Friday, April 28
Ames, Iowa
4 PM
Baylor
at
Iowa State
No. 18 SB Heads to Iowa State for Weekend Series
4/27/2023 1:17:00 PM | Softball
Bears hold the all-time record against the Cyclones, 42-20
No. 18 BAYLOR (35-13, 4-8 Big 12) vs. IOWA STATE (19-27, 2-10 Big 12)
Friday, April 28 • vs. Iowa State • Ames, Iowa |Cyclone Sports Complex • Radio: 101.3 FM • Watch: ESPN+Saturday, April 29 • vs. Iowa State • Ames, Iowa |Cyclone Sports Complex • Radio: 101.3 FM • Watch: ESPN+
Sunday, April 30 • vs. Iowa State • Ames, Iowa |Cyclone Sports Complex • Radio: 101.3 FM • Watch: ESPN+
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Looking at Iowa State's record, it would be easy to overlook or underestimate the Cyclones (19-27, 2-10).
But that's the last thing 18th-ranked Baylor (35-13, 4-8) would do. Just a year ago, the Bears dropped two of three at home to Iowa State and then lost to the Cyclones, 2-1, at the Big 12 Championship to keep them out of the NCAA Tournament.
"Every time I've played them in the past, going back to (2021), they're definitely a team to take seriously," said junior outfielder Emily Hott, who's hitting .288 with three homers and 27 RBIs. "Even if their record doesn't show how good they are, we all know in the game of softball, games can switch in one play or one timely hit. It's really important for us to go in and take care of business."
After getting swept by No. 1-ranked Oklahoma, Baylor goes back on the road to face Iowa State in a three-game series that starts with Friday's 4 p.m. game at Cyclone Sports Complex. Weather permitting, they will play at 1 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. Sunday.
"Looks like we're going to have a nasty weekend up there," Baylor coach Glenn Moore said. "We're going to put that slant on it that we're more prepared because of what we went through here."
The Bears are coming off a 3-0 win over Texas State on Wednesday that was stopped after five innings when the tornado sirens went off.
"Coach Moore was talking about how it's definitely a blessing in disguise," Hott said. "We usually have to warm up indoors instead of getting those cuts on the field or playing on a wet outfield, a wet infield. That's just some advantages that will help kind of get you settled down for the games."
At 18th in the latest RPI rankings, Baylor is in position to potentially host an NCAA regional for the first time in six years. Although the Bears got swept by the Sooners, they also handed OU its only loss and swept fourth-ranked Tennessee in two games in Knoxville.
"I think we've got a good argument, we've got a good resume right now," Moore said. "I think there are two or three schools that can get those final hosting spots, and we're one of them. So, they're going to look at how you finish. . . . I think it's important that we show them we're playing our best ball now."
After the road trip to Iowa State, BU will wrap up the regular season with a split series against fifth-ranked Texas (39-9-1, 11-4) next weekend, May 5-7. They will play the Friday game in Austin and then games at 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Getterman Stadium.
"It's kind of like the elephant in the room," senior DP Josie Bower said of Baylor potentially hosting a regional. "A lot of us haven't been to postseason, so I don't think we want to put that pressure on ourselves. So, we kind of talk about it here and there, the possibility of hosting. But now that we're getting down it, it's in the front of our minds. . . . We want to win, especially me, since this is my last year."
All three games this weekend will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
STORY LINES
• Baylor Softball is heading to Ames, Iowa, to face the Iowa State Cyclones for a three-game conference series.
• BU also leads the all-time record against Iowa State, 42-20, while also holding the record in Ames, 18-6.
• The Bears defeated Texas State in a midweek contest, winning 3-0 in five innings after the game was called complete due to tornado warnings in the area. The Bears ended their regular-season non-conference slate on a 12-game win streak.
• A 35-13 record through the first 47 games of the year marks the best record for the Bears since going 38-10 to open the 2017 season, a year that ended in the College World Series with a 48-15 record and a final No. 7 national ranking.
• Baylor is now ranked No. 14 in the D1Softball poll, jumping one spot after the Bears fell against No. 1 Oklahoma in three games. They are 20 in the ESPN/USA Today poll, 17 in the Softball America poll and 18 in the NFCA coaches' poll.
• BU is currently sitting at 18 in the NCAA Softball RPI standings moving up two spots after a midweek game against Texas State.
• Baylor has turned the most double plays in a season (23), since the 2007 season when the Bears set a season-high with 28 double plays turned. BU has only turned 20 or more double plays in a season three times in Baylor softball history.
• Baylor is 3-1 in extra-inning games on the season, with their one loss in extras coming against No. 2 Oklahoma State in an 11-inning showdown with to open conference play. The Bears also have 11 shutouts on the season.
• Shaylon Govan is now tied for second in sacrifice fly's in a single season with six so far this season. She is also fifth all-time in walks in a season with 37.
• BU also leads the Big 12 in sacrifice bunts (31), sacrifice fly's (18) and stolen bases (72).
• McKenzie Wilson moved to third place in consecutive reached base streaks earlier this season with a 35 game-record.
• Josie Bower is now second all-time in Baylor softball history in hit by pitches (27), passing Kelley Levesque, after she was hit against Oklahoma.
• The Bears bats were silenced against Oklahoma last week, as the Bears were shut out for just the fourth, fifth and sixth times on the season.
• Shaylon Govan leads the Bears with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. She is the first Bears since 2019 to record double-digit home runs in a single season.
• Govan is one of nine Bears to have double digit RBIs already on the season. Amber Toven follows her with 28, Emily Hott has 27, Ana Watson has 26, McKenzie Wilson and Sydney Collazos have 19, Presleigh Pilon has 18, Taylor Strain has 14 and Josie Bower has 12.
• Dariana Orme leads the Bears with 124 strikeouts and leads the conference in innings pitched (142.1).
• Ava Knoll made her home debut in the green and gold in the midweek contest pitching an inning against the Bobcats. Kaci West also had a no-hitter through three innings pitched and RyLee Crandall pitched one scoreless frame.
• The Bears have already recorded 72 stolen bases on the season, three away from last year's season total of 75.
• Head coach Glenn Moore picked up his 1,000th career win against UT Arlington on March 22. He is the winningest coach in Baylor Athletics history and now ranks 11th among active Division I head softball coaches to reach this milestone. 861 of his 1,000 career wins have come at Baylor University.
- BaylorBears.com -
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