(LOS ANGELES)- The Baylor Bears have been arguably one of the most efficient hitting teams in the country this season, but the three games leading up to their matchup with the Mavericks were subpar, to say the least. Baylor ranks in the top-25 nationally in batting average, slugging percentage, and doubles per game; but they only scored a combined two runs in their final two games of the Big 12 Tournament, and then only scored one run on four hits in their opening round loss to LMU yesterday.
Even with the efficiency of the Omaha pitching staff and defense this season, it was only a matter of time until Baylor began to heat up again…and they caught fire in Saturday’s game against the Mavs.
From start-to-finish, Baylor refused to stop hitting and advanced in the elimination bracket in what was a historic game for the Bears offense.
Shea Langeliers had one of the best single-game performances in NCAA Tournament history. He started it off for Baylor in the top half of the first inning with a two-run home run, and that was just the beginning for him. He would end up getting hits in his first five at-bats, which would include three home runs and an NCAA postseason record 11 RBI’s. Every Omaha pitcher he faced, he continued to give the same results.
Breyden Eckhout continued his good hitting performance from the night before against UCLA, where he hit a solo home run. He answered the two-run shot in the first inning from Langeliers with a solo home run of his own in the bottom half of the inning—giving Omaha some life. Eckhout would finish the day going 3-4.
Baylor stomped on the throttle for the rest of the game. They scored in every single inning except the eighth, and even put up seven runs in the seventh after already having 14 runs to that point. Baylor would go through six Omaha pitchers, every one of them giving up at least three earned runs except Jackson Gordon who came in during the ninth inning. It seemed virtually every hit would either find a gap in the outfield or would carry enough to find its way over the fence.
Baylor broke the school’s record for runs in a single postseason game. The previous record was 22 runs in the 1999 NCAA Regional against Minnesota.
Omaha’s bats held their own but were in too big of a hole to make an impact on the score. Parker Smejkal would hit a sac fly in the third to bring in a run and then he hit the team’s second home run of the day in the fifth inning. He finished with three RBI’s.
Baylor would win by a final score of 24-6 to bring Omaha’s season to an end.
Langeliers would finish 5-6 in his historic game, Andy Thomas went 3-5 with four RBI’s. Four other Baylor players finished with two RBI’s.
Smejkal went 2-4 with his three RBI’s, Eckhout and Suponchick each had an RBI. Omaha finishes the season at 31-24-1.
