By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor
Redshirt sophomore second baseman Jack Little was the only Baylor baseball starter without a long-sleeve undershirt or hoodie under his jersey Tuesday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark. When the last pitch was thrown, 37-degree weather was mixed with 10 mph winds blowing toward home plate from the Brazos River.
Ignoring the frigid temperatures, Little drove in three runs with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate as the Bears knocked off UTSA 5-0.
“When I warmed up, it was like 60 degrees, and then I got into the game, and it got a little colder,” Little said. “I didn’t think it was going to be that bad. And then I got a hit, and then I was like, ‘I’ve got to ride it out from there.’”
Behind his three-hit day and 12 strikeouts from five pitchers, the Bears picked up their first shutout win since March 14, 2023. For just the third time since 2013, Baylor has opened the season 4-0.
“I just think our guys are feeding off each other right now and it’s fun to watch,” head coach Mitch Thompson said. “I was glad to get the shutout at the end. The guys have fought hard for it. I wanted them to get that shutout; it’s a great thing for the staff.”
Freshman left-handed pitcher Carson Bailey earned the win, throwing three innings in his first career start. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five UTSA batters. Senior right-handed pitcher Caleb Bunch followed Bailey, delivering two scoreless innings and three strikeouts.
“Every guy that we ran out there threw strikes, competed [and] they had good stuff,” Thompson said. “It was good to see Carson Bailey get out there and get his first start. I thought he handled it well. It’s a tough day [to pitch].”
Little put Baylor on the scoreboard first with a leadoff double in the bottom of the first. A pair of groundouts plated the second baseman, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead.
Senior shortstop Tyriq Kemp, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, led off the third inning with a single. Standing on first base with strong winds blowing toward home plate, Little demolished the fifth pitch he saw to deep center field. The ball slammed off the batter’s eye, but Kemp was barely off the first-base bag, expecting the ball to die.
Little stayed at first due to the baserunning blunder, while Kemp pushed for third and was thrown out. Despite two singles, a gaffe put one out on the scoreboard with redshirt senior right fielder Enzo Apodaca stepping up to the plate. On a 2-2 count, Apodaca launched a 367-foot home run down the right-field line, extending Baylor’s lead to 3-0 lead.
As the pitching staff dominated, the green and gold tacked on one run in the fourth on a throwing error. Little then singled in Kemp in the seventh, capping the 5-0 victory. Kemp and Little were the only Bears with multi-hit games, boosting their batting averages to .500.
“It can’t be a good feeling in the other dugout when you go, ‘Okay, now we’ve got [to face] Jack Little and Enzo and Wesley [Jordan] and now [Hunter] Simmons. Oh, holy cow!”’ Thompson said. “Then, all of a sudden, you get down to the bottom of the lineup, and you go, ‘Crap, Ty Johnson, [Cortlan] Castle, JJ Kennett and Kemp are on base. Oh crap, here comes Jack Little!”’
Junior left-handed pitcher Caleb Jameson, sophomore left-handed pitcher RJ Ruais and redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Gabe Criag closed the shoutout, allowing just four hits over the final four frames. Jameson handled the sixth and seventh innings, allowing one hit and picking up his first strikeout in his Baylor debut. Ruais made his season debut, striking out one in the eighth inning.
Craig, Baylor’s Opening Weekend closer, allowed a single to start the ninth before a diving play by Little at second and a strikeout put the Bears one out away from their first shutout in nearly two years. However, the Roadrunners didn’t let Craig off easy. A single and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position before the veteran righty dialed up the velocity and delivered one more strikeout.
The Bears return to action for a three-game series against Gonzaga. First pitch for game one against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday at Baylor Ballpark.
