Baylor Handles Business against Sam Houston, Bashes Bearkats 15-4

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Baylor baseball (28-16) handled business with a dominant 15-4 victory over Sam Houston (9-36) on Tuesday evening at Don Sanders Stadium.

The Bears improve to 10-1 in midweek games on the season, and four different BU batters recorded multi-hit performances. The middle infield duo of Travis Sanders (RSo.) and Tyriq Kemp (Sr.) combined to reach base in six of their nine plate appearances and drove in six runs.

First baseman John Youens (RFr.) inked his first career start; he collected a pair of RBIs, scored two runs and went 2-for-4 at the plate while playing solid defense.

“It was a complete team game,” head coach Mitch Thompson told the Baylor Sports Media Network post-game. “When you have eight spots in the lineup that drive in a run, we cleared our bench and got everybody at-bat. Then, those guys that came into the game got a hit and scored runs.”

Seven different Baylor pitchers combined to tie a season-high with 14 strikeouts and surrendered just seven hits and two free passes; the Bears are 19-3 this season when allowing two or fewer walks.

“Every pitcher threw phenomenal,” lefty RJ Ruais (So.) said to the Baylor Sports Media Network afterward. “The staff as a whole went out and threw strikes and pounded the zone.”

The Bears got the scoring started with a four-spot in the second inning. With two runners in scoring position, catcher Cortlan Castle (Sr.) got Baylor on the board with an RBI sacrifice fly to right field.

Baylor Athletics

Seven different Baylor pitchers combined to tie a season-high with 14 strikeouts and surrendered just seven hits and two free passes.

Right fielder Enzo Apodaca (RSr.) followed Castle with an RBI single into center field, and Sanders capitalized on the opportunity with an opposite-field two-run homer.

Sanders has six long balls on the season and has totaled four homers in his last six games. Apodaca went 2-for-4 and scored three runs in Tuesday’s victory.

Left-handed pitcher Caleb Jameson (RSo.) started on the bump for the Bears and delivered his third-straight scoreless outing, striking out three across two clean frames without allowing a hit or free pass; the lone base-runner reached on a fielding error.

Right-handed pitcher Hunter Teplanszky (Sr.) replaced Jameson on the mound in the third inning, and Sam Houston picked up its first hit of the evening, a two-run homer from second baseman Blake Brown (So.). 

Brown’s long ball was the first base knock Teplanszky has allowed across four outings this season. Teplanszky bounced back with a scoreless fourth inning. His earned run average sits at 5.40 on the season.

The Bears broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning, highlighted by run-scoring singles from shortstop Tyriq Kemp (Sr.), left fielder Gavin Brzozowski (RSo.) and Youens. Brzozowski finished the contest 2-for-4 with two RBIs and scored two runs.

“I’m glad to see Gavin have a really good game,” Thompson said. “I’m glad to see John Youens with his first college start have a good night. He did a nice job at the plate and made a big play on a pick in the dirt. There were a lot of good things happening tonight.”

The Bears added three more runs in the seventh inning. Sanders plated a run with a single into left field, and Kemp drew a bases-loaded walk; Kemp leads the team with a 20-game on-base streak.

Relievers Stefan Stahl (Jr.), Grayson Murry (Jr.), Ruais and Andrew Petrowski (RSr.) all tossed scoreless frames out of the bullpen and combined for nine punchouts.

“Virtually, every game that went out there for us today was really good,” Thompson said. “I can start naming names — Stahl, Murray, Petrowski, Ruais — were all really good toward the end of the game. … They filled up the strike zone and made pitches. You have to be pleased with that.”

Baylor padded its lead even further in the ninth inning with an RBI sacrifice fly from Kemp and RBI base knocks from Will Pendergrass (RSr.) and third baseman Pearson Riebock (Fr.).

Final: Baylor 15, Sam Houston 4

W: Caleb Jameson (2-0) L: Connor Mondey (0-4)

POTG: Enzo Apodaca (2-for-4, 3 R, RBI, BB, HBP)

WHAT’S NEXT

The Bears (28-16, 9-12) will return to Waco and open their series versus Arizona State (28-16, 14-7) on Friday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.