WACO, Texas -- College baseball's 2026 season opened with a bang on Friday, February 13, as Baylor first baseman Tyce Armstrong turned in one of the most extraordinary offensive performances in NCAA history. The redshirt senior slugger blasted three grand slams in the Bears' 15-2 demolition of New Mexico State, becoming only the second Division I player ever to accomplish the feat.

The last player to hit three grand slams in a single Division I game was Louisville's Jim LaFountain, who did so nearly five decades ago in 1976. Armstrong's historic night not only tied that long-standing record but also shattered Baylor's single-game RBI mark, as his 12 runs batted in surpassed Shea Langeliers' previous program record of 11, set in 2019.

What made Armstrong's performance even more remarkable was the context. It was his Baylor debut, having transferred to the program from UT-Arlington. Playing in front of a fired-up home crowd, the first baseman wasted no time making an impression in the green and gold.

Armstrong's first grand slam came in the third inning, a towering 401-foot blast that extended the Bears' lead to 5-0 and set the tone for the evening. Just one inning later, he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded again and crushed his second grand slam, this one projected at an even more impressive 407 feet. The back-to-back slams had the Baylor faithful buzzing with disbelief.

New Mexico State's pitching staff managed to briefly silence Armstrong in the sixth inning, striking him out with two runners aboard. But the respite was short-lived. When Armstrong came to the plate in the seventh inning with the bases juiced once more, he delivered the knockout blow with his third grand slam of the night, pushing the score to a commanding 15-2.

Armstrong finished the game 3-for-4, personally accounting for 12 of Baylor's 15 runs. His three home runs also tied a Baylor program record for long balls in a single contest.

The performance was one of the marquee highlights of college baseball's opening weekend, which also featured the Desert Invitational in Arizona. That eight-team showcase brought together squads from across the country, including first-time participants Air Force, Iowa, Northeastern, and Penn State, alongside returning programs UConn, Kansas State, Nebraska, and Grand Canyon.

But no moment from opening day captured the baseball world's attention quite like Armstrong's historic triple grand slam. Social media erupted as highlights of each blast circulated widely, with fans and analysts marveling at the sheer improbability of the achievement.

Armstrong called it the coolest night of his life, and few could argue with the sentiment. For a player making his first appearance in a new uniform, it was the kind of debut that transforms a relative unknown into an instant sensation.

As the 2026 college baseball season unfolds, all eyes will be on the Baylor first baseman to see whether his opening night fireworks were a harbinger of a monster campaign. If Friday was any indication, opposing pitchers would be wise to think twice before giving Tyce Armstrong anything to hit with the bases loaded.

The Bears will look to ride the momentum of their emphatic opening day victory as they continue their early-season schedule. For Armstrong, the challenge now is to build on a debut that will be talked about for years to come in Waco and well beyond.