Wednesday, April 24 • vs Utah • Salt Lake City, Utah • Dumke Family Softball Stadium • Watch: Pac 12 Network • Radio: 104.9 FM 
Thursday, April 25 • vs BYU • Provo, Utah • Miller Park • Watch: ESPN+ • Radio: 104.9 FM 
Friday, April 26 • vs BYU • Provo, Utah • Miller Park • Watch: ESPN+ • Radio: 104.9 FM
Saturday, April 27 • vs BYU • Provo, Utah • Miller Park • Watch: ESPN+ • Radio: 104.9 FM
 
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
 
With seemingly more players in the training room than on the field, it's hard to imagine that Baylor softball (25-18, 8-13) still has at least an outside chance to not only make an NCAA regional but actually host at Getterman Stadium.
 
But at 20^th in the latest RPI rankings after sweeping UCF in a three-game series, the Bears are at least in the consideration with seven regular-season games remaining going into a trip to Utah for four games in four days.
 
"It does give us extra motivation," said junior first baseman Shaylon Govan, who is second in the nation with a .582 on-base percentage. "Especially with this team and everything we've gone through with injuries, seeing that we can still do it with half of our team that's healthy. It was great to build off that confidence and knowing that this team can still do it even when our backs are against the wall."
 
Already missing pitcher Dariana Orme and shortstop Amber Toven, among others, the Bears have also been playing without catcher/infielder Abi Flores (concussion) and utility player Shannon Vivoda (ribs).
 
"We hope (Flores) will be back," Baylor coach Glenn Moore said. "Shannon Vivoda is dealing with some rib issues; it would be nice to have her in our lineup. I think we're at 11 players right now out of our 25 that are available. It would be nice to see a few of those come back.
 
This week, Baylor faces a pair of teams that are just fighting to get into an NCAA regional. The Bears will play future Big 12 rival Utah (28-17) at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday in Salt Lake City and then BYU (26-19, 8-13) in a three-game series that starts with Thursday's 7 p.m. CT game in Provo.
 
A Women's College World Series team last season, Utah is a likely bubble team at No. 45 in the RPI rankings and sixth in the Pac-12 standings at 7-11.
 
"We were at their regional (last year) and they made it to the World Series for the first time in (29 years)," Moore said. "They have a strong lefty (Mariah Lopez, 17-9) that reminds me a lot of (former Baylor All-American) Whitney Canion. They ride her, and she's got less than a half-run ERA in the last half-dozen games. She's their confidence booster."
 
Baylor rode the pitching of Aliyah Binford (8-9, 3.30 ERA) and RyLee Crandall (12-7. 2.72) in the sweep of UCF, combining for three-straight complete games and holding the Knights to just one run on 12 hits.
 
"I think what we saw this past weekend was more efficiency out of our pitchers," Moore said. "We worked ahead in the count, things we had talked a lot about for a long time that we weren't seeing. I want to see them pound the zone and trust a very good defense."
 
Crandall, who had a five-hit shutout in the first of back-to-back 1-0 games in a Sunday doubleheader against UCF, said it helped that she was "able to get more rest" last week.
 
"Aliyah stepping up, and me doing the same for her, we depend on each other," Crandall said. "We know that even in our bullpen, Kaci (West) and Ava (Knoll), they're going to get it done when we can't. It helps having a lot of depth."
 
Like Baylor, BYU (54^th in the RPI) is coming off a conference sweep of Iowa State and is led by reigning Big 12 Player of the Week Hailey Morrow. The sophomore catcher/infielder hit .583 (7-for-12) in a 4-0 week with four homers and 10 RBIs.
 
"I don't think (our confidence) has ever wavered as we've gone through the season, even (in) the tough times," Govan said. "Seeing some (wins) on the board gives us that extra confidence that we didn't have before."
 
The BYU series continues with games at 7 p.m. CT Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday at Gail Miller Field, with all three games streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+.



STORY LINES
• Baylor Softball prepares to head on the road to face Utah in a nonconference matchup on Wednesday, April 24, in Salt Lake City before continuing down the road to face BYU in Provo, Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27.
• Baylor holds the all-time record over the Utes 4-1. The Bears last faced Utah during the 2013 season when they won a nonconference game 5-2. The Bears played at Dumke Family Softball Stadium last season for the Salt Lake City regional but didn't have to face the Utes.
• BYU holds the all-time record over the Bears 5-1, including a 3-0 record over Baylor while playing in Provo. THE Bears last faced the Cougars during the 2021 season. 
• The Bears are coming off a weekend series sweep over the UCF Knights, where the Baylor pitching staff only gave up one run over three games and posted back-to-back complete-game shutouts in Sunday's doubleheader.
• Baylor snapped a 15-game nonconference win-streak when they fell against No. 23 Texas State, 6-1, in San Marcos. They are now 17-6 in nonconference games this season after falling against UT Arlington last Tuesday, 4-3. The game against Utah will mark the Bears last nonconference matchup of the season.
• Fifteen of Baylor's losses this season have come against teams ranked or receiving votes in polls at some point in the season.
• The team has a veteran squad that consists of seven seniors and 17 upperclassmen.
• After ending the 2023 campaign back in the NCAA postseason, the Bears are building on last year's 40-win season while returning all but one senior, Josie Bower, from the roster. 
• Baylor added three freshmen to the squad with pitcher Lexie Warncke and infielders, Paige King and Leah Cran.
• Baylor is still receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Softball and NFCA/USA Today polls.
• The Bears have already faced nine ranked teams this season: No. 2 Tennessee, No. 23 Louisiana, No. 25 Oregon, No. 19 UCLA, No. 13 Missouri, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 23 Texas State and No. 1 Texas. Last weekend marked the second time this season the Bears have faced the No.1 ranked team in a three-game series. 
• Baylor is currently ranked No. 20 in the RPI standings. 
• RyLee Crandall is leading the way in the circle this season with a 12-7 record, with 27 appearances and a 2.72 ERA. She has 90 total strikeouts and is fourth in conference only stats with 54 conference strikeouts. 
• Crandall has also picked up the Bears' only weekly Big 12 award so far this season, as she won Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors for BU's win over No. 7 Oklahoma State, where she pitched a one-hit complete-game shutout. The sophomore was one hit away from a perfect game, effectively retiring 21 of 22 at bats.
• Aliyah Binford has a team-leading 115 strikeouts and holds a 8-9 record. She is currently ranked No.1 in the Big 12 in strikeouts. 
• Shaylon Govan leads the Bears with a .437 average, 45 hits, seven doubles and five home runs. Her batting average is third in the Big 12 and 19th nationally, while her on base percentage is ranks second nationally. With her .582 on base percentage, Govan is ranked 12th in the country in walks per game and has been walked 35 times so far this season.
• Kaci West has three saves on the season, which ties for first in the Big 12. 
• Sixteen different Bears have recorded a hit so far this season, with Govan leading the way with 45, followed by Emily Hott with 42. There are 12 Bears with double-digit hits on the season. 
• Head coach Glenn Moore hit his 1,000th career win last season, when the Bears took down UT Arlington on March 23, 2023. He hit his 900th win at Baylor this season after taking down UTSA, 2-1, on April 9, 2024.