By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Redshirt senior first baseman Tyce Armstrong torched Baylor in 2025, going 4-for-6 in two games against the Bears as a member of UT Arlington.
It was all fun and games between Armstrong and his former teammates before their second meeting of the season.
“I was chatting it up with them,” said Armstrong, who now leads the Bears in OPS and home runs. “Those are some of my brothers for life, and I’ll always go up and say hi to them no matter what.”
He turned the tables once it was game time, blasting two home runs against his former team on Tuesday night. Armstrong’s two bombs lifted Baylor (23-21, 9-12 Big 12) over UT Arlington (16-26, 5-7 WAC) 6-2 in a six-inning game that was shortened due to inclement weather.
“I love playing with those guys,” Armstrong said. “Playing them in this ballpark after everything we’ve been through together, it was just surreal to be able to do that.”
The Mavericks struck in the first inning on Tuesday night. Following a walk and double to put two runners in scoring position, Xavier Melendez drove in Harold Laracuente on a sacrifice grounder to second base.
The Bears’ offense responded quickly after stranding two runners in the bottom of the first. Junior catcher JJ Kennett led of the bottom of the second with a line drive single to left. Baylor drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with two outs to set up freshman left fielder Dylan Perez. He shot a ground ball up the middle to give his team a 2-1 lead.
“It’s what needed to happen,” head coach Mitch Thompson said. “Swing the bats, just get a couple runs across, start feeling a little bit better about yourselves offensively and have some positive momentum going.”
Melendez tied the game at two with a sacrifice fielder’s choice in the top of the third.
The Bears swung the door open in the bottom of the third. Armstrong led off with his first home run of the game. Kennett sent a grounder to right field, scoring redshirt freshman designated hitter Hunter Snow from second. Sophomore second baseman Pearson Riebock capped off the three-run third with a sacrifice groundout to the shortstop.
“It wasn’t a full game, but we stepped on the gas a little bit there at the end, and it helped us secure the win,” Armstrong said.
The Baylor pitchers came up big throughout the game, forcing the Mavericks to go 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding 11 runners.
“We helped them load the bases a couple of times today,” Thompson said. “Then we had to pitch out of it, and I was glad to see us do that.”
Tuesday night’s victory snapped a six-game skid, including a sweep against No. 25 Arizona State over the weekend.
“The weekend had a lot to do with the guys that we were facing,” Thompson said. “Arizona State was running 95-plus mile-an-hour arms out there one after another. They were really good, and we were not, and it was a struggle.”
The Bears continue their home stand with a three-game series against Texas Tech (22-22, 6-15 Big 12). Game one is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Baylor Ballpark. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.
