HAVE TO BE PATIENT
1/20/2025 2:10:00 PM | Softball
SB coach Glenn Moore has to manage innings early with Orme, other
Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Baylor softball coach Glenn Moore somehow finds it easier to be patient this year, knowing that the Bears have a defense that can carry them early, an All-American hitter to build the lineup around and a "golden arm" in Dariana Orme.
"I know the importance of pitching in this game, and I think if our defense was breaking down and not playing well early, I wouldn't panic, I'd just be more anxious," said Moore, whose team began workouts last week in preparation for the season-opening Aggie Classic Feb. 6-8.
"But knowing that we have a golden arm with Dari Orme if she comes around, so management is key with her. You can go back as recently as last year and think that the first part of the year didn't look anything like the last part. We have to keep that in mind and know that those losses have to be quality losses and we have to fail forward to be where we want to be in the end."
A USA Softball Preseason Top 50 Player of the Year in 2024 who was expected to be the staff ace, Orme was shut down to rehab an injury after making just three appearances. Two years ago, she was 14-8 with a 1.92 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 149.2 innings but has yet to throw in a postseason game in three years at Baylor.
"I've been conditioned not to get too high or too low about a pitcher being here or not being here through injuries," Moore said. "To have her back, that's exciting. Losing a couple of arms, that brings you off of that high a little bit. But the key is we have to be patient. I told the team that we were going to get punched in the gut a time or two as we try to develop our bullpen. We can't overuse any of our pitchers. We've got several that are coming off of injuries."
One of those is Orme herself, who "lost a little bit of her velocity, but we're seeing it come back," Moore said. The former Fresno State transfer was granted a seventh year of eligibility for this season.
Aliyah Binford (13-12, 3.23 ERA) and RyLee Crandall (17-9, 3.20), a duo that tossed 81.4% of the innings last season, transferred to Ole Miss and Oklahoma State, respectively. But the Bears added Duke transfer Lillie Walker, a left-hander who was 12-1 with a 1.98 ERA in helping the Blue Devils advance to their first Women's College World Series in program history.
"Lillie Walker will be the first lefty we've had on our staff in a while," Moore said, "and has great command of her pitches. She's going to win some big games here."
Baylor also added freshman Sadie Ross from Colorado, a three-time all-state pick and 2023 state tournament MVP who recorded 324 strikeouts over three seasons at Eaton High School.
"She's had three ACL tears, so we're hoping that the percentages are in our favor now with her because she's surely running out of injuries," Moore said. "I need to knock on wood when I say that. She was just released over the Christmas break, fully, so you can't expect those kids to go in there and throw 100 pitches early on. You're going to have to keep their pitch count at a manageable level in order to develop them without hurting them more."
The M.A.S.H. unit of a pitching staff also includes redshirt freshman Lexie Warncke, who suffered a season-ending injury last year after making just four appearances with two starts in the circle. Senior Kaci West has a career record of 16-8 with a 3.22 ERA and is a two-way player who earned Freshman All-Big 12 honors in 2022.
Even Shaylon Govan has experience in the circle, throwing two shutout innings in a 5-0 shutout of UTA two years ago. But she's far more valuable in her primary role as power-hitting first baseman, a two-time All-American who has hit .406 with 22 homers and 89 RBIs in her two seasons at Baylor.
"Last year, I would have told you going into the season that she could handle (all the hype) like a champ," Moore said of Govan, a preseason All-American who is also listed on Softball America's list of the top 100 players in the country.
"I think she felt it a little bit early on last year, but then she got control of it. The fact that she entered last year with similar expectations and eventually came around, the biggest thing is probably not how she's handling it, but the fact she's not seeing a whole lot of pitches because of that. So, it's going to depend once again on who's around her."
One of those will be Houston transfer Turiya Coleman, a catcher/third baseman and two-time all-conference pick who hit .386 with 15 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, 72 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in two seasons with the Cougars.
"Although she can hit the ball 300 feet, she played leadoff for Houston quite a bit last year," Moore said of Coleman. "She's a scary threat offensively with her speed on the bases and with her power. She's just an athlete."
Despite all of her success, Govan said the game still "humbles me."
"I still strike out all the time," she said. "Just still having teammates that are humbling me and working hard, that just pushes me to continue to do that. The game is not given. I still have to work hard to continue to get the type of success that I'm having. So, just having teammates that still keep me in my place to keep me humble."
The Bears, who came within one game of the Women's College World Series last year, also have a double-play combo back in place with Amber Toven at shortstop and Presleigh Pilon at second base. Toven missed the rest of the season with an injury after collecting six hits in the first seven games last year.
"That's a combination that works," Moore said. "We know confidently that Presleigh can play any position on the field, so we'll just keep that in our back pocket and see how Amber's game is progressing."
Baylor had to replace its entire starting outfield, but Moore is confident that "we have one of the most talented outfields that we've had with the ones that are replacing them."
That includes University of Washington transfer Brooklyn Carter, a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection two years ago when she hit .277 and stole 28 bases in helping the Huskies reach the WCWS. Last year, she hit .314 and was 21-for-21 on the bases.
Senior utility player Ashlyn Wachtendorf from Lorena is penciled in at right field, with freshman Karynton Dawson taking over for outgoing senior Emily Hott in left.
"There's plenty of time for movement on our depth chart," Moore said, "but Ashlyn is a really good player and an excellent baserunner and plays the game the way I love it on the bases. Karynton is a great outfielder as well, has great speed, but just give her a little time and she's going to show up big on the offensive side as well."
Wachtendorf said last year's run in Big 12 play, winning the Louisiana Regional and taking Florida to a Game 3 in the Super Regional "just showed us how much we can do and the potential of what we can do."
"Especially, putting all our glory on God and just leaving it all out on the field like we always do, I think that's going to push us forward."
After opening the season with five games at the Feb. 6-8 Aggie Classic in College Station, Baylor will host Hofstra and four-time defending World Series champion Oklahoma in the Getterman Classic.
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Baylor softball coach Glenn Moore somehow finds it easier to be patient this year, knowing that the Bears have a defense that can carry them early, an All-American hitter to build the lineup around and a "golden arm" in Dariana Orme.
"I know the importance of pitching in this game, and I think if our defense was breaking down and not playing well early, I wouldn't panic, I'd just be more anxious," said Moore, whose team began workouts last week in preparation for the season-opening Aggie Classic Feb. 6-8.
"But knowing that we have a golden arm with Dari Orme if she comes around, so management is key with her. You can go back as recently as last year and think that the first part of the year didn't look anything like the last part. We have to keep that in mind and know that those losses have to be quality losses and we have to fail forward to be where we want to be in the end."
A USA Softball Preseason Top 50 Player of the Year in 2024 who was expected to be the staff ace, Orme was shut down to rehab an injury after making just three appearances. Two years ago, she was 14-8 with a 1.92 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 149.2 innings but has yet to throw in a postseason game in three years at Baylor.
"I've been conditioned not to get too high or too low about a pitcher being here or not being here through injuries," Moore said. "To have her back, that's exciting. Losing a couple of arms, that brings you off of that high a little bit. But the key is we have to be patient. I told the team that we were going to get punched in the gut a time or two as we try to develop our bullpen. We can't overuse any of our pitchers. We've got several that are coming off of injuries."
One of those is Orme herself, who "lost a little bit of her velocity, but we're seeing it come back," Moore said. The former Fresno State transfer was granted a seventh year of eligibility for this season.
Aliyah Binford (13-12, 3.23 ERA) and RyLee Crandall (17-9, 3.20), a duo that tossed 81.4% of the innings last season, transferred to Ole Miss and Oklahoma State, respectively. But the Bears added Duke transfer Lillie Walker, a left-hander who was 12-1 with a 1.98 ERA in helping the Blue Devils advance to their first Women's College World Series in program history.
"Lillie Walker will be the first lefty we've had on our staff in a while," Moore said, "and has great command of her pitches. She's going to win some big games here."
Baylor also added freshman Sadie Ross from Colorado, a three-time all-state pick and 2023 state tournament MVP who recorded 324 strikeouts over three seasons at Eaton High School.
"She's had three ACL tears, so we're hoping that the percentages are in our favor now with her because she's surely running out of injuries," Moore said. "I need to knock on wood when I say that. She was just released over the Christmas break, fully, so you can't expect those kids to go in there and throw 100 pitches early on. You're going to have to keep their pitch count at a manageable level in order to develop them without hurting them more."
The M.A.S.H. unit of a pitching staff also includes redshirt freshman Lexie Warncke, who suffered a season-ending injury last year after making just four appearances with two starts in the circle. Senior Kaci West has a career record of 16-8 with a 3.22 ERA and is a two-way player who earned Freshman All-Big 12 honors in 2022.
Even Shaylon Govan has experience in the circle, throwing two shutout innings in a 5-0 shutout of UTA two years ago. But she's far more valuable in her primary role as power-hitting first baseman, a two-time All-American who has hit .406 with 22 homers and 89 RBIs in her two seasons at Baylor.
"Last year, I would have told you going into the season that she could handle (all the hype) like a champ," Moore said of Govan, a preseason All-American who is also listed on Softball America's list of the top 100 players in the country.
"I think she felt it a little bit early on last year, but then she got control of it. The fact that she entered last year with similar expectations and eventually came around, the biggest thing is probably not how she's handling it, but the fact she's not seeing a whole lot of pitches because of that. So, it's going to depend once again on who's around her."
One of those will be Houston transfer Turiya Coleman, a catcher/third baseman and two-time all-conference pick who hit .386 with 15 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, 72 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in two seasons with the Cougars.
"Although she can hit the ball 300 feet, she played leadoff for Houston quite a bit last year," Moore said of Coleman. "She's a scary threat offensively with her speed on the bases and with her power. She's just an athlete."
Despite all of her success, Govan said the game still "humbles me."
"I still strike out all the time," she said. "Just still having teammates that are humbling me and working hard, that just pushes me to continue to do that. The game is not given. I still have to work hard to continue to get the type of success that I'm having. So, just having teammates that still keep me in my place to keep me humble."
The Bears, who came within one game of the Women's College World Series last year, also have a double-play combo back in place with Amber Toven at shortstop and Presleigh Pilon at second base. Toven missed the rest of the season with an injury after collecting six hits in the first seven games last year.
"That's a combination that works," Moore said. "We know confidently that Presleigh can play any position on the field, so we'll just keep that in our back pocket and see how Amber's game is progressing."
Baylor had to replace its entire starting outfield, but Moore is confident that "we have one of the most talented outfields that we've had with the ones that are replacing them."
That includes University of Washington transfer Brooklyn Carter, a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection two years ago when she hit .277 and stole 28 bases in helping the Huskies reach the WCWS. Last year, she hit .314 and was 21-for-21 on the bases.
Senior utility player Ashlyn Wachtendorf from Lorena is penciled in at right field, with freshman Karynton Dawson taking over for outgoing senior Emily Hott in left.
"There's plenty of time for movement on our depth chart," Moore said, "but Ashlyn is a really good player and an excellent baserunner and plays the game the way I love it on the bases. Karynton is a great outfielder as well, has great speed, but just give her a little time and she's going to show up big on the offensive side as well."
Wachtendorf said last year's run in Big 12 play, winning the Louisiana Regional and taking Florida to a Game 3 in the Super Regional "just showed us how much we can do and the potential of what we can do."
"Especially, putting all our glory on God and just leaving it all out on the field like we always do, I think that's going to push us forward."
After opening the season with five games at the Feb. 6-8 Aggie Classic in College Station, Baylor will host Hofstra and four-time defending World Series champion Oklahoma in the Getterman Classic.
Players Mentioned
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UTL
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