May 10, 2018 TAKE FIVE WITH JERRY
Director of Sports Journalism Jerry Hill gives his five takes for a busy weekend that includes Baylor hosting the Big 12 Outdoor Championship for the first time at Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium and softball playing at the Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City:
1. Fast and Furious. Still upset over injuries that held them back during the indoor season, Baylor sprinters Maxwell Willis and Taylor Bennett are back to defend their conference titles at the Big 12 meet at their home track.
2. 4x400 Legacy. Baylor's men have won the 4x400-meter relay 15 times in the 21-year history of the conference outdoor meet, while the women were the runners-up last year and go in with a league-leading time of 3:31.93. The closing events are scheduled for 8:35 and 8:45 p.m. Sunday.
3. Playing for a Ring. After tying for second in the regular season with a 12-6 record, No. 17/18 Baylor softball (35-14) will try to bolster their postseason resume and play for a title at the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City. The Lady Bears play Oklahoma State and Texas Tech in Friday's pool play at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
4. Familiar Turf. Sent on the road for just the eighth time in 21 NCAA tournament appearances, the 18th-ranked men's tennis team will take the 90-mile trek down Highway 6 to face No. 36 Arizona State in Friday's first-round match in College Station. The Bears upset Texas A&M, 4-3, on the road in last year's ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
5. Going Back to Cali. The No. 25 Baylor women are going back to California for the third time this season to face North Carolina State in the first round of the NCAA Championships in Los Angeles. Baylor split a pair of matches against Pepperdine and USC at the BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Challenge two months ago in Indian Wells.
