Freshman left-handed pitcher Sterling Wynn throws a pitch in Baylor’s game Tuesday against Pepperdine. Baylor won the game 5-4.
(Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor)

By Daniel Hill
Sports Writer

Baylor earned a dramatic 5-4 walk-off win over Pepperdine on Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark. The win improves Baylor’s record to 3-5.

The game was scoreless through three innings with Baylor starting freshman left-handed pitcher Sterling Wynn. Then the Pepperdine offense gained momentum in the top of the fourth inning.

Pepperdine sparked the four-run inning with power hitting and speed around the bases. Baylor head coach Steve Smith was forced to go to the mound for a pitching change. Senior left-hander Max Garner walked the first batter he faced, and Pepperdine added another run to take a 4-0 lead.

“I thought after the fourth inning, I thought our whole team just picked it up and everybody as a whole just played more aggressive and played more to win and not to lose,” Baylor sophomore right-handed pitcher Ryan Smith said. “There was a lot more hard work and a lot more hustle.”

Baylor mustered up a run in the bottom of the sixth inning when senior right fielder Nathan Orf hit a casual ground ball to the shortstop and outran the throw to reach first safely. Senior third baseman Cal Towey followed up with a fly ball to deep center field, and Orf was able to advance to second.

In a wildly interesting sequence of events, the sprinklers came on in the middle of the game and starting making it rain all over the field just as Pepperdine threw a pitch to junior designated hitter Brett Doe. Doe hit the ball to centerfield. With the water spraying all over the outfield, the Pepperdine center fielder was able to focus and make the catch as Orf sped safely to third base. There was a temporary stoppage of play for the sprinklers to be turned off.

Sophomore left fielder Adam Toth singled to score Orf. Baylor tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Junior infielder Grayson Porter reached base after the catcher dropped the third strike. Junior second basemen Lawton Langford worked a walk, and Orf was hit by a pitch.

With the bases loaded, Towey roped a single to right field and drove in Porter and Langford to cut Pepperdine’s lead to one, 4-3.

Baylor tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth. Toth singled to right-center to start off the inning. Freshman catcher Matt Menard blasted a single to the center fielder, and Toth came in to score.

The bottom of the ninth started as the Pepperdine pitcher hit Langford and Orf to put them on base.

With runners on first and third, Toth belted the ball deep to right center and freshman pinch runner West Tunnell scored to give Baylor a 5-4 win.

“It was a lot of fun,” Toth said. “Everything was just going right for us today. We got a lot of hits and got a lot of people on base and just had a lot of fun. It showed that we were competing at the plate and our pitchers were competing after that rough inning that they had.”

Baylor next plays in the Astros in Action College Classic in Houston at Minute Maid Park this weekend.

Baylor Baseball plays Texas State on Feb. 19, 2013 at the Baylor Ballpark.
Monica Lake | Lariat Photographer

By Daniel Hill
Sports Writer

The Baylor Bears earned their first win of the season by defeating the Texas State Bobcats 6-3 at Baylor Ballpark Tuesday night. The Bears’ overall record is now 1-3 heading into a weekend series against UCLA at home.

The Bears came out early in the top of the first and made some uncharacteristic mistakes defensively.

“I think it’s normal coming out first game at home and you’ve got your home fans here and everyone is going to be a little amped up,” junior second basemen Lawton Langford said. “You got some butterflies and just want to make the big play so you almost do a little bit too much so I think we all settled down and started playing like us again.”

Langford committed an error on a ground ball near second base when he could have possibly had a double-play ball. Instead Langford bobbled the ball and couldn’t get the runner out at either second or first.

With runners on second and first, Texas State hit a hard liner into left field. Sophomore left fielder Adam Toth let the ball get past him and that error allowed Texas State to score the first run of the  game.

In the bottom of the first, Langford made up for his defensive error at second base by hitting a double which brought in a Baylor run. This gave Baylor some momentum and helped calm down the Bears after a rough start to the game and a rocky start to the season.

In the second inning, Baylor exploded for four runs. Sophomore first basemen Duncan Wendel singled to center, and senior shortstop Jake Miller doubled to right field.

Sophomore center fielder Logan Brown hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Wendel. Junior catcher Nate Goodwin followed with a single to drive in Miller. This gave Baylor a 3-1 lead.

The Bears extended the lead when senior right fielder Nathan Orf hit a high fly ball down the right field line.

The ball landed just inside the foul line and it allowed Toth to score all the way from first. Orf was able to score to give the Bears a 5-1 lead.

The Bears tacked on one more insurance run in the bottom of the sixth by playing small ball.

Brown started off the inning with a hard single to center field. Brown advanced to third when catcher Nate Goodwin put down a sacrifice bunt, and Brown got to third on Toth’s sacrifice fly to center field.

Orf put down a sacrifice bunt down the third base line to score Logan Brown from third. On the mound for the Bears, sophomore right-handed pitcher Sean Spicer made his first career start.

Spicer went three solid innings for the Bears and only allowed one run.

“It was fun,” Spicer said. “I was pretty excited out there tog et my first start. I was maybe a little too amped up. Velocity kind of peaked in the first inning but I tried to settle down a little bit and just relax and throw strikes.”

The Bears improved their record to 1-3.

It’s always key to get the win, but the team also has plenty of room to grow.

“I think, given how the game was played on our side with the errors and the number of walks , it’s pretty amazing that we won,” Baylor head coach Steve Smith said. “It’s a hard way to win a game when they get as many base-runners as they did. But I think in hindsight, I think we made a lot of pitches with runners out there and got some outs doing it…I really was pleasantly surprised and pleased to see how Sean Spicer handled the start. That’s a first career start for the guy and he did look like he was a little amped up to me. He was working really fast and he might’ve spent some energy just dealing with the emotions of it but he got after it.”

The Bears next play at 6:35 p.m. Friday against UCLA at the Baylor Ballpark.

After a three-game series with UCLA, Baylor will play one game with Pepperdine before heading down to Houston for The Astros In Action College Classic.

The Baylor baseball team celebrates its 24th straight win with a Sic’ Em on Sunday after a 7-5 win against Texas A&M. The team has been recognized by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Baseball America, Perfect Game and USA Today/ESPN.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

No. 30 senior catcher Josh Ludy swings at the ball against Texas A&M on Sunday at Baylor Ballpark. Ludy had two hits and two RBIs in Sunday’s 7-5 win over the Aggies.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

By Greg DeVries
Sports Writer

“Others receiving votes.” That’s where the Baylor baseball team was in the rankings to begin the season. A record of 35-7, including 24 straight wins, has changed the minds of voters around the country.

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper ranked Baylor the No. 1 team in the country Monday, in a first-place tie with the Kentucky Wildcats. This marks the first time in program history that baseball has earned the nation’s top ranking.

The team is also ranked No. 3 by Baseball America and Perfect Game, and No. 4 by USA Today/ESPN. This was due in large part to the recent three-game sweep of then-No. 2 Texas A&M University and the 24-game winning streak.

No. 20 infielder Jake Miller tags a Texas A&M runner at second base on Sunday at Baylor Ballpark. The runner was called safe on the play.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

“I don’t try to explain it. We didn’t win 24 straight. We won a game 24 times,” head coach Steve Smith said. “The guys are just playing. I don’t have to explain it.”

The first game of the series took place Friday in College Station. With the Bears down by one run in the top of the eighth inning, sophomore second baseman Lawton Langford hit an RBI single down the left field line. With two outs, junior center fielder Logan Vick drove in the go-ahead runs and gave Baylor the 5-3 advantage and subsequent win.

“I haven’t been frustrated, nor have I sensed any kind of frustration with this team in so long that I can’t remember the last time I had it,” Smith said after Friday’s game. “They’re just competing.”

Senior right-handed pitcher Trent Blank earned his nation-leading ninth win of the season in front of a Baylor Ballpark record 5,911 spectators. Blank pitched eight shutout innings and helped the Bears win 1-0.

Two Aggie players look on from the dugout after a 7-5 loss to Baylor Sunday at Baylor Ballpark. The win by the Bears completed a three-game sweep.
Chris Derrett | Editor-In-Chief

“It felt like somebody else was behind me, so I just want to thank God right now,” Blank said. “I want to thank these fans, I want to thank my teammates and family. It was amazing. [The crowd] felt great and I hope they keep coming out.”

The only run of the game came when Langford drew a walk to load the bases again in the bottom of the fifth.

With freshman right-fielder Adam Toth and junior designated hitter Nathan Orf on third and second, respectively, Max Muncy delivered an RBI sacrifice fly to center field that scored Toth and gave the Bears a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

There was much more offense in the final game of the series.

The Bears posted four runs in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by senior catcher Josh Ludy’s two-run home run over the left field wall.

The home run came on the 15th pitch of the at bat after Ludy fouled off pitch after pitch.

“I hardly ever foul off that many pitches. I don’t know if I ever have,” Ludy said. “Luckily I just got a pitch I could handle better, and [I was] just looking for a [sacrifice] fly or something. It ended up going out.”

The Aggies fought and took the lead in the top of the sixth inning.

Ludy doubled down the left field line to end a long hitless streak by the Bears.

A fan holds up a “Feed the Beaver” sign showing baseball’s unofficial new motto Sunday at Baylor Ballpark.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

Vick followed with a double to the right fielder that advanced Ludy to third base.

The Bears regained the lead after senior left fielder Dan Evatt singled up the middle to score both runners and help the Bears regain the lead, 6-5.

“I just got a good pitch to hit. I really locked in, got extremely focused for that at bat because I knew it was a huge one. I thought I got it done,” Evatt said. “It’s kind of nice to send them off to the SEC with a sweeping.”

The Bears added another run before winning 7-5 and completing the three-game sweep of Texas A&M.

The Bears will next travel to San Antonio to take on the University of Texas at San Antonio tonight.

The Bears come back to Baylor Ballpark at 6 p.m. today to take on the University of Texas at Arlington.

Baylor's baseball team has not lost since March 12, exactly one month ago.

No. 28 Dillion Newman fires a pitch in Baylor’s 8-7 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday. During the Bears’ 16-game winning streak, Newman is one of 10 different pitchers to record a win.
David Li | Lariat Photographer

By Greg DeVries
Sports Writer

Beavers have played a significant role throughout the course of human history. They have made their way onto Canadian money and helped shape the economy of New Netherland.

The beavers are at it again. This time, a beaver is helping the Baylor baseball team win games. And whatever beavers do, they do well. The team’s current streak is up to 16 games. The team takes on Kansas State starting tonight in Manhattan, Kan.

“We saw the beaver in the parking lot right as the winning streak started,” junior left-handed pitcher (and unofficial team beaver expert) Crayton Bare said. “Max Muncy hit a home run, and Josh Michalec from the dugout yelled, ‘Feed the beaver!’ [The] joke is feeding the beaver with a home-run ball.”

The beaver frequents Baylor Ballpark’s parking lot. It comes up every once in awhile to eat acorns. Apparently, he has been eating his fill.

“It’s really big. It’s colossal in size,” Bare said. “The [Texas] Rangers have their antlers and their bear claw. We have our beaver.”

Since the beaver has blessed the baseball team with his presence, “feed the beaver” has caught on. Fans are wearing white T-shirts that depict a beaver holding a baseball and bat. The Baylor Beaver now has his own twitter feed. Baseball fans have been using the hashtag #FeedTheBeaver, which was trending at times over the last few weeks.

“I didn’t see it coming down to this, honestly,” junior left-handed pitcher Josh Turley said. “That’s how big of a deal it has gotten. Our Dia shirts [say], ‘Feed the beaver,’ and now they’re selling them.”

Head coach Steve Smith has appreciated the energy that the beaver has brought to the fans.

“I think [the fans] have enjoyed it. It’s unique. It’s ours. He’s our beaver. They don’t have one down at A&M or Texas,” Smith said. “It isn’t going to make a difference in winning or losing.”

Interactions with the beaver have been more than passive sightings. Players have taken pictures of the animal, and junior center fielder Logan Vick has even touched it.

“I’ve actually petted the beaver before. He’s getting really fat, so he’s not too fast,” Vick said. “I went out one day after practice and he was eating some acorns … one of the guys dared me to touch him. I touched him, and I don’t know. I had two hits the next day. It might have been a little luck. If I see him again, I am definitely going to pet him.”

The beaver is wild, and the team cannot take it to away games. To continue to feed the beaver away from Baylor Ballpark, the team has purchased a toy stuffed beaver.

“[The beaver] is kind of on his own schedule,” Bare said. “We have a little travel beaver that comes with us. I guess we just like him around.”

Smith has left this beaver craze to the players but takes a comical approach to the stuffed travel beaver.

“I don’t know if somebody sleeps with that thing or not. It wouldn’t surprise me if they did,” Smith said.

Feeding the beaver will not stop when the winning streak stops. The players hope to keep it going throughout the year.

“When we do lose a game, we’re still going to say it. It is still going to be a part of what we like to use as a rallying point,” Turley said. “Regardless, win, lose, it’s still there. It’s still feed the beaver.”

Vick takes a more optimistic, albeit unlikely, stance.

“Hopefully it’s a streak thing and a season-long thing,” Vick said. “That means we’re streaking all the way through.”

The Bears next opponent, the Wildcats, are 3-6 in the Big 12 and 17-15 overall. Baylor is currently in first place at 12-0 in Big 12 play and 27-7 overall.

Freshman Quincy Miller announces he will return to Baylor for his sophomore season in lieu of entering the NBA Draft on Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

By Greg DeVries
Sports Writer

Freshman Quincy Miller has decided to return to Baylor.

“I talked to my mother. My mother thought I needed to come back,” Miller said. “I definitely prayed about and I feel like this is the best decision for me.”

Miller said that he learned from sophomore Perry Jones III’s decision last year.

“We talked about it and he gave me his best advice. His best advice was [to] come back,” Miller said.

With Miller returning, head coach Scott Drew is optimistic about next season.

“Baylor Nation is used to good basketball teams,” Drew said. “I know expectations will be high. That’s a good thing. That means our program is where it needs to be.”

Miller talked about his personal goal of becoming a leader next year.

“I was a leader on this year’s team, but I think I can be the leader on next year’s team,” Miller said. “I think we have all of the pieces again to make a tournament run to the Final Four. Cut down some nets.”

After his press conference, Miller walked to the announcer’s booth at Baylor Ballpark to tell everyone in attendance about his decision. The news was met with much applause.

The news comes on the heels of Jones III’s decision Monday to forgo his junior and senior years of eligibility and enter the 2012 NBA Draft. Jones III averaged 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

“I want to thank Baylor Nation for an unbelievable two years,” Jones III said. “Baylor will always be a second home to me and I look forward to spending a lot of time in Waco and working towards finishing my degree.”

This past season, Jones III was an Associated Press All-American honorable mention, All-Big 12 third team according to the coaches, All-Big-12 second team according to the AP, ESPN.com and the Kansas City Star. He also received accolades from United States Basketball Writers Association for his performance in the NCAA Tournament.

From the time he was a high school player in Duncanville, Jones has been highly touted. In his freshman year, Jones III averaged similar numbers — 13.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

In his first season as a Bear, Jones III was named Freshman All-American first team by CollegeInsider.com, and second team by Basketball Times and USBWA. The coaches and Dallas Morning News named him All-Big 12 second team, third team by Waco Tribune-Herald and Yahoo! Sports, and an honorable mention by the AP.

Despite criticism, he is still projected to be selected in the top half of the NBA Draft. Few people understand Jones’ value to a team like Drew’s. The only other lottery selection in program history was Ekpe Udoh in 2010 when the Golden State Warriors picked him sixth overall.

“It was an honor and a privilege to coach Perry Jones III,” Drew said. “Everyone knows what a great player Perry is, but as I have said before, he is even a better person and teammate. We will all miss not having him around, but we look forward to him having a very long and successful NBA career.”

No. 9 first baseman Max Muncy hits the ball against Sam Houston State Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears won 6-2.
Matthew McCarroll | Lariat Photographer

By Greg DeVries
Sports Writer

No. 25 Baylor baseball will kick off the QTI Baylor Classic at 6:05 p.m. today at Baylor Ballpark against the University of California, Irvine. The Bears are 7-2 on the season and 5-0 at home.

Part of this season’s success has been due to strength on the mound. Fourteen pitchers have stepped on the rubber this season for a combined ERA of 2.96.

“We don’t have a big-time, shutout, dominant arm. We’ve got good arms, and we’ve got a number of them. But it’s early in the year too and even those guys that have a chance to go deep into the game [are] not ready to go deep in the game yet,” head coach Steve Smith said about his pitching staff.

One of the aforementioned arms that has been especially reliable is senior right-handed pitcher Trent Blank. Blank is 4-0 this season with a 0.59 ERA. He has allowed only one earned run in 15.1 innings.

Blank started Tuesday’s game against Sam Houston State on short notice and still delivered five scoreless innings.

“We’ve had some guys go down with injury lately, and hopefully they all get healthy. I’m ready whenever and a lot of our other guys are too,” Blank said. “I’m ready for anything. We’re going to have to have some guys step up this weekend, for sure, and take some of those innings on, but I think everybody is ready.”

The QTI Baylor Classic consists of three teams playing four games in three days. After tonight’s game, the Bears will have a double header against Lamar and U.C. Irvine Saturday followed by another game against Lamar on Sunday. Smith said his players’ stamina will be tested.

“It’ll test every team. Everybody is playing four games and everybody has a double header,” Smith said. “I think with the fact that [senior right-handed pitcher] Tyler [Bremer] is not going to be available through the weekend may test us a little bit more.”

Freshman right fielder Adam Toth broke his hand diving for a ball during the team’s series at UCLA.

Freshman Logan Brown will start in his place.

“Anything to get on the field is a good thing, but I hate it for Adam. It stinks,” Brown said. “I feel like I have a good glove and a good arm out in right field. When I get on the base paths, I feel like I can do some damage running the bases, maybe steal a few bags, and just get on base and help the team.”

Smith said he is confident in Brown’s defensive abilities in right field. According to Smith, Brown and Toth have similar skill sets.

“[He brings] a little bit of the same things that we lost, in terms of Adam [Toth]. Very, very similar runner, a better arm, less pop and a right-handed bat instead of a left-handed bat,” Smith said about Brown. “I’m thinking if you’re in the other dugout and you see [we] don’t have Toth, and they really weren’t aware of Brown, they might look up there and say, ‘I thought he was out.’ They look so similar.”

Fresh off a Big 12 series win at Oklahoma State last weekend, Baylor returned home Tuesday night and blasted past Dallas Baptist, 7-1.

Sophomore Max Muncy continued his powerful hitting streak with his fourth home run in six games, and junior Trent Blank improved to 4-2 after throwing three scoreless innings.

“We weren’t as good tonight as we were over the weekend, but we stranded a lot of runners, and that’s good to see,” coach Steve Smith said.

Despite walking a combined six batters, the Bears (27-23, 11-13) left 11 Patriot runners on base.

Baylor senior Jon Ringenberg got the start for his team and threw four innings of one-run ball before handing the ball to Blank. But unfortunately for Ringenberg, the Bears’ offense did not figure out Dallas Baptist (37-16) starter Brandon Williamson and take the lead until the bottom of the fourth.

Williamson appeared to escape the fourth-inning jam with runners on the corners and one-out, but Patriots second baseman Tyler Robbins could not handle junior Joey Hainsfurther’s potential double play grounder.

Robbins bobbled the ball and settled for throwing out Hainsfurther at first, and Muncy scored on the play, tying the game at one apiece.

Senior Landis Ware then singled to score junior Dan Evatt, who would have been thrown out at second had Robbins cleanly fielded Hainsfurther’s grounder, and sophomore Jake Miller doubled down the right field line to score Ware.

Muncy pushed the lead to 5-1 the next inning with a towering home run over the right-center wall.

“The big thing is that I’m just getting my foot down, which is allowing me to see the ball better, see the pitches coming and allowing me to put everything into the swing,” Muncy said.

The Bears added another two runs in the sixth. Ware, who started the inning with a double that landed just beyond the infield dirt between three converging fielders, scored on sophomore Steve DalPorto’s squeeze bunt. DalPorto later crossed the plate thanks to Dallas Baptist’s first baseman Ryan Behmanesh’s two-out fielding error.

As the Bears added insurance, Blank cruised through the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Blank credits his recent success, including a 3.1 inning, scoreless outing last Tuesday at TCU, to a noticeable change in arm angle.

“We were throwing a bullpen one day, and last pitch of the bullpen one of the coaches said drop down a little bit [because he] saw something. I threw 50 more pitches from that arm slot and that’s where I’m at now,” Blank said.

Since changing his angle, now just below the 3/4 arm slot, Blank has thrown 6.2 innings and allowed five hits and zero runs.

Baylor now turns its attention to its regular season finale, a three-game series against Oklahoma starting Thursday at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears, at 27-23, sit four games above the required .500 mark for an NCAA tournament bid.

Still, Smith says notching a series win would be huge for his team’s postseason hopes.

“Our RPI is going to be alright, and we’ve got a chance to finish good in the league, or good enough if we can find a way to win this series this weekend,” Smith said.

Kona-Ice has become a mainstay at Baylor Ballpark with its familiar, colorful truck. Despite a wait time that can last an inning or more, Kona-Ice’s shaved ice has become a hit with fans.
Nick Berryman | Lariat Photographer

By Daniel Wallace
Reporter

Peanuts, popcorn, hot dogs, cotton candy, nachos all mixed together with … home runs, stolen bases and double plays. Sounds like a match made in heaven. For years, that type of food and a baseball game have gone together perfectly. Baylor Ballpark, however, has added a new dimension to the ballpark experience by offering a greater assortment of food.

Texas two step: Ordering at the Hot Corner It happens every game to a few first-time Hot Corner customers. Ready to chow on a burger fresh off the grill, they reach their seats and open their containers only to find the meat missing from the burger. Chances are good they didn’t listen carefully to the cashier, who tells everyone after paying that he or she must walk to the grill to pick up the centerpiece of the Hot Corner burger. The two-step process leaves some confused and others perturbed, but those who frequent the Hot Corner know it ensures every burger is made to order in plain view. Step one: While hungry fans place their orders at the Hot Corner registers, employees prepare fresh burgers throughout the game. Step two: Customers bring their boxes, with the buns and extra toppings, to the grill and receive their newly prepared meat patties. Photos By Nick Berryman | Lariat Photographer

A new concession stand behind the third base bleachers known as the Hot Corner offers a wide selection where everything is served straight off the grill or fryer, as opposed to steamers at the other concession stands. Chicken fajitas, sandwiches, onion rings and jalapeno peppers are among the popular choices at the stand.

The untraditional ballpark food offered at the Hot Corner gives fans all the more reason to come out and enjoy another day at the ballpark.

“People want to experience different types of food. The Hot Corner brings a lot of people back to the ballgames,” Tino Juandiego, assistant concessions director for Baylor, said.

Not only is Baylor Ballpark home to Big 12 baseball, but the venue is also a place where the concessions complement the game and add to the experience. For the more traditional experience, the ballpark also offers all the basic items expected at any sporting event, such as the aforementioned food items, hamburgers, sunflower seeds and foot-long corn dogs.

All this variety makes it difficult to go hungry while watching the Bears battle on the diamond.

Phillip Johnson, Baylor concessions director, said the food at the ballpark is geared toward fans of all ages, and all taste buds.

“There is something for everyone … from a [small snack] to a catfish dinner. Everybody wants to eat; the more variety you give them, the more they will eat,” he said.

There are also various options for people with different sized wallets, as prices range from $1 to $7.

Baseball games mean snow cones and ice cream just as much as they mean chili dogs and chips. That is why Baylor concessions added Kona-Ice as a vendor at the ballpark in the spring of 2010. Kona-Ice not only brings refreshment to fans with delicate shaved ice straight off the shaver, but their two trucks bring a lively atmosphere. The trucks are painted colorfully with a penguin named Kona holding a rainbow snow cone. The sun, a crab and a parrot painted along the beach also add color to the truck.

The Kona-Ice tucks are managed by Sharon Smith, who enjoys the energy her truck brings to the ballpark.

“The most fun part of the truck is the self-serve flavor wave. The kids love this — they can mix and match and put whatever they want on it,” Smith said.

The wave provides 10 different flavor options for the shaved ice, including the best seller “Tiger’s Blood” — a mix of strawberry and cherry. The trucks provide a total of 45 different combinations. They also sell 12 flavors of ice cream, whether on a stick or in a cone.

While the Bears battle their opponents on the field, fans’ taste buds can be overwhelmed by all the eats and treats Baylor Ballpark has to offer.

No. 16 junior Brooks Pinckard slides for home plate against Texas on Saturday at Baylor Ballpark. Pinckard was called out on the play, but Baylor won the game, 7-6. The Bears lost to the Longhorns on Friday and Sunday.
Nick Berryman | Lariat Photographer

Bears take one of three in series

By Chris Derrett
Sports Editor

Baylor starting pitcher Josh Turley wasn’t used to the media attention he got following the Bears’ 7-6 win over Texas Saturday. But if having a career day means pushing back postgame plans because of interviews, Turley welcomes it with open arms.

“I’d rather pitch well and get the win than pitch poorly and go eat dinner,” Turley said.

Turley tossed eight innings, holding the Longhorns (23-8, 8-3) to three runs on seven hits while striking out five and allowing just one walk. His innings thrown set a new career high, as did his 114 pitches.

“For us to have a chance, Josh had to be special today. And he was,” head coach Steve Smith said.

Turley’s win was sandwiched between two losses to the Longhorns, 11-3 on Friday and 5-2 on Sunday. The weekend brings Baylor to 18-15 overall and 5-7 in conference play.

Friday’s game featured a nine-run sixth inning that began with a fly ball lost in the lights and ended with fans from both Baylor and Texas filing out of the stadium. Sophomore Cal Towey hit two home runs in the game, and junior Dan Evatt added one as well.

On Sunday, Baylor held an early 2-0 lead but allowed a run each in the fifth and sixth innings and three runs in the seventh before falling 5-2.

Saturday was Baylor’s first win over Texas at Baylor Ballpark since 2005. Evatt gave the Bears the lead for good with a two-run home run that carried over the left field wall, soaring with the help of winds blowing upward of 25 miles per hour. The shot was the first allowed by Texas starter Hoby Milner this season and a game-changing play in Smith’s opinion.

“I think Evatt’s ball is the thing that really gave us some life and maybe put just a hair of doubt in [Texas’] mind,” Smith said.

Turley was particularly able to contain the Longhorns in the third inning, important against a Texas team outscoring its opponents 68-22 in the first three innings. With runners on second and third, Turley fanned Lucas Kephart and Tant Shepherd for his first and second strikeouts of the game.

“That was huge for us, because we’re fighting for everything we can get, and they’re fighting for everything they can get,” Smith said. “To get those punchouts like that was, at that point in time, pretty big.”

Baylor grabbed another four runs in the seventh with a two-RBI double from sophomore Max Muncy and a two-RBI single from junior Josh Ludy.

Baylor’s seventh inning insurance proved to be completely necessary for the win, because similar to its recent performances against Big 12 opponents, the Bears’ bullpen kept things interesting.

Junior Brooks Pinckard allowed four runners, one inherited, to score before Smith turned to sophomore Max Garner for a one-out save. Garner delivered, getting Lucas Kephart to ground out and end the game.

Considering Garner’s success thus far in the conference season, Smith said he was considering using Garner in Saturday’s game for a three-out save instead of turning to Pinckard first. The only concern was Garner’s elbow, which took a hard line drive last Tuesday in the Bears’ loss at Sam Houston State.

The injury did not seem to affect Garner on Saturday, as he threw a changeup for a first pitch strike before retiring Kephart. Such an effort has Smith reconsidering who he wants to close Baylor’s games.

“You can’t just say, ‘Pinckard’s our closer, so every time we get to the end of the game, he has to pitch,’” Smith said. “I think our best guy right now clearly at the end of the game is Max. But again, he’s not going to be perfect either.”

Sunday at Baylor Ballpark handed the baseball team chilly weather and a chance to take the three game series against Kansas State.

“I think today was a great example of our team being lucky and good. We had early errors in the field we were able to come back strong on, and a huge break in the top of the ninth,” coach Steve Smith said. “There’s no other way to describe that. That’s baseball.”

Junior Trent Blank started on the mound and pitched into the sixth inning, finishing with two strikeouts.

The Baylor bats got hot in the fifth inning. Sophomore Steve DalPorto’s line shot followed by junior Brooks Pinckard’s grounder in the gap put two on for senior Chris Slater. His smash down the left field line sent both DalPorto and Pinckard home to tie the game.

Sophomore Max Muncy later singled up the middle to score Slater and push the Bears ahead, 3-2.

“Hitting is contagious; it’s one after another. You see the guys in front of you do it, and it just happens,” Slater said of his triple.

In the sixth inning, Blank handed it off to senior reliever Jon Ringenberg, who had a huge strikeout to diminish Kansas’ hope of moving their runners home safely.

When the score tied up at three runs each in the eighth, Pinckard entered to close. The inning ended when a line drive came back to Pinckard and ricocheted off his foot right to Muncy, who stepped on first for the out.

“Max Muncy was able to make a big play to end the inning when the ball bounced off my ankle,” Pinckard said. “I had no idea where it was. It was a huge break.”

All tied up in the eighth, sophomore Cal Towey grabbed a double on a Kansas State overthrow to first. But sophomore Jake Miller made the Wildcats pay with his line drive over shortstop. Miller’s RBI created an exciting play at the plate with Towey sliding safe and Baylor going ahead, 4-3.

The Bears ended the series on a double play turned by senior Landis Ware at shortstop.

Relief pitching struggles Saturday

More late-inning struggles plagued Baylor baseball on Saturday, as the Bears fell to Kansas State, 6-3.

Freshman Trae Davis took the loss after surrendering a two-run, eighth inning homer over the right field fence to Jason King. The Mexia native entered with the game tied at three, did not record an out and gave up his ninth run in his last 4.1 innings. He dropped to 3-1 on the season.

Sophomore Crayton Bare and junior Tyler Bremer finished the eighth inning, one in which the Wildcats took advantage of three walks and a hit batter to score three runs on just two hits.

Still searching for more reliability from his relievers, Smith said he knows his bullpen has the ability to throw strikes.

“I made a decision after last night’s game that today would be Trae. That didn’t work,” Smith said.

Baylor’s loss spoiled a solid day from junior starting pitcher Josh Turley, who went seven innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits. Although Kansas State did strike several times, it was never able to pounce on Turley for more than one run in any given inning.

“As a pitcher, to limit the damage in those kinds of innings is the best thing you can do. They’re going to have innings where they score a couple of runs. It’s just a matter of how you handle it, I think,” Turley said.

Kansas State reliever Tyler Sturges’ wild pitch allowed Muncy to score in the sixth inning, and sophomore Jake Miller then slapped a single up the middle that tied the game at three runs.

BU ends Friday with walk-off hit

Senior Chris Slater roped a double down the right field line in the ninth to score senior shortstop Landis Ware and capped off the defeat of the Wildcats, 5-4.

Pinch-hitter freshman Lawton Langford reached on a fielding error to start the rally in the ninth, with the Bears trailing 4-3. Two batters later, Ware singled to right-center field to score Langford and tie the game. After a stolen base that moved him into scoring position, Ware came home easily as Slater’s line drive dropped just to the left of the foul line in right field, and the mob began as the team rushed onto the field to celebrate Baylor’s fifth walk-off hit of the season.

Starting pitcher junior Logan Verrett tossed seven innings and six were scoreless. In the third inning, the Wildcats were able to score four runs on Verrett, but that would be the only inning they would do damage at the plate.

Muncy drove in the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning scorching a line drive to right center field for a triple; he scored Slater who earlier singled.

Relief pitcher sophomore Max Garner recorded his first win of the season, pitching two scoreless innings to close the game.