Series Preview: Baylor Opens Seven-Game Homestand against Arizona State

Game Thread: Baylor Baseball (28-16) vs. Arizona State (30-16): Game Thread (5/2)

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (28-16, 9-12) returns home and faces Arizona State (30-16, 14-7) for a three-game set this weekend at Baylor Ballpark. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday’s contest will start at 2 p.m., and the series finale on Sunday is slated for 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.

Baylor Bears (28-16, 9-12)

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 440-216 (12th season) 
• Record at Baylor: 65-78 (3rd season) 

Notable Opponents:

• Wins: No. 23 Arizona (2), TCU, 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: 4.59 (5th in Big 12)
• Batting Average: .295 (5th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .970 (10th in Big 12)
• Strength of Schedule: No. 111 (D1Baseball), No. 88 (Warren Nolan)
• RPI: No. 60 (D1Baseball), No. 59 (Warren Nolan)

Arizona State Sun Devils (30-16, 14-7)

Head Coach: Willie Bloomquist

• Career Record: 120-97 (4th season) 
• Record at Arizona State: 120-97 (4th season) 

Notable Opponents:

• Wins: BYU (3), Texas Tech (2), Utah (3), No. 22 Kansas (2), TCU (2)
• Losses: Cincinnati (2), No. 22 Arizona (2)

2025 Projections:

• D1Baseball: 7th in the Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 6th in the Big 12

Team Stats:

• Earned Run Average: 5.45 (11th in Big 12)
• Batting Average: .320 (1st in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .982 (1st in Big 12)
• Strength of Schedule: No. 46 (D1Baseball), No. 45 (Warren Nolan)
• RPI: No. 42 (D1Baseball), No. 44 (Warren Nolan)

Baylor Projected Starting Lineup

• RF: Enzo Apodaca (RSr.): (.295 BAVG, .382 OB%, 183 AB, 49 R, 20 XBH, 33 RBI)
• 2B: Travis Sanders (RSo.): (.387 BAVG, .479 OB%, 119 AB, 37 R, 15 XBH, 21 RBI)
• SS: Tyriq Kemp (Sr.): (.346 BAVG, .437 OB%, 159 AB, 39 R, 19 XBH, 34 RBI)
• DH: Hunter Simmons (RSr.): (.354 BAVG, .443 OB%, 164 AB, 26 R, 18 XBH, 34 RBI)
• LF: Wesley Jordan (Sr.): (.292 BAVG, .372 OB%, 161 AB, 31 R, 22 XBH, 33 RBI)
• 3B: Pearson Riebock (Fr.): (.326 BAVG, .431 OB%, 141 AB, 26 R, 14 XBH, 25 RBI)
• 1B: John Youens (RFr.): (.375 BAVG, .444 OB%, 8 AB, 2 R, XBH, 2 RBI)
• CF Ty Johnson (Sr.): (.261 BAVG, .397 OB%, 142 AB, 27 R, 8 XBH, 29 RBI)
• C: Cortlan Castle (Sr.): (.276 BAVG, .378 OB%, 76 AB, 8 R, 4 XBH, 12 RBI)

Baylor Projected Bench

• C: JJ Kennett (So.): (.243 BAVG, .372 OB%, 70 AB, 13 R, 3 XBH, 20 RBI)
• OF/1B: Gavin Brzozowski (RSo.): (.222 BAVG, .348 OB%, 54 AB, 14 R, 9 RBI)
• 1B: Jack Little (RSo.): (.230 BAVG, .339 OB%, 148 AB, 33 R, 14 XBH, 29 RBI)
• 1B: Will Pendergrass (RSr.): (.176 BAVG, .237 OB%, 34 AB, 6 R, 2 XBH, 6 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: Mason Green (So.); (0-1, 9.53 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 5.2 IP, 4 GS)
• ASU SP 1 – LHP: Ben Jacobs (Jr.); (3-1, 4.73 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 59 IP, 11 GS)
• BU SP 2 – LHP: Carson Bailey (Fr.); (3-2, 5.13 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 47.1 IP, 11 GS)
• ASU SP 2 – RHP: Jack Martinez (Sr.); (5-2, 4.65 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 62 IP, 11 GS)
• BU SP 3 – LHP: Ethan Calder (Jr.); (3-4, 5.80 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 54.1 IP, 11 GS)
• ASU SP 3 – TBD

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

Arizona State Projected Starting Lineup

• 2B: Kyle Walker (RJr.): (.368 BAVG, .474 OB%, 155 AB, 56 R, 18 XBH, 21 RBI)
• LF: Landon Hairston (Fr.): (.362 BAVG, .489 OB%, 138 AB, 44 R, 13 XBH, 29 RBI)
• SS: Matt King (Sr.): (.410 BAVG, .471 OB%, 161 AB, 41 R, 22 XBH, 46 RBI)
• 1B: Jacob Tobias (Sr.): (.313 BAVG, .399 OB%, 179 AB, 31 R, 25 XBH, 43 RBI)
• 3B: Nu’u Contrades (Jr.): (.309 BAVG, .416 OB%, 178 AB, 47 R, 24 XBH, 38 RBI)
• RF: Kien Vu (Jr.): (.357 BAVG, .458 OB%, 129 AB, 41 R, 18 XBH, 29 RBI)
• C: Josiah Cromwick (RSr.): (.240 BAVG, .345 OB%, 100 AB, 23 R, 17 XBH, 29 RBI)
• DH: Brandon Compton (RSo.): (.262 BAVG, .379 OB%, 164 AB, 39 R, 19 XBH, 41 RBI)
• CF: Isaiah Jackson (Jr.): (.298 BAVG, .379 OB%, 171 AB, 34 R, 23 XBH, 50 RBI)

Top Quotes

Head coach Mitch Thompson on opening a seven-game homestand against Arizona State:

• “I'm definitely excited to be here at home. I'm excited for our crowd to be here and have some good weather, hopefully, and to be playing a really good opponent. I'd rather play them at home than on the road — no question. Arizona State’s good. They're talented, and this weekend's big for us. It's big for everybody. As the season progresses, the weekends get a little more important.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on what he sees from Arizona State:

• “Best hitting team in the league, up and down. Their numbers are off the charts. They really run, they're athletic. They've got the leading hitter in the league. They've got the leading strikeout guy in the league on the mound. They lead the league in team defense overall in all games for the season. This is a really sound club that's got a lot of ability.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on balancing the importance of winning these games but not feeling the pressure to perform:

• “If you sit here and go, ‘Oh man. You've got to win. You've got to win.’ Then it's just pressure, and it doesn't show up. We've just got to keep playing. We've put ourselves in a position where these games matter, and that's good. Enjoy it, go play and have fun. We get one game a day to play. Let's go win this one and move on to the next one. And if you lose that one, then ‘Hey, pick yourself back up and let's go get the next one.’ That's really where we're at. We just have to continue to play well and hopefully, win some of these series.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on potential inclement weather on Friday:

• “We might have to — we’ll see. Hopefully, we can get it in tomorrow night. We’ll see where we’re at. If not, we’ll just play a double-header on Saturday. Saturday and Sunday’s weather looks good, so I don’t anticipate that we’ll have any problems.”

Right-handed pitcher Grayson Murry (Jr.) on Baylor playing its best ball of the season to close the spring:

• “We all believe in each other and know that we’re a great team. We can do anything we put our minds to. It’s all in our hands right now. We can go out there and compete against these great teams and win. We trust each and every guy, whoever is on the mound and whoever is at the plate.”

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