Preview: Air Force Falcons at Baylor Bears

WACO, Texas (March 6, 2026) (Interstat) — The Baylor Bears look to climb above .500 as they host the Air Force Falcons in a non-conference series opener Friday at Baylor Ballpark.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 78 degrees.

Baylor (6-6) enters after a narrow 6-5 road loss to Tarleton State on Tuesday. The Bears’ bullpen was a bright spot in defeat, with Grayson Murry, Cayden Baker and Caleb Bunch combining for six scoreless innings of relief. Murry, a key arm to watch, tossed three hitless frames in that outing.

Air Force (3-8) arrives with momentum from a 7-1 victory at Texas-Arlington on Monday. The Falcons’ pitching dominated, with starter Aiden Poe setting the tone by striking out six over 4 1/3 hitless innings. Poe’s recent form has been volatile, however, following a rough relief appearance against Army on Feb. 21 where he allowed three earned runs.

The Falcons’ offense erupted for 15 runs in a loss at Dallas Baptist on March 1, showcasing potential, but consistency has been an issue. Catcher Walker Zapp, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI on Monday, provides a spark.

Baylor’s schedule has been challenging, with series against Texas, Ole Miss and Oregon State. Their offense broke out in a 14-run win over Texas State on Feb. 17 but has been held to two runs or fewer in four of their six losses.

According to Interstat projections, Baylor is a strong favorite. The analytics firm’s ELO system gives the Bears a 67.90% probability to win, and its game simulator predicts a 4-2 Baylor victory.

The weekend series continues Saturday and Sunday in Waco before Baylor turns its attention to a Tuesday matchup with Sam Houston. Air Force continues its road swing with two more games against the Bears before heading home to host UNLV next weekend.