No. 12 Baylor Welcomes Cornell for Three-Game Set

Story lines

After inclement weather cancelled the Bears’ Tuesday contest at Texas State, the team remains at home for the second-straight weekend of the season, hosting Cornell in a three-game set starting on Friday, Feb. 22. 

Projected Pitching Matchup

Fri., Feb. 22 • 6:35 p.m. CT • RHP Hayden Kettler vs. RHP Seth Urbon

Sat., Feb 23 • 3:05 p.m. CT • LHP Tyler Thomas vs. RHP John Natoli

Sun., Feb. 24 • 12:05 p.m. CT • LHP Cody Bradford vs. RHP Jeb Bemiss 

Cornell Capsule

The Big Red will open the 2019 season this weekend in Waco. The team finished the 2018 season 14-24-1 overall, 9-12 in the Ivy League, but finished the season on a high note, winning three-of-four series to end the season. The 2019 roster is fairly young and features 12 freshmen to just four seniors. They return four starting position players from 2018, one pitcher from the weekend rotation and four of their five best arms from last season.

 The Bears are 1-0 all-time against Cornell, with the one previous matchup coming March 19, 1997 in Waco. The Bears won that contest, 6-5.

Last Weekend Recap

The Bears are coming off a big opening weekend victory, sweeping Holy Cross in a four-game set. The four-game sweep is the first time in program history since defeating Louisiana Tech on March 10-13, 2011 and the first opening weekend series sweep since the Bears defeated Niagra in three games on Feb. 17-18, 2017.

On opening day, the Bears defeated Holy Cross, 12-0, the largest opening day victory margin since defeating Centenary 15-1 to open up the 1997 season. RHP Hayden Kettler was outstanding, tying his career-long outing with 7.0 IP and collected a new career-high 8 strikeouts. 

In game one of the double-header on Saturday, the Bears needed the heroics of redshirt sophomore Ryan Bertelsman to defeat the Crusaders. The Bears entered the top of the 10th inning trailing by one run but turned a two-out comeback. With two down and a runner on second, Davion Downey delivered his first game-tying hit of the series, doubling in the run to tie the game up at 5-5. Then Ryan Bertelsman, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning, came through with his first-career home run, a walk-off three-run shot. 

In game two of the double-header, senior Richard Cunningham was the star, going 5-for-5 with 2 RBIs as he was just a home run away from the cycle, tying his career-high mark of five hits, just one shy of the program single-game record. 

In game four, freshman RHP Anderson Needham looked strong, striking out 6 batters in his first collegiate action in 4.2 innings of work. Sophomore Davion Downey looked strong in the game, going 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, including his first homer of the season, a two-run shot in the 7th inning.