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April 28, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

 

GAME 46  •  APRIL 29  •  CLAY GOULD BALLPARK  •  ARLINGTON, TEXAS

BAYLOR (25-10) at UT ARLINGTON (20-23)

TUESDAY:  6:30 p.m. CST

 

GAME 47  •  APRIL 30  •  BAYLOR BALLPARK  •  WACO, TEXAS

BAYLOR vs. SAM HOUSTON STATE (26-18)

WEDNESDAY:  6:30 p.m. CST -- Wednesday Win Days ($1 hotdogs)

 

 

Baylor plays two midweek games for the sixth consecutive week. The Bears travel to UT Arlington for a 6:30 p.m. CDT first pitch Tuesday at Clay Gould Ballpark. Baylor returns home Wednesday, hosting Sam Houston State at 6:30 p.m. in a makeup game of the March 18 rainout.

            The Bears (25-20) dropped the first two games of a weekend series against eighth-ranked Nebraska but rebounded for an 8-3 victory in Sunday's finale. Baylor is 3-7 in its last 10 games. The Bears are 18-9 at home and 7-11 on the road, all coming on opponents' home fields. Baylor is 7-8 in midweek games, including a 1-4 mark in midweek road games.

            UT Arlington (20-23) also dropped two of three over the weekend, winning 18-3 in the series finale Saturday at Northwestern State. The Mavericks are 7-3 in their last 10 games. UTA is 12-9 at home and 4-7 in midweek games, winning four of their last five such games. The Mavericks are 2-3 against Big 12 Conference teams, losing to Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas A&M before defeating Oklahoma State and Texas on consecutive nights two weeks ago.

            Baylor and UT Arlington have played 11 common opponents -- Dallas Baptist, Houston Baptist, Louisiana Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State and UTSA. The Bears are 7-14 against those teams, while the Mavericks are 4-14.

            Sam Houston State (26-18) was swept in a three-game series at UTSA over the weekend, falling 5-4 in 10 innings in Sunday's finale. The Bearkats are 5-5 in their last 10 games. SHSU is 10-11 in road games, including a 9-9 mark on opponents' home fields. This is Sam Houston State's first game this season against a Big 12 team; the Bearkats host Texas A&M next Tuesday.

            Baylor and Sam Houston State have played eight common opponents this season -- Dallas Baptist, Houston Baptist, Illinois, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas Southern, Texas State, UT Arlington and UTSA. The Bears are 7-2 against those teams, while the Bearkats are 6-12.

            All Baylor baseball games are broadcast live on Waco's 1660 ESPN Radio. Live streaming audio and GameTracker also are available for all Baylor baseball games online at www.BaylorBears.com.

 

 

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

TUESDAY

Baylor:  RHP Tim Matthews, Sr. (3-1, 3.93 ERA, 36.2 IP, 4 BB, 28 K)

UT Arlington:  RHP Drew Clementz, Jr. (0-1, 1.72 ERA, 15.2 IP, 5 BB, 15 K)

 

WEDNESDAY

Baylor:  TBA

Sam Houston State:  LHP Will Skelton, Jr. (3-3, 4.83 ERA, 31.2 IP, 8 BB, 18 K)

 

 

THE UT ARLINGTON SERIES

Overall Record: Baylor leads 72-28

            Waco:   Baylor leads 44-12

            Arlington:          Baylor leads 28-16

            Neutral Site:      Never Met

Smith vs. UTA:  26-8

First Meeting:    at Baylor 3, UTA 2 [2/26/1973]

Last Meeting:    at Baylor 6, UTA 5 [4/4/2008]

 

THE SAM HOUSTON STATE SERIES

Overall: Baylor leads 55-37

            Waco:   n/a

            Huntsville:         n/a

            Neutral Site:      n/a

Smith vs. SHSU:           8-2

First Meeting:    at Baylor 10, SHSU 8 [4/13/2004]

Last Meeting:    result unknown [3/7/1952]

 

BAYLOR/ISP SPORTS NETWORK

1660 ESPN RADIO (Waco)

            Tom Barfield, play-by-play

            Lark Smith, color

 

INTERNET FEEDS

GameTracker:    www.BaylorBears.com

Audio:  www.BaylorBears.com

Video:  none

 

 

BAYLOR vs. UT ARLINGTON

            Baylor and UT Arlington meet for the 101st time Tuesday. This is the eighth most-played series in Baylor baseball history; Baylor has played more games against UTA than against any other program that was not a Southwest Conference member. In fact, the Bears have played more games against UTA since the series began Feb. 26, 1973, than against any other program except Texas (112), Texas A&M (110) and Texas Tech (108).

            The Bears hold a 72-28 advantage in the all-time series, including a 28-16 edge in games played at Arlington. Baylor has won each of the last eight meetings and is 26-8 against the Mavericks during head coach Steve Smith's tenure.

 

BAYLOR vs. SAM HOUSTON STATE

            Baylor and Sam Houston State meet for the 93rd time Wednesday, making this the ninth most-played series in Baylor baseball history. The Bears hold a 55-37 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to March 7, 1952 (result unknown). Baylor is 8-2 against Sam Houston State under head coach Steve Smith.

            This is the first meeting between the programs since a 10-8 Baylor victory April 13, 2004, in Waco. Prior to that, Baylor and Sam Houston State had not played since April 13, 1999.

 

BAYLOR vs. SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE

            Baylor is 289-126-1 all-time against programs currently playing as Southland Conference members. The Bears are 4-1 against the SLC this season, defeating Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas State and UT Arlington, and losing to UTSA. Baylor has played more games against current Southland members than any conference other than the Big 12.

 

SEVERAL FAMILIAR FACES VISIT WEDNESDAY

            Four people very familiar with Baylor return when the Bears host Sam Houston State -- head coach Mark Johnson, assistant coaches Chris Berry and Jim Blair, and third baseman Seth Hammock.

            Johnson spent 21 seasons as head coach at Texas A&M, where he coached current Baylor assistant coaches Steve Johnigan and Chris Clemons. Baylor head coach Steve Smith (1988-1989) and Johnigan (1990-1991) also served as assistant coaches on Johnson's Texas A&M staffs.

            Berry was Baylor's volunteer assistant from 2000 to 2006, serving as the Bears' pitching coach during his final campaign. He served as pitching coach at Arkansas State prior to joining Johnson's staff this season.

            Blair played at Baylor from 1996 to 1998 and was the Bears' starting left fielder all three seasons. A two-time All-Big 12 selection, Blair's 31-game hitting streak remains the longest in school history, as does his 23-game hitting streak in Big 12 play. His .350 career average in Big 12 play ranks fifth at Baylor. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent after the 1998 season.

            Hammock spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons at Baylor. He hit .233 with two home runs, six doubles, a triple and 15 RBI in 65 career games with the Bears.

 

TEAM NOTES

            Sunday's 8-3 victory over Nebraska snapped a nine-game losing streak for the Bears against Top 10 opponents. Baylor's last victory against a Top 10 team was in 2006 when the Bears swept fifth-ranked Nebraska. ... Despite playing 17 one-run games this season, Saturday's 6-4, 10-inning loss to Nebraska was Baylor's first two-run game this season. ... With Sunday's 8-3 victory over Nebraska, Baylor improved to 70-38 all-time in Big 12 series finales. Baylor is now 5-2 in series finales this season, guaranteeing a winning record in such games for the ninth time in the league's 12-year history. ... Sunday's win also means the Bears still have been swept in a Big 12 series in which all three games were in Waco only once (1998 vs. Oklahoma State).

 

PLAYER NOTES

            Ben Booker and Raynor Campbell both have hit safely in four straight games. No other Baylor player has a hitting streak of longer than two games. ... Adam Hornung saw his 18-game hitting streak in home games end in Saturday's second game. However, he still has hit safely in 23 of 27 home games this season, posting a .380 average (38-for-100) with 10 multiple-hit games and seven multiple-RBI games at Baylor Ballpark. ... Hornung has hit safely in 10 consecutive non-conference games. ... Dustin Dickerson has hit safely in five straight road games and leads the Bears with a .379 average (25-for-66) on the road this season. Dickerson and Campbell (.347, 17-for-49) are the only Baylor players hitting above .300 in road games. ... Shaver Hansen's .380 batting average (35-for-92) in non-conference games leads the team. Of his 14 multiple-hit games this season, 11 have come in non-conference games.

 

WEEKEND PREVIEW

            Baylor and Texas meet for the annual split series this weekend. The series opens with Friday's 6:30 p.m. CDT first pitch at Baylor Ballpark. The series then shifts to UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin for games Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

            Friday's series opener is the final Big 12 home game for the Bears. Baylor's five seniors -- RHP Nick Cassavechia, LHP Drew Jeffcoat, RHP Randall Linebaugh, RHP Tim Matthews and CF Paul Miles -- will be honored prior to the game.

            Saturday's game will be televised nationally on FSN, while Sunday's finale will be televised on Fox College Sports Central (DirecTV channel 669).