SOC Prepares to Host Texas A&M

Friday, August 30

Waco, Texas

8PM

Baylor

Texas A&M

Azul Alvarez pregame against St Bonaventure

SOC Prepares to Host Texas A&M

8/29/2024 10:41:00 AM | Soccer

Game Notes

Bears facing the Aggies for 22nd time

BAYLOR (3-1) vs TEXAS A&M (2-1)

Aug. 30, 2024 • 8 p.m. CT • Watch: ESPN+ • Waco, Texas • Betty Lou Mays Field

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

Riding a three-game winning streak, including a pair of 1-0 shutouts of Hawaii and Portland, the Baylor softball team (3-1-0) returns home to host former Big 12 rival Texas A&M (2-1-0) at 8 p.m. Friday at Betty Lou Mays Field.

The Aggies have dominated the all-time series (14-4-3), winning 14 of the first 20 matchups before last year's 1-1 draw in College Station in front of a crowd of 6,743 at Ellis Field.

"A&M is going to have great 1v1 attackers in wide spaces that can really hurt you in a transition moment," said Baylor coach Michelle Lenard, who compared the Aggies to the Mississippi State team that handed the Bears a 1-0 loss in the season opener. "Speed and athleticism are very similar. I think A&M is probably even more athletic, but we feel well-equipped to play against that. And that game (against Mississippi State) certainly helped us get ready."

Coming off a 3-0 win over Fairfield, the Aggies are led by junior midfielder Sydney Becerra with three goals; and freshman goalkeepers Sydney Fuller and Maysen Veronda, who have each recorded a shutout in A&M's first three games.

"They have great forwards who are really great on the wings, beating 1v1s" said sixth-year defender Marissa Gray. "That will be the hardest thing, because they're really efficient in that. But as long as we shift over and do what we need to do in practice, working on 1v1s and breaking it down a little quicker, I think that will be more efficient for us to tackle their offense."

Gray, seeing her first in-season game action in five years, has logged over 60 minutes per game on the Bears' back line and helped TCU transfer Azul Alvarez earn Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week honors after the back-to-back shutouts.

"She is absolutely living up to expectations," Lenard said of Gray. "We are being cautious with her load and getting her back at the right pace. And she's a great communicator in what she can and can't do. She's a difference-maker, and she brings such a presence to the team. The players really look up to her. It just feels different when she's on the field, and everybody values having her out there."

Alvarez hasn't allowed a goal since the 1-0 loss to Mississippi State, recording solo shutouts against Hawaii and Portland last week.

"All I have to say is that Azul is back," Gray said of Alvarez, who didn't see any game action with the Horned Frogs last season after playing in four games as a true freshman in 2022. "But she is phenomenal. I feel so secure with her back there. As a defense, we all trust each other, but its really important to trust your goalie. There were a couple of corners where I was worried, and she just rose up and gets the ball like she always does."

Also nabbing Big 12 honors was sophomore forward Callie Conrad as Offensive Player of the Week after netting both game-winning goals on the trip to Hawaii. Conrad has already matched the two goals she scored all last year in 19 games.

"Obviously, Callie scoring game-winners in both games is something we've been waiting for and needing more from her of," Lenard said, "and something we knew she was capable of. Really happy for her to 1, have that moment for her team; and then 2, to get recognized for it."

Junior midfielder Skye Leach said Conrad "stepped u when we needed her to."

"We need more players who can do that," Leach said. "We knew we can count on her for that. And back-to-back games, that's awesome. I think she deserves (the Big 12 honor."

With the annual Scarf Night, gates will open at 7 p.m., with the first 300 fans receiving a voucher to claim a scarf at halftime. Friday's game will be streamed by ESPN+.

STORY LINES

Baylor hosts Texas A&M Friday night at Betty Lou Mays Field in its annual scarf night game.
This match marks the 22nd meeting between these two programs where A&M hold the all-time record over the Bears, 14-4-3. After recording a 1-1 draw last season when these two teams last met, BU is looking to pick up its fifth win over the Aggies.
The 2024 season marks the 28th season of the Baylor Soccer program. During that time, BU has won four Big 12 titles, advanced to two Elite Eights and had four All-Americans to go with countless All-Big 12 and Academic All-Big 12 honorees.
This season also marks the third year of the Michelle Lenard coaching era, as she was selected as the Bears sixth head coach in program history in December of 2021.
With the new Big 12 teams joining the conference this season, the Bears will only play 11 of the 15 other opponents this season. The Bears will face all four of the new schools, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. BU will not face Cincinnati, UCF, Kansas or Kansas State in regular season play.
The Bears are 3-1 to open the season, falling to No. 18 Mississippi State in the season opener, 1-0, before turning around and defeating St. Bonaventure, 5-2, in Baylor's home opener. Baylor then went on the road to the Outrigger Invitationl in Honolulu, Hawaii and took down both Hawaii and Portland, 1-0. BU's 3-1 start is the best start to play since the 2019 season.
Baylor has a 33 person roster this season and features 25 returners and eight newcomers.
BU has nine starters returning, Hallie Augustyn, Hannah Augustyn, Ava Colberg, Skye Leach, Ashley Merrill, Blythe Obar, Tyler Isgrig, Skylar Zinnecker and Ashlee Zirkel.
Baylor lost just two starters from the 2023 squad.
Joining the 2023 squad are two transfers, goalkeeper Azul Alvarez (TCU) and midfielder Kai Hayes (UNC).
The six incoming freshmen are, Alysiah Lockette, Paisley Mabra, Caelan DeBolt, Jade Martinez, Madison Encinas and Hilary Washington.
Returning to the squad for the first time since the 2022 season in fifth-year Marissa Gray. After working for the past year and applying to PT school, Gray re-joined the Bears to use her fifth year of eligibility. She hasn't seen playing time since the 2019 season due to injury but returns to the pitch as a veteran on the backline.
This season the Bears roster features two international student-athletes for the first time since the 2017 season. Salma Simonin returns to Baylor from Manchester, United Kingdom and Hilary Washington joins the Bears from Wellesley, Ontario, Canada.
Callie Conrad was responsible for both of Baylor's goals last week, as the Bears went 2-0. The two goals were her first two goals of the season, and she has already tied her goal total for all of last season. The sophomore is now tied for the most points and goals so far this season. It only took her three shots to net two goals last week.
Azul Alvarez helped the Bears to a pair of shutouts last week at the Outrigger Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii. She played all 90 minutes in goal in both games, making 12 saves and keeping a clean sheet in both contests. Against Portland, Alvarez made five saves, including multiple diving saves to keep the ball out of the back of the net. BU improved to 3-1 on the season with Alvarez accounting for all three of Baylor's wins. She set a career-high in saves with seven against the University of Hawaii.
Alvarez and Conrad were named Big 12 Goalkeeper and Offensive Player of the Week, respectively. This marks the Bears' first time with two selections to win a Big 12 weekly award since Sarah Norman (defensive) and Jennifer Wandt (goalkeeper) during the 2021 season. It is also the first time to have a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week since Jackie Crowther in 2018.
Merrill was the team's leading point scorer last season with 25 points from 12 goals and one assist. With her 12 goals, Merrill scored the most goals from an individual player in a single season since Dana Larsen in 2012.