By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Topper
All nine of Baylor’s 2023 commits have received a rating. The last were Aldine Nimitz athlete Cory Huff. He comes away with three stars and a 5.6 rating. Pflugerville Weiss wide receiver Micah Gifford is also a three star with a 5.7 rating.
Despite the loss of Daingerfield wide receiver Jakevian Rodgers who decommitted on Wednesday, the Bears class is still rated No. 6 in the current team rankings.
Is Baylor Payton’s Place?
When Baylor defensive coordinator Ron Roberts was visiting schools back in January’s evaluation period, he went North of Plano to see a 2024 linebacker who fit the bill for what he was looking for.
That was Lucas Lovejoy’s Payton Pierce. For someone who is just in the early stages of learning how to drive a car, Roberts found someone who has physically beyond his years. Pierce is 6-2, 230.
“I was really excited to be offered by them,’’ Pierce said. “They are definitely the type of school that feels like it would be a good fit for me. I really appreciated the fact Coach Robert’s came to my school. I loved talking with him and Coach Aranda on the phone last week. They seem like awesome people. They have a great defense and coaches that will help you develop. I am looking forward to learning more about them.”
There seems to be the instant attraction. Pierce said he likes to watch Baylor middle linebacker Dillon Doyle. As it turns out, Baylor has been watching Pierce because of Pierce being similar in style to Doyle.
“[Roberts] said that their defense/team is built around the linebackers and he wants smart, hard-nosed, leaders that can play all over the field,’’ Pierce said. “He feels like I fit that category. He likes that I have a nose for the ball and play hard.”
Pierce led Lovejoy to the Class 5A Division II state quarterfinals before falling to eventual state champion South Oak Cliff.
But he has worked himself into someone who wants to keep playing no matter what down and distance and where the game is flowing. That’s how he models his game.
“Well I like to think of myself as an LB with a high motor that plays as hard as possible every play,’’ Pierce said. “I never take a play off. I feel like my athletic ability really helps me in pass coverage and rushing the QB as well but their is just nothing I love more than the physicality of collisions and filling gaps. I just really love playing football.”
Pierce has never visited Baylor. He hopes to make that work out when the Bears start spring practices in March. In the meantime, he spent his offseason between football workouts and going through spring ball.
“I have wrestled since I was 4,’’ he said. “My brother wrestled at Arizona State and is the head wrestling coach at Melissa high school so it’s a big deal in our family. I just won the district championship at 220lbs and our team won the dual state title 2 weeks ago.”
As a 2024, Pierce is unrated at this time.
Novosad not Satisfied
When Dripping Springs 2023 and Baylor quarterback commit Austin Novosad learned he made the prestigious Rivals250, he understood what kind of an honor it was.
“For me it’s just showing a little reward for the work I’ve put in. It ultimately just makes me more motivated to keep working and getting better at what I do to be the best I can,’’ he said.
“Just over a year ago I didn’t even have a Rivals profile but now have 4 stars so it is special to me. Couldn’t have done it without my coaches and family and all the great support I have had throughout the process.”
Novosad has thrown for just a little more than 6,000 yards and 75 touchdowns in his first two years as a varsity quarterback. That’s a lot of work and a lot of why Baylor pushed for him and nailed down his commitment this past December.
But he also understands that with this Rivals honor along with being a notable figure in his community, he wants to be a leader for what he does within his community. He’s helping youth football in his community.
“I feel like my responsibility is just giving respect and helping others,’’ he said. “I am volunteering to coach our 8th grade 7v7 team and also helping guys create and edit their Hudl videos. My goal is to be a role model for younger guys in our community who look up to me.”
Admittedly, Novosad thought about getting involved. Then with the encouragement of family, he decided to go all in. There are two junior highs that feed in the high school.
“I was going to the practices,’’ he said. “Then they offered me to coach the offense. so now me and one of our receivers from two years ago are coaching the team full time.”
Between this and his offseason workouts, Novosad is also going through the track season. He’s going the triple jump, 110 and 300 hurdles and running a leg in the 4x400 relay. Novosad was at Baylor for the Jan. 30 Junior Day and plans to return to Waco to catch spring football workouts.
“It’s going great, just in track right now and working out,’’ he said. “Focusing on gaining weight and also doing track to stay in shape.”
Baseball Season Opens
Picked 5th in Big 12 Preseason Poll, Baylor opens the 2022 season with 3-game home series against Maryland out of the Big 10. This is the first ever meeting between the two programs.
The Bears feature one of college baseball’s most dynamic players in pre-season All-American, sophomore outfielder Jared McKenzie. A native of Round Rock and currently, the program’s all-time batting average leader at .389, McKenzie is coming off a very impressive 2021 season where hit .383 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI. He led the Bears with 82 hits, 62 runs, four triples and a 1.079 OPS. The Bears just missed making the NCAA baseball tournament at 31-20.
Baylor returns 27 players from 2021 team and adds 12 newcomers. Two of those should see significant time on the mound in Nevada senior transfer RHP Jake Jackson and Loyola Marymount senior transfer LHP Matt Voelker.
Baylor was 23-6 at Baylor Ballpark last year. Here are the projected pitching matchups for the weekend. All stats are from 2021.
Friday • 6:30 p.m. CT • LHP Tyler Thomas (5-2, 2.49 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Dean (3-1, 2.87 ERA)
Saturday • 3:00 p.m. CT • RHP Blake Helton (4-3, 3.44 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Ramsey (5-0, 1.67 ERA)
Sunday • 1:00 p.m. CT • RHP Jake Jackson (5-4, 5.45 ERA) vs. RHP Jason Savacool (7-3, 5.97 ERA)
Publisher
The Topper
All nine of Baylor’s 2023 commits have received a rating. The last were Aldine Nimitz athlete Cory Huff. He comes away with three stars and a 5.6 rating. Pflugerville Weiss wide receiver Micah Gifford is also a three star with a 5.7 rating.
Despite the loss of Daingerfield wide receiver Jakevian Rodgers who decommitted on Wednesday, the Bears class is still rated No. 6 in the current team rankings.
Is Baylor Payton’s Place?
When Baylor defensive coordinator Ron Roberts was visiting schools back in January’s evaluation period, he went North of Plano to see a 2024 linebacker who fit the bill for what he was looking for.
That was Lucas Lovejoy’s Payton Pierce. For someone who is just in the early stages of learning how to drive a car, Roberts found someone who has physically beyond his years. Pierce is 6-2, 230.
“I was really excited to be offered by them,’’ Pierce said. “They are definitely the type of school that feels like it would be a good fit for me. I really appreciated the fact Coach Robert’s came to my school. I loved talking with him and Coach Aranda on the phone last week. They seem like awesome people. They have a great defense and coaches that will help you develop. I am looking forward to learning more about them.”
There seems to be the instant attraction. Pierce said he likes to watch Baylor middle linebacker Dillon Doyle. As it turns out, Baylor has been watching Pierce because of Pierce being similar in style to Doyle.
“[Roberts] said that their defense/team is built around the linebackers and he wants smart, hard-nosed, leaders that can play all over the field,’’ Pierce said. “He feels like I fit that category. He likes that I have a nose for the ball and play hard.”
Pierce led Lovejoy to the Class 5A Division II state quarterfinals before falling to eventual state champion South Oak Cliff.
But he has worked himself into someone who wants to keep playing no matter what down and distance and where the game is flowing. That’s how he models his game.
“Well I like to think of myself as an LB with a high motor that plays as hard as possible every play,’’ Pierce said. “I never take a play off. I feel like my athletic ability really helps me in pass coverage and rushing the QB as well but their is just nothing I love more than the physicality of collisions and filling gaps. I just really love playing football.”
Pierce has never visited Baylor. He hopes to make that work out when the Bears start spring practices in March. In the meantime, he spent his offseason between football workouts and going through spring ball.
“I have wrestled since I was 4,’’ he said. “My brother wrestled at Arizona State and is the head wrestling coach at Melissa high school so it’s a big deal in our family. I just won the district championship at 220lbs and our team won the dual state title 2 weeks ago.”
As a 2024, Pierce is unrated at this time.
Novosad not Satisfied
When Dripping Springs 2023 and Baylor quarterback commit Austin Novosad learned he made the prestigious Rivals250, he understood what kind of an honor it was.
“For me it’s just showing a little reward for the work I’ve put in. It ultimately just makes me more motivated to keep working and getting better at what I do to be the best I can,’’ he said.
“Just over a year ago I didn’t even have a Rivals profile but now have 4 stars so it is special to me. Couldn’t have done it without my coaches and family and all the great support I have had throughout the process.”
Novosad has thrown for just a little more than 6,000 yards and 75 touchdowns in his first two years as a varsity quarterback. That’s a lot of work and a lot of why Baylor pushed for him and nailed down his commitment this past December.
But he also understands that with this Rivals honor along with being a notable figure in his community, he wants to be a leader for what he does within his community. He’s helping youth football in his community.
“I feel like my responsibility is just giving respect and helping others,’’ he said. “I am volunteering to coach our 8th grade 7v7 team and also helping guys create and edit their Hudl videos. My goal is to be a role model for younger guys in our community who look up to me.”
Admittedly, Novosad thought about getting involved. Then with the encouragement of family, he decided to go all in. There are two junior highs that feed in the high school.
“I was going to the practices,’’ he said. “Then they offered me to coach the offense. so now me and one of our receivers from two years ago are coaching the team full time.”
Between this and his offseason workouts, Novosad is also going through the track season. He’s going the triple jump, 110 and 300 hurdles and running a leg in the 4x400 relay. Novosad was at Baylor for the Jan. 30 Junior Day and plans to return to Waco to catch spring football workouts.
“It’s going great, just in track right now and working out,’’ he said. “Focusing on gaining weight and also doing track to stay in shape.”
Baseball Season Opens
Picked 5th in Big 12 Preseason Poll, Baylor opens the 2022 season with 3-game home series against Maryland out of the Big 10. This is the first ever meeting between the two programs.
The Bears feature one of college baseball’s most dynamic players in pre-season All-American, sophomore outfielder Jared McKenzie. A native of Round Rock and currently, the program’s all-time batting average leader at .389, McKenzie is coming off a very impressive 2021 season where hit .383 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI. He led the Bears with 82 hits, 62 runs, four triples and a 1.079 OPS. The Bears just missed making the NCAA baseball tournament at 31-20.
Baylor returns 27 players from 2021 team and adds 12 newcomers. Two of those should see significant time on the mound in Nevada senior transfer RHP Jake Jackson and Loyola Marymount senior transfer LHP Matt Voelker.
Baylor was 23-6 at Baylor Ballpark last year. Here are the projected pitching matchups for the weekend. All stats are from 2021.
Friday • 6:30 p.m. CT • LHP Tyler Thomas (5-2, 2.49 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Dean (3-1, 2.87 ERA)
Saturday • 3:00 p.m. CT • RHP Blake Helton (4-3, 3.44 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Ramsey (5-0, 1.67 ERA)
Sunday • 1:00 p.m. CT • RHP Jake Jackson (5-4, 5.45 ERA) vs. RHP Jason Savacool (7-3, 5.97 ERA)
