(LOS ANGELES)- Omaha takes on Baylor at 2:00 PT (4:00 CT) today at Jackie Robinson Stadium for a chance to extend their season, as both squads lost in their opening games of the NCAA Regional Tournament. Baylor lost 3-1 to Loyola Marymount, and Omaha fell by a final of 5-2 against UCLA.
Omaha played tight with the best team in college baseball last night, but the bats couldn’t get going against UCLA’s ace, Ryan Garcia. Omaha’s offensive production has taken a step back recently, scoring only nine runs in their four games since scoring 15 against Western Illinois in the opening round of the Summit League Tournament. Scoring will be a big factor for Omaha in today’s game, as Baylor is one of the better hitting school’s in the country and will force the Mavericks hand.
The Bears have the ninth best batting average in the nation heading into the postseason (.310) and rank in the top-25 in doubles per game (2.12) and slugging percentage (.470). They have also hit 46 home runs in their 49 games this season.
The Baylor bats are led by their third baseman, Davis Wendzel, who was recently selected as the Co-Big 12 Player of the Year and Third Team All-American. He is batting .377 with 17 doubles, eight home runs, and a .623 slugging percentage. The Bears have an astounding six batters who have started at least 40 games and are batting over .300.
Omaha’s starter, Joey Machado, will have his hands full. Machado is 6-2 on the season with a 4.37 ERA. His K/9 rate is very strong (8.47) and he will need to be able to put batters away similar to the way Omaha did last night against UCLA for the Mavs to be in a position to win.
Baylor has similar defensive efficiency to Omaha, with a fielding percentage of .978, and some of the best corner infielders in the country. First baseman, Chase Wehsener, has yet to commit an error in his 386 chances. Wendzel has only two errors in 102 chances. The bullpen helps propel the Bears as well, led by First Team All-American Kyle Hill. Hill hasn’t given up a run in his 28 innings pitched this year, and sits at 6-0. The bullpen as a whole is 19-7.
That being said, Omaha built some confidence last night going toe-to-toe with UCLA. With the season on the line for both squads, expect this to be a very tightly contested affair from start to finish. Omaha’s bats will have to be able to keep up with Baylor, but the defense from Omaha has been very good lately and will be a tough test for the offensive attack of the Bears. The team that gets out ahead first will be at a significant advantage with how strong both defenses are.
Listen to Ben Helwig and Matt Kirkle on call for the win or go home game at 2:00 PT on MavRadio.fm
