The University of Memphis baseball team (11-23, 1-8 American Athletic Conference) will look to string together consecutive wins with a weekend series at home versus Baylor University (15-16, 3-9 Big 12).
The Tigers won their last two games against Arkansas State by a combined score of 10-4. The weekend series is a chance for the Tigers to win three straight for the first time this season. Memphis is 2-10 in their last 12 games.
The two teams last met on March 11, 2012. Baylor leads the all-time series versus Memphis 6-2.
The series opens Friday at 4:30 p.m. The teams will meet Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. All games will be played at FedEx Park on South Campus.
A look at the opponent
Baylor has relied on their home field advantage this season. The Bears are 10-6 in at home in Waco, Texas. They have struggled on the road, only winning three games out of their 11 road games played. Baylor is 1-3 on its current seven-game road trip.
The month of March has been the best stretch of the season for the Bears. The team accumulated nine out of their 15 total wins in March, and they defeated No. 8 Texas Tech two out of three games in a series March 16-18. Baylor also won at No. 11 UCLA on Feb. 24. Baylor won their last game in 12 innings at Sam Houston State, and it was their longest game of the season.
What to watch
The Bears are most successful in high-scoring games. When the team scores five or more runs, Baylor is 9-0 this season. Baylor scored 39 runs in three games March 24-26.
Baylor has seven multi-home run games this season. The team has 22 home runs on the season.
Pitching has been critical for the Bears. Baylor ranks 40th in the NCAA in ERA (3.47) and 86th in shutouts this season (2).
The Tigers are most effective at home. Seven out of the 11 wins have come at home this season.
Memphis will try to take advantage of Baylor’s recent poor form. The Bears are 2-3 in their last five games, averaging just over two runs per game.
Players to watch
Baylor catcher Shea Langeliers
The sophomore leads his team in RBIs with 23 and in home runs with seven. D1baseball.com placed him on the 2018 All-American first-team. Langeliers was also selected to play for the 2018 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team on April 11. His seven home runs place him at 87th in the NCAA.
Memphis outfielder Tyler Webb
Webb has started in all 33 games for the Tigers and leads the team in runs (20), batting average (.310) and doubles (14). He has 11 multi-hit and four multi-RBI games this season. Webb is the X-factor for the Tigers, and they rely on his offense.
Memphis infielder Alec Trela
Trela has been inconsistent this season, but recently he has been producing for the Tigers. The sophomore has nine RBIs in his last five games and played a major role in the Tigers’ most recent wins against Arkansas State. He leads Memphis in RBIs (23) and is tied for first in home runs (3).
Tyler Webb takes a swing. The Texas native is one of five seniors on the 2018 roster
Alec Trela follows through on his swing. The Illinois native leads the teams in runs.
