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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 – Jan. 19, 2021</span></b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></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><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor Softball Selected Fourth in Big 12 Preseason Poll</span></b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Bears open the season Feb. 11 in Louisiana</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"><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"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>IRVING, Texas –</b> Baylor softball was picked to finish fourth in the 2022 Big 12 Coaches Preseason Poll, announced Wednesday by the conference office. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oklahoma received six first-place votes and 36 total points, Making the Sooners the preseason favorite for the 13<sup>th</sup>-straight year.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oklahoma State was picked second with the one remaining first place vote and 31 points. Texas and Baylor are third and fourth, respectively, followed by Iowa State, Texas Tech and Kansas
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Bears are coming off of a 27-23 season in 2021 and making an appearance in the NCAA regional tournament. Baylor welcomes back 11 from the previous season, while adding six freshman and four transfers.
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<p class="MsoNormal">BU is scheduled to open its season on the road at the Lady Demon Classic in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Follow the Bears all season long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorSoftball<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"News Gothic MT Std"">2022 Big 12 Softball Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"News Gothic MT Std"">Oklahoma (6) – 36<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"News Gothic MT Std"">Oklahoma State (1) – 31<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"News Gothic MT Std"">Texas – 26<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<b><span style="font-family:"News Gothic MT Std"">BAYLOR – 19<o:p></o:p></span></b></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"News Gothic MT Std"">Iowa State – 18<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"News Gothic MT Std"">Texas Tech – 10<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"News Gothic MT Std"">Kansas – 7<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">www.BaylorBears.com<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></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@01D80D1C.8C9351E0" 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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