Series Preview: Baylor Baseball Welcomes UCF to Waco for Crucial 3-Game Set

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (25–23, 11–13) welcomes the UCF Knights (27–18, 15-9) to Baylor Ballpark this weekend for the Bears’ final home Big 12 series of the regular season.

Baylor will open the series at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8. Saturday’s game is slated for 2 p.m. CT, while the series finale on Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m CT. All three games this weekend will be streamed on ESPN+.

Baylor Bears

• Record: 25-23 (11-13)
• RPI: 67th
• SOS: 20th

2026 Season Statistics

• Batting Average: .266 (12th in Big 12)
• Earned Run Average: 5.65 (8th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .974 (T6th in Big 12)

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 472-249 (13th season) 
• Record at Baylor: 100-111 (4th season) 

2026 Projections

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

Notable Results

• Wins: Houston (3), Texas Tech (2), BYU (2), UTSA, No. 25 Ole Miss,
• Losses: No. 11 Oregon State, No. 20 Southern Miss, No. 3 Texas, No. 22 West Virginia (2), Oklahoma State (2), Cincinnati (2), TCU (2), No. 25 Arizona State (3)

UCF Knights

• Record: 27-18 (15-9)
• RPI: 33rd
• SOS: 13th

2026 Season Statistics

• Batting Average: .283 (8th in Big 12)
• Earned Run Average: 4.21 (2nd in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .975 (5th in Big 12)

Head Coach: Rich Wallace

• Career Record: 93-65 (3rd season) 
• Record at UCF: 93-65 (3rd season) 

2026 Projections

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

Notable Results

• Wins: Oklahoma State (3), Arizona (3), Utah (3), No. 11 West Virginia (2), TCU (2)
• Losses: Kansas (3), Cincinnati (2), No. 19 Arizona State (2), Miami, No. 1 LSU

Baylor’s Projected Starting Lineup

• SS: Travis Sanders (RJr.): (.368 BAVG, 1.023 OPS, 185 AB)
• 2B: Pearson Riebock (So.): (.193 BAVG, .617 OPS, 145 AB)
• RF: Brady Janusek (Fr.): (.291 BAVG, .887 OPS, 196 AB)
• 1B: Tyce Armstrong (RSr.): (.335 BAVG, 1.210 OPS, 182 AB)
• C: Brayden Buchanan (RSo.): (.208 BAVG, .627 OPS, 53 AB)
• LF: Dylan Perez (Fr.): (.246 BAVG, .708 OPS, 69 AB)
• DH: Brytton Clements (RFr.): (.302 BAVG, .729 OPS, 106 AB)
• CF: Ty Johnson (5Sr.): (.215 BAVG, .599 OPS, 144 AB)
• 3B: Cole Lanclos (Fr.): (.130 BAVG, .440 OPS, 23 AB)

Projected Bench

• INF: Robert De La Garza (Jr.): (.234 BAVG, .655 OPS, 47 AB)
• OF: Bo Caraway (Fr.): (.206 BAVG, .485 OPS, 63 AB)
• C: JJ Kennett (Jr.): (.301 BAVG, .819 OPS, 113 AB)
• DH: Hunter Snow (RFr.): (.183 BAVG, .675 OPS, 93 AB)

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

UCF’s Projected Starting Lineup

• RF: Andrew Williamson (Jr.): (.318 BAVG, 1.041 OPS, 173 AB)
• LF: John Smith III (Sr.): (.323 BAVG, .986 OPS, 166 AB)
• C: Zak Skinner (RSr.): (.361 BAVG, .958 OPS, 170 AB)
• 3B: Javier Crespo (RSr.): (.324 BAVG, .877 OPS, 145 AB)
• 1B: Landon Moran (Sr.): (.262 BAVG, .710 OPS, 164 AB)
• DH: JD Rogers (RSr.): (.289 BAVG, 1.142 OPS, 45 AB)
• CF: DeAmez Ross (Sr.): (.282 BAVG, .708 OPS, 170 AB)
• SS: Jordan Lodise (Fr.): (.238 BAVG, .687 OPS, 151 AB)
• 2B: Austin Jacobs (RFr.): (.244 BAVG, .629 OPS, 119 AB)

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

Probable Starting Pitchers

• BU SP 1 – RHP: Lucas Davenport (Jr.); (3.96 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 52.1 IP, 10-10 APP-GS, 5-2 W-L)
• UCF SP 1 – RHP: Mateo Gray (So.); (5.25 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 49.2 IP, 14-6 APP-GS, 5-1 W-L)
• BU SP 2 – RHP: Zack Wallace (So.); (4.82 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 52.1 IP, 14-9 APP-GS, 4-4 W-L)
• UCF SP 2 – RHP: Camden Wicker (Jr.); (3.38 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 56 IP, 12-12 APP-GS, 4-2 W-L)
• BU SP 3 – LHP: Ethan Calder (Sr.); (4.67 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 61.2 IP, 12-12 APP-GS, 3-5 W-L)
• UCF SP 3 – TBD

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

Top Quotes

Head coach Mitch Thompson on facing UCF this weekend:

• “Good team. They’re currently fourth in the league. They’re dealing with some injuries on the mound, like everybody. Really good leadoff hitter in Williamson; he’s one of the best hitters in our league. They’ve got some guys that can run. They’ve got some guys who can hit for power. Really well-coached team. Coach Wallace does a great job. This is a team that’s playing for a lot. They’re playing for an at-large bid and like anybody else, trying to figure this year on the right track.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on trying to make the NCAA Tournament:

• “We’re still playing for seeding in the conference tournament. We’ve got stuff in front of us that’s important for us to keep getting better, and it’s important for us to try and win a series again. … The guys have been resilient all year. You have to keep moving forward. Right now, what’s next for us is a big series here at home. If we could win this series here and then go to Utah and win the last series on the road, that would be five conference series wins for us and a big step forward. That’d be 3-0 toward the end of the year. That’s playing good baseball at the end. It’s right here in front of us. We have to take care of our business.”