Baylor Softball Heads to Hawaii for Rainbow Wahine Classic

Bears will face Cal, Hawaii and Oklahoma

Game Notes

Softball 3/8/2022 2:11:00 PM

BAYLOR (11-6) at RAINBOW WAHINE CLASSIC

Wednesday, March 9 • vs. Cal • Honolulu, Hawaii | Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Radio: 101.3 FM
Wednesday, March 9 • vs. Hawaii • Honolulu, Hawaii | Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Radio: 101.3 FM • TV: ESPN+
Thursday, March 10 • vs. Oklahoma • Honolulu, Hawaii | Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Radio: 101.3 FM
Friday, March 11 • vs. Cal • Honolulu, Hawaii | Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Radio: 101.3 FM

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Dariana Orme and Aliyah Binford have proven they can match up "with the big lineups" Baylor softball (11-6) has faced, going toe-to-toe with Oregon, UCLA and Oregon State, but coach Glenn Moore says "we can't throw 'em every game."
            The Bears' pitching depth could be tested in the Rainbow Wahine Classic that starts Wednesday in Honolulu. Playing four games in three days, Baylor will face California (15-6) at 7:30 p.m. CT and Hawaii (5-5) at 11 p.m. Wednesday, followed by top-ranked Oklahoma (16-0) at 7:30 p.m. CT Thursday and Cal again at 4:30 p.m. CT Friday.
            "That's a question that's still up in the air right now," Moore said of a pitching staff that has a 3.23 ERA after splitting a doubleheader on Saturday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
            "Certainly, I have seen evidence out of our top pitchers that we can compete with the big lineups . . . but we can't throw 'em every game. Outside of that, we've got to have the depth get better. it's probably just a lack of being able to throw them enough early on and get the kinks worked out. But, we need to expedite the improvement in that area."
            Beyond the top two of Orme (3-2, 2.62) and Binford (3-3, 2.77), freshman Kaci West (3-0, 1.88) has been the most impressive. She tossed the first perfect game in program history in a 9-0, run-rule victory over Prairie View A&M on Tuesday, but hasn't faced any of the toughest teams in the first month of the season.
            "Don't sell it short because it was maybe not the competition we face in the Big 12," Moore said of West's performance that earned her Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week honors, "because throwing a perfect game is a phenomenal feat. That's why you don't see it often. . . . For a freshman to be able to come in and do that – we've played teams of that caliber, and we didn't have anyone that had done it."
            West has also started five of the last seven games at second base and one in left field, hitting .231 with a double, one home run and four RBI.
            "Every time we've seen her challenged with something, she's met that challenge," Moore said of West. "I think we knew she was athletic enough to do multiple things, we just hadn't seen her in those settings. And to (play second base) for the first time at this level and be adequate at it means the sky's the limit for her."
            Moore has kept the players on their toes, using 14 different lineups and moving them around to two and sometimes three positions.
            Zadie LaValley, who has seen time at catcher and first base, said they have to "be ready to play any position, any time in the game, especially. You never know what's going to happen, obviously."
            Sophomore pitcher Maren Judisch (1-0, 3.50) is tied for the team lead with eight appearances, but threw only 1.2 innings combined against Oregon and Oregon State.
            "Being in relief, you never necessarily want to be needed," Judisch said, "because you always want to be winning and way ahead. It's like something has happened when I have to come in. But. I also want to compete and bring my team back and bring it with me."
            Moore is 13-9 overall in five previous trips to Hawaii, including a 5-0 record and wins over North Dakota State, Cal and Hawaii in 2016.
            "All of that is relative to competition, but Cal has played a strong schedule. We think they look a lot like Baylor in many aspects," Moore said. "They've made some mistakes defensively, but seem to have put together some good numbers offensively and have adequate pitching. I think it will be a good challenge for us right away. And then, we'll play the home-standing Hawaii team. No matter what their record is, they're going to be tough. It's their field and their crowd."

STORY LINES

Baylor Softball is heading to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Rainbow Wahine Classic, where they will face off against Cal, Hawaii, and Oklahoma. The contest against Oklahoma will be a non-conference game.
This season marks the sixth time the Bears are heading to the Aloha State, they have previously competed in tournaments in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2013 and 2016. Coach Moore has led the team in Hawaii for all but one of those years.
Coach Moore is 13-9 overall in Hawaii tournaments, most recently going 5-0 during the 2016 season.
The Bears are coming off of two doubleheader series with Prairie View A&M and Texas A&M Corpus Christi, where they swept the Panthers in the midweek matchup and split with the Islanders.
Freshman Kaci West, recorded the first perfect game in program history in game one against Prairie View, going five perfect inning with five strikeouts. She also went a career-high 5.1 innings against the Islanders, recording a career-high six strikeouts for a 0.68 ERA during the week, the second-best in the Big 12. She picked up Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week honors for her performances.
BU has previously met with all of the teams they are competing against in the Rainbow Wahine Classic.
Leading the charge offensively is McKenzie Wilson who is leading the Big 12 currently in hits (28) and triples (4), and is second in stolen bases with 9.
Sydney Collazos is also making waves offensively as she is first on the team in doubles with five and currently has a 12 game on base streak.