Baylor Bears baseball began the season in spectacular fashion, routing the New Mexico State Aggies 15-2 in seven innings at Baylor Ballpark on Friday, thanks in large part to a historic performance from transfer first baseman Tyce Armstrong.
Armstrong became only the second Division I player on record to hit three grand slams in a single game, matching a feat last accomplished in 1976 by Jim LaFountain of the Louisville Cardinals baseball against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers baseball. No other player has produced a three-grand slam game since LaFountain's performance 50 years ago, according to NCAA records. In MLB history, no player has hit three grand slams in one game, and only 13 have managed two in one contest.
Batting cleanup in his Bears debut, the 22-year-old redshirt senior went 3-for-4 with three home runs, 12 RBIs, one strikeout, and a hit-by-pitch. All three home runs were grand slams to left field, traveling a combined 1,194 feet. His first came in the third inning on a 2-2 pitch from Cooper Reese, a 401-foot drive that extended Baylor's lead to 5-0. In the fourth, he followed with a 407-foot blast to left that pushed the margin to 9-0. After striking out in the sixth, Armstrong connected again in the seventh, sending a 2-0 pitch from Matthew Yarc 386 feet to left for his third grand slam. That swing gave the Bears a double-digit advantage and triggered the mercy rule.
Armstrong transferred to Baylor after three seasons at UT Arlington, where he amassed 17 home runs and 87 RBIs and earned second-team All-WAC honors in 2025. Last season, he recorded a .319/.415/.556 slash line with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs over 54 games.
Coming off a 33-22 season that included a 13-17 conference record in 2025, the Bears are pursuing their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2019. Baylor will continue the opening series against New Mexico State on Saturday.
