By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor
Senior catcher Cortlan Castle put an exclamation mark on a nine-run third inning with his first career grand slam to help Baylor baseball win its 30th game for the first time since 2021, downing UT Rio Grande Valley 10-7 Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark.
Head coach Mitch Thompson’s Bears (30-18, 10-14 Big 12) rode free bases to victory in their final midweek game of the season, drawing seven walks and two hit by pitches while limiting the Vaqueros (33-15, 22-8 SLC) to just two walks. The green and gold pieced together nine hits, but seven came from multi-hit games for redshirt sophomore outfielder Gavin Brzozowski and seniors Tyriq Kemp and Castle.
“We’ve struggled around a little bit and we’re not swinging it great right now,” Thompson said. “We’ve got to get that going if we’re going to make this run at the end of the year and be at our best and have a chance to be our best. But it was good to see [Castle] come up and step up.”
Redshirt sophomore left-handed pitcher Caleb Jameson allowed the Vaqueros to take an early lead with a two-run home run in the top of the second inning. Jameson returned to the mound in the third for the Bears and allowed back-to-back singles before picking up a strikeout and being relieved by redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Cole Stasio (3-1), who earned the win.
Stasio worked the first batter he faced into a full count before UTRGV first baseman Jacob Sanchez drove a single under Baylor freshman third baseman Pearson Riebock’s glove for an RBI single. The Bears made their way out of the inning four pitches later, limiting the damage to a 3-0 deficit.
A hit-by-pitch sandwiched by errors loaded the bases for the green and gold with one out in the bottom of the third. Kemp, who finished 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs batted in, rocketed a single up the middle to score Baylor’s first two runs. After a flyout, redshirt senior designated hitter Hunter Simmons evened the game with an RBI single of his own.
The rally continued for the Bears as Brzozowski drew a walk and redshirt freshman first baseman John Youens took a fastball off the shin with the bases loaded to plate the fourth run of the inning. The Vaqueros went to the bullpen after the plunking, but control remained an issue as the next batter walked to force in another run.
“They gave us a couple of errors that opened the door, and we ran through it,” Thompson said. “The big nine-run inning is a tough one for any team to overcome.”
Then came Castle.
Five unearned runs already across, Castle fell behind 0-2 before a hanging 77-mph breaking ball jumped off his bat. With just one career home run, Castle eyed his second — a 349-foot grand slam.
“Whenever I saw it off the bat, my first thought was, ‘Man, either that’s caught or it’s off the wall,’” Castle said. “Then I saw it go over, so I was pumped about that. My first move was to turn to [first base] coach [Zach] Dillon and look at him [and say], ‘Did you see that?’ Because he likes to doubt my power.”
UT Rio Grande Valley never made it easy for Baylor following the nine-run third. The Vaqueros added a solo home run in the fourth, and second baseman Thomas Williams drilled his second home run of the game, a two-run shot, in the sixth to trim the deficit to 9-6.
The green and gold tacked on another in the bottom of the sixth inning as Castle led off the inning with a single and Kemp finished it with an RBI base hit before being tossed out at second.
Stasio, junior left-handed pitcher Stefan Stahl and redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Patrick Hail ate up the middle 4 ⅔ innings, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk. Each reliever allowed at least one run, and Thompson turned to the big guns entering the eighth inning on top 10-7.
Senior right-handed pitcher Caleb Bunch worked out of the eighth without giving up another run, although he did give up two singles. Redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Gabe Craig, who is on pace for an All-American nod, worked his 19th scoreless outing of the season with a strikeout and a double play to secure his ninth save of the season and Baylor’s 10-7 win.
“I know our whole clubhouse wanted to get to win 30 and further past that,” Castle said. “So getting that today was big, and we’re just excited for the next two weeks.”
The Bears finish the season 11-1 in midweek games and will open their final home series of the season against Oklahoma State (22-21, 10-11 Big 12) at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Baylor Ballpark.
