The Baylor Bears head into the 2025 season looking to break through in a restructured Big 12 Conference. BU has not advanced to the NCAA Tournament since the 2019 season, but the Bears have the playmakers necessary to make noise against one of the sport’s best conferences.
Baylor prepares for the rigors of league play when it makes the short trip to Arlington to face top-tier competition in the third weekend of the 2025 College Baseball Showdown. The Bears face nationally ranked opponents Auburn and Oregon State at Globe Life Field, as well as an Ohio State team looking to surprise in the Big Ten.
Despite being picked near the bottom of the preseason Big 12 poll, Baylor’s veteran roster is built to exceed expectations in coach Mitch Thompson’s third season at the helm. The Amegy Bank College Baseball Series provides a key early-season measuring stick.
Baylor College Baseball Series Schedule
- vs. Oregon State – Friday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. ET
- vs. Ohio State – Saturday, March 1 at 3 p.m. ET
- vs. Auburn – Sunday, March 2 at 4 p.m. ET
Baylor Baseball Names to Know
Enzo Apodaca
Outfielder and Gonzaga transfer Enzo Apodaca emerged as Baylor’s most consistent bat in his season with the Bears. He produced team-bests of a .333 batting average, 42 RBI, and 14 doubles. After establishing himself in his first year with the program, Apodaca is poised to be one of the veteran pillars leading a roster of heavy-weight upperclassmen.
“We’re very experienced,” Apodaca told the Baylor Lariat at the conclusion of the fall ball season. “Even the guys we brought in from the transfer portal are experienced. I’m expecting a lot of that senior leadership to step up this spring.”
Ethan Calder
Left-hander Ethan Calder gave Baylor a reliable option out of its bullpen in 2024, with the bulk of his 55 ⅔ innings coming in relief. He posted a 3.23 ERA as a sophomore, struck out 41, and walked only 12 batters through the campaign.
The leap Calder made in his second season earned him All-Big 12 recognition. Another jump as a junior could solidify Calder as the conference’s top relief pitcher.
Lucas Davenport
Six-foot-six right-hander Lucas Davenport brings national championship experience to the Baylor pitching staff. A transfer from Blinn College, Davenport was the Most Outstanding Player of the team’s run to the NJCAA title last spring.
He posted a 3.75 ERA for the season over 103 1/3 innings of work. Davenport struck out 86 while walking just 23 and finished with a 10-2 record over 16 starts. Davenport could be a huge part of the Baylor pitching staff immediately, making his appearance at the College Baseball Showdown especially intriguing.
Ty Johnson
Along with Enzo Apodaca and Wesley Jordan, Ty Johnson is part of a veteran trio coming off .300-plus batting performances in the 2024 season. Johnson hit .313 in 198 at-bats and successfully stole base 10 times on 12 attempts.
Johnson spent his summer with Chatham of the Cape Cod League, driving in six runs in 40 at-bats over 13 games.
Wesley Jordan
Preseason All-Big 12 designated hitter Wesley Jordan put up a .331 average in 133 preseason at-bats a season ago, homering a team-leading nine times and doubling 11.
Jordan is primed to be at the center of Baylor’s push to exceed expectations, both on the field and in the clubhouse. He told KCEN-TV during the preseason that the Bears are built for a breakout: “We want to show we’re capable of. We’re tired of kind of being at the bottom and so just knowing who we have and who the guys’ personalities are that’s kind of what gave me confidence.”
Baylor College Baseball Series Opponents
Auburn
Auburn’s outstanding All-SEC duo of Cooper McMurray and Ike Irish set the tone at the plate for a Tigers team that could contend for a championship in college baseball’s deepest conference. The Tigers have Omaha potential in 2025, so long as the pitching staff steps up. The starting rotation will be the biggest early-season question mark for Auburn.
Ohio State
Looking to make its first NCAA Tournament since 2019, Ohio State heads to the College Baseball Showdown with designs on setting the tone for a surprise 2025. The Buckeyes are under first-year head coach Justin Haire, who elevated the Campbell baseball program to new heights during his time in Buies Creek.
Oregon State
Preseason top 10-ranked Oregon State reloads for 2025 with a College World Series caliber roster. The Beavers build around preseason All-American Avia Arquette, powerful hitter Gavin Turley, and the high-potential outfield of Easton Talt and Dallas Macias.
The Beavers look like the team to beat at the third weekend of the College Baseball Showdown, so Baylor opens the event with a prime opportunity to make a splash on the national stage at Globe Life Field.
Watch Baylor Baseball vs Tennessee At Globe Life
Where Is The 2025 College Baseball Series?
The Shriners Children’s College Showdown and two-weekend Amegy Bank College Baseball Series presented by Kubota will take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and feature some of the top teams in the nation.
The 2025 season will mark the fifth consecutive year of college baseball at Globe Life Field – home of the world champion Texas Rangers – and the second straight year the action will span three weekends.
When Is The College Baseball Showdown?
The first weekend of the festivities, the Shriners Children’s College Showdown will begin on Friday, Feb. 14 and will run through Feb. 16.
The following two weeks of action, the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series, will take place Feb. 21-23 and Feb. 28-March 2.
To keep the momentum going between the weekends, the series also will include four midweek games at Globe Life Field. Those contests will take place Feb. 18, Feb. 19, Feb. 26 and March 5.
All three weekends of games will be streamed live on FloCollege and FloBaseball. View the teams and schedule below.
What Teams Are Playing In the 2025 College Baseball Showdown?
Here’s a list of every team headed to Globe Life Field:
Shriners Children’s College Baseball Showdown
- Arizona
- Clemson
- Louisville
- Oklahoma State
- Ole Miss
- Texas
Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 2
- Arkansas
- Kanas State
- TCU
- Michigan
Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 3
- Auburn University
- Baylor University
- Ohio State University
- Oregon State University
Midweek Games
- *Texas State vs. Oklahoma State (Feb. 18)
- *Oklahoma vs. UT Arlington (Feb. 19)
- LSU vs. Dallas Baptist (Feb. 26)
- *Wichita State vs. Abilene Christian (March 5)
*Will not be broadcast live by FloSports.
Complete 2025 College Baseball Showdown Schedule
All Times Eastern
Friday, Feb. 14
Saturday, Feb. 15
Sunday, Feb. 16
Friday, Feb. 21
Saturday, Feb. 22
Sunday, Feb. 23
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Friday, Feb. 28
Saturday, March 1
Sunday, March 2
How To Watch The 2025 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 2
The 2025 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 2 is taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, from Feb. 21-23. It is streaming live on FloCollege and the FloSports app.
Replays, highlights and breaking news from the event will be on both platforms.
How To Watch The 2025 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 3
The 2025 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 3 is taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, from Feb. 28-March 2. It is streaming live on FloCollege and the FloSports app.
Replays, highlights and breaking news from the event will be on both platforms.
FloBaseball Archived Footage
Video footage from FloBaseball events will be archived and stored in a video library for FloBaseball subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
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