By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
On Feb. 23, 2024, just five games into the Baylor baseball season, senior left fielder Hunter Simmons crashed into the wall and suffered a season-ending injury, leaving a group of three transfer outfielders to lead the team. Enzo Apodaca, Ty Johnson and Wesley Jordan did not just meet expectations — they excelled — and are ready for one last run together.
“We’re all obviously super concerned with how Scoob [Hunter Simmons] was doing,” senior right fielder Enzo Apodaca said. “As far as competing-wise, I feel like we weren’t too nervous, actually, because we have a lot of guys that were ready to step up and fill that role.”
All three seniors came to Baylor with experience and accolades, but none at the Big 12 level. Apodaca, manning right field, earned All-WCC honors as a freshman at Gonzaga. Johnson, who was previously coached by head coach Mitch Thompson at McLennan Community College, settled in center field. Left field was mostly handled by Jordan when he wasn’t designated hitting. Jordan was an all-region first-team outfielder at Navarro College before landing with the Bears.
Apodaca believes the experience they had with each other as transfers last season strengthened their bond on the field and prepared them for one more go.
“Coming in last year, we were all new guys coming into the program,” Apodaca said. “Just being able to play with each other through last spring, through this fall, we’ve been able to really bond, and honestly, it should just help our team chemistry out in the outfield.”
As the season went on, the three outfielders emerged above the rest in the lineup. Apodaca led the team in almost every major hitting category, including batting average, hits and RBIs. Both Johnson and Jordan played their roles in the lineup — Johnson was the consistent and speedy leadoff hitter, stealing 10 bases and hitting .313, while Jordan launched a team-high nine home runs on .331 hitting. They also held the top batting averages on the team.
As leaders in the lineup throughout the season, the outfielders kept an unwavering team-first mindset, fixated on what the team could accomplish. All three credit their success to the confidence that someone is always ready to step up behind them.
“We live together now, so we’re always talking baseball and figuring out what’s best for the team,” Jordan said. “At the end of the day, we have 40 guys that can step up at any point.”
Entering the 2025 season, the outfield unit has some hype and high expectations following their strong performances the season prior. Again, the trio refuses to take away any credit from their teammates.
“As far as outside expectations go, we always talk in the circle, we’re really the only ones that know what we have,” Johnson said. “We’re with each other and that’s the most important thing is being where our feet are.”
Along with rising confidence and expectations on the field, the Bears have found that a renewed dedication to faith has been a leading factor in the team’s growth on and off the diamond.
“This team has really all grown in their faith,” Johnson said. “That’s helped us be super present in the moment and not worry about what anybody else has to say about us.”
Like Baylor men’s basketball and head coach Scott Drew’s philosophy of creating a “culture of J.O.Y.,” Baylor Ballpark is full of players striving to become spiritual leaders throughout the program. Apodaca and Johnson mentioned how, in the past, the team had not fully reflected their dedication to their faith during team activities. They said the team had come together during the offseason and decided to pursue the spiritual aspect of the team. Apodaca credits the team’s weekly Bible study as one of the main ways they have grown closer off the field.
“We do weekly Bible studies with the team, all player-led,” Apodaca said. “It’s able to put baseball away and focus on what’s really important, which is your walk with the Lord. It’s really a special moment to just be able to bond with your brothers in Christ like that and be able to just exchange and grow deeper on that spiritual level together.”
Faith has manifested itself in other ways, too. Seven players were baptized over the fall. Apodaca and Johnson also mentioned how redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Cole Stasio proposed having a poster board in the locker room where the guys could “write a bunch of quotes or Bible verses that they want to share with the team.”
Apodaca and Johnson said the same thing about their outlook on this season: “Soak it all in.” They believe the motto is also a common sentiment among the rest of the seniors on the team. Apodaca challenged the other veterans to “squeeze out as much baseball as we can” as the Bears look to make the Big 12 Tournament for the first time under Thompson.
“I think there was a little bit of nerves going in the last year,” Johnson said. “This year, I think everyone’s just happy to get going. Everyone’s just like, ‘Man, this is going to be so fun. I can’t wait to get going.’”
Jordan credited the team’s seniority as a part of why they were ready to take on the new season and bring success back to the Brazos.
“With how college baseball is now, being older is better,” Jordan said. “With a lot of guys that have shown that they can do it at this level, we can go in head held high.”
The Bears begin their 2025 campaign at 3 p.m. Friday against Youngstown State at Baylor Ballpark.
