of Calder post-game. "You know what you're going to get. Who on our staff [could] take the ball on Opening Day and be the guy you need him to be? It's Ethan. He went out and did today, and it was great to see it."

Jack Mackenzie - SicEm365.com

In his first game back after missing most of last season with an injury, DH Hunter Simmons (RSr.) went 3-3 with a double, two RBIs and drew two walks.

In the win, the Bears out-hit the Penguins, 13-to-eight. Left fielder Wesley Jordan (Sr.) went 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and scored three runs.

The three players who missed either all or most of last season with injuries — second baseman Jack Little (RSo.), designated hitter Hunter Simmons (RSr.) and first baseman Gavin Brzozowski (RJr.) — went 6-for-11 at the plate with three RBIs in Friday's Opening Day win.

"They weren't there last year, but also, we have them now — that's the biggest part," Simmons said of Little and Brzozowski. "Having them brings up everybody else. We're not relying on three people. We have a bunch of people helping out now. It takes the pressure off them and us. The team is excited to have them back. I'm pumped to see Jack back and Gavin back in the lineup."

Little led off the game and poked a single through the left side of the infield in his first at-bat as a Bear; Little transferred to Baylor from Wichita State following the 2023 season but missed all of last spring with an injury.

With Little on first base, Jordan crushed an RBI double to straightaway center field to put the Bears on the board, 1-0.

In his first at-bat since suffering a gruesome leg injury on Feb. 23, 2024, Simmons clubbed a stand-up RBI double into the right-center field gap to score Jordan and extend Baylor's lead to 2-0 in the first inning. Simmons finished the afternoon 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and drew two walks.

"I had a little wave of emotions before starting, but it feels really good to be out there," Simmons said.

With runners on the corners in the third inning, Brzozowski lined a two-out RBI single into left field to score Jordan and give the Bears a 3-0 lead. Despite possessing the most power on the team, Jordan is also an on-base machine and has reached base in 35 consecutive games, dating back to last season.

The Bears added three more runs in the fifth inning, mostly due to Youngstown State handing out four walks in the frame, with two of those coming with the bases loaded. 

Left-handed pitcher Carson Bailey (Fr.) made his collegiate debut out of the bullpen in relief of Calder. Bailey, a high-profile freshman from Richardson, Texas, tossed a scoreless inning and collected his first career strikeout.

Center fielder Ty Johnson (Sr.) hit a solo home run in the seventh inning — his third career homer in a BU uniform. In the following inning, Johnson came to the plate with the bases loaded and pushed a two-run single through the right side; Johnson finished with a team-high four RBIs in the win.

Northwestern State transfer righty Caleb Bunch (Sr.) made his debut for the Bears and earned a three-inning save. He allowed two runs and six hits.

 

Final: Baylor 10, Youngstown State 3

W: Ethan Calder (1-0) L: Jacob Gehring (0-1) S: Caleb Bunch (1)

POTG: Ethan Calder (5 IP, 2 H, R, ER, BB, 13 K, 18 BF, 73 TP, 48 ST)

WHAT'S NEXT

Due to potential inclement weather on Sunday, the Bears (1-0) and Penguins (0-1) will close the series on Saturday with a doubleheader. Game two of the series is slated for a 1 p.m. start, while the series finale is expected for 5 p.m.