Big 12 Sports Blog by Big 12 Fans

BAYLOR BASKETBALL UPDATE: Bears fall to Purdue in NCAA Tourney, garner highly successful season with Drew at the helm

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – Now that the bracket’s been notched down to the Sweet 16, it’s time to take a look back at the season that was for the Baylor Bears basketball team.

The green and gold men’s hoops team, under the direction and leadership of the one and only Scott Drew, had a highly successful season – compiling a 21-11 overall record while establishing the team as one of the up-and-coming programs in a very elite conference with a 9-7 mark in Big 12 play.

Despite a disappointing first round Big 12 Tourney loss to Colorado in double overtime, the Bears still made the Big Dance – with BU bursting their bubble status when the final pairings were announced on Selection Sunday.

“How sweet man,” Baylor’s Curtis Jerrells said following the news the team had made the NCAA Tourney. “I was a little nervous. It was faith. First off, we just want to thank God for giving us the opportunity for being a part of the NCAA Tournament.

“This is something that we set out to do all season. We felt like we worked hard enough to do it, and it just came down to that last spot. We just had to have faith, so we just want to thank God.”

Coach Drew concurred with his junior star guard.

“I think I lost my voice in all of the screaming and the excitement, so I apologize for that,” Drew said. “I also want to echo CJ’s [Curtis Jerrells] thoughts about thanking the Lord for helping us get to this situation. Being the 65^th pick is indicative of the Baylor Bears; we persist and we hang in there. When it looks like we are down and out, we are able to come through. This is very exciting for us and the fans.

“When you put in perspective, it is the second time Baylor has been to the NCAA tournament in 58 years. So it has been a long time coming. Being able to progress this far as we have in such a short time is just a tribute to the players that we brought in, the school administration and the community that has been able to support us over this time.”

And regardless of a first round 90-79 loss to Purdue when the NCAA Tournament tipped off last week, the Baylor Bears still have a lot to be proud of – and they also have a lot to look forward to.

“It wasn’t the performance that we wanted, but at the same time I think this team has accomplished a tremendous amount this year,” Drew said. “It’s something that hopefully they can be proud of the rest of their lives.”

Jerrells led the way for Baylor in their match-up with Purdue, netting 27 points while dishing out eight assists in the Bears first round loss to the Boilermakers.

“In the second half, we thought we were coming back,” Baylor sophomore guard Tweety Carter said. “We had all season long. But we just couldn’t come back [against Purdue].”

Also contributing in the scoring department for BU were freshman guard LaceDarius Dunn with 15 points and junior guard Henry Dugat, who matched his freshman teammate by chipping in with 15 points.

“We gained a lot; we gained hunger,” Jerrells said. “I think the taste in our mouth will be a whole lot better next year. And we’ll actually guard somebody.”

One way or the other, the Bears have a lot to be proud of – as senior guard Aaron Bruce can testify.

“When I first got here, thinking of days like this and thinking about going to the tournament wasn’t even in the picture,” Bruce said. “I think it is just a testament [to this program]; the coaching staff, and the people that they brought in. We’re fighters and we are going to keep fighting.

“You count us out, we are going to show up on a board on the NCAA tournament sooner or later, and that is what we did. It is just a credit to those guys, credit to the staff, and everybody that has something to do with [the Baylor basketball program].”

In addition to leading the team in scoring in a losing effort for Baylor against Purdue, Jerrells also became the first player to score at least 27 points and eight or more assists since Dwyane Wade put up 29 points and dished out 11 assists for Marquette in an Elite Eight battle with Kentucky on March 29, 2003 – a game that Wade and the Golden Eagles won to advance to the Final Four.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BAYLOR BASEBALL UPDATE: No. 20 Bears bounce back with big win over Houston Baptist after three-game skid, improve to 14-7 overall

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – After a trio of games saw the Baylor baseball team scratch across just two runs while dropping all three games against Big 12 rival Missouri, the No. 20 Bears bounced back against Houston Baptist University on Tuesday night, March 25 in Waco.

Baylor (14-7) reestablished their offensive groove against HBU on Tuesday evening at their home ballpark, knocking in run after run en route to a 12-4 victory while the Bears’ Tim Matthews picked up his first win of the season after relieving BU starter Craig Fritsch after 3.1 innings of play.

“I wanted to split the game up between [Tim Matthews] and Craig [Fritsch],” Baylor Head Coach Steve Smith said. “I wanted to give Craig an opportunity to start a game and to get his feet wet like that, but I’ve seen him better.

“He wasn’t as good tonight as what we’ve seen. That experience and that extended look out there will help him. Tim has a lot of experience and has done everything. He did a good job.”

After Smith’s duo of pitchers handled the first seven innings of work, the Bears handed the ball to Baylor’s bullpen beast, Nick Cassavechia – who pitched two innings of one-hit baseball after BU’s weekend collapse against the Tigers.

“He [Cassavechia] looked a lot better,” Smith said. “His stuff was better, his velocity was better, and he was sharper. That’s a good feeling for him. All of this stuff is just about confidence, and you can’t do anything without it.

“Some of the things that have gone against him and some of the bad games he’s had, obviously they’ve taken a toll on him mentally. From a hitter’s perspective, the whole weekend took a toll on us, so tonight was a good opportunity to get well in terms of confidence.”

Leading the offensive charge for the Bears was a trio of talent, as Beamer Weems, Adam Hornung and Aaron Miller picked up three hits apiece.

“It [bouncing back with a win] was definitely big,” sophomore Baylor outfielder Weems said. “We take nothing away from the Missouri staff because they threw us really well, and that’s a place where you don’t want to go when you’re not on your A-game.

“After the weekend we had, to come out here and jump out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, you could see it in the dugout that everybody’s shoulders dropped a little bit, and everybody relaxed and started having more fun.”

The more fun the Bears had, the more their lead extended over HBU – as Miller posted back-to-back homers after going 0-for-12 prior to Tuesday’s match-up in Waco.

“I just let them come to me,” Weems said. “The whole problem I’ve had has been pitch selection. In the last couple of weekend I haven’t been swinging the bat too well, and I’d been going out of the zone and trying to make something happen instead of just letting it happen. I told myself today that I was just going to make them throw strikes before I started swinging, and I got a few I could handle.”

Count Coach Smith as one to echo his star outfielder’s comments – as the BU skipper was the first to let the media know that Weems would probably be sleeping a bit better in the nights to come.

“He squared the ball up pretty well,” Smith said. “He’s just got some pop, and when he gets the ball up in the air like he does, it can blow out of the park on a night like tonight. It was good to see him swing the bat better after the weekend he had. He’ll sleep a little better tonight.”

Baylor junior first baseman Hornung also had a major impact in the Bears 12-run outburst against HBU – helping to break BU’s three-game skid.

“It was definitely a big improvement from the weekend; it was good to see us start driving some balls again and putting up runs,” Hornung said. “In the first inning we put up four runs, so it was good to see that early.

“At Missouri we had the chance to score early twice and we didn’t, so it’s good to see us get on the board and keep getting on the board. It definitely helped us relax a little more once we put up four in the first, and then we scored in every inning except for two, so it was good to see.”

Matthews, who pitched 3.2 innings of two-hit, no-run baseball, picked up his first win of the season on Tuesday night against HBU – improving his overall ERA to 1.62.

“Lately I’ve just been attacking guys with fastballs,” Matthews said. “That’s pretty much my thing, throwing the sinker and just going right after guys without trying to be too fine. It’s been working out.”

Working out is exactly right, and despite an evening with high winds, the senior pitcher accomplished the task at hand – successfully taking the mound and attacking the HBU batters.

“I’m pretty much a groundball pitcher, and throwing a two-seamer down in the zone is usually pretty good on a night like this,” Matthews said. “Keeping the ball out of the air is always good, and usually I do a pretty good job of keeping the ball out of the air. Nights like this don’t worry me too much, but if you do get it up, it’s one of those nights that can be dangerous. If you just try to keep it down and induce groundballs, it usually works out.”

Fortunately, skipper Smith and his young and talented BU baseball team have bounced back after dropping a trio of games in Missouri – and even with extensive winds blowing out of Baylor Ballpark Tuesday night, the Bears picked up a much-needed W.

“This would’ve been a tough night had we come out here and had the wind blowing in our faces after this weekend,” Smith said. “The hitters needed a night that at the least didn’t work against them, and this one definitely worked for them. We had some guys that took some good at bats, and we made some good contact.”

The Bears return to the diamond on Wednesday, March 26 in a one-game match-up with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Baylor Ballpark at 4 p.m. CT before opening a three-game series at Oklahoma on Friday, March 28 at 6 p.m. CT.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BAYLOR 86, TEXAS TECH 73: Bears rally late, Dunn’s 38 points lead to Big 12 victory over Red Raiders

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears are all about breaking and beginning new streaks in 2008.

On Saturday afternoon, March 8 in Lubbock, the Bears broke through another barrier – finally ending a nine-game losing skid at Texas Tech.

After falling behind early, with Texas Tech pushing their lead to 34-25 with 4:12 left in the first half of play, Baylor answered with a 9-0 run to deadlock the game at 34-34 with 1:49 remaining until halftime.

However, the Bears and Red Raiders traded baskets through the final two minutes – with Texas Tech taking a one-point lead, 37-36, through the first 20 minutes of play.

Whatever Drew told his team at the half worked to perfection, as the Bears came out hot in the second half – using a 16-6 run over the first six minutes – taking a 43-52 lead on LaceDarius Dunn’s three-pointer, his fifth trey on the night, with 14:07 left in regulation.

Dunn finished the evening with 38 points and six three-pointers, a new career high for the BU freshman guard, as the Bears completed the regular season with a phenomenal 9-7 conference mark and a 21-9 overall record with Drew at the helm.

Baylor’s lead blossomed to 11 points on Dunn’s sixth swish from beyond the arc, giving the Bears a commanding 63-52 lead with 9:50 left in the second half of play.

Tweety Carter, another green and gold weapon from long-range, hit a trey of his own to push the Bears lead to 66-54 – and shortly thereafter, Dunn hit four consecutive free throws as Baylor’s lead grew to 70-56 with 5:49 remaining.

An emphatic dunk by Kevin Rogers put an explanation point on the evening as the Bears grabbed a 78-63 lead with the clock nearing the three minute mark, with Drew’s Cinderella Baylor bunch picking up a huge Big 12 road victory.

In addition, Drew’s Bears now own an undefeated record against the Red Raiders since Pat Knight took over the program – with Baylor knocking off the younger Knight in his season debut in Waco earlier this season.

Beyond Dunn’s 38 points, two other Baylor players hit double-digits in Lubbock – with Carter netting 16 points and Rogers chipping in with 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Bears finished the night with eight three-pointers while shooting 46.4 percent from the field (26-of-56), in addition to draining 26-of-31 free throws (83.9 percent).

Although Oklahoma also won on Saturday, giving the Sooners a first-round bye in the Big 12 Tourney while forcing the Bears to play an opening round game against the 12-seed, Baylor enters the conference tourney in Kansas City with high hopes.

With Selection Sunday right around the corner, and the Big 12 Tourney tipping off on March 13, sports fans across the nation will know exactly where their teams stand in just seven short days.

Check back on Wednesday, March 12, for a Big 12 Tourney Baylor Bears preview – as Drew and company aim to prove to the doubters that the BU basketball team deserves a shot at The Big Dance…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

No. 11 Baylor baseball team splits two-game series with Louisiana Tech

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – With the Bears leading the Bulldogs 6-4 heading into the ninth inning on Tuesday, March 4 at Baylor Ballpark, it was almost assumed that the BU baseball team would be improving to 8-0.

Unfortunately for the Baylor Bears (8-1), the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-4) rallied – scoring five runs in the top of the frame to snap BU’s impressive undefeated start, walking away with a 9-6 victory.

“They got the timely hit in the ninth inning, and that’s the name of the game,” Baylor Head Coach Steve Smith said. “I don’t think that either one of us played the game particularly well.  I imagine that ball was fair by inches (Louisiana Tech’s go-ahead double in the ninth inning), and that sometimes will be the difference in a game.”

After falling behind 1-0 after the top half of the first inning, the Bears crossed home plate four times in the bottom of the first to take a three-run lead into the second inning.

“They helped us; we got a couple of hits in the first inning, but we weren’t driving the ball,” Smith said. “I don’t know if we even had an extra-base hit in this game [all eight hits were singles], but I give their guy credit. Their guy [Alan Knotts] kind of gathered himself and really pitched well. Then they gave us a left-handed look [with Landon Braud] and he did a nice job, and then the [Bulldogs] closer [Aaron Lorio] has obviously got plenty of ammunition at the end.”

With Baylor’s Tim Matthews pitching the first 3.2 innings of work, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits, Craig Fritsch entered the picture for the Bears – pitching four innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just two hits and striking out four.

“[Craig] Fritsch was every bit the equal of anybody that threw tonight, and we needed it,” Smith said. “We weren’t scoring and they weren’t scoring.”

With the Bears and Bulldogs deadlocked at 4-4 midway through the seventh inning, Baylor tacked on a run in the bottom of the seventh – with home base being stolen by Beamer Weems to break the tie – and added another in the eighth to take a 6-4 lead heading into the top of the ninth inning.

“It was just a timing play and we timed it perfectly,” Weems said. “We caught them off-guard and it worked. It was actually cool [to steal home], but it would’ve been a lot better if we would’ve won.”

Despite the two-run cushion, the Bulldogs scored five times in the ninth before holding the Bears scoreless in the bottom of the frame to end Baylor’s superb start to the season.

“They take some hacks, but they were not any different than what we expected,” Smith said in regards to Louisiana Tech’s offense. “They’ll be a good offensive club.”

Things began on shaky ground when Baylor closer Nick Cassavechia led off the ninth inning with a walk – and before anyone knew it, Louisiana Tech had scratched across five runs to take a 9-6 lead.

“The biggest thing about being a closer is coming out and throwing strikes, and especially with a righty up there,” Cassavechia said. “Coming out and walking the first guy is how you dig yourself into holes.

“I still don’t feel like my slider is there yet, but that’s no excuse. I have other pitches and I do other things besides throw a slider. It’s not on, but it’s a long season and I’ll have plenty more chances to bounce back.”

The Bears did just that the following day, holding on in another wild finish – this time resulting in a 7-6 Baylor victory.

“We’re just playing games and trying to find ways to win them,” Smith said. “We’re having to find ways to win right now because we’re not doing the job on the mound, in terms of throwing strikes, and we’re really not swinging the bats with a whole lot of authority up and down the lineup. For the most part our defense has been very good. We’ve got way better arms than what we have shown in terms of throwing strikes.”

Baylor, just as they had the night before, had a four-run inning against the Bulldogs, breaking out of a 1-1 tie and taking a 5-1 lead heading into the third inning.

After an off night at the plate, Aaron Miller reestablished his dominance – crushing his fourth homer of the season against the Bulldogs on Wednesday evening in Waco.

“The difference you can feel between two days is crazy,” Miller said. “Yesterday I couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, and today was just one of those days when I felt good and felt dialed-in. He gave me a pitch that I could handle, and I took care of it.”

With the Bears holding a 7-4 lead through eight innings of play, Baylor turned to Erik Forestiere – who had just worked a scoreless eighth – to finish things off.

“There’s a little bit of uncertainty at the end of the game with who’s going to do what and when,” Smith said. “There is no dialing-up three strikeouts. I would’ve been just fine with [Erik] Forestiere finishing the game. He should have; [Mace] Thurman should have. That didn’t happen, so we moved on to the next guy.”

Unfortunately, Forestiere allowed Louisiana Tech to score twice before being replaced by Miller – who worked to two batters before handing things over to BU closer Cassavechia.

“Nick’s [Cassavechia] not Nick right now, and I don’t think that’s a secret, but he’s still pretty good,” Smith said. “He’s got big-time heart, he’s got big-time guts and composure, and I would not have put him out there if I didn’t think that he was the guy to get the job done. I’ve seen him win some games in some pretty unbelievable situations that were much more unbelievable than tonight.”

Cassavechia did a great job bouncing back after a shaky outing the day before, facing four batters and allowing no runs on one hit to preserve the Baylor victory while garnering his fourth save of the season.

“No matter who is on the mound it’s not really too calm when it’s the top of the ninth and the bases are loaded with a couple of outs,” Miller said. “There’s not really anybody else that we’d rather have out there than Nick [Cassavechia]. Nick’s proven himself day in and day out.”

With the split of the two-game series with Louisiana Tech, Baylor improves to 8-1 on the season and will return to the diamond – this time on the road – for a three-game series with Mississippi State beginning Friday, March 7 at 4 p.m. and concluding on Sunday, March 9 at 1:30 p.m.

After the stop in Mississippi, Baylor hits the road for Tulsa for a two-game series with Oral Roberts on March 11-12, with both games slated to begin at 3 p.m.

Baylor returns home to host Oklahoma State in a three-game weekend series as Big 12 action begins on Friday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

SPORTS ADDICT: Sloan’s sad showboat slam epitome of Texas A&M Basketball

Commentary by Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

There’s a reason why Texas A&M tends to be hated by their rivals.

A majority of that reason circles around the fact that the Aggies appear to support and applaud unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Aggies proved that on Wednesday night, March 5 at the Ferrell Center, with Donald Sloan showboating in the game’s final seconds by slamming home an uncontested dunk as the Bears’ home crowd erupted in anger and frustration.

It’s a sad commentary for college basketball when events such as this occur.

There’s no reason whatsoever for an off-the-backboard, pass-to-yourself slam dunk unless we’re talking about the NBA’s annual dunk contest.

There’s no place for that in college hoops.

And there’s no reasonable explanation as to why it happened other than the fact that the Aggies are a bunch of stuck-up jerks.

I guess I have now seen it twice this season, as well as twice in my life, when it comes to a pass off the backboard in college basketball.

First, there was the uncalled-for Oklahoma fast break pass of the backboard against Baylor; and now this…

This one, unfortunately, is hands-down worse than the assist in Norman.

This one was beyond unnecessary, and it’s something that straight up doesn’t belong in the game of college hoops.

If you want to showboat, go join the Harlem Globetrotters.

Don’t bring that junk into BU’s house and then complain about the crowd’s reaction… Texas A&M is hated by many for one and one reason only: they care only about themselves, focusing more on unsportsmanlike play than winning ball games.

Grow up, Aggies… even your coach made public comment disapproving of such actions, which at least makes things a bit better.

The question is, can the Texas A&M players actually heed the words of their coach and begin playing the game of basketball with character and sportsmanlike play?

My guess is they cannot because these guys are so full of themselves that they would rather do things their way than their coach’s way.

It’s no wonder the Aggies have had a see-saw season; I don’t know how anyone in their right mind can work with Texas A&M’s men’s hoops squad – a team loaded with me-first attitudes and jovial jerks.

Wake up, Texas A&M, before you lose another good coach due to a bunch of wannabes trying to make it in the Big 12 Conference…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

TEXAS A&M-BAYLOR PREVIEW: Bears set to host Aggies in rematch of epic five-overtime hardwood showdown

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – In approximately 24 hours, a rematch of one of the greatest games to ever hit the college hardwood tips off at the Ferrell Center.

On Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. CT, Baylor (20-8, 8-6 Big 12) will host Texas A&M (21-8, 7-7) as the Bears aim for back-to-back victories over the Aggies – with the game slated to be televised on ESPN2.

The prior BU-TAMU conference contest, an epic five-overtime battle ‘til the buzzer at Texas A&M’s Reed Arena, resulted in a remarkable 116-110 Baylor victory.

After the Bears marathon victory in College Station, Scott Drew’s squad picked up just one win over the next seven Big 12 match-ups before garnering three straight W’s – as Baylor seeks to make it four on Wednesday under BU’s gold dome for the team’s home finale.

Baylor is 12-3 at home this season – and having already won on the road against the Aggies this season, the Bears look to sweep the season series with Texas A&M when they take center stage on the green and gold hoops court Wednesday night in Waco.

The Bears are currently tied for third place with Kansas State in conference standings, pushing to end the regular season on a high note in hopes of acquiring a first-round bye in the Big 12 Championship – running March 13-16 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Drew’s basketball bunch defeated Missouri 100-89 last Saturday for Baylor’s third straight win, as well as the team’s 20^th victory of the season, and the Bears hope to make it 21 on Wednesday with an NCAA Tournament birth on the line.

Although the Bears have dropped three consecutive match-ups with the Aggies in Waco, Baylor looks to end that streak when hosting Texas A&M on senior night at the Ferrell Center – where BU’s three grads-to-be, Aaron Bruce, Richard Hurd and Mark Shepherd, will be honored on Wednesday evening in a pregame ceremony.

Check back on Thursday, March 6 for postgame notes, quotes, stats and more from the annual TAMU-BU hardwood showdown in Waco…

2008 BU@TAMU: Reed Arena Revisited

First the first time, fans will be able to witness the epic showdown between Baylor and Texas A&M held on Jan. 23 at College Station’s Reed Arena – with the game scheduled to be televised on ESPN Classic beginning at 5 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 5.

The Bears three-and-a-half hour marathon victory over the Aggies, a 116-110 Baylor win over then-No. 16 Texas A&M, set seven Big 12 records – including longest game (five overtime periods), most points by a team (116 by Baylor in a conference game), most combined team points (226 in a conference contest), most team rebounds (70 by Baylor), most field goal attempts by a team (97 by Baylor), most team free throws made (29 by Baylor tied a Kansas State record set on Feb. 13, 1999) and most individual free throws made (20 by Curtis Jerrells).

Shortly thereafter, the rematch tips off as the Bears and Aggies get reacquainted – this time on the BU hardwood – in a Ferrell Center match-up at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

No. 11 Bears sweep through QTI Baylor Classic, remain undefeated

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – The Baylor Bears baseball team is on fire, remaining undefeated after sweeping a weekend series with a trio of teams.

Steve Smith’s Bears (7-0) – ranked No. 11 in the latest Baseball America polls – picked up three more wins this past weekend in the annual QTI Baylor Classic, blowing out their opening round opponent before squeaking by in the second two games to keep their undefeated record intact.

“There are five one-run games in there, so we could easily be 4-3,” Smith said following Baylor’s 4-3 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the QTIBC finale on Sunday, March 2. “We’ve played pretty well defensively, and we’re making a lot of plays. The one thing that needs to get better is going to be the walk number for our pitchers being too high.

“We give a lot of teams free bases; [Sunday] we did it quite a bit, but we made pitches too. [Sunday is] a perfect example of that. Willie [Kempf] loaded the bases almost by himself in one inning, and [he] was able to make pitches to get out of it. He had pretty good defensive play behind him, and we’ve got a good bullpen. We’ve got a lot of good arms and some of them haven’t been out there much yet. I still like the club, and as the time goes on we’ll see better and better swings out of our offense.”

On Sunday, the Bears were not ensured of a W until the game’s final pitch – clinching yet another one-run victory on the season – taking an early 3-0 lead only to see it evaporate late prior to Baylor tacking on a seventh inning run and holding on for the win.

“A win is a win, but it’s good when you see different guys contributing and you see different guys making plays in fairly tight situations when there’s little margin for error,” Smith said. “Erik Forestiere going out today and getting six outs with a one-run lead is a pretty big deal for him. It certainly will give him a lot of confidence, and the players out there behind him a lot of confidence, knowing that it doesn’t always have to be Nick [Cassavechia] that goes in for those situations.”

Forestiere appeared to welcome the late-innings challenge, attacking the batters early and often to garner the save.

“He came in throwing strikes with three pitches right away,” Smith said. “He did that the other day when he went out there, and that’s requirement number one. It always troubles me when a guy goes in a game and the catcher’s diving for his first pitch. I’ve seen that quite a bit, and I know it’s early in the year, but that kind of thing needs to get better. Erik threw strike one and strike two right off the bat.”

Despite the near pitcher-perfect picture from the mound this season, Smith is a bit concerned about his offense relying heavily on homeruns.

“I don’t know if it’s a thought pattern or if it’s [our] approach, but we’re living on the flyball right now,” Smith said. “We’re living on homeruns, and that won’t work against good-quality pitching. [On Sunday] we got ourselves out quite a bit with a lot of big swings and lot of weak flyballs. We’re thinking long-ball too much, and that might be a carryover from the Friday night game.”

On Friday, Feb. 29, the Bears opened the QTI Baylor Classic with a major offensive outburst, crossing home plate 20 times (on 21 hits) while limiting Illinois to just six runs on nine hits.

“We got extra opportunities,” Smith said following Friday’s 20-6 Baylor victory over Illinois. “They kicked it around a little bit on defense and they left the guy out there. They weren’t in any hurry to go to their bullpen, and our guys were seeing him well and taking good swings.”

One of those taking swings for the fences on Friday night included Aaron Miller, the first Bears baseball player to hit three homeruns at Baylor Ballpark.

“Hitting is contagious, and the guys swung the bats very well,” Smith said. “Obviously he’s [Miller] got some juice in his bat; it was quite a display. He’s a pretty special kid.”

Baylor sophomore starting pitcher Kendal Volz – who picked up the win on Friday against Illinois – concurs with his skipper, adding that Miller is probably one of the toughest outs in the nation.

“We all know he [Miller] can hit, and [on Friday] he just showed his potential,” Volz said. “He’s a great hitter; one of the best hitters. Throwing against him in all of the intrasquads in the fall, he’s one of the best hitters that we’ll throw to, and we could say that about almost every hitter on our team. There aren’t too many times you’ll see that, or even hear about that.”

According to Miller, it took a total team effort for the BU victory – and he credits the team’s overall ability to Baylor being able to smoke 21 hits in the QTIBC opener.

“We’ve always had the ability to do something like that, and I think we’re going to do it quite a bit more,” Miller said. “[Against Illinois,] we showed a little bit about what our lineup can do. Up and down the lineup, [we had] doubles, home runs, just absolutely killing the ball. Once we get in a flow, it’s going to be a really hard lineup for opposing pitchers to attack.”

Miller’s exactly right – especially with a lineup as offensively packed as the Bears – and against Illinois, every single player in the lineup picked up at least one hit.

“It definitely does [help] with the way Adam [Hornung] is swinging, and Dustin [Dickerson] behind him,” Miller said. “Dustin had three doubles today, and Beamer [Weems] ahead of me got a few hits. There are really no weaknesses in our lineup.

“I really feel bad for other teams when you come out and guys are swinging this well. Landis [Ware] had three hits in the nine-hole, and when teams are swinging it that well, there’s just really not much you can do.”

Baylor followed Friday’s blowout win with a come-from-behind victory on Saturday, March 1 against Illinois-Chicago – falling behind early before battling back with a four-run seventh to garner a 5-4 win.

“This game was about pitching and defense,” Smith said. “We played it really well on the defensive side. Beamer [Weems] and Shaver [Hansen] on the left side of the infield were really, really good, and Beamer showed that he is in fact a human with that error in the ninth; but he made some tremendous plays, as did Shaver.

“Shaver’s play when he had to come get that ball [in the eighth inning] was a great play. I couldn’t be more pleased with how we’re playing defense in the infield. They’ve been really, really good.”

Junior outfielder Ben Booker was Saturday’s hero for the Bears, blasting a two-run triple that temporarily gave Baylor a 4-3 lead before BU pitching hung on to clinch the win.

“That lefty [Chris Kovacevich] was throwing all kinds of off-speed,” Booker said. “When the count got to 3-1 and he threw me another off-speed pitch I was like, ‘he might as well throw it again.’ He left it up and I put a good swing on it, but I saw that center fielder going after it and I thought ‘please just let it drop one time.’ It was good for us.

“This team is veteran enough where once we get down one or two runs it’s not a big deal because up and down the lineup everybody hits the ball pretty well. Our pitchers throw the ball well, and when you get up two or three and have Nick [Cassavechia] coming in, one of the best relievers, you feel solid once you get the lead.”

Senior center fielder Paul Miles, who picked up a hit and also crossed home plate in Saturday’s BU victory, was happy to see Baylor’s deep and talented team pull together once again for a one-run win.

“The day before we came out and really put a ton of hits up there, and then the next day we’ve got to come out and win close games,” Miles said. “That’s a good thing about this team. One day we can do it by beating guys pretty well, and then the next day we can come and pitch, play, throw the ball around and win one-run ball games. That’s pretty good for our team dynamic. We can get it done a lot of ways.”

Sophomore third baseman Shaver Hansen agrees with his teammate, dropping in two hits in Sunday’s finale against Stephen F. Austin – a 4-3 Baylor victory.

“Early in the season it builds a lot of confidence being able to come back and win,” Hansen said. “[We have had] timely hits, our pitchers never give up, and everything is kind of adding up. As long as we can get the win, that’s all that matters.”

However, according to Hansen – as well as the coaching staff – the team needs to learn to quit relying on the long-ball if they expect to continue their highly successful season.

“We’ve been popping it up in the air, which is something we need to shy away from,” Hansen said. “We’ve had the wind blowing the last couple of days, and that has benefited us. When that doesn’t happen, and when we get a guy that’s going to have pretty lights-out stuff, we need to be able to square the ball up and hit it on a line or on the ground.

“That’s what we’re going to work on in practice. That and bunting. We’ve missed on a couple of bunts and things like that, so we need to get that done; [we need to work on] the little parts of the game and not so much the long-ball.”

Practice makes perfect; so far, the Baylor baseball team has done just that – remaining perfect thus far with a 7-0 record.

The Bears aim to keep that record intact when they face Louisiana Tech in a two-game series at Baylor Ballpark beginning on Tuesday, March 4 and concluding on Wednesday, March 5.

Check back on Friday, March 6, for the latest news and notes from the green and gold baseball team as the Bears look to continue their winning ways…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BAYLOR 100, MISSOURI 89: Bears rally from double-digit deficit, defeat Tigers 100-89 for third straight Big 12 victory

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – With the second half nearing the 14 minute mark, the Baylor Bears found themselves down by 13 points at home against the Missouri Tigers when Head Coach Scott Drew called a timeout.

At that time, the Bears men’s basketball team was down 69-56 with 14:16 remaining – before making the run they needed to deadlock the game, and eventually win the contest.

“This team, we have been through so much we were just thinking in our heads that there is just too much time left,” Baylor junior forward Kevin Rogers said. “Early leads mean nothing. We were able to come out and execute and play how we know how to play. Any lead is easy to break into, we just need to slow ourselves down and get back to the basics and get stops and score.”

Shortly thereafter, Baylor (20-8, 8-6 Big 12) did just that – clawing past prior problems by pressing the opponents in the backcourt, playing daunting team defense and garnering sharp shooting from the Bears gifted guards – to pull off an 11-point victory, 100-89, against Missouri (15-14, 5-9).

The BU guards, proving throughout the season that they can and will successfully survive by making a high percentage of their shots from beyond the arc, went on a patented Bears run – scoring 14 unanswered behind consecutive three-pointers by LaceDarius Dunn to give Baylor a 70-69 lead with 9:13 remaining in the game.

“We wanted to make [Saturday’s match-up with Missouri] exciting,” Drew said. “The team showed their togetherness and heart. In the second half, being down and finding a way to win is a sign of a team with experience, good leadership and a lot of courage.”

The Bears and Tigers were tied, 77-77 with 6:34 left, prior to Baylor’s senior Mamadou Diene – scoring a season-high 10 points – and Rogers stepping up offensively with back-to-back baskets to put the Bears on top for good.

“Our whole team knew the importance of this game,” Drew said. “Give a lot of credit to Missouri, they played a great game. Defensively, we just weren’t very sharp for 25 minutes of the game. In the last 15 minutes we did a much better job blocking out.”

Blocking out, or lack thereof, was one of the main reasons behind the Bears allowing the Tigers to take a big lead and remain in the fight – although Baylor finally managed to pull together and deadlock Missouri in team rebounding with 41 apiece.

“We played with effort,” Baylor sophomore guard Tweety Carter said. “The first half we came out and we didn’t look like we had the energy defensively. Starting with me, I wasn’t energetic out there like I normally am until the second half. It has to be a 40 minute thing, so we have to continue to get better at that.”

With that being said, the Bears did what was necessary to pick up a much-needed win on a day filled with upsets – including a Texas A&M blowout loss at Oklahoma and a Texas loss to Texas Tech – to give the BU basketball team their 20^th win of the season, as well as their third straight conference victory.

“Nationally, people look at a 20-win season as a pretty big deal,” Drew said. “That is why when a team can reach a 20-win season, it is something to obviously be proud of. At the same time, I don’t think anyone says that they just want to win 20 [regular season games], and the good thing is we have a lot of basketball left.”

For Baylor’s Carter and company, the credit goes to God – as well as teamwork.

“You have to give credit to God for bringing us together,” Carter said. “A lot of us had other opportunities to go to other schools and play for other coaches; when Coach Drew recruited us, he told us that one day it would be a special day for us at Baylor. We need to continue to get better. [Our current 20-8 season] is a great start for us, but we just need to continue to get better.”

The Baylor big men, primarily Diene and Rogers, played a significant role in the victory – especially during the Bears second half rally as the home team’s forwards/centers came through in the clutch.

“Well I think our bigs always have an impact on the game with the standpoint that a lot of times they create advantages with their screens and their play,” Drew said. “I thought [in Saturday’s game against the Tigers] they did a great job finishing and scoring inside.”

Forward Delbert Simpson, a junior transfer from Tyler Junior College, scored a career high in both scoring and blocks while coming off the bench – netting 10 points to go along with six rebounds and two blocks on Saturday afternoon at the Ferrell Center.

“It was a great day for me, but a better day for our team,” Simpson said. “I contributed to the team where I feel like I could help out today. I want to win, and the team wants to win. We are a family.”

Baylor’s hoops family also did a phenomenal job of hitting the glass and blocking out late in the second half after a dismal first half left the Bears in a halftime deficit.

“That [second half rebounding] was a major thing,” Simpson said. “With this game in particular, we had to come in and hit the boards to be victorious.”

For the Bears, seven players hit double-digits in scoring – including Henry Dugat (18), Carter (17), Dunn (16), Curtis Jerrells (14), Rogers (12), Diene (10) and Simpson (10) – as the Baylor guards once again came to the rescue.

“They’ve got quick guards; actually I think they’ve got the best guards we have played all year,” Missouri junior forward Lee Lyons, who led the Tigers with 22 points and 15 rebounds, said. “They [Baylor’s guards] are quick, and they can shoot the ball. So you really can’t guard them. In my opinion, I think they are the best guards in the Big 12.”

Rogers also picked up his 12^th double-double of the season on Saturday, and his fifth straight, muscling in 12 points while pulling down 12 boards as Baylor picked up their first 20-win season since 1987-88 – a season that saw the Bears break into the postseason NCAA Tournament.

Currently (as of March 2), the Baylor men’s basketball team is tied for third place with Kansas State with 8-6 records in Big 12 standings – with the Bears owning the tie-breaker if the teams are deadlocked by season’s end – while the Aggies, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech battle it out for fifth.

The Bears final two regular season challenges come this week – a home date with Texas A&M on Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2, and a road game against Texas Tech on Saturday, March 8 at 12:45 p.m. CT on ESPN Plus – as Baylor aims to finish the season on a strong note with a postseason invite on the line…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

MISSOURI-BAYLOR PREVIEW: Bears, Tigers set to claw it out on the hardwood Saturday afternoon in Waco

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – Baylor (19-8, 7-6 Big 12) hits the Ferrell Center hardwood on Saturday afternoon, March 1 with back-to-back victories in their rearview mirror, battling Big 12 rival Missouri (15-13, 5-8) in a game slated to tipoff at 3 p.m. CT.

Saturday afternoon’s match-up between the Bears and Tigers is scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN Plus (KWTX and “The CW” in Waco, Temple and Bryan areas), with Fred White and Bob Sundvold calling the action.

Scott Drew’s Bears are coming off a 68-57 victory over Colorado on Wednesday evening, Feb. 27 in Boulder – the team’s first win in the Rocky Mountains since the Big 12’s inception – and aim for win number 20 of the season on Saturday.

Missouri, meanwhile, fell at home to Oklahoma State in a two-point thriller, 75-73 on Tuesday night, Feb. 26.

After the MU-BU showdown on Saturday afternoon, Baylor has two games remaining in conference play – a rematch with Texas A&M, this time at home, and a road trip to Lubbock to face Texas Tech in the regular season finale.

On Wednesday, March 5, the Aggies will travel to Waco for a battle with the Bears at the Ferrell Center and is slated to tipoff at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2; also, the epic five-overtime Baylor victory at Reed Arena will finally be broadcast on national television when ESPN Classic airs the marathon game at 5 p.m. prior to the start of the rematch.

The BU men’s basketball team concludes Big 12 play on Saturday, March 8 at Texas Tech – where the Bears aim to finish strong before the annual conference tournament, March 13-16 in Kansas City, in hopes of a postseason invite to the NCAA Tourney.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BAYLOR 68, COLORADO 57: Bears prevail over Buffalos, garner second straight Big 12 victory

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – On a cool evening in Boulder, Colorado, the Bears clawed to an 11-point 68-57 victory over the Buffalos in Big 12 action on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at the Coors Events Center.

For the Baylor Bears men’s basketball coaching staff, that means its time to break out the razor as an ongoing winning tradition lives on, after BU Head Coach Scott Drew and company – including Matthew Driscoll, who was the first to be initiated after forward Kevin Rogers and center Mamadou Diene shaved the assistant coach’s head after last weekend’s must-win over Kansas State – began the ritual as a way to motivate the team.

“We lost a lot of games in a row,” Drew said. “So for motivation, with each win, we shave a head; tonight it was Coach [Jerome] Tang’s turn. We played great defensively, taking away the back door shots and taking away the three-point shots.”

With the win, Baylor (19-8, 7-6 Big 12) moves into a two-way tie for fourth place with Texas A&M (21-7, 7-6) – as the Aggies picked up a 98-54 blowout victory over Texas Tech at Reed Arena, dropping the Red Raiders into a four-way tie for sixth place – while Colorado (10-17, 2-11) remains in the conference cellar.

“This was a huge win tonight – every win in the Big 12 is a huge win,” Drew said. “It starts with experienced players and teams. We’ve been on the losing end of the floor; we just needed more experience and more maturity.”

Rogers had a breakout game in Boulder, leading the BU men’s hardwood team with 24 points and 11 rebounds – going 8-for-9 from the charity stripe en route to his 11^th double-double of the season.

“If it takes a double-double for us to win every night, that’s what I’ll do,” Rogers told the Waco Tribune Herald. “With the guards we have, people key on them and I was able to make some shots. I always try to play with confidence and good things happen.”

Guard Henry Dugat also played a significant role in Wednesday’s BU victory over CU, netting 21 points – starting and staying hot from long range on 5-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc and hitting every free throw attempted (6-for-6) – while pulling down five rebounds and dishing out an assist.

“We did a good job of controlling the tempo,” Dugat said in a FSN television interview following the Bears 11-point win. “We control our own destiny, and we can go as far as we want to go.”

Colorado, despite any and all efforts to remain in the game – including holding Baylor’s Curtis Jerrells to just five points and four assists – was led in scoring by guard Richard Roby with 17 points.

“I thought we did a good job on their [Baylor’s] leading scorer, Curtis Jerrells, but [Henry] Dugat and [Kevin] Rogers hurt us,” Colorado Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “With a team like that, it is hard to keep everyone down.”

After taking a 34-22 lead into the break on hot first-half shooting, the Bears somewhat cooled down – shooting 36 percent in the second half after hitting 50 percent though the first 20 minutes of play – before cruising to their second consecutive Big 12 victory while breaking the .500 barrier in conference play.

“This game meant a lot to us,” Drew said in a radio interview after Baylor’s 68-57 victory at Colorado. “Our guards did a real good job of getting the ball to Kevin Rogers, and Henry Dugat had a hot hand tonight. We also played great defense and did a good job of getting to the line and making free throws.”

The latest Big 12 standings (Thursday, Feb. 28) have Baylor and Texas A&M holding a two-way tie for fourth (7-6) – with Texas (11-2), Kansas (10-3) and Kansas State (8-5) leading the pack – while a sandwich of teams (Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech) sit in a four-way tie for sixth (6-7).

With a mere three games remaining in the regular season – as well as three head shavings tentatively scheduled for the coaching staff – the Baylor basketball team aims to finish the season strong in high hopes of receiving a postseason invite to the NCAA Tourney.

“We haven’t looked too far ahead,” Drew said. “We always look to the next game.”

For the Bears, that next game is a match-up with Missouri on Saturday, March 1 at the Ferrell Center – with tipoff slated for 3 p.m. CT in Waco and scheduled to be televised on ESPN Plus.

After Saturday’s showdown, Baylor’s final two Big 12 games of the regular season are at home against Texas A&M on Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. CT, and on the road against Texas Tech on Saturday, March 8 at 12:45 p.m. CT.

For the latest Baylor basketball news, scores and standings, check back on Saturday evening, March 1 after the Bears and Tigers face off at the Ferrell Center, for postgame quotes, notes, stats and more…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com