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Just How Rare Was Baylor Slugger Tyce Armstrong's Three-Grand-Slam Game?

Armstrong belted three grand slams in Baylor's 15-2 win, an opening day for the ages.
No MLB player has ever accomplished what Armstrong achieved.
No MLB player has ever accomplished what Armstrong achieved. | Screengrab Twitter @MLBPipeline

History was made at Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Tx., on Friday night. Baylor first baseman Tyce Armstrong had an opening day for the ages as the senior slugger belted not one, not two, but three grand slams in the Bears’ 15-2 win over New Mexico State.

Anderson’s incredible power surge began in the third inning with a 401-foot grand slam to left field off of Aggies righthander Cooper Reese. He was just getting started.

New Mexico State, trailing 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, brought in righty Hazen Wright, whom Armstrong took deep for his second grand slam of the night, extending the Bears’ lead to 9-0.

Anderson’s third slam of the night was the grandest of them all. After homering off of two right-handed pitchers in his first two grand slams, Anderson’s third came off of New Mexico State lefthander Cade Shumard, a screaming line drive of a blast that sealed Baylor’s 15-2 win in seven innings.

"I'm speechless. I mean, that was the most cool thing I've ever been a part of,” Armstrong said after the game. “I just stuck to my approach, planning on hitting the fastball hard. It's a great feeling for sure, and I'm hoping to keep it going, but this team is great. Best team I've ever been a part of. Coolest night of my life, for sure.”

Just how rare was Armstrong’s accomplishment in baseball history?

Armstrong is just the second Division I college baseball player to hit three grand slams in one game since the NCAA began tracking statistics in 1957. The feat was first accomplished nearly 50 years ago to the day by Louisville’s Jim LaFountain, who belted three grand slams against Western Kentucky on March 24, 1976, according to the NCAA.

Making Armstrong’s feat even more impressive? No MLB player has ever hit three grand slams in one game. However, 13 players have belted two grand slams in one game.

Incredibly, Armstrong is now halfway to the NCAA’s single-season record for grand slams and now owns the Baylor record for the most RBI, 12, in a single game. The Woodlands, Tx., native was a force at the plate last season for the Bears, batting .319 with 12 homers and a .970 OPS in 54 games played.

It’s difficult to think of a better way for him to begin the 2026 campaign. Baylor is back in action against New Mexico State on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET.


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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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