No. 24 Softball Travels to No. 20 Texas

Softball 4/9/2002 12:00:00 AM

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No. 24 BAYLOR
AT
No. 20 TEXAS

6:30 P.M. CDT
APRIL 10, 2002
McCOMBS FIELD
AUSTIN, TEXAS

No. 24 Baylor returns to action Wednesday, traveling to Austin, Texas, for a single game against No. 20 Texas. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT at Red and Charline McCombs Field. Baylor (40-11, 7-3) swept Missouri last weekend in Columbia, Mo., winning 5-4 and 4-1. Texas (34-10, 7-1) split its weekend series at home against No. 4 Nebraska, losing 4-3 in nine innings Saturday and winning 3-2 in eight innings Sunday. Live stats will be available at www.TexasSports.com, the official website of Texas Athletics.

HEAD COACH GLENN MOORE
Glenn Moore is in his second season as head coach at Baylor, coming to Waco after a stellar three-year tenure at Louisiana State. In his first season at Baylor, Moore led the Lady Bears to a 38-22 overall record and a sixth-place, 7-9 mark in the Big 12 Conference. Along the way, Baylor established school season records for wins, home runs (24), fielding percentage (.963), on base percentage (.329), shutouts (17) and saves (7). The Lady Bears also enjoyed a school-record 11-game winning streak in February. While at LSU, Moore amassed a 117-25 (.820) record in two-plus seasons as the head coach. In that time, he led the Tigers to consecutive Southeastern Conference titles and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Regionals. He was named head coach at LSU just prior to the 1998 Regionals, giving him three NCAA postseason appearances as a head coach. The Tigers went 56-10 in 1999 en route to the SEC regular season title and the conference tournament championship. Last season, the Tigers finished 59-13, one game shy of the College World Series. LSU finished eighth nationally in team batting average (.310) and ninth in team ERA (1.11). Moore has a career record of 217-75 (.743), he posted a 22-17 mark in his first year as a collegiate head coach at William Carey in Mississippi.

MOORE CLAIMS CAREER WIN No. 200
Baylor head coach Glenn Moore claimed his 200th career victory as a collegiate head coach Feb. 24 when the Lady Bears defeated San Diego State 5-1. Moore, who is 217-75 (.743) in his career, holds a 195-58 record (.771) at the Division I level.

THE TEXAS SERIES
Baylor and Texas meet for the 10th time Wednesday with the Longhorns holding an 8-1 advantage in the all-time series. UT won the first seven meetings in the series, which dates back to the 1998 season. Baylor snapped that losing streak last season, topping the Longhorns 2-0 April 18 in Waco. Baylor has never won at Austin in three tries. Last season, UT was a 1-0 winner at Austin.

MOORE vs. TEXAS
Baylor head coach Glenn Moore is 2-2 in his career against Texas. Along with a 1-2 record against the Longhorns while at Baylor, Moore posted a 1-0 mark against UT while at LSU.

THE TEXAS LONGHORNS
Texas (34-10, 7-1) is in its sixth year under the direction of head coach Connie Clark, who has been the UT head coach for the duration of the program's existence. Clark is 212-123-1 as a collegiate head coach, all coming at Texas.

UT Notes: The Longhorns are ranked No. 20 in the latest USA Today/NFCA Top 25 (April 4). ... The Longhorns are 25-4 since a Feb. 17 loss to Kentucky. ... UT has played nine extra-inning games this year, going 5-4 in such contests. ... The Longhorns are 7-8 this season against nationally ranked opponents with three wins against top 10 teams. ... Texas is hitting .281 as a team, third in the conference. ... The Longhorns are lead at the plate by freshman 3B Wynter Turner's .364 average. ... Turner also leads the team with five home runs. ... Senior OF Deeanna Williams has a team-high 28 RBI. ... Texas is ranked fourth in the Big 12 with a 1.41 team ERA. ... Freshman LHP Cat Osterman, a four-time Big 12 pitcher of the week selection, anchors the UT pitching staff at 22-7 with a 1.12 ERA. She has tallied 358 strikeouts in 194.0 innings of work. ... Junior C Marlo Hanks prepped at Kingwood (Texas) High School along with Baylor freshman OF Lena Keine.

LAST MEETING ... TEXAS 2, BAYLOR 0 - MARCH 2002
Baylor became the second team this season to feel the wrath of Texas freshman southpaw Cat Osterman at home Wednesday night as the Lady Bears dropped a 2-0 decision to the 23rd-ranked Longhorns. Osterman tossed her second perfect game of the season, striking out 17 Baylor batters. The game drew a crowd of 690 fans, the largest this season for a Baylor softball game and the second-largest crowd in Getterman Stadium's four-year history. Texas did not have much offense, although not much was needed with Osterman in control. With one out in the third, Lindsay Gardner tripled to right-center. Baylor starter Cristin Vitek got Erin Mahoney to ground out to first baseman Kourtny Westerfeld, who held Gardner at third on the play. However, on Vitek's first pitch to Sarah Wieszczak, the freshman lefty was called for an illegal pitch that allowed Gardner to score. The Longhorns cushioned their lead in the top of the seventh. Wynter Turner blasted a one-out solo home run to left field, giving Osterman a little insurance for the bottom of the inning. Baylor managed to put the ball in play just four times in 21 plate appearances. Danelle Arnold was the only Lady Bear to not strikeout, she flied out to center in the second and grounded out to third in the fifth. Vitek tossed her sixth complete game in the losing effort. She was touched for two runs on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

LADY BEARS REACH 40 WINS FOR FIRST TIME EVER
Baylor's 5-4 victory last Friday night at Missouri gave the Lady Bears 39 wins on the season, breaking the previous school record for wins in a season (38) established last season and in 1997. The following day, Baylor reached the 40-win plateau for the first time in the program's history with a 4-1 victory over Mizzou. Furthermore, the Lady Bears are on track to have the highest winning percentage At .784, the 2002 squad is well ahead of .633 clip turned in by the 1997 and 2001 teams.

BAYLOR MATCHES BIG 12 WINS SCHOOL RECORD
With a 7-3 record in Big 12 play, Baylor has matched the 1999 and 2001 teams for most conference wins in school history. The Lady Bears are also off to Baylor's best 10-game start in the league's six-year history. This season's squad matched the 1999 squad with a 3-0 start, but just like that team, this year's squad lost its fourth game. However, the 1999 Lady Bears dropped five straight after starting 3-0.

OTHER RECORD RECORDS
The Lady Bears opened the season at 7-0, matching the 1997 team for the most consecutive victories to start a season in school history. Baylor also has enjoyed a 13-game winning streak this season, the longest in school history.

LAST TIME OUT ... No. 24 BAYLOR 4, MISSOURI 1
Kourtny Westerfeld went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Joni Miller picked up her 15th victory of the season as No. 24 Baylor defeated Missouri 4-1 to complete a Big 12 series sweep. Baylor scored a run in the second on two hits and a walk in the second. With runners on the corners and two outs, Westerfeld beat out an infield single to score Danelle Arnold from third. The Lady Bears tacked on two more in the fourth. Westerfeld had an RBI double and two batters later Kelly Levesque plated another run with a single through the left side. In the fifth, Kristen Lancaster led off the inning with her eighth home run of the season, a line-drive shot to straightaway center. However, Missouri did not go quietly. Morgan LeCluyse broke up Miller's shutout bid with a leadoff home run in the sixth. Rachel McGinnis followed with a single to right that chased Miller from the game. However, Katie Decker came in and got a fielder's choice, a fly out and a strikeout to end the game. Miller (15-5) tossed five innings, allowed one run on four hits and had three strikeouts with no walks. Decker pitched the final two frames, allowing two hits and striking out two for her second save of the season. At the plate, Levesque, Carrie Leerberg and Nan Wilkins joined Westerfeld with two hits each.

BAYLOR CRACKS USA TODAY/NFCA TOP 25
After sitting just out of the Top 25 for five straight weeks, Baylor finally cracked the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 this week. The Lady Bears landed at No. 24 in the weekly poll of 27 coaches throughout the nation. Including No. 4 Nebraska and No. 9 Oklahoma, five Big 12 teams were ranked this week. Texas moved up three spots to No. 20, and Texas A&M climbed from 22nd to a tie with Florida State at No. 21. Baylor spent seven weeks in the Top 25 last season, reaching as high as a program-best No. 19.

VITEK ON PACE FOR STRIKEOUT RECORD
Freshman LHP Cristin Vitek moved into second place on Baylor's single-season strikeout chart last Thursday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She now has 157 whiffs on the season. Next on the list for Vitek to overcome is Stacey Allison, who had 183 in her freshman season of 1996.

FIRST INNING SUCCESS
Through 51 games, Baylor has scored 32 first-inning runs this season. The Lady Bears are 15-1 this year when crossing the plate in the first frame. Thursday's game-two loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi marked the first time this season Baylor has scored in the first inning and lost.

OTHER INNING FACTS AND FIGURES
Baylor has scored more runs in the third inning (45) this season than in any other inning. ... The Lady Bears have outscored their opponents 35-1 during the fifth inning. Wisconsin scored the lone fifth-inning run against BU this season, that coming March 1. ... Baylor has outscored its opponents 114-30 in the first three innings. ... Opponents have scored 14 first-inning runs against Baylor this season, the most of any frame. ... The Lady Bears have crossed the plate just 19 times in sixth and seventh innings combined, fewer than they have scored in any of the first five innings.

HOME, SWEET HOME
Baylor is 22-3 at home this season, already eclipsing the previous school record for home wins in a season. Earlier this season, the Lady Bears enjoyed a school-record 24-game home winning streak that dated back to last season. Thursday's loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi snapped Baylor's 23-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents. In two seasons under head coach Glenn Moore, Baylor is 37-9 at Getterman Stadium. The Lady Bears are 51-22 in the stadium's four-year existence.

GETTERMAN ATTENDANCE CONTINUES TO GROW
Through 18 home dates, Getterman Stadium has drawn 6,786 fans this season. That is a Getterman record, eclipsing last year's total of 5,556. Getterman saw a crowd of 690 fans last Wednesday for Baylor's game against No. 23 Texas. That is the second-largest attendance in the stadium's history behind only the crowd of 780 that watched the Lady Bears defeat Oklahoma State 1-0 in 14 innings March 31, 2001. In fact, five of the seven largest crowds and seven of the 10 largest crowds in the stadium's four-year history have come this season. Since Getterman Stadium opened May 1, 1999, there have been 15 dates of 400 or more fans, Baylor is 18-4 on those dates.

WHO'S HOT ... WHO'S NOT
HOT: Junior OF Nan Wilkins is hitting .458 (11-for-24) over her last eight games with two home runs, six RBI, five runs, five doubles, a .917 slugging percentage and a .458 on base percentage. ... Junior OF Sarah Caudle is hitting .375 (12-for-32) over her last 10 games with three runs, five doubles, three RBI, a .531 slugging percentage, a .412 on base percentage and four stolen bases. ... Sophomore OF Kelly Levesque is hitting .367 (11-for-30) with seven runs, three doubles, a triple, a home run, three RBI, a .633 slugging percentage and a .472 on base percentage. ... Junior RHP Katie Decker is 3-0 with a 0.59 ERA and one save over the last 10 games, spanning seven appearances. In that time, opponents are hitting just .161 off Decker. ... Freshman SS Kim Wilmoth has not been caught stealing since Feb. 9 (her only caught stealing this season), spanning 11 attempts.

NOT: Other than Wilkins, Caudle and Levesque, the rest of the Lady Bears are hitting .173 over the last 10 games.

BAYLOR PITCHING STAFF TOPS IN BIG 12
The three-arm pitching staff of junior RHP Joni Miller, sophomore RHP Katie Decker and freshman LHP Cristin Vitek is making a strong case for the best staff in the Big 12 Conference. According to the April 9 rankings, Baylor leads the conference with a 0.91 team ERA and a 0.71 ERA in conference games. Furthermore, the Lady Bears have allowed only seven earned runs in 10 Big 12 games (69.0 innings) and only 10 runs, period. Through 10 Big 12 games, Baylor has tossed five shutouts, prior to this season, Baylor had never thrown more than two conference shutouts in the same year.

VITEK MAKING HER MARK ON BIG 12
According to the April 9 Big 12 statistical rankings, freshman LHP Cristin Vitek is ranked in the top 10 of eight categories, including ERA (2nd, 0.78), wins (t4th, 15), innings pitched (2nd, 144.1), strikeouts (4th, 157), saves (t2nd, 4), games started (7th, 19) and opponents' batting average (7th, .162). She also leads the Big 12 in appearances (34). In conference action, Vitek is sixth in ERA (0.97), tied for second in wins (3), third in innings pitched (36.0), third in strikeouts (39), tied for second in appearances (8), tied for fourth in saves (1), tied for first in games started (6) and ninth in opponents' batting average (.200).

MILLER NOT TOO SHABBY EITHER
Not to be out-done, junior RHP Joni Miller is in the top 10 of sevne categories, according to the April 9 Big 12 rankings. The Edmond, Okla., native is sixth in ERA (1.07), tied for fourth in wins (15), eighth in innings pitched (124.0), eighth in strikeouts (105), third in appearances (31), first in saves (5) and tied for third in games started (21). In conference action, Miller is second in ERA (0.36), tied for fifth in wins (2), tied for second in appearances (8), first in saves (3) and tied for eighth in games started (4).

LEVESQUE, CAUDLE PEPPER BIG 12 OFFENSIVE STATS
Sophomore OF Kelly Levesque appears in the top 10 of nine offensive categories, according to the April 9 Big 12 rankings. Along with leading the conference in walks (24), Levesque is 10th in batting average (.354), tied for third in hits (51), sixth in runs (31), tied for ninth in doubles (9), tied for 10th in triples (2), tied for fifth in stolen bases (17), 10th in total bases (70) and fifth in on base percentage (.469). Meanwhile, junior OF Sarah Caudle is tied for 12th in batting average (.352), tied with Levesque for third in hits (51), tied for fourth in doubles (10), tied for third in triples (4) and 10th in RBI (25).

OTHERS IN BIG 12 STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Senior 3B Kristen Lancaster is tied for fourth with eight home runs and tied for 10th with 17 walks. ... Sophomore C Danelle Arnold is tied for sixth with six triples and tied for first in Big 12 games with three doubles. ... Freshman SS Kim Wilmoth is tied with Levesque for fifth in steals (17), while freshman OF Carrie Leerberg is tied for eighth with 14 swipes. ... Sophomore RHP Katie Decker is fourth in ERA (0.97) and third in lowest opponents' batting average (.149).

FOUR LADY BEARS ALREADY IN STEALS TOP 10
Head coach Glenn Moore focused on increasing team speed with his 2001 signing class, and through 49 games that emphasis is apparent. Sophomore OF Kelly Levesque, who transferred to Baylor from Louisiana State, and freshman SS Kim Wilmoth share the team lead with 17 stolen bases, that figure is tied for third-best in school history. Meanwhile, freshman OF Carrie Leerberg is seventh with 14, and junior 2B Stacey Hundley is ninth all-time with 12 steals. As a team, the Lady Bears have swiped 91 bases this season, second in school history and just three shy of the school record established in 1996.

MORE THIEVERY
Five of the top 11 stolen base threats in Baylor history are currently wearing the Green and Gold. Junior 2B Stacey Hundley is third in school history with 33 career stolen bases, while junior OF Sarah Caudle is fifth with 30. Meanwhile, three players have cracked the top 10 in their first seasons at Baylor. Sophomore OF Kelly Levesque and freshman SS Kim Wilmoth are tied for sixth all-time with 17 thefts, freshman OF Carrie Leerberg is eighth with 14.

BAYLOR BREAKING RECORDS LEFT AND RIGHT
The 2002 Lady Bears are on a torrid pace when it comes to eclipsing school records. Here is a look at all the marks Baylor has established this season (* denotes tied record):

SEASON - MISCELLANEOUS
Wins (40)
Big 12 Wins (7) *
Consecutive Wins (13)
Home Wins (22)
Total Home Attendance (6,786)

SEASON - BATTING, TEAM
Triples (12)
Extra Base Hits (94)
Hit by Pitch (22)
Sacrifice Flies (10) *

SEASON - PITCHING, TEAM
Shutouts (19)
Strikeouts (325)

GAME - BATTING, TEAM
RBI (21 vs. Southern) *
Doubles (5 vs. Southern) *
Triples (2 vs. Southern and Louisiana-Monroe) *
Home Runs (3 vs. Southern) *
Stolen Bases (6 vs. Stephen F. Austin) *
Total Bases (38 vs. Southern)
Extra Base Hits (10 vs. Southern)
Sacrifice Flies (2 vs. Southern) *

GAME - PITCHING, TEAM
Strikeouts (15 vs. Stephen F. Austin)

SEASON - BATTING, INDIVIDUAL
Triples (4, Sarah Caudle) *
Hit by Pitch (8, Kelly Levesque)
Sacrifice Flies (2, Sarah Caudle and Kristen Lancaster) *

GAME - BATTING, INDIVIDUAL
Runs (4, April Luce vs. Southern) *
Hits (4, Carrie Leerberg vs. Southern and April Luce vs. Southern) *
Doubles (3, Nan Wilkins vs. Oklahoma City)
Triples (1, 12 times) *
Extra Base Hits (3, Nan Wilkins vs. Oklahoma City) *
Hit by Pitch (2, Kelly Levesque vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) *
Sacrifice Hits (3, Stacey Hundley vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) *
Sacrifice Flies (1, 10 times) *

GAME - PITCHING, INDIVIDUAL
Strikeouts (15, Joni Miller vs. Stephen F. Austin)

BIG 12 COACHES TAB BAYLOR SIXTH
Baylor was picked to finished sixth in the Big 12 Conference this season, according to the preseason coaches' poll. The Lady Bears were 38-22 overall last season, finishing sixth in the Big 12 with a 7-9 league mark. Defending champion Nebraska was the overwhelming favorite in the preseason poll, garnering 78 total points and seven of 10 first-place votes. Oklahoma, which claimed the Big 12 Tournament title last year, was picked second with 72 total points and two first-place nods. Texas was third with 65 points and the final first-place selection. Kansas (52 points) was picked fourth, followed by Texas A&M (49), Baylor (42), Oklahoma State (32), Texas Tech (28), Missouri (23) and Iowa State (9).

BAYLOR ADDS 3 EARLY SIGNEES
Head coach Glenn Moore signed four players to National Letters of Intent last fall during the early signing period. Joining the Lady Bears' program next year will be 3B/C Amber Daniel, SS Kelly Osburn and SS/OF Harmony Schwethelm. Daniel, a 1999 graduate of Vanguard High School in Waco, Texas, will come to Baylor from Temple (Texas) College. Osburn preps at Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas, and Schwethelm attends Smithson Valley High School in San Antonio, Texas.

TRANSFERS FIND HOME AT BAYLOR
Four members of the 2002 Lady Bears' squad transferred to Baylor from other schools, three coming in this season and all three from four-year schools. Last season, Kourtny Westerfeld joined the Baylor program after spending one season at nearby McLennan Community College. This season, the Lady Bears welcome sophomores Danelle Arnold and Katie Decker from fellow Big 12 Conference institution Nebraska, and sophomore Kelly Levesque from Southeastern Conference power Louisiana State.

Player           Prev. School        StatusDanelle Arnold      Nebraska        sophomore CKatie Decker      Nebraska        sophomore RHPKelly Levesque      Louisiana State     sophomore SSKourtny Westerfeld  McLennan CC     junior 1B

GOBAYLORBEARS.COM
Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.GoBaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases, photos, biographical sketches and audio broadcasts, is part of the FANSonly Network. FANSonly currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including eight Big 12 schools.

OVER THE AIR
Selected Baylor softball games can be heard live on KRZI-AM (1660/1580) in Waco this season. Larry Little, a veteran broadcaster of baseball, softball, basketball and soccer, will handle play-by-play duties for road games, while John Morris, "The Voice of the Bears," will handle play-by-play duties for home games. Former Baylor head coach Paula Young will provide color analysis. Baylor's broadcast schedule for the 2002 season is as follows:

Date     Day     Opponent            TimeMarch   20  Wed.        at Texas Tech (DH)      2:00 p.m.March   27  Wed.        TEXAS               6:30 p.m.April   6   Sat.        at Missouri         7:00 p.m.April   14  Sun.        IOWA STATE          NoonApril   20  Sat.        at Oklahoma State       2:00 p.m.May 1-3 Wed.-Fri.   at Big 12 Tournament        TBAMay 16-20   Thurs.-Mon. at NCAA Regionals       TBA

BAYLOR GAMES ON THE NET
Live stats for all Baylor home games can be accessed by visiting www.GoBaylorBears.com, the official website of Baylor athletics.

INSIDE BAYLOR SPORTS TV SHOW
Inside Baylor Sports, a half-hour look at the world of Baylor athletics, airs weekly throughout Central Texas and the region. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott-Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6, Fox Sports Net Southwest and the College Channel (Waco cable channel 18). KCEN carries the show at 10:30 p.m. Sundays, and it airs at 1 p.m. Wednesdays on FSN Southwest.

UP NEXT...
Baylor returns home for the weekend, hosting Iowa State for a two-game Big 12 Conference series. The Lady Bears and the Cyclones play Saturday at 2 p.m. CDT and Sunday at Noon. Baylor and Iowa State have not met since the 2000 season as last year's series at Ames, Iowa, was cancelled due to snow.

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