BAYLOR BASEBALL UPDATE: Bears slide into six-seed, defeat Nebraska in round one action

BAYLOR BASEBALL UPDATE: Bears slide into six-seed, defeat Nebraska in round one action

By Denton Ramsey, Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – For a season that began on a high note, then quickly turned sour, the Baylor Bears baseball team (32-24) – along with skipper Steve Smith – have got to be happy with Wednesday’s 10-4 round one victory over Nebraska (39-13-1).

BU went back to their roots on Wednesday evening in Oklahoma City – beginning with pitching perfection on the mound and ending with offensive outbursts at the plate.

“For us it all started on the mound, and Shawn [Tolleson] gave us a really good performance,” Smith said following the Bears round one victory. “[Tolleson had] very good command, kept his fastball down and didn’t make very many mistakes at all. He gave up a two strike hit and followed it up with a walk or a hit batter, and they were able to create some offense there and get a couple of runs on the board. He pitched really well, and that was as important for us as anything.”

Baylor’s offense was also awakened from a prolonged slumber, as the Bears faired well at the plate – scoring 10 runs on nine hits.

“The guys just did a great job at the plate,” Smith said. “Nebraska threw a bunch of really good arms at us, and while we didn’t get a ton of hits – you’re not usually going to get a ton of hits against those kinds of arms – we did get some free bases, and we got some timely hits.

“The big hit in the game was when they chose to take a gamble and play the infield in with the bases loaded, and that’s a gamble. Shaver’s [Hansen] bounding ball gets over the first baseman and cleared the bases, and then they had to play again after that and [Adam] Hornung got one to go through on the right side. Those two balls weren’t well struck. They were just situations where we put the ball in play and got the benefit out of it.”

BU third baseman Shaver Hansen led the way for the Bears on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs batted in (RBI).

“We really wanted to go up there and be aggressive and to be ready to jump on that first pitch fastball if they were throwing it,” Hansen said. “The lefty [Dan] Jennings that threw today, we saw him in relief during the Big 12 games that we had during the year, and he had a pretty good slider, so being able to attack his fastball was important for us. We all went out there with a do or die attitude and we got it done.”

According to the skipper, relaxation and confidence – along with superb mound work –helped propel the Bears in Wednesday’s tourney opener.

“Our guys were relaxed and took good at bats,” Smith said. “It looked like a pretty confident, pretty mature group of guys. Ben [Booker] says we did, but we didn’t play a flawless game because he didn’t get the bunt down. But, the next couple of times up he got a base hit to load the bases before Shaver did what he did, and then he absolutely scolded that ball of the right field fence after they had answered.

“They were back in the game; they’ve still got outs to play with. That was as big as anything. We got off to a good start, they responded, and then we responded. We didn’t shut it down; we played the game all the way from start to finish.”

Freshman Shawn Tolleson picked up with W for the Bears, going 6.1 solid innings – yielding four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out two.

“Early in the game I was able to get good command of my pitches,” Tolleson said. “I was getting my fastball down in the zone. They were hitting a lot of ground balls and infield pop ups. Later in the game I struggled a bit with control, but luckily I was able to get a few outs.”

Despite going 1-2 in their final season road woes in a pair of setbacks against Texas Tech, the Bears locked up the six-seed in the conference tournament with a blowout victory over the Red Raiders in the middle game of the three-game series.

And despite starting the season hot before taking a turn for the worse, Baylor’s baseball team compiled an impressive 31-24 regular season record while bouncing back in Big 12 play after a rough start – ending the year with an 11-16 mark in conference contests.

“After our last game at [Texas] Tech, we knew that we had to come out and bring our ‘A’ game to win this thing and do what we want to do,” Baylor junior left fielder Ben Booker said following the Bears victory. “This is a new start for us. We need to play every game like we did today. This was the ‘A’ team that we brought today, and most of the year we really haven’t brought that. Everyone knows now what we are expected to do, so we just need to bring that game out again [on Friday].

“We have to [win] or we are not going to play anymore. We have been telling each other that for the last three weeks, but it hasn’t really clicked. I don’t really know what the problems have been, but today on the field you could tell it was a different team. We drew walks, we situational hit, we pitched well and there were no flaws in the game today, so that is what we need to do [on Friday].”

Baylor enjoyed a day off on Thursday before returning to the diamond on Friday, May 23 in a round two match-up with Oklahoma State. First pitch is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT at Oklahoma City’s Bricktown Ballpark.

“I’m sure it will be the same as it was last night – it is intense,” Hansen said. “We are gunning for everybody because we know we can win; we think we can win. We are happy that we won, but we know that we have another good to team to face, and another good team after that. We have to take it one game at a time, one pitch at a time. It is pretty intense because we need to play our best ball and we know it.”

The Bears continue Big 12 Tourney play on Saturday, with Baylor scheduled to face Kansas State at 7:30 p.m. prior to Sunday’s Big 12 Championship.

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

SPORTS ADDICT: ‘LIKE COACH, LIKE PLAYER’ – Williams, Hansbrough perfect fits for BABY blue Tar Heels…

SPORTS ADDICT: ‘LIKE COACH, LIKE PLAYER’ – Williams, Hansbrough perfect fits for BABY blue Tar Heels…

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter

 

Talk about a bunch of complainers.

When discussing the University of North Carolina basketball, it’s now a given we are going to be talking about a group of whiners – win or lose.

Unfortunately (at least for this die-hard Duke fan), Carolina has spent quite a bit more time winning than losing lately, having now advanced to the Final Four next weekend in San Antonio, Texas.

What’s sad is the fact that the UNC players’ reactions on the court, i.e. “how to cry to the officials,” were learned from the man at the helm – none other than Roy Williams.

Granted, we are talking about the BABY blue Tar Heels here, and that’s exactly what they are – a bunch of babies.

I wanted to personally slap the crap out of Tyler Hansbrough during his infant tirade when he was whistled for a blatant foul – reaching around the Louisville player in what I can only call “a bear hug.”

What a whiner! Just admit you fouled the guy and shut your mouth!

Look beyond Hansbrough’s monster game – he notched 28 points while grabbing 13 rebounds – this guy spends more time complaining to officials than coach Williams does complaining about nonsense issues he has with Coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils.

No matter how you slice it, Hansbrough and top-seeded UNC get almost all the calls – and Tyler is also allowed to foul numerous times defensively before he is ever whistled for his first… and by that time, most of the time, the other team has already been whistled for a handful of fouls.

I understand that star players, and star teams, get the calls when it comes to officials.

For years, people complained that Duke got all the calls. I can guarantee you that is no longer the case – GUARANTEE.

But there also comes a point and time when a player just has to smile and say, “ok, you caught me, I fouled the #%$# out of that guy.”

However, that’s not the case with Tyler, nor is it the case with Roy.

Two awards are already etched in stone for the 2008 NCAA Big Dance – biggest baby coach, and biggest baby player complainer – going to the two in baby blue representing those three resented words in Durham… UNC.

In all honesty, Carolina really ought to consider changing their “mascot” from the Tar Heels to the Female Dogs…

*****

Here’s another thing that peeved me on Saturday while watching Louisville and Carolina battle it out on the hardwood… towards the game’s conclusion, Duke grad Jay Bilas (and before the flood of emails come in, yes – I understand being unbiased and not favoring one team or the other, which Jay does a phenomenal job of doing) made the comment that he has never seen a player with as much will, in addition to skill, as that of Tyler Hansbrough.

Are you freaking kidding me, Jay?

You wore D-U-K-E across your chest, you played under the greatest coach of all-time and the college player with the biggest heart, and will, to EVER play the game went to YOUR college – a guy by the name of J.J. Redick.

As a Duke fan for life, as well as an advocate for “Coach K for President,” this time of year – in this type of setting – a UNC loss tastes nearly as sweet as the Blue Devils cutting down the nets.

I’m hoping, and praying, the Heels taste the bittersweet reality of defeat next weekend when they visit the Lone Star State on their road for San Antone.

Louisville and Rick Pitino nearly tripped up UNC and Roy Williams on Saturday night, and it’s only a matter of time before we see the baby blue Heels crying it out on the hardwood come next weekend at the Alamo Dome.

At least, I hope…

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL UPDATE (March 7): Weekend Match-Ups, Latest Standings…

BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL UPDATE (March 7): Weekend Match-Ups, Latest Standings…

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

 

WACO, Texas – It certainly looks like the Big 12 title will go down to the wire.

With just two more days remaining in conference play, and a two-way tie for first and a three-way tie for fourth up for grabs, this weekend’s match-up will likely determine who will walk away with the Big 12 regular season crown.

All 12 teams have just one game left on the schedule – with eight teams ending regular season play on Saturday and the final four completing Big 12 competition on Sunday.

After the weekend showdowns, conference records will seed all 12 teams for the upcoming Big 12 Tournament, slated to run March 13-16 in Kansas City.

In addition to conference tourney placement being on the line, many of the Big 12 teams are also fighting for an opportunity to earn an NCAA Tournament berth – with Texas A&M, Baylor and Oklahoma all using this weekend’s match-ups as last minute resume builders for the NCAA Selection Committee…

 

Big 12 Standings (03.07.200

                                    Big 12              Overall

Kansas                         12-3                 27-3

Texas                           12-3                 25-5

Kansas State                9-6                   19-10

Texas A&M                 8-7                   22-8

Baylor                          8-7                   20-9

Oklahoma                    8-7                   20-10

Oklahoma State            7-8                   16-13

Texas Tech                   7-8                   16-13

Nebraska                     6-9                   17-11

Missouri                       6-9                   16-14

Iowa State                    4-11                 14-16

Colorado                      3-12                 11-18

 

Saturday, Sunday Showdowns

This weekend will feature all Big 12 teams in action as the conference concludes regular season play on Sunday, March 9.

The four games slated for Saturday, March 8 are as follows (with television coverage and tipoff times): Baylor at Texas Tech, ESPN Plus, 12:30 p.m. CT; Missouri at Oklahoma, ABC, 2:30 p.m. CT; Kansas State at Iowa State, ESPN Plus, 3 p.m. CT; and Kansas at Texas A&M, CBS, 3 p.m. CT.

Sunday, March 9, will mark the conclusion of Big 12 regular season action as two conference games hit the hardwood (with television coverage and tipoff times): Colorado at Nebraska, no television coverage scheduled, 2 p.m. CT; followed by Oklahoma State at Texas, ESPN, 3 p.m. CT.

 

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

 

BAYLOR-TEXAS TECH PREVIEW: Bears head north for Lubbock for season finale hardwood showdown with Red Raiders

BAYLOR-TEXAS TECH PREVIEW: Bears head north for Lubbock for season finale hardwood showdown with Red Raiders

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

 

WACO, Texas – Saturday, March 8, marks the final day of the regular season for the Baylor Bears.

Scott Drew’s Bears aim to bounce back and end the season on a high note – after falling in an ice cold shooting contest with Texas A&M on Wednesday at the Ferrell Center – and hope to secure a top-four spot in the Big 12 Tourney, therefore earning a first round bye in Kansas City, Missouri.

The match-up between the Baylor Bears (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) and Texas Tech Red Raiders (16-13, 7- is slated to tipoff at 12:45 p.m. CT on ESPN Plus (KWTX and “The CW” in Waco/Temple).

Baylor is also seeking an NCAA Tournament berth with Drew at the helm, having already garnered 20 wins this season and currently owning an 8-7 record in conference play – sitting in a three-way tie for third place in Big 12 standings.

Texas Tech is coming off a 109-51 defeat at Kansas on ESPN’s Big Monday game, with the Red Raiders getting blown out of the building after picking up a huge win over Texas on March 1.

The Red Raiders own a 13-2 record at home this season, and the Bears are looking to break out of a slump in Lubbock – with Baylor having dropped nine straight contests at Texas Tech.

However, the Bears took care of business in a prior match-up with the Red Raiders earlier this season – with Drew’s Baylor hoops team defeating Texas Tech in Pat Knight’s debut as head coach, 80-74, which aired nationally on ESPN (Feb. 6).

Check back on Sunday, March 9, for postgame quotes, notes, stats and more from the Baylor-Texas Tech Big 12 season finale…

 

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

 

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

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

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 71, BAYLOR 57: Bears shoot ice cold from field, fall to Aggies at Ferrell Center

TEXAS A&M 71, BAYLOR 57: Bears shoot ice cold from field, fall to Aggies at Ferrell Center

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

 

WACO, Texas – For some unknown reason, the Baylor Bears haven’t been able to find a way to defeat Texas A&M on their home hardwood over the past four meetings.

Baylor (20-9, 8-7 Big 12) fell to Texas A&M (22-8, 8-7 Big 12) 71-56 on Wednesday, March 5 at the Ferrell Center, the Bears’ fourth straight loss to the Aggies in Waco.

“As far as tonight’s game, I think Texas A&M won the game,” Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew said. “They hit big shots and played very well. Josh Carter hit big shots, Donald Sloan hit big shots, and the interior did a great job defensively. I think we wanted to win so bad for our seniors that you either play great or you come out and play tight.

“I think we came out and played tight. Obviously with their interior [defense] we needed to hit some outside shots. We had some good looks early, and we didn’t make those. Their outside defense was very good.”

The Bears began the game shooting ice cold from the field and beyond the arc, hitting only 24.1 percent of their shots in the first half (7-for-29) while going 0-for-9 from the three-point line through the first 20 minutes of play.

“Physical and half court basketball favors them [Texas A&M],” Drew said. “Again, I thought it was a bit different than the first time we played. Give [Texas A&M] Coach [Mark] Turgeon the credit for doing a great job controlling the tempo and getting the style of play that they wanted.”

Swarming defense was the key to the Aggies defeating the Bears at home, as Texas A&M pressured Baylor’s guards from start to finish – with BU ending the evening making just 21.1 percent of their shots from three-point range (4-for-19).

“I thought early we had some good looks, and as the game went on we started to press a little bit more and then we took some tougher looks,” Drew said. “Early on, I thought CJ [Curtis Jerrells] had a couple of good looks and I know Lace [LaceDarius Dunn] had a good look. It was a situation where we didn’t get off to a good start. After that, we tried to go inside more and they did a good job defensively.”

The Aggies also slowed down the tempo of the game – toning down the pace to work in Texas A&M’s favor over a Baylor offense that thrives when moving at a quicker speed.

“That is what coach [Scott Drew] preaches to us; he just tells us to push the tempo up and get it into our style of game, but I think they [Texas A&M] did a good job of slowing it down, getting inside and doing what they do,” Baylor junior guard Henry Dugat said. “We had a game like that not too long ago [with shots not falling in the first half]. We know that we just have to stick with what we do and what has got us here. Eventually they are going to fall, but tonight was just one of those nights in which they didn’t.”

In addition to shooting ice cold from the field, the Bears and Aggies played a very physical game on the Ferrell Center hardwood – with Texas A&M being known as one of the tougher teams in the conference.

“That is how they play,” Dugat said. “They have good big men down low. They like to bang a lot; that is the style they play, so we are used to it. They are one of the most physical teams in the Big 12.

“I think they just keyed in on us and locked down a bit more. They did a great job defensively on us; obviously, look at the stat sheet.”

On a night that saw the Bears shoot just 33.3 percent from the field (21-for 63), not a single green and gold player hit double-digits in scoring and the team was held to a season-low 57 points.

“It was a tough night tonight; we didn’t shoot like we normally do,” Baylor center Mamadou Diene said. “We play with these guards every day; we know that they can make those shots. We just didn’t hit shots tonight, and sometimes that just happens. Tonight was just one of those nights.

“It was pretty physical, that is the Big 12. Every game is physical, but this one [against Texas A&M] was the most physical game this year.”

Baylor was led offensively by Jerrells and Diene, netting nine points apiece. Also scoring for the Bears was Dugat with eight points, Tweety Carter with seven points and Aaron Bruce with seven points.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, had four players hit double-digits in scoring – with Carter and Sloan leading the Aggies with 17 points each.

After a low scoring first half saw Texas A&M take a 26-21 lead into the break, both teams played a much better second half – with the Aggies outscoring the Bears 45-36 through the final 20 minutes of play, due primarily to A&M hitting clutch free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win.

Unfortunately, the game concluded with some unneeded showboating by the Aggies, as Texas A&M’s Sloan assisted himself via the backboard for an uncontested slam dunk with the seconds ticking off the clock and the road team up by 12.

“I did not like it [Sloan’s final dunk as time ran out],” Turgeon said. “The arena was already hostile. They were throwing bottles all over the place which was ridiculous. I wish he would have just let the clock go out. The game was over.”

The Bears and Aggies return to the hardwood on Saturday – with Baylor slated to face Texas Tech on the road and Texas A&M set to host Kansas – as both teams conclude regular season conference play prior to the Big 12 Tourney tipping off on March 13.

 

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