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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS May 20, 2022</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor Softball Set to Begin NISC Postseason Tournament</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Bears are the No. 2 seed and will receive a first game bye</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact: </span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Katy Gilmore, 254-252-2182, </span><a href="mailto:katy_gilmore@baylor.edu" title="mailto:katy_gilmore@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">katy_gilmore@baylor.edu</span></a><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1"> </span></u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.4pt"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black;background:yellow">Media link for the 2022 Baylor Softball Season: </span></b><a href="https://baylorbea.rs/BaylorSB22" title="https://baylorbea.rs/BaylorSB22"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#0563C1;background:yellow">https://baylorbea.rs/BaylorSB22</span></b></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="BasicParagraph" style="border:none;padding:0in"><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="border:none;padding:0in"><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">No. 2
</span><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">BAYLOR</span></b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> (28-24, 6-12)
<b>at </b><b>NATIONAL INVITATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP<span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
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<p class="BasicParagraph"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif">TBD vs. TBD Fort Collins, Colorado | TC Colorado Field Watch: FloSoftball<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase">Story lines</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Baylor softball heads to Fort Collins, Colorado to compete in the National Invitational Softball
Championship (NISC). The Bears were selected as the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will have a first game bye before playing the winner of the Rutgers/UC San Diego game.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> The NISC has been around for five years but there was no competition in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid-19.
The tournament consists of 12 teams and is double-elimination. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> The Bears are coming off of the Big 12 Championship, where they fell to Iowa State in the first
round. After going up 1-0 in the sixth inning, the Bears had the Cyclones down to their last out but werent able to secure the win, as Iowa State won in the eighth inning.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> McKenzie Wilson was named to the All-Big 12 First Team last week. This marks the first Bear placed
on the first team since the 2018 season. Wilson who has become a staple in the top of the lineup with her .608 percentage reached as a leadoff batter, was the only Bear placed on the first team.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Also picking up award this week were Aliyah Binford and Dariana Orme who were both placed on
the All-Big 12 Second Team. Both dominant pitchers in the circle, Orme leads the team in strikeouts and innings pitched, while Binford works as a three-way player for the Bears leading the team in homeruns and doubles.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Freshman Kaci West and Taylor Strain were both placed on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team as well,
marking the first time a Bear has been on the All-Freshman team since 2017. West and Strain both add an offensive spark to the lineup as well as defensive talents in their various positions this season.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Three Bears were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-region teams Thursday
afternoon. Aliyah Binford was named to the first team, as Dariana Orme and McKenzie Wilson picked up second-team honors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Baylor as a team is third in the conference in team pitching and fourth in team batting. BU is
also leading the league in sacrifice bunts (22).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> The Bears broke the Texas record books last weekend as they defeated No. 14 Texas 17-3 in the
second game of the series. Baylors 17 runs are the most Texas had ever given up in their history, as well as their 15 walks issued to Baylor batters being the most they had ever issued in a game. All but one Bear got a hit in the game.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> After being out with an injury, Emily Hott moved back into the top of the lineup with her .325
batting average, good for second best on the team. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Baylor currently has four players with over 20 RBI and three more with 19.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Wilson has led the Big 12 all year in triples with five and stolen bases with 27. She is also
tied for second in hits with 62. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Kaci West is the only player this season to pick up a Big 12 weekly award, as she received Pitcher
of the Week honors March 8, 2022 for tossing the first perfect game in Baylor softball history.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Josie Bower is leading the league in hit by pitches (10), while Taylor Strain leads in sacrifice
bunts (8). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph" style="margin-left:5.0pt;text-indent:-5.0pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> Dariana Orme and Aliyah Binford are sitting at No. 2 and No. 3 for striking out batters looking,
Orme has 46 and Binford has 52. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"> As a pitching duo, Orme and Binford each have over 130 strikeouts, this marks the first time since 2017 two pitchers have had over 130 and only the fourth time in Baylor softball
history.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Univers Condensed",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="color:black">- BaylorBears.com - </span></i><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#154734">Katy Gilmore</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletic Communications</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">O: 254-710-2743 | C: 254-252-2182</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D86C45.BC2C9050" alt="cidimage002.png@01D79F3C.9D2300D0"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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