Series Preview: Baylor Welcomes Utah to Waco for Three-Game Set

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (23-13, 6-9) returns to Waco following a four-game road trip to face the Utah Utes (15-17, 4-11) for a three-game set at Baylor Ballpark. First pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday’s contest will start at 6:30 p.m., and the series finale on Saturday is slated for 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.

Baylor Bears (23-13, 6-9)

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 435-213 (12th season) 
• Record at Baylor: 60-75 (3rd season) 

Notable Opponents:

• Wins: No. 23 Arizona (2), Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State
• Losses: No. 8 Oregon State, No. 25 Auburn, Kansas (2), Kansas State (2), Texas Tech (2)

2025 Projections:

• D1Baseball: 12th in the Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 13th in the Big 12

Team Stats:

• Earned Run Average: 4.53 (5th in Big 12)
• Batting Average: .299 (4th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .968 (11th in Big 12)
• Strength of Schedule: No. 103
• RPI: No. 64

Utah Utes (15-17, 4-11)

Head Coach: Gary Henderson

• Career Record: 414-355 (14th season) 
• Record at Utah: 96-98 (4th season) 

Notable Opponents:

• Wins: Oklahoma State (2), BYU (2)
• Losses: UC San Diego, Kansas State (3), Arizona State (3), Arizona State (3)

2025 Projections:

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

Team Stats:

• Earned Run Average: 6.08 (12th in Big 12)
• Batting Average: .297 (6th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .973 (7th in Big 12)
• Strength of Schedule: No. 122
• RPI: No. 109

Baylor Projected Starting Lineup

• RF: Enzo Apodaca (RSr.): (.282 BAVG, .377 OB%, 149 AB, 41 R, 17 XBH, 31 RBI)
• LF: Wesley Jordan (Sr.): (.311 BAVG, .394 OB%, 135 AB, 29 R, 20 XBH, 33 RBI)
• SS: Tyriq Kemp (Sr.): (.344 BAVG, .435 OB%, 131 AB, 34 R, 15 XBH, 24 RBI)
• DH: Hunter Simmons (RSr.): (.350 BAVG, .444 OB%, 137 AB, 22 R, 16 XBH, 27 RBI)
• 3B: Pearson Riebock (Fr.): (.360 BAVG, .462 OB%, 111 AB, 21 R, 12 XBH, 22 RBI)
• 2B: Travis Sanders (RSo.): (.356 BAVG, .454 OB%, 90 AB, 26 R, 10 XBH, 13 RBI)
• CF Ty Johnson (Sr.): (.286 BAVG, .418 OB%, 119 AB, 24 R, 8 XBH, 26 RBI)
• 1B: Jack Little (RSo.): (.241 BAVG, .352 OB%, 137 AB, 32 R, 14 XBH, 29 RBI)
• C: Cortlan Castle (Sr.): (.302 BAVG, .405 OB%, 63 AB, 7 R, 3 XBH, 9 RBI)

Baylor Projected Bench

• C: JJ Kennett (So.): (.271 BAVG, .405 OB%, 59 AB, 12 R, 3 XBH, 20 RBI)
• 1B: Gavin Brzozowski (RSo.): (.213 BAVG, .345 OB%, 47 AB, 12 R, 7 RBI)
• 3B: Hunter Teplanszky (Sr.): (.167 BAVG, .295 OB%, 36 AB, 4 R, XBH, 7 RBI)

*2025 Stats: (BAVG = Batting Average, OB% = On-Base Percentage, AB = At-Bats, R = Runs, XBH = Extra Base Hits, RBI = Runs Batted In)*

Probable Starting Pitchers

• BU SP 1 – LHP: Ethan Calder (Jr.); (3-3, 4.82 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 46.2 IP, 9 GS)
• UU SP 1 – RHP: Coltor McAnelly (So.); (2-3, 4.14 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 58.2 IP, 9 GS)
• BU SP 2 – LHP: Carson Bailey (Fr.); (3-1, 5.02 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 37.2 IP, 9 GS)
• UU SP 2 – RHP: Merit Jones (Jr.); (2-4, 7.11 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 49.1 IP, 9 GS)
• BU SP 3 – LHP: Mason Green (So.); (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 2 IP, 2 GS)
• UU SP 3 – TBD

*2025 Stats: (ERA = Earned Run Average, WHIP = Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched, GS = Games Started)*

Utah Projected Starting Lineup

• 2B: Matt Flaharty (RJr.): (.297 BAVG, .381 OB%, 128 AB, 26 R, 13 XBH, 18 RBI)
• SS: Jackson Core (Sr.): (.400 BAVG, .473 OB%, 130 AB, 39 R, 21 XBH, 28 RBI)
• 3B: Austin Roellig (RFr.): (.362 BAVG, .413 OB%, 130 AB, 39 R, 14 XBH, 26 RBI)
• 1B: Cameron Gurney (RSo.): (.313 BAVG, .392 OB%, 64 AB, 20 R, 5 XBH, 18 RBI)
• LF: Jake Long (So.): (.265 BAVG, .333 OB%, 113 AB, 17 R, 7 XBH, 16 RBI)
• RF: Kaden Carpenter (Jr.): (.303 BAVG, .411 OB%, 122 AB, 20 R, 14 XBH, 23 RBI)
• DH: Drake Digiorno (Sr.): (.233 BAVG, .358 OB%, 43 AB, 4 R, 3 XBH, 6 RBI)
• CF: Santino Panaro (Sr.): (.301 BAVG, .379 OB%, 103 AB, 18 R, 13 XBH, 9 RBI)
• C: Derek Smith (Jr.): (.198 BAVG, .327 OB%, 81 AB, 11 R, 7 XBH, 14 RBI)

Top Quotes

Head coach Mitch Thompson on putting everything together at the right time:

• “We’re trying to get on a roll here at the end of the year, where we’re playing our best baseball. We’re swinging the bats up and down the lineup, we’re playing good defense and our pitching and bullpen are good. We’ve gone through the year, and we haven’t synced it together and gone on a roll. If we’re going to go one, it’d be a nice time to go on one.”

Redshirt sophomore second baseman Travis Sanders on how the team has still not put everything together for a weekend series yet:

• “There are some days where everything is clicking, and then there are other days where something is missing, and maybe the other two are there, but that’s just baseball. I believe we’re going to keep working, keep getting after it, keep combining and growing as a team and keep the pressure on other teams. When we’re all together and everything’s clicking, the pressure is very, very, very tight for the other team. I think it’s going to get better as we go.”

Freshman left-handed pitcher Carson Bailey on what to expect from Utah:

• “They have a lot of lefties. It’ll be good for me because slider lefty to lefty is pretty hard [to hit]. It’ll be a good matchup, and I’m excited and ready to try and sweep a team and get the Bears rolling.”

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