Top of Baylor’s Batting Order Powers Bears Past BYU in Series Opener, 12-5

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (17-12, 6-4) continued its dominance in series openers, improving its season record to 7-1 in openers, and extending its Big 12 winning streak to four games with a 12-5 victory over BYU (13-15, 4-6) on Thursday night at Baylor Ballpark.

The top of Baylor’s batting order — shortstop Travis Sanders (RJr.), right fielder Brady Janusek (Fr.) and first baseman Tyce Armstrong (RSr.) — led the Bears in the win, combining to go 8-for-15 at the plate with five extra-base hits and eight RBIs. Janusek broke a career-high in base knocks (4) and RBIs (5) and was a triple shy of the cycle, while Sanders was a home run shy.

Baylor out-hit BYU, 13-to-8, in the contest, got the leadoff runner aboard six times and went 8-for-19 (.421) with runners in scoring position, despite leaving the bases juiced on three separate occasions.

“It was great to see the guys swing the bats really well today,” head coach Mitch Thompson said post-game. “Come out of the chute, square balls up, hit them really hard. Travis started it off. Janusek was outstanding. Tyce with a big home run right off the bat.”

Thompson continued, “There was a lot to like, but still room to get better. I challenged the guys. I haven’t probably done this in four years, but I’m going to nit-pick a little bit because there are several things we need to nit-pick the crap out of and let’s stay after it and be great. I think we have the ability to do really good things. I think we’re better, and we have to keep being better. I’m trying to hold them accountable on that. I’m proud of the win. I just want to see us do it with a little more finish to it.”

Right-handed pitcher Lucas Davenport (RJr.) followed up his gem last weekend in Houston with another fantastic outing, punching out a career-high 12 Cougars and allowing seven hits and three earned runs across six frames and 103 pitches.

“His stuff is really good; he keeps ticking up and is getting stronger,” Thompson said of Davenport. “He has dominating stuff. Dominating fastball. Dominating slider. Dominating changeup at times. He’s pretty good. It’s fun to watch him pitch, and it’s fun to watch him compete right now.”

Armstrong got the Bears on the board, 2-0, with his team-high 11th long ball of the season, crushing a hanging breaking ball 439 feet over the left field wall; Armstrong’s exit velocity was 112 miles per hour off the bat, the highest on a BU home run this season.

In the bottom of the third, Janusek got in on the fun, with a two-run homer of his own — a 410-footer to left-center, his seventh of the season — following a leadoff triple off the batter’s eye in center field from Sanders; Janusek is second on the team in RBIs (29).

The Bears added onto their lead with a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth. Second baseman Brytton Clements (RFr.) led off the frame with a chopper double down the left field line, and center fielder Ty Johnson (5Sr.) plated him with a single through the left side. Catcher JJ Kennett (Jr.) drew a walk, and Janusek delivered with a two-run, two-out double to center field.

Baylor had an opportunity to do more damage, but left fielder Pearson Riebock (So.) struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning. Riebock went 0-for-4 with four punchouts and was one of three Bears to not record a base knock in the win.

Two of BYU’s runs off Davenport came courtesy of catcher Ridge Erickson (So.), who entered the contest with a .160 batting average, went 2-for-2 off Baylor’s ace, including a solo home run and an RBI double. 

The other Cougar run scored on a two-out RBI double that got past a slipping Armstrong, who otherwise would have made the play had he been able to stay on his feet, trimming Baylor’s lead to 7-3 in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the frame, Clements got aboard to lead off the inning again, as he finished the contest 2-for-3, and later came around to score on a bases-loaded balk from BYU right-handed reliever Dan Brousseau (Jr.). The Laredo native boasts both a seven-game hitting streak and an on-base streak and is hitting .312 on the season.

Clements came through again in the following frame with a two-out RBI single through the right side after Riebock drew a nine-pitch walk the at-bat before. After a Johnson walk, Kennett grounded an RBI single up the middle that bounced off the second-base bag, extending Baylor’s lead to 10-3; Kennett went 2-for-4 at the plate in the win — his fourth multi-hit game of the season.

The Bears added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth on RBI base knocks from Sanders and Janusek; Janusek was a triple shy of the cycle while Sanders was a home run shy of it.

Relievers Charlie Atkinson (Jr.) and Luke McLeod (Fr.) weren’t as sharp as they normally are command-wise, as they combined to issue four free passes and surrendered two runs without allowing a hit. Lefty RJ Ruais (Jr.) tossed a scoreless top of the ninth to close out the victory.

Final: Baylor 12, BYU 5

W: Lucas Davenport (3-0) L: Justin Reiser (0-1)

POTG: Brady Janusek (4-for-6, R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR)

What’s Next

The Bears (17-12, 5-4) will continue their series against BYU (13-15, 4-6) tomorrow at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 3, at Baylor Ballpark. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.