Jan. 21, 2004

Over the past two years, Baylor has experienced its fair share of near misses and disappointments. From the NCAA snub in 2002 to an injury-plagued 2003 campaign, the Lady Bears have a bittersweet taste in their mouths, one that comes from the taste of success without the satisfaction of reaching goals. In 2004, Baylor looks to erase those memories of disappointment and replace them with memories of success.

Fourth-year head coach Glenn Moore said the team's attitude this year may be a little different than in years past. "I think this year's team will be a little more process oriented rather than goal oriented," he said. "If we focus on taking care of the little things, the big picture should take care of itself."

Moore said the team enters the 2004 campaign with high spirits and confidence in its ability to compete both in the Big 12 Conference and on the national level, leaving the memory of the last two seasons in the past.

"We always tell the girls to focus on things you can control," Moore said. "So much of what caused us to stumble last year was uncontrollable. But I think the ones that were here last year learned from those disappointments, and it should make them better players."

Baylor returns six starters and two pitchers from a 2003 squad that went 31-29 overall and 3-15 in Big 12 play. Despite the subpar records, the Lady Bears did enjoy success in 2003.

Baylor started the season as the second team out of the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll and cracked the rankings at No. 25 for two weeks in March. At the Big 12 Tournament, Baylor became the first No. 10 seed to win two games, defeating Iowa State in the play-in game and later eliminating third-seeded and NCAA Regional participant Missouri.

"I'd like to think that success at the end of the year, coupled with the success we had early in the year, will be a springboard to start this season," Moore said. "If that happens, though, it's important that we continue to build on whatever momentum we're able to generate early in the season and continue it through conference play."

Another deviation from the past was Baylor's 2003 fall development season, during which time the Lady Bears were forced to work through some injuries and sustain a slightly lower level of success than in falls past.

"I think in my first three years here we only lost two games during the fall," Moore said. "But we competed against stronger competition this year, and we left the fall with a more realistic picture of what we need to do. That led to our best off-season conditioning and training we've had in my four years at Baylor."

Baylor also should be a more balanced offensive team in 2004. The Lady Bears established a school record with 27 home runs last year, but Moore expects at least that much power this year. Still, look for Baylor to be the fastest team in the Big 12 after leading the conference in stolen bases each of the past two seasons.

"Our whole philosophy has been based on a balanced attack where you have speed incorporated with power," Moore said. "We haven't had that balance since we've been here at Baylor. We had good power when we got here but very little speed. With recruiting geared toward speed and with the addition of a couple speedy walk-ons, the shift went a little further away from the 'power' than we wanted. "This year, throughout the lineup we have people who can hit the ball to the fence - doubles and triples. But this is also the fastest team we've had here at Baylor, by a significant margin."

PITCHER
Baylor starts the 2004 season in much the same position it ended the 2003 campaign: struggling to overcome injuries in the circle. Senior right-hander Katie Decker missed most of the fall, and sophomore southpaw Cristin Vitek continues to pitch through nagging injuries that have plagued her since early last year.

"I'm confident outside the circle that we are more talented than we've ever been," Moore said. "Inside the circle, there's a lot of potential there to be pretty good, but that's the big question. Injuries play a huge role in that. Last year, we entered the season with what we felt was one of the best staffs in the country. Because of injuries, we lost virtually the whole make up of our team. Even though we had some of the same pitchers out there, they were not able to perform at their highest level because of injuries."

When healthy, Vitek is one of the Big 12's more dominating pitchers. As a freshman in 2002, she went 17-9 with a 0.89 ERA that ranked 11th nationally. She also established a school record with 187 strikeouts. While some of Vitek's numbers dipped in 2003 (13-16, 2.11), her strikeout total rose as she broke her own school mark with 193 in just two more innings.

Decker owns the second-highest career winning percentage in Baylor history after going 11-2 in 2002 and 9-7 last year. However, arm troubles make her questionable for the 2004 season. Even if she is not able to pitch, Decker could be used at designated player. Two new faces figure to contribute heavily for the Lady Bears in 2004: junior Tessa Lynam, a junior transfer from Louisiana State, and freshman Lisa Ferguson, both right-handers. Ferguson, a 2003 all-state pick at Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas, recorded a 0.12 ERA with 270 strikeouts as a senior.

"While she's not where Joni Miller was as a senior, Lisa is stronger than Joni was as a freshman," Moore said, penciling Ferguson in as his No. 2 at season's brink. "She's a kid that wants the ball. Her eyes are big right now, but I'm confident she can handle it. The sky's the limit with Lisa; she has the potential to be an All-American."

Lynam earned first-team all-Louisiana honors in 2003, and she was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. As a freshman in 2002, Lynam earned all-tournament honors at the NCAA Region 3 Tournament, the SEC Tournament and the Tiger Classic. She was also a first-team all-Louisiana selection as a freshman. In the circle, Lynam posted a 16-3 mark with a 2.24 ERA in 2003, striking out 145 batters in 153.0 innings.

"If Lisa can mature quickly and Vitek can stay healthy, we'll have the strongest No. 3 I've ever had in Tessa Lynam," Moore said. "She's got a great change up and a different dimension that will contrast the other two pitchers. There's reason for optimism with our pitching staff. Time will tell, and we'll have to see what the future holds."

The biggest impact on the pitching staff, though, may be Britni Sneed. A three-time All-American at LSU, Sneed joined the Baylor coaching staff as pitching coach last summer.

"The level of respect Britni has from our pitchers is unbelievable," Moore said. "They know what she's done, she has a great demeanor, and she's very knowledgeable. She understands pitching, not only from the mechanical aspect but from the psychological aspect. Our pitchers have already benefited from that. She's also closer to the game. She just recently pitched for the national team, and she's just two years removed from her playing days."

Catcher
Unlike past years, Moore has a wealth of depth at catcher as he lists six athletes to whom he has no problem turning for that position. While Stephanie Pomes and Melissa Maler will vie for the starting spot, Erin Sheek, Carrie Leerberg, Amber Daniel and Danelle Arnold all could see time behind the dish. Pomes, a junior, showed a propensity for pop last year with four home runs, including the game-winner against Missouri at the Big 12 Tournament. She must become more consistent at the plate, where she totes a .195 career average. However, Moore hopes Pomes' four-hit and game-winning home run performance against Missouri will be a catalyst for success in 2004.

"I think that was the key to the type of fall she had," Moore said. "We've seen a kid that is not only more motivated to win that position, but a kid that the motivation has paid off. Her failures have not taken her as far back as they did in the past. We agree on the coaching staff that there is a definite difference in Stephanie Pomes, and I think that has to do with maturity."

Maler joins Baylor from Temple [Texas] College, where she was a Junior College All-American with a .460 batting average and seven home runs. Moore is equally as confident in Pomes and Maler defensively, saying there is no stronger arm in the Big 12 Conference.

"Melissa had a good fall considering the many set backs she suffered with a nagging illness," Moore said. "She worked her way into the No. 2 catching position, but should see plenty of time there when we have Pomes at third. She has a rifle arm and does a great job blocking and framing."

First Base
Junior April Luce gets the nod at first base, and much like Pomes must learn to be more consistent at the plate. After hitting .245 as a freshman, Luce slipped to .220 in 2003 despite more than doubling her extra-base hit production from four to nine.

"Like Pomes, she showed progress early in last season and then disappeared," Moore said. "April had a great fall, and I think maturity played a large role in her winning that position. She has a very good hitter in Chelsi Lake breathing down her neck, but throughout the fall she showed the two years experience she has at first base."

Lake is a freshman from Keller [Texas] High School where she earned first-team NFCA All-America honors as a senior. She hit .400 or better in each of her four prep seasons, including a .511 mark as a sophomore. Lake was a three-time all-area and all-district selection, and she was a first-team all-state pick last spring.

"Chelsi has to work on her defense," Moore said. "I'm very confident she will be in our lineup even if it's at the designated player spot, but her footwork around the bag has to improve along with her understanding of what we're doing defensively. That's not unusual for a freshman to struggle with that."

Second Base
Replacing the void of departed senior Stacey Hundley at second base will be Carrie Leerberg, a junior who has seen time at third base, catcher and the outfield during her time at Baylor. Leerberg's average slipped from .260 her freshman season to .224 last year, but once on base she's a threat with 27 career stolen bases.

Moore said Leerberg has a slight edge over sophomore Harmony Schwethelm entering the season. Schwethelm looks to be the back up at second and center field after hitting .311 with 16 stolen bases as a freshman.

"They went at it head-to-head throughout the fall," Moore said. "Defensively, there are big shoes to fill with the loss of Stacey Hundley. Carrie showed tremendous improvement throughout the fall and really looked good for someone who hasn't played the position since high school. Offensively, she had a really good fall and made things happen in the tournaments."

Shortstop
Kim Wilmoth's status as the starter at shortstop was shaky heading into the 2003 season, but it is rock-solid heading into 2004. After hitting just .216 with 25 errors as a freshman, Wilmoth became one of the Big 12's top shortstops as a sophomore. She led the team with a .339 average, 61 hits and 21 stolen bases, also tops in the Big 12. Wilmoth also committed just six errors in 196 chances, by far the fewest by any shortstop in Baylor history.

"Kim was limited during the fall because of some injuries, but we know what she's capable of doing," Moore said. "She's such a smart kid, and she's able to work through just about any situation that's placed in front of her. We're confident she'll be one of the top shortstops in the conference again this year. "Defensively, there's not much more you can ask of her. If there is a weakness, it's her reception of throws from the catcher at second base. Offensively, she's got to continue to be a smart hitter. She's going to see tougher pitches this year because other teams know to expect her now."

Behind Wilmoth is freshman Kylie Conroy out of Creekview High School in Carrollton, Texas. The 2003 District 6-5A Offensive Player of the Year, Conroy was an all-state and academic all-state selection as a senior.

"Kylie has a ways to go, but she has no fear," Moore said. "She's someone who looks to play down the road at one of the two middle-infield positions, and she'll be very valuable speed off the bench."

Third base
Lynam will be the opening-day starter at third base, and she brings strong credentials with her from Louisiana State. She hit .284 with nine home runs and 38 RBI for the Bayou Bengals in 2003. Lynam also had 12 doubles and was second on the LSU squad with a .538 slugging percentage.

"Tessa will be one of the most intimidating bats in the Big 12," Moore said. "She can hit the long ball with anyone and hits the ball hard often. She will be a threat to any pitcher. Defensively she will start at third and also see some time in the circle."

Moore said defensively Pomes is the best third baseman on the team; however, she is more valuable behind the plate. Pomes could still see time at third, though. Senior Amber Daniel also looks to get time at the hot corner.

"We have a tenacious athlete in Amber Daniel," Moore said. "She has made Tessa better by being there. Amber's confident, she knows the game, and she doesn't make mistakes. She's also very aggressive on bunt defense, and that's important."

Outfield
The outfield may be the most stable position for the Lady Bears with all three starters solidified in their spots. Sophomore Kelly Osburn returns in left, senior Kelly Levesque returns in center and Arnold makes the move from her starting position the past two years - catcher - to right, replacing departed senior Sarah Caudle.

"I believe this gives us the strongest outfield we've had," Moore said. "Caudle is tough to replace in right, but I think Danelle is a better outfielder. She gets a great jump on the ball, and she has a good arm. It was difficult to move Danelle from behind the plate, mainly because she receives the ball so well, but with the depth at catcher it was the smart thing to do."

Osburn burst onto the scene last year, hitting .329 with a team-high nine home runs. She also drove in 25 runs, drew 36 walks and swiped 18 bases. Osburn will move to the leadoff spot in the lineup this year after hitting third or fourth most of 2003.

"We want to put pressure on teams right away, and we feel Osburn has the capability to do just that," Moore said. "She is a hitter who has the ability to show patience as evident in her walk total, but she also has the potential to hit the ball out of the park every time she steps to the plate. With a lineup of Osburn at the top, followed by Wilmoth, Lynam, Pomes and Levesque, we should be a much improved offensive team."

Levesque looks to join elite company this year, vying to become just the seventh player in Big 12 history to earn first-team all-conference honors three times. She already is Baylor's first two-time first-team all-Big 12 honoree.

"We expect an All-America season from Levesque; she definitely has the tools and the ability to do so," Moore said. "She'll be down in the lineup this year because of a philosophy change. She's your prototypical leadoff hitter - she draws a lot of walks and has a high on base percentage - but it will be nice to have a hitter of her caliber in the five or six spot. And she may see better pitches hitting lower in the lineup."

Levesque hit .310 with two home runs, eight doubles, three triples and 11 stolen bases in 2003. She also committed just one error in 53 outfield chances last year.

Schedule
Baylor's pre-conference schedule is a challenging one. The Lady Bears face defending national champion UCLA along with nationally ranked Iowa and Tennessee. Baylor plays at least 24 games against 16 teams that participated in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, including three teams that reached the Women's College World Series.

"We play a lot of teams with high expectations," Moore said. "And we're going to see some great pitching before we even get to the Big 12. We're going to see the best pitching the nation has to offer. There's no reason heading into conference play that we shouldn't have all the confidence in the world. "There will be games outside the conference we should win, games we will win, and games we will not win. But this schedule is designed the way I want our schedule every year. We're at a point in the development of our program where we should be able to take on the best there is."

In Big 12 play, Baylor sees some of the conference's best right away, and quickly. The Lady Bears play five games in the first five days of the Big 12 season, facing Kansas twice, Oklahoma twice and Texas A&M once. The plus is that all five games are at home. Three days later, though, the Lady Bears travel to Nebraska for two games.

"It will be very important for us to play well in that stretch," Moore said. "That could really be a catalyst the rest of the way in conference play. But if we struggle and if we don't play up to our potential during that stretch, we could be playing catch up the rest of the season. We cannot allow that to happen."