SURPRISE, Ariz. – Baylor baseball (28-26, 14-16) has clinched the No. 8 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and will open the conference tournament at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 20, against the winner of No. 9 seed BYU (27-27, 14-16) versus No. 12 seed Texas Tech (27-27, 10-20); the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
The entire Big 12 Tournament will be held this year at Surprise Stadium, the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, in Surprise, Arizona, rather than Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, which has hosted the tournament since 2022.
If the Bears were to advance in the single-elimination tournament, they would face the Kansas Jayhawks (39-16, 22-8), the No. 1 seed and Big 12 regular-season champions, at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, with the game nationally televised on ESPNU.
Armstrong, Sanders Headline Baylor Baseball’s 2026 All-Big 12 Selections
No. 8 Seed: Baylor Bears
- Record: 28-26 (14-16)
- RPI: 67th
- SOS: 22th
2026 Season Statistics
- Batting Average: .269 (12th in Big 12)
- Earned Run Average: 6.02 (9th in Big 12)
- Fielding Percentage: .974 (T8th in Big 12)
Head Coach: Mitch Thompson
- Career Record: 475-253 (13th season)
- Record at Baylor: 103-115 (4th season)
2026 Projections
- D1Baseball: 10th in Big 12
- Coaches Poll: 11th in Big 12
Notable Results
- Wins: Utah (2), 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)
No. 9 Seed: BYU Cougars
- Record: 27-27 (14-16)
- RPI: 76th
- SOS: 55th
2026 Season Statistics
- Batting Average: .280 (10th in Big 12)
- Earned Run Average: 6.29 (12th in Big 12)
- Fielding Percentage: .977 (T2nd in Big 12)
No. 12 Seed: Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Record: 27-27 (10-20)
- RPI: 120th
- SOS: 84th
2026 Season Statistics
- Batting Average: .344 (1st in Big 12)
- Earned Run Average: 7.67 (14th in Big 12)
- Fielding Percentage: .970 (14th in Big 12)
Baylor’s Projected Starting Lineup
- SS: Travis Sanders (RJr.): (.376 BAVG, 1.060 OPS, 213 AB)
- 1B: Tyce Armstrong (RSr.): (.338 BAVG, 1.218 OPS, 204 AB)
- RF: Brady Janusek (Fr.): (.291 BAVG, .919 OPS, 220 AB)
- LF: Dylan Perez (Fr.): (.242 BAVG, .698 OPS, 91 AB)
- DH: Brytton Clements (RFr.): (.288 BAVG, .702 OPS, 125 AB)
- C: Brayden Buchanan (RSo.): (.211 BAVG, .637 OPS, 76 AB)
- 2B: Pearson Riebock (So.): (.209 BAVG, .675 OPS, 163 AB)
- CF: Ty Johnson (5Sr.): (.221 BAVG, .621 OPS, 163 AB)
- 3B: Cole Lanclos (Fr.): (.222 BAVG, .741 OPS, 36 AB)
*2026 Stats: (BAVG = Batting Average, OPS = On-Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage, AB = At-Bats)*
Probable Starting Pitchers
- BU SP – RHP: Lucas Davenport (Jr.); (5.61 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 59.2 IP, 12-12 APP-GS, 5-4 W-L)
- TTU/BYU SP – 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 playing in the Big 12 Tournament:
- “For us, it gives us a chance to play ourselves in a little bit. We’re probably in the position where we at least have to get into the championship game for any hope of an at-large, if they solely go off RPI. Win four games in a row and win the thing, and you’re in. I’m excited about it, and I like where we’re at it. Let’s go take these one at a time, and we’ll play ourselves in.”
Head coach Mitch Thompson on playing one game at a time:
- “We’re not feeling any pressure. Our pressure, if there’s any, is to go out and perform at our very best. For me, as a head coach, maybe my leash on a pitcher may be a little shorter than it has been in the past because these games are win-at-all-cost-type games. I can’t afford to let someone stick around there and try to figure it out, and we get behind 5-0 before we make a move. Our guys are ready to play.”
Shortstop Travis Sanders on playing in the Big 12 Tournament:
- “We’ve played those two teams already, so we know what we’re getting into with those guys. It’s one game at a time. That’s how we’re looking at it and not trying to get too far ahead. Whoever we play, we’ll give our best nine innings and go from there.”
Shortstop Travis Sanders on being named to the All-Big 12 Team:
- “It shows the labor of your work. It’s an honor to get recognized by the Big 12, but you can ask these guys, we worked our butts off all year. It’s nice to have a little spotlight for the work you put in. There are a lot of players and not a lot of selections for those awards, so it’s nice to be recognized.”
Closer Caleb Bunch on getting the bye in the Big 12 Tournament:
- “We’re getting toward the end of the season, and that means a lot of innings are stacked up. Guys have had to throw a lot of innings, and I think that extra day helps us. Davenport getting an extra day of rest. Wallace getting an extra day of rest. Calder getting an extra day of rest. It helps everybody, and I think it’ll be really good for us. We’ll be ready to go.”
