Red Raiders take on The Baylor Bears in Lubbock

After sweeping GCU at home in a two-game midweek series the Red Raiders look to take on the Baylor Bears. Baylor comes to Lubbock with a 14-23 overall season record and a 5-10 conference record with a win over No. 12 ranked Texas. 

Pitching

Friday’s matchup will feature LHP Mason Molina (4.60 ERA) on the mound for the Red Raiders and RHP Blake Helton (7.88 ERA) for the Bears. Helton starts the series with 40.0 innings over 10 appearances for the Bears allowing 62 hits, 42 runs, 4 home runs, and 17 walks while recording 38 strikeouts. Saturday’s starters will be RHP Trendan Parish (5.09 ERA) for the Red Raiders and RHP Mason Marriott (8.60 ERA) for the Bears. Marriott starts the series with 37.2 innings over 9 appearances for the Bears allowing 49 hits, 41 runs, 6 home runs, and 26 walks while recording 33 strikeouts. Sunday’s pitcher for the Red Raiders has yet to be announced but they will face Baylor’s RHP Will Rigney (3.80 ERA). Rigney starts the series with 21.1 innings over 7 appearances for the Bears allowing 24 hits, 9 runs, 1 home run, and 28 walks while recording 28 strikeouts.

Batting

Of the six batters that have played in the majority of Baylors 37 total games four are batting better than .300. Koby Branch leads the Bears in batting average (.356), hits (52), runs (38), doubles (14), RBI (33), and walks (29). John Ceccoli (.246) leads the Bears in home runs with 5. 

Baylor has been a tricky team to figure out this season. While their overall record should indicate this series would be an easy takeaway for the Red Raiders they have been able to find success lately against high-caliber teams beating UT last weekend 10-9 to keep the Longhorns from securing a sweep and forcing a rubber match that Sunday. The Red Raiders will need to keep their heads on their shoulders and not underestimate this Baylor team but this is a very winnable series should they do that.