Baylor
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Kansas
SB Readies for Weekend Series vs. Kansas
4/29/2021 11:13:00 AM | Softball
Lady Bears playing first weekend series at home since March 20-21
• Friday at 6:30 p.m. (CT)
• Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT)
• Sunday at noon (CT)
Site: Waco, Texas / Getterman Stadium
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 101.3 FM | Stream
Live Stats: BaylorStats.com
Twitter Updates: @BaylorSoftball
Series History
• Baylor leads, 37-28
• Waco: BU, 20-11
• Lawrence, Kan.: BU, 16-10
• Neutral: KU, 7-1
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Even though Baylor softball got swept by top-ranked Oklahoma in Tuesday's doubleheader, coach Glenn Moore believes "our whole game is getting back on track" going into a weekend series at home against Kansas.
"When you play a team that's where Oklahoma is right now, and you look at what they've done to all their competition, sometimes that's what you have to grasp," said Moore, who is one shy of his 800th win at Baylor, the school's all-time wins leader with a record of 799-392.
"You have to hope you come out of a series like that with some sense of confidence that you did some things really well. I think for the first half of the first game, our kids certainly came out swinging, throwing punches, letting (OU) know they're going to have to bring their best game or get it together to beat us. And I think that's what happened."
The Lady Bears led 1-0 through the first three innings of the opening game, with Gia Rodoni (9-7, 3.50 ERA) throwing a no-hitter, before the Sooners blasted three homers over the next three innings for a 7-0 victory. Then, in the nightcap, OU belted out 10 hits and benefitted from seven walks in an 11-0, run-rule victory in six innings.
"We saw on Tuesday how competitive we can be," said senior first baseman Goose McGlaun, who is hitting .323 with a team-high five homers and 24 RBI. "Just carrying that over into this weekend will give us huge momentum."
With only a split series against No. 7 Texas (35-6, 9-3) next weekend remaining, this weekend's series against Kansas (22-20, 2-10) is a big one for Baylor (24-15, 5-6) and its postseason hopes. The Lady Bears' RPI will get a bump with the two games against OU, but coming into the week, Kansas was one spot ahead of Baylor at 42nd.
"I think after the top few in the conference, everybody else is right there together," Moore said. "I know Kansas has played really well against some really good teams and beaten some good teams. This has got postseason ramifications, and we've got to play like it has that type of meaning if we want to see postseason."
On reaching another wins milestone, Moore said, "it's just an age thing." This is his 21st season at Baylor, which is tied for the third-most across all sports in school history.
"This has taken a long time to get there, in my book," said Moore, who has 938 career wins overall. "There are a lot of people responsible for those 800 (wins) besides me. I'm just part of the puzzle, hopefully. I'm very grateful to have been here this long at an incredible institution like Baylor University. I'm very blessed."
Kansas lacks the firepower that Oklahoma has throughout its lineup, but Morgyn Wynne ranks among the league leaders with 15 home runs and 44 RBI. The Jayhawks have hit only three of their 50 homers in league play and are hitting a collective .213 against Big 12 opponents.
Baylor's top two batters in the lineup, sophomore Lou Gilbert and freshman Emily Hott, both rank in the top 10 in conference-only stats with .463 and .438 batting averages, respectively.
During a 26-game on-base streak that is tied for the sixth-longest in program history, Hott is hitting .403 (25-of-62) with six doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI and has a .543 on-base percentage.
"I try not to think about it, but every time I get on base, I'll look at (first-base coach Meagan Diaz) and tell her, 'That's 22 . . . that's 23,''' said Hott, who has raised her batting average by 150 points during the streak to a career-high .323. "I'm just trying to focus on the pitcher, because if you take it pitch by pitch, it's a lot easier than it looks."
Weather permitting, the series will begin with a game at 6:30 p.m. Friday, followed by 2 p.m. Saturday and 12 noon Sunday at Getterman Stadium.
"I think we're seeing now with some of those plays we're making defensively and some of the offense that we're seeing as well, a team that could be pretty good down the stretch," Moore said. "We're down the stretch now, so we need to start looking like a team we think we can be again."
All three games will be streamed live by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with "Voice of the Bears" John Morris and former Lady Bears Kelly Levesque (Friday) and Jordan Strickland (Saturday and Sunday) calling the action.
STORY LINES
• Baylor closes out its five-game home stand with a three-game series against the Kansas Jayhawks over the weekend.
• The Lady Bears, who hold a 37-28 overall advantage over KU, haven't lost to the Jayhawks in Waco since April 7, 2012 (1-6).
• Baylor is coming off a midweek doubleheader against No. 1 Oklahoma. Baylor took a 1-0 lead over the Sooners in the first inning of the first game and held on for three innings before OU took over in the fourth. Gia Rodoni and the Baylor defense retired the first 13 OU batters before allowing a hit to the top-hitting team in the country. BU became the third team this season to outhit Oklahoma (Game 1) and to hold OU without a home run in a game (Game 2).
• Glenn Moore is one win away from recording 800 at Baylor. His is the program's all-time wins leader (799) and is the active wins leader across all sports for Baylor Athletics.
• Lou Gilbert and Emily Hott are making a splash in Big 12 play as the two are among the top 10 in the conference in multiple categories in league action.
• Hott has reached base safely in 26 straight games. That streak ties for sixth in program history alongside Kaitlyn Thumann (2014) and Kathy Shelton (2011-12).
• Aliyah Binford (3/16) and Rodoni (3/30) have each been named the Big 12 Pitcher of the week this season, marking the first time since 2016 and the fourth season in program history (2004, 2014, 2016, 2021) that multiple Baylor pitchers have earned the weekly conference honors.
• Gilbert moved into the leadoff spot with Nicky Dawson's injury. Gilbert has both the short game and power as she has 44 hits to lead the team. Of those 44 hits, 17 of them are for extra bases (11 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs) and 12 of them are bunt singles.
• Dawson is Baylor's all-time leader in career triples with 12 after ripping one to left center field against Louisiana Tech on March 7. The fifth-year senior outfielder now has five triples this season, a mark that ties her for first nationally. Dawson is now tied for second in program history for triples in a season alongside Kyla Walker (2017), Carrie Leerberg (2004) and Kelly Osburn (2005). Harmony Schwethelm had six triples in 2005.
• After 20 seasons as an assistant coach for the Lady Bears, Mark Lumley retired in October before he passed away in December after his fourth bout with cancer. The Baylor players and coaching staff will all be wearing blue ribbons in his honor. This season is for Lum.
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