No. 17 Baylor Softball Hosts Morgan State for Weekend Series

Fri Mar 1 17:18:40 CST 2024

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 1, 2024
No. 17 Baylor Softball Hosts Morgan State for Weekend Series
Bears and Morgan State facing off for the first time in program history
For more information contact: Katy Gilmore, 254-252-2182, katy_gilmore at baylor.edu<mailto:katy_gilmore at baylor.edu>

No. 17 BAYLOR (8-3) vs MORGAN STATE

Saturday, March 2 • vs. Morgan State • Waco, Texas • Getterman Stadium • Radio: 101.3 FM • Watch: Big 12 Now ESPN+

Saturday, March 2 • vs. Morgan State • Waco, Texas • Getterman Stadium • Radio: 101.3 FM • Watch: Big 12 Now ESPN+

Sunday, March 3 • vs. Morgan State • Waco, Texas • Getterman Stadium • Radio: 101.3 FM • Watch: Facebook Live

Story lines

• Baylor Softball returns home after a nine-game road swing to face Morgan State in a three-game series, Saturday, March 2 and Sunday March 3 at Getterman Stadium.

• The Bears are coming off of a seven-game win streak, including a 5-0 trip to the Mary Nutter Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., where BU took down three different ranked opponents.

• Baylor and Morgan State will be meeting for the first time in program history when the Bears come to town this weekend.

• Baylor will play a total of eight games over the next week, after adding a midweek with RV Penn State on Wednesday, March 6, at 4 p.m. CT at Getterman Stadium.

• The Bears are returning to Getterman Stadium for the first time since the opening weekend series when BU dropped two games against No. 2 Tennessee. All three of the Bears’ losses this season have come against ranked opponents.

• The team comes back to the diamond with a veteran squad that consists of seven seniors and 17 upperclassmen.

• After ending the 2023 campaign back in the NCAA postseason, the Bears are looking to build on last year’s 40-win season while returning all but one senior, Josie Bower, from the roster.

• Baylor added three freshmen to the squad with pitcher Lexie Warncke and infielders, Paige King and Leah Cran.

• Baylor is ranked in all four national polls: No. 12 (Softball America), No. 10 (D1Softball), No. 17 (ESPN/USA Softball) and No. 21 (USA Today/NFCA).

• The Bears have already faced five ranked teams this season: No. 2 Tennessee, No. 23 Louisiana, No. 25 Oregon, No. 19 UCLA and No. 13 Missouri.

• Out of the Bears’ five games in California, three were comebacks where the Bears won by one run and two were walk-offs in the bottom of the seventh.

• Baylor out-hit opponents 50-33 last week, with Taylor Strain leading the way in the box with a .500 average with seven hits and two doubles. Six different Bears recorded five or more hits on the week with Strain and McKenzie Wilson each totaling seven. Sydney Collazos and Shaylon Govan each hit their first homeruns of the season.

• The Bears also recorded 12 doubles last week, with four Bears recording two each.

• Five different pitchers spent time in the circle this week contributing to the Bears’ five wins.

• Aliyah Binford tossed 12.0 innings with a team-leading 19 strikeouts. Binford tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts against No. 11 Missouri. She picked up two wins and a save on the week.

• Govan was named to the preseason All-Big 12 team as a unanimous decision.

• Senior pitcher Dariana Orme was named to the USA Softball Top 50 Player of the Year Watch List for the season. She led the Bears in the circle last season with 1.92 ERA and 126 strikeouts.

• The Bears middle infield turned 31 double plays during the 2023 season, which set a new single-season team record. The 2024 squad wanted to continue the trend and turned three during last week’s play and now totals 11 for the season.

• Twelve different Bears have recorded a hit so far this season, with Govan leading the way with 16, followed by Wilson with 13.
• Head coach Glenn Moore hit his 1,000th career win last season, when the Bears took down UT Arlington on March 23, 2023. He is looking for his 900th win at Baylor this season and is 14 wins away from that milestone.

-BaylorBears.com-

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Katy Gilmore | Associate Director of Athletic Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-2743 | C: 254-252-2182

[cidimage002.png at 01D79F3C.9D2300D0]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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