Series Preview: Baylor Baseball Opens Season in Waco against New Mexico State

Baylor Baseball’s 2026 Preview: Roster Turnover, Young Talent and Tough Tests

WACO, Texas – Head coach Mitch Thompson and the Bears will open the 2026 season against the New Mexico State Aggies this weekend at Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark.

First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 4 p.m., while Saturday’s contest will be 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

2025 Record: 33-22

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 447-226 (13th season) 
• Record at Baylor: 75-88 (4th season) 

2026 Projections

• D1Baseball: 10th in the Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 11th in the Big 12

New Mexico State Aggies

2025 Record: 22-33

Head Coach: Jake Angier

• Career Record: 47-62 (3rd season) 
• Record at New Mexico State: 47-62 (3rd season) 

2026 Projections

• D1Baseball: 8th in C-USA
• Coaches Poll: 9th in C-USA

Levi’s Projected Starting Lineup

• 3B: Cade Dodson (So., UTA): (.324 BAVG, .387 OB%, 213 AB, 53 GP)
• SS: Travis Sanders (RJr.): (.335 BAVG, .425 OB%, 164 AB, 47 GP)
• 2B: Pearson Riebock (So.): (.306 BAVG, .406 OB%, 183 AB, 50 GP)
• 1B: Tyce Armstrong (RSr., UTA): (.319 BAVG, .415 OB%, 207 AB, 54 GP)
• RF: Brady Janusek (Fr.): (N/A)
• LF: Hunter Snow (RFr.): (Redshirted in 2025)
• DH: Brayden Buchanan (RSo.): (Redshirted in 2025)
• C: JJ Kennett (Jr.): (.243 BAVG, .380 OB%, 74 AB, 28 GP)
• CF: Ty Johnson (5Sr.): (.261 BAVG, .398 OB%, 176 AB, 53 GP)

Projected Bench

• C: Cash McDade (Fr.): (N/A)
• INF: Robert De La Garza (Jr., Odessa College): (.415 BAVG, .494 OB%, 212 AB, 56 GP)
• INF: John Youens (RSo.): (.158 BAVG, .304 OB%, 19 AB, 11 GP)
• INF: Brytton Clements (RFr.): (Redshirted in 2025)
• INF: TJ Woodson (Fr.): (N/A)
• INF: Cole Lanclos (Fr.): (N/A)
• INF: Caldwell McFaddin (Fr.): (N/A)
• OF: Caleb Bergman (Sr.): (.222 BAVG, .300 OB%, 9 AB, 25 GP)
• OF: Bo Caraway (Fr.): (N/A)
• OF: Dylan Perez (Fr.): (N/A)

*2025 Stats: (BAVG = Batting Average, OB% = On-Base Percentage, AB = At-Bats, GP = Games Played)*

Probable Starting Pitchers

• BU SP 1 – RHP: Lucas Davenport (RJr.); (4.25 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 42.1 IP, 16 APP)
• NSMU SP 1 – TBD
• BU SP 2 – LHP: Ethan Calder (Sr.); (5.18 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 73 IP, 15 APP)
• NMSU SP 2 – TBD
• BU SP 3 – RHP: Cade Hansen (Sr., Wisconsin-Whitewater); (2.68 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 84 IP, 16 APP)
• NMSU SP 3 – TBD

*2025 Stats: (ERA = Earned Run Average, WHIP = Walks & Hits Per Inning Pitched, IP = Innings-Pitched, APP = Appearances)*

Top Quotes

Head coach Mitch Thompson on Opening Weekend:

• “I'm sure the more we win, the more they'll want to come. The more the weather helps us and stays nice, the more we can get them here as well. We've got a great setup and a great ballpark to play in. You know, we're excited about being here at Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark, and we're excited to kick off the season.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on this year’s lineup:

• “There are some guys that'll be getting their feet wet, and every at-bat will be a new experience and a growing moment, and that'll be great. But we've got other guys that we feel like we can count on. I like the lineup. I think it's got good depth. I think we've got good versatility. Guys that can run. Guys that can hit for power. I think it'll be a scrappy lineup. I think it'll be a fun lineup to watch play offense. I think we will run the bases aggressively, and we won't be a stationary team. We'll be able to start runners and hopefully handle situations well, like that. I like what we've got. I like our guys.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on the team’s mental makeup:

• “All the guys that returned from last year, they're all bought in. They're 100% bought in on who we are and what we want to be. The guys that we've brought in, you look at a Tyce [Armstrong], you look at Cade Dodson, you look at Cade Hansen. You look at those guys, they know what good looks like. They've just stepped right in and continued to push the leadership part of this.”

Fifth-year senior center fielder Ty Johnson on the identity of this year’s team:

• “It's gonna be an exciting team to watch. It's gonna be a real fun year. Just seeing all the stuff that we've done in intrasquads so far, it’s going to be an exciting brand of baseball. I really think that people are going to grow to love that. People love to see stuff happening on the baseball field and us creating big plays. Hopefully, that gets fans to the ballpark. We have one of the best ballparks in the Big 12 and in the country. There’s nowhere better to watch a baseball game.”