Softball Heads West To Palm Springs Classic
2/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 20, 2008
Fresh off its offensive outburst against Priarie View A&M, the No. 10 Baylor Lady Bears (5-1 overall) will head west to the Palm Springs Classic at the Big League Dreams Sports Park in Cathedral City, Calif. Baylor will open play on Feb. 21 at 10 p.m. CT against Oregon.
The Lady Bears will also face four other teams currently ranked in the top-25 as they take on UMass on Friday at 3 p.m., No. 9 Arizona, Friday at 8 p.m., No. 11 UCLA, Saturday at 2:30 p.m., No. 23 Cal State Fullerton, Saturday at 5 p.m. and No. 25 San Diego State on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Tune in live on baylorbears.com for all the action as Derek Smith brings you all the play-by-play action. Thursday's game against
HEAD COACH Glenn Moore
Glenn Moore enters his eighth season as head coach at Baylor and his 11th full season as a collegiate head coach. Moore, who was selected to guide the Lady Bear program in June 2000, has a career record of 447-181 (.712). His teams have won at least 30 games each season of his Division I career.
The 2007 season was one for the ages, as
In what has become a theme for Baylor softball, power-hitting and blazing speed were once again on display, as the 2007 Lady Bears led the Big 12 with 142 stolen bases and finished second in the league with 62 home runs. For the second straight season a player broke the school single season home run mark, as Ashley Monceaux blasted 20 home runs. In addition, Monceaux also broke the single-season records in batting average, hits, doubles, RBI, slugging percentage and OBP, while Tiffany Wesley set a new season record for stolen bases with 36.
The Lady Bears raked in numerous postseason awards in 2007 as Monceaux and Brette Reagan were named NFCA All-Americans, making it the second straight season that Baylor landed at least two players on the NFCA All-America squad. It was also the second consecutive year that a Baylor player took home the Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year award, as Kirsten Shortridge earned the honor for her performance in the circle. In all, a school record six players earned All-Big 12 selections in 2007.
Baylor continued its excellence in the classroom, as five Lady Bears earned Academic All-Big 12 accolades, while two players were named ESPN The Magazine All-District selections.
In 2006,
The Lady Bears stepped it up 2006 Big 12 Conference under Moore as Baylor finished the season with a record of 12-6 in conference play, good for a third-place finish.
Hitting the long ball was the theme for
Under
In all, six players landed on the All-Big 12 Conference squad in 2006 while five players found their way onto the NFCA All-Midwest Region squad.
During
recapping the getterman classic and prairie view a&m
The Lady Bears have gotten off to a solid 5-1 start, going 3-1 in the Getterman Classic and sweeping a doubleheader from Pairie View A&M, however the story of the season has been the emergence of Jordan Daniels. The senior first baseman entered the season with no home runs and was a lifetime .261 hitter, but is currently hitting .611 with five home runs and 12 RBI.
At the Getterman Classic, the Lady Bears hit .333 as a team and swiped 16 bases, while in the circle, Baylor pitchers combined for a 1.28 ERA with opponents hitting just .222 against them.
Baylor began with an 8-0 win over
A heartbreaking game against Purdue followed, as Baylor found themselves in an early 3-0 hole before a game-tying three run homer by Daniels made it 4-4. After Baylor tied the game again in the seventh, Purdue scored in the bottom of the eighth to win 6-5.
After rain washed out Saturday's action, the Lady Bears came back out to face
Baylor's final game of the tournament saw Centenary as the opponent, as the Lady Bears were able to get a 4-2 win against the Ladies. Daniels' third home run of the tournament gave BU its fourth and final run and earned her a spot on the all-tournament team. She was joined by fellow Lady Bears, Jenny Isham and Nicole Wesley.
A quick turnaround found Baylor back at Getterman Stadium on Tuesday to take on Prairie View A&M in a twinbill. Baylor put the opening game out of reach in the opening inning, posting a 12-spot that included two home runs by Daniels. It marked the first time in
Shortridge had a stellar performance all the way around, as she went 7-for-7 at the plate with four RBI and also threw four scoreless innings in the circle. All four Baylor pitchers saw time in the circle on the night, combining to give up just four hits and no runs in the doubleheader.
Fields of dreams
The Palm Springs Classic will be played at Big League Dreams Sports Park in
The park features replicas of Wrigley Field, Fenway, Yankey Stadium, The Polo Grounds and Forbes Field.
The 24-team tournament field showcases some of the most prestigious softball programs in the country, with 18 2007 NCAA Tournament teams including three of the eight teams that competed in the 2007 Women's College World Series (Baylor, Arizona, Northwestern). The field also includes 14 NFCA All-Americans and will feature the USA Softball Team.
scouting
After a 1-3 start, the Ducks enter the tournament winners of four of its last six.
As a team,
As a team,
SCOUTING UMASS
UMass began the season at the FAU Kick Off Classic with three-straight losses, but but finished with back-to-back wins over
The Minutewomen enter the tournament with a .214 batting average, no home runs and eight RBI. Leading the way is sophomore Sarah Reeves, who is hitting .500 with three doubles, two RBI and a .533 on-base percentage.
In the circle is one of the hardest throwing pitchers in softball, junior Brandice Balschmiter. Leading into the weekend, she carried a 2-1 mark with a 0.33 ERA, striking out 23 and walking just one in 21 innings of work. As a team, UMass carries a 0.64 ERA with opposing batters hitting just .147.
SCOUTING
Two-time defending national champion Arizona enters the season with a 2-3 record overall after beginning the season with three-straight losses; two of which came to top-10 opponents Northwestern and Texas A&M
The Wildcats are hitting .292 as a team and are led by Jenae Leles' .429 batting average and five RBI.
In the circle
SCOUTING UCLA
The Bruins enter the weekend winner's of four of their last five. UCLA has already faced a pair of Big 12 teams in
Freshman GiOnna DiSalvatore has been on a tear thus far, hitting .500 with a home run and 16 RBI. As a team, the Bruins enter with a .364 average with eight home runs and 19 doubles in 10 games.
Donna Kerr and Anjelica Selden have been stellar inside the circle, as Kerr is 3-1 with a 1.04 ERA and
SCOUTING
The Titans come to
Jenna Wheeler leads the
In the circle, the Titnas will rely on Christine Hunter, who is 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 27.2 innings of work. As a team,
The Aztecs enter with the best record among Baylor's weekend opponents with a 9-1 mark and winners of seven-straight.
Tonye McCorkle leads
In the circle, senior Christina Ross is 5-1 with a 0.52 ERA in 40.2 innings of work to lead the way. As a staff, SDSU has been very impressive with a 0.50 team ERA.
DANIELS NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Jordan Daniels was named Big 12 Softball Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Tuesday. The selection is the first of Daniels' career and the 14th time in program history a Lady Bear has been honored.
Daniels hit .643 (9-for-14) with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBI in Baylor's four games this past weekend and led the tournament field in almost every offensive category, including a 1.429 slugging percentage. Her three run blast on Friday to tie the game in the fourth against Purdue marked the first of her Lady Bear career, as she was responsible for seven of the 23 Baylor runs over the weekend.
LADY BEARS PICKED THIRD IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
In a pre-season vote conducted by league coaches, the Baylor softball team has been picked to finish third in the Big 12 Conference the league office announced Thursday. The Lady Bears were picked to finish second last season.
Texas A&M (79 points) received seven of the possible 10 first-place votes to edge out second-place
BAYLOR LANDS PAIR ON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Junior Brette Reagan and sophomore Kirsten Shortridge have been selected to the initial "Watch List" for the seventh annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award, the Amateur Softball Association announced Wednesday.
Reagan, a two-time All-Big 12 selection, is the only two-time All-American in Lady Bear softball history. The Magnolia,
Shortridge was the 2007 Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection last season. She went 17-6 with a 2.14 ERA in 34 appearances in 2007. The Keller,
The award, which is considered one of the most prestigious honors in women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
The 2008 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 34 schools and 14 different NCAA Division I Conferences. The ASA will announce the 25 finalists on April 9. A player does not have to appear on the initial watch list to be considered as a Top 25 finalist, but once the Top 25 is named the remaining finalist must be selected from that list.
Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 7. The final three finalists will be announced May 21 while the winner of the 2008 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced prior to the start of the 2008 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
REAGAN NAMED FIRST-TEAM PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
For the first time in her career, junior Brette Reagan was named first-team preseason All-America by both espn.com and CSTV. This marked the second-straight season that a Lady Bear player has been named preseason first-team by espn.com, as Chelsi Lake earned the honor in 2007. It is the first time a Baylor player has been named to the CSTV list, however.
STRONG SCHEDULING
The 2008 schedule begins at home for the seventh straight season as Baylor hosts Syracuse, Purdue and Centenary in the seventh annual Getterman Classic.
"I like opening up at home and playing in Getterman Stadium in front of our home crowd," Moore said. "It benefits our girls to have another day of practice and not have to spend that day as a travel day."
Following that is a trip to Palm Springs, Calif., where the Lady Bears will play five of their six games against teams that advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament, including No. 20 Oregon, UMass, No. 1 Arizona, No. 14 UCLA and No. 21 Cal State Fullerton.
A trip to Clearwater, Fla., for the USF Under Armour Invitational will be highlighted by a chance to play the USA National Team. Add those tournaments to an already tough Big 12 schedule, and you have the makings of one of the nation's toughest schedules.
"You try to match your schedule to your team," Moore said. "The Palm Springs tournament will give us all the testing we need to see where our team is at early. I think the USF Under Armour Invitational will be the best field they have ever had. We are going to grow up a whole lot early in the year. I am going to tell you one thing, we are not going to take a step back."
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Heading into the 2008 season, Baylor's home field of Getterman Stadium has been kind to the Lady Bears as BU owns a career 173-55 (.759) mark at the home park since the stadium opened in 1999. Last year, Baylor went a program-best 30-3 (including 2-1 in postseason play) in the friendly confines of Getterman Stadium as no Lady Bears team has lost more than 10 games at home in a single season.
In the stadium's seven years of existence, attendance has steadily risen as Baylor set attendance records in2007. Last season, Baylor had five sellout crowds and 11 of the top-20 crowds in stadium history. The Lady Bears also broke total season attendance and season average records with 24,222 people coming through the gates, an average of 847 per contest.
BAYLOR RANKED PRESEASON TOP 10
For the fourth consecutive season, the Baylor softball team found itself in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Preseason Poll. The Lady Bears started out the 2008 season ranked No. 8 in country; their highest preseason mark in program history. In addition, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) announced its 2008 ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Preseason Poll ranking Baylor No. 9.
Baylor is one of five Big 12 Conference school ranked in the preseason polls as Texas A&M (No. 2, No. 3), Oklahoma (No. 5, No. 5), Texas (No. 22, No. 24) and Missouri (No. 25, No. 21) join the Lady Bears in the polls.
Arizona, the two-time defending national champion, opens the season as the top-ranked team in both polls.
BAYLOR LADY BEARS IN THE CAREER CHARTS
Several Lady Bears are aiming to continue making their way up the career charts in 2008. Below is a list of Lady Bears who currently rank in the top ten in one of the career categories:
BATTING RECORDS
RUNS: Brette Reagan (8th, 94)
TRIPLES: Brette Reagan (T10th, 4)
HOME RUNS: Brette Reagan (T5th, 22)
RBI: Brette Reagan (T7th, 95)
WALKS: Brette Reagan (2nd, 84)
FIELDING RECORDS
ASSISTS: Brette Reagan (6th, 274)
PITCHING RECORDS
APPEARANCES: Kirsten Shortridge (9th, 37)
Brittany Turner (10th, 33)
GAMES STARTED: Kirsten Shortridge (8th, 28)
Brittany Turner (10th, 15)
WINS: Kirsten Shortridge (T7th, 19)
DECISIONS: Kirsten Shortridge (8th, 25)
COMPLETE GAMES: Kirsten Shortridge (7th, 11)
SHUTOUTS: Kirsten Shortridge (T7th, 2)
INNINGS PITCHED: Kirsten Shortridge (8th, 183.1)
STRIKEOUTS: Kirsten Shortridge (8th, 137)
Brittany Turner (10th, 79)
BAYLOR SIGNS FIVE DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Baylor softball head coach Glenn Moore announced the signing of five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent Wednesday. The class, made up entirely of high school athletes, includes five players from three states.
"This is another very good class," Moore said. "We have outstanding students in this class who are also some of the best athletes in the country. Speed and versatility, with a very well developed left handed pitcher, will make this class one of the best in the country."
The signing class includes the following players: Whitney Canion (LHP, Aledo HS, Aledo, Texas), Bree Hanafin (SS/OF, Yorktown HS, Arlington, Va.), Megan Turk (UTL, Smithson Valley HS, Bulverde, Texas), Kayce Walker (OF, Franklin HS, Franklin, Texas) and Sydney Wilson (INF, St. Joseph Academy, Baton Rouge, La.)
Whitney Canion, LHP
Canion, an all-state selection at Aledo High School, helped lead her team to a district title in 2007 after wrapping up MVP honors during the title run. The 5-11 lefty is a member of the Texas Glory Gold summer team.
"Every pitching staff needs a lefty," Moore said. "Whitney is one of the best in the country. Along with Lisa Ferguson and Kirsten Shortridge, Whitney was a student in the pitching school of Ken Graves. She will be a big time pitcher in Division-I softball."
Bree Hanafin, SS/OF
Hanafin, a first team all-district and all-region selection last season, is a two-time Yorktown High School MVP. The shortstop, who also lettered in track, is a member of the Virginia Shamrocks Gold.
"Bree is the prototype athlete every coach wants," Moore said. "She has the triple threat of the short game, power (both sides of the plate) and speed. She plays shortstop and outfield for Tommy Orndorff's national powerhouse program, the Virginia Shamrocks."
Megan Turk, UTL
Turk helped lead Smithson Valley to its 10th straight district title in 2007. A member of the Texas Royals Gold summer team, Turk is also one of the top players on the SVHS basketball team.
"Megan is a very hard worker and loves getting dirty," Moore said. "She comes from Smithson Valley (home of former Baylor softball player, Harmony Schwethelm) where she was coached by Wayne and Lisa Daigle, and no one prepares their athletes for college better than the Daigles."
Kayce Walker, OF
Walker, who has been named all-district, offensive player and newcomer of the year during her three years at Franklin, is a product of Stoney Burk's Impact Gold from Houston. She also lettered in basketball and volleyball during her three years at FHS.
"Like all of the 2008 class, Kayce is a tremendous student first," Moore said. "However, she can play the game just as well. We believe Kayce has the potiential to become one of the top slappers in the nation. She has the wheels and will utilize that speed in the outfield."
Sydney Wilson, INF
Wilson, a first team all-metro selection in last season, was named MVP of St. Joseph Academy for the second-straight year in 2007.
"Sydney is a competitor," Morre said. "She's a middle infielder with big time pop and a great arm. Sydney is another athlete from a ledgendary program and one of the top summer ball coaches in the Nation, the Louisiana Patriots and long time coach, Ben Guidry. "
BAYLOR SOFTBALL RADIO NETWORK
The ISP-Baylor Radio Network crew will again this season provide live play-by-play broadcast for Baylor softball games.
Derek Smith handles play-by-play duties with former Baylor player Chelsi Lake providing color analysis. Smith is in his third season serving as play-by-play voice for the Lady Bears and also serves as a public address announcer for Baylor men's and women's basketball games. Lake is in her first season in the broadcast booth.
Selected games can be heard on the flagship station of the Baylor Lady Bears, ESPN Radio 1660 AM or 104.9 FM in Waco. Also, every Baylor game is also available worldwide on the internet at www.BaylorBears.com.
2008 Radio Schedule
Feb. 21 Oregon Palm Springs, Calif. 10:00 P.M.
Feb. 22 Arizona Palm Springs, Calif. 8:00 P.M.
March 19 Texas A&M College Station, Texas 6:30 P.M.
March 26 TEXAS A&M WACO, TEXAS 6:30 P.M.
April 2 at Texas Austin, Texas 6:30 P.M.
April 12 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. 2:00 P.M.
April 13 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. 12:00 P.M.
April 23 at Texas WACO, TEXAS 6:30 P.M.
April 30 OKLAHOMA (DH) WACO, TEXAS 5:00 P.M.
INSIDE BAYLOR SPORTS
"Inside Baylor Sports," the award winning weekly TV show that covers all aspects of Baylor athletics, returns for its ninth season during the 2007-2008 academic year.
Senior Producer Robert Shiekh and Producer Kyle Lewis provide viewers an inside look at Baylor athletics with thorough highlights, in-depth interviews and imaginative features on all 18 sports presented in a fast-paced, entertaining style. Co-hosts John Morris and Lori Scott Fogleman guide viewers through the best coverage of Baylor athletics on television.
"Inside Baylor Sports" airs Sundays, Aug. 26, 2007 through June 9, 2008, at 10:30 p.m. CT on KCEN-TV in Central Texas. The program also airs weekly throughout the region on FSN Southwest at 1 p.m. each Wednesday beginning Aug. 29 and is archived on the web at www.BaylorTV.com. "Inside Baylor Sports" also may been seen nationally on College Sports Television.
UP NEXT...
Baylor will return to action when the Lady Bears host Louisiana-Monroe for a weekend series beginning on Saturday, March 1, at 2:00 p.m.
