Series Preview: Baylor Baseball Travels to SLC to Close Regular Season against Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – Baylor baseball (26-25, 12-15) travels to Salt Lake City to close out the regular season with a series against Utah (25-22, 11-16) at Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark.

Baylor will open the three-game set at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 14. Friday’s game is also slated for 7 p.m. CT, while the series finale on Saturday is scheduled for 2 p.m CT. All three games this weekend will be streamed on ESPN+.

Baylor Bears

• Record: 26-25 (12-15)
• RPI: 63rd
• SOS: 16th

2026 Season Statistics

• Batting Average: .264 (13th in Big 12)
• Earned Run Average: 5.94 (9th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .974 (8th in Big 12)

Head Coach: Mitch Thompson

• Career Record: 473-252 (13th season) 
• Record at Baylor: 101-114 (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 (2)

Utah Utes

• Record: 25-22 (11-16)
• RPI: 86th
• SOS: 97th

2026 Season Statistics

• Batting Average: .307 (4th in Big 12)
• Earned Run Average: 6.47 (13th in Big 12)
• Fielding Percentage: .970 (13th in Big 12)

Head Coach: Gary Henderson

• Career Record: 446-389 (15th season) 
• Record at Utah: 127-132 (5th season) 

2026 Projections

• D1Baseball: 13th in Big 12
• Coaches Poll: 14th in Big 12

Notable Results

• Wins: Arizona (2), Kansas State (2), Texas Tech (3), BYU (2)
• Losses: UC Santa Barbara (3), Cincinnati (2), Kansas (3), No. 18 Arizona State (2), UCF (3), TCU (3)

Baylor’s Projected Starting Lineup

• SS: Travis Sanders (RJr.): (.364 BAVG, 1.013 OPS, 198 AB)
• 1B: Tyce Armstrong (RSr.): (.333 BAVG, 1.202 OPS, 192 AB)
• RF: Brady Janusek (Fr.): (.282 BAVG, .867 OPS, 209 AB)
• LF: Dylan Perez (Fr.): (.253 BAVG, .715 OPS, 79 AB)
• DH: Brytton Clements (RFr.): (.296 BAVG, .719 OPS, 115 AB)
• C: Brayden Buchanan (RSo.): (.206 BAVG, .653 OPS, 63 AB)
• 2B: Pearson Riebock (So.): (.184 BAVG, .597 OPS, 152 AB)
• CF: Ty Johnson (5Sr.): (.220 BAVG, .613 OPS, 150 AB)
• 3B: Cole Lanclos (Fr.): (.222 BAVG, .669 OPS, 27 AB)

Projected Bench

• OF: Bo Caraway (Fr.): (.197 BAVG, .463 OPS, 66 AB)
• DH: Hunter Snow (RFr.): (.183 BAVG, .686 OPS, 93 AB)

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

Utah’s Projected Starting Lineup

• RF: Luke Jacobs (Jr.): (.270 BAVG, .848 OPS, 189 AB)
• LF: Jake Long (Jr.): (.356 BAVG, 1.032 OPS, 191 AB)
• 3B: Daniel Arambula (So.): (.286 BAVG, .784 OPS, 189 AB)
• 1B: Cameron Gurney (RJr.): (.356 BAVG, .966 OPS, 180 AB)
• 2B: Cal Miller (Fr.): (.362 BAVG, 1.046 OPS, 149 AB)
• CF: Jet Gilliam (Jr.): (.357 BAVG, .951 OPS, 168 AB)
• SS: Matt Flaharty (RSr.): (.283 BAVG, .745 OPS, 166 AB)
• DH: Zakye Hawkins (So.): (.264 BAVG, .853 OPS, 53 AB)
• C: Jack Kleveno (Jr.): (.262 BAVG, .817 OPS, 42 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.); (4.79 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 56.1 IP, 11-11 APP-GS, 5-3 W-L)
• UU SP 1 – RHP: Colter McAnelly (Jr.); (6.64 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 62.1 IP, 12-12 APP-GS, 2-7 W-L)
• BU SP 2 – RHP: Zack Wallace (So.); (5.74 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 53.1 IP, 15-10 APP-GS, 4-5 W-L)
• UU SP 2 – RHP: Payton Riske (RJr.); (5.98 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 55.2 IP, 13-13 APP-GS, 4-3 W-L)
• BU SP 3 – TBD
• UU 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 Utah this weekend:

• “Talented team. Coach Henderson does a good job. They’ve got left-handed hitters and a bunch of guys that can really hit. If you look at their offensive numbers, they’re good. They’re in a brand new ballpark. They’re in the same spot we are. They clinched an opportunity to be in the Big 12 Tournament as well. They’re a challenge. Everybody you play is pretty good. That’s what I’ve said from the beginning is I don’t know where the bottom is. There are really good teams in this league. Everybody’s playing well.”

Head coach Mitch Thompson on the Big 12 Tournament:

• “This series affects the conference tournament. Right now, we’re tied for ninth, and we’ve got something to play for. If we can go win this series, we’ll finish ahead of Utah, so that’s important. Then, depending on what happens across the country in other series, we can finish in the top eight. The top eight is better than the top nine, and it would give us another day off before we start the tournament. It doesn’t mean it’ll always work out, but there’s definitely a reason to play.”

Right fielder Brady Janusek (Fr.) on ending the season strong:

• “We definitely want to finish as strong as we can, and make a run in the Big 12 Tourney and make a regional. It’s all in front of us. It’d be cool for all the older guys to get that experience and get that chance. As a young guy, who doesn’t want to go play in a regional? That would be exciting and is the goal.”