Baylor Baseball Drops Finale to UTSA at Bruce Bolt College Classic
HOUSTON – UTSA defeated Baylor baseball 11-6 Sunday night at Daikin Park, completing an undefeated run through the 2026 BRUCE BOLT College Classic. The Roadrunners improved to 10-1 on the season, although the Bears fell to 6-5.
UTSA established a significant lead early, scoring nine runs through five innings. Baylor attempted a comeback, scoring in the sixth, seventh, and eighth frames, but the early deficit proved insurmountable.
Redshirt junior infielder Travis Sanders led the Baylor offense with three hits and two RBIs, raising his season batting average to .463. Sophomore infielder Pearson Riebock also contributed with two hits and two RBIs. Redshirt freshman infielder Brytton Clements celebrated his 20th birthday with two doubles and two runs scored, while freshman designated hitter Cash McDade hit his first collegiate home run.
Senior right-hander Cade Hansen took the loss for Baylor, allowing seven runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings. Redshirt freshman righty Brayden Bergman and junior lefty RJ Ruais each pitched scoreless innings, with Bergman striking out three batters. Freshman right-hander Caldwell McFaddin made his collegiate debut with a scoreless inning of relief.
The Roadrunners jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning, highlighted by a three-run home run. They extended their advantage to 6-0 with back-to-back RBI doubles in the third. UTSA added three more runs in the fourth and fifth innings, taking a commanding 9-0 lead.
McDade’s first career home run, a solo shot, broke the scoring drought for Baylor in the sixth inning. The Bears continued to chip away at the lead in the seventh, scoring three runs on five hits, including RBIs from Sanders and Riebock. Brady Janusek’s single scored Riebock, extending his on-base streak to 11 games.
UTSA responded with two runs in the eighth on a two-out single, pushing the score to 11-4. Baylor continued to battle in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two more runs on RBI singles by Sanders and Riebock, but ultimately fell short.
Baylor finished the tournament with a 1-2 record, having previously defeated No. 25 Ole Miss. The Bears faced a challenging schedule at the BRUCE BOLT College Classic, including matchups against No. 11 Ole Miss and No. 23 UTSA, according to Baylor’s athletic website.
Baylor’s 12 hits marked the fifth time this season the team has recorded double-digit hits. The Bears also turned their 13th double play of the season, leading the Big 12 in that category.
“They were beating us in every facet of the game early for sure,” said Baylor head coach Mitch Thompson. “We had a couple guys travel out there and pitch some good innings, gave us an opportunity to get back in it a little bit. Our offense got going once we got their left-hander out of the game. There were some good things that happened, I was glad to see [Cash] McDade square up a ball and get it out of the ballpark. We just gave up too many two-out runs, especially early in the game. We were one pitch away from getting out of it, but we’re not able to get out of it and that’s frustrating. We’ve got to get tougher, build a better pitch, make a play, something to get out of innings earlier.”
Redshirt freshman Brytton Clements emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive attitude during adversity. “I think when we go down, we’ve got to strike back. We can’t go down and shut down. We’ve got to stay up and be positive. I think we’re all just trying to pump each other up and not get too down.”
Baylor will next travel to Stephenville to face Tarleton State on Tuesday, March 3, at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
