Preview: Baylor Baseball Heads South for Series against Houston

Houston – Baylor baseball (13-11, 2-4) travels down I-45 to face the Houston Cougars (13-11, 1-5) this weekend at Schroeder Park. The Bears will open the series at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 27. Saturday’s game is slated for 1 p.m., while the series finale on Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m. All three games this weekend will be streamed on ESPN+.

Baylor Bears

• Record: 13-11 (2-4)
• RPI: 39th
• SOS: 7th

2026 Season Statistics

• Batting Average: .269 (13th in Big 12)
• Earned Run Average: 5.37 (8th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .977 (4th in Big 12)

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 460-237 (13th season) 
• Record at Baylor: 88-99 (4th season) 

2026 Projections

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

Notable Results

• Wins: No. 25 Ole Miss, No. 22 West Virginia, Oklahoma State
• Losses: No. 11 Oregon State, No. 20 Southern Miss, No. 3 Texas, UTSA, Kansas State, No. 22 West Virginia (2), Oklahoma State (2)

Houston Cougars

• Record: 13-11 (1-5)
• RPI: 75th
• SOS: 30th

2026 Season Statistics

• Batting Average: .290 (7th in Big 12)
• Earned Run Average: 5.88 (10th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .976 (5th in Big 12)

Head Coach: Todd Whitting

• Career Record: 487-374 (16th season) 
• Record at Houston: 487-374 (16th season) 

2026 Projections

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

Notable Results

• Wins: No. 21 Wake Forest, Alabama, No. 2 Texas
• Losses: UTRGV (2), No. 19 Oregon State, Iowa, Kansas State (2), Kansas (3)

Baylor’s Projected Starting Lineup

• SS: Travis Sanders (RJr.): (.386 BAVG, 1.015 OPS, 88 AB)
• LF: Pearson Riebock (So.): (.242 BAVG, .680 OPS, 66 AB)
• RF: Brady Janusek (Fr.): (.348 BAVG, 1.048 OPS, 92 AB)
• 1B: Tyce Armstrong (RSr.): (.281 BAVG, 1.007 OPS, 89 AB)
• DH: Hunter Snow (RFr.): (.219 BAVG, .799 OPS, 64 AB)
• 2B: Robert De La Garza (Jr.): (.276 BAVG, .674 OPS, 29 AB)
• 3B: Brytton Clements (RFr.): (.305 BAVG, .772 OPS, 59 AB)
• C: JJ Kennett (Jr.): (.273 BAVG, .811 OPS, 33 AB)
• CF: Ty Johnson (5Sr.): (.215 BAVG, .654 OPS, 65 AB)

Projected Bench

• INF: Cade Dodson (So.): (.205 BAVG, .602 OPS, 44 AB)
• DH: Brayden Buchanan (RSo.): (.209 BAVG, .638 OPS, 43 AB)

*2026 Stats: (BAVG = Batting Average, OPS = On-Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage, AB = At-Bats)*

Houston’s Projected Starting Lineup

• SS: Tyler Cox (Sr.): (.343 BAVG, .885 OPS, 70 AB)
• CF: Tre Broussard (Jr.): (.451 BAVG, 1.276 OPS, 51 AB)
• LF: Blake Fields (Fr.): (.296 BAVG, .804 OPS, 81 AB)
• RF: Xavier Perez (RSo.): (.281 BAVG, .905 OPS, 96 AB)
• 1B: McClane Helton (So.): (.296 BAVG, .813 OPS, 54 AB)
• C: Riley Jackson (Jr.): (.262 BAVG, .983 OPS, 65 AB)
• DH: Easton Winfield (Jr.): (.316 BAVG, 1.065 OPS, 19 AB)
• 3B: Jackson Lalima (So.): (.272 BAVG, .918 OPS, 81 AB)
• 2B: Antonelli Savattere (Sr.): (.231 BAVG, .615 OPS, 65 AB)

*2026 Stats: (BAVG = Batting Average, OPS = On-Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage, AB = At-Bats)*

Probable Starting Pitchers

• BU SP 1 – RHP: Lucas Davenport (RJr.); (1.98 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 4-4 APP-GS)
• UH SP 1 – RHP: Connor Udland (Fr.); (5.49 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 19.2 IP, 8-3 APP-GS)
• BU SP 2 – RHP: Zack Wallace (So.); (3.80 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 21.1 IP, 8-3 APP-GS)
• UH SP 2 – RHP: Kendall Hoffman (So.); (4.41 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 7-6 APP-GS)
• BU SP 3 – LHP: Ethan Calder (Sr.); (4.39 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 26.2 IP, 6-6 APP-GS)
• UH SP 3 – RHP: Paul Schmitz (Sr.); (7.66 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 6-6 APP-GS)

*2026 Stats: (ERA = Earned Run Average, WHIP = Walks & Hits Per Inning Pitched, IP = Innings-Pitched, APP = Appearances)

Top Quotes

Head coach Mitch Thompson on what to expect from Oklahoma State:

• “UH is a good club. They’ve played a really good schedule and had a big come-from-behind win on Tuesday. That’s one that can change things around for a ballclub. Good for them. They’ll definitely be a challenge for us for sure. They have some experience in their lineup. They have some talented arms on the mound to start games. It’ll be a challenge for us down there.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on getting healthy on the mound:

• “This is the first time this year that we’ve had a starting rotation of three guys who are built up, ready to go and can go as long as the game allows them. We’re not going to be pulling someone after 35 pitches, 50 pitches or 75 pitches. If the game says they can stay in the game, they’re going to stay in the game. That should give us a chance to limit our bullpen a little bit and not have to go quite as deep into the bullpen.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson provides a health update on Stefan Stahl:

• “He’s doing okay. He’s making progress. I don’t know if it’ll happen this weekend, but he’s getting closer. I’m as anxious as anyone in the country, but when he does come back, we’re going to have to limit his first couple of times out there and see how we can get him going again.”

Right-handed pitcher Zack Wallace on joining the weekend rotation:

• “Whatever I need to do to get the team on the right track and keep us in ballgames, I’m going to go out there and do whatever Coach Thompson wants me to do, and I’m going to leave it all on the field because tomorrow’s never guaranteed. It’s a belief. The Lord has a plan, and that’s why I carry through every game. I pray each night, hoping for an opportunity like this, and when it comes, I’m going to make the most of it.”

Catcher JJ Kennett on carrying Friday’s momentum into the rest of the weekend:

• “We’re trying to carry the momentum from Friday into Saturday and Sunday. We’ve brought the heat on Friday pretty well and came with a lot of fire. Now, we need to carry that into Saturday and Sunday. Getting the job done and getting a series win on the road is huge. Taking the first game at Oklahoma State last Friday was giant, but we’re disappointed in not being able to finish on Saturday and Sunday. Carrying that momentum from Friday into Saturday and Sunday is the biggest part of this weekend.”