April 17, 2018 TAKE FIVE WITH JERRY Director of Sports Journalism Jerry Hill gives his five takes (plus one) for the Green and Gold Weekend, highlighted by football's Green & Gold Spring Game on Saturday, the Michael Johnson Invitational track meet and the NCEA (equestrian) National Championships:
1. Night and day. That's the way coach Matt Rhule describes the difference in his football team between this year and last spring. Come check it out when the Bears wrap up spring drills with the Green & Gold game at noon Saturday at McLane Stadium.
2. Chasing a trophy. Baylor's equestrian team is seeded seventh for the NCEA National Championship that will conclude with Saturday's team and event finals at the Extraco Events Center. Competition begins with the first round of events on Wednesday, with Baylor facing No. 2 seed Auburn in Thursday's team quarterfinals.
3. Fast and furious. Ten top-30 teams, including the No. 2 Texas Tech men and No. 3 Texas A&M men and women, will be on display at the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium. Baylor faces to watch include men's quarter-miler Wil London and sprinters Taylor Bennett and Kiana Horton for the women.
4. Climbing the ladder. After winning three of its last four, including a road series at Memphis, Baylor baseball (17-17, 3-9) has a chance to move up in the Big 12 standings with a weekend series against TCU (18-13, 6-5). Game times are 6:35 p.m. Friday, 3:05 p.m. Saturday and 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Baylor Ballpark.
5. Remember this place? Over two months into the season, Baylor softball (25-13, 3-6) has played just 10 games in the friendly confines of Getterman Stadium. The Lady Bears, swept on the road at Oklahoma State, are back home to host last-place Kansas (25-18, 0-9) with games at 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.
(Plus One) Top-25 matchup. Still hoping to make a late-season push for hosting the first and second round of the NCAA Championships, the No. 24 Baylor men's tennis team (18-6, 1-2) will host No. 19 Texas (14-5, 2-1) in a pivotal matchup that could decide who gets to host.
