Feb. 17, 2004

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Baylor travels on the road for the second consecutive week as the Lady Bears head to Palm Springs, Calif., for the Palm Springs Classic. Baylor will play against some of the top teams in the country at the tournament, facing Tennessee, Coastal Carolina, Cal State Fullerton, Bethune-Cookman and top-ranked UCLA. The match-up with the Bruins marks the first time in school history the Lady Bears will face the nation's top-ranked team. Baylor will open the tournament against Tennessee (RV/12) on Friday, Feb. 20, at noon before facing UCLA at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Bears tough schedule continues the next day as the team will face nationally ranked Cal State Fullerton (13/16) before finishing the tournament with contests against Bethune-Cookman and Coastal Carolina.

HEAD COACH Glenn Moore

Glenn Moore is in his fourth season as Baylor's head coach, coming to Waco after a stellar three-year stint at Louisiana State. In his first season at Baylor, Moore led the Lady Bears to a 38-22 overall record and a sixth-place, 7-9 mark in the Big 12 Conference. The following season, he guided the Lady Bears to even greater successes with more than 50 team and individual, single-game and single-season school records. Baylor finished 46-18 overall and 10-8 in the Big 12 Conference, establishing school marks for victories in a season, conference victories in a season and highest conference finish (fourth). Moore led Baylor to a third straight 30-win season in 2003, and the Lady Bears cracked the NFCA Top 25 for the third consecutive year. During the 2003 season, Moore claimed his 100th victory as Baylor's head coach with the Lady Bears 3-0 triumph against Texas Tech. He is now 122-72 (.627) in three-plus seasons at Baylor. Moore has a career record of 261-114 (.697); he posted a 22-17 mark in his first year as a collegiate head coach at William Carey in Mississippi. Moore is 239-95 (.716) at the Division I level.

BAYLOR TRAVELS TO PALM SPRINGS CLASSIC TO FACE TRIO OF NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENTS

Baylor will travel to Palm Springs, Calif., to play five games in the Palm Springs Classic this weekend. At the tournament, the Lady Bears will face three nationally-ranked opponents: Tennessee (RV/12), Cal State Fullerton (13/20) and top ranked UCLA (1/1). The Bruins enter the tournament undefeated at 9-0, outscoring opponents on the season by a score of 56-9. So far this season, the closest game for UCLA was a 5-3 victory over fifth-ranked Washington. The Bruins feature a pitching staff of Keira Goel and Lisa Dodd that holds an earned run average of 0.48. At the plate, the Bruins have been blistering opposing pitching, hitting .310 on the season and featuring three players (Stephanie Ramos, Andrea Duran and Ashley Herrera) who are currently hitting over .400. Tennessee enters with a record of 11-1 with the only loss coming at the hands of Oregon State. The Volunteers feature standout pitcher Monica Abbott. Already this season, Abbott has a record of 10-1 in 60.1 innings of work, allowing only eight runs on 26 hits, while striking out 122 batters. Cal State-Fullerton comes into the tournament after going 2-3 at the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tempe, Ariz. At the tournament, the Titans were led by Lindsey Bashor, who went seven for 18 at the plate with a pair of home runs and five RBI. At the tournament, the Titans rallied to defeat Texas and Massachusetts while falling to Oregon, Texas State and Syracuse.

LADY BEARS WIN THREE AT COUGAR INVITATIONAL

Baylor posted a 3-2 record at the Cougar Invitational this past weekend, posting victories over Northern Iowa, Sam Houston State and Louisiana-Monroe. In a 9-2 victory over UNI, the Lady Bears established a new season-high for runs scored while tying a season-high for hits with 12. In addition, freshman pitcher Lisa Ferguson recorded the first save of her career with three innings of relief work. Danelle Arnold highlighted Baylor's 5-1 win over Sam Houston State on Sunday with her three-run home run down the left-field line. The home run was the first for Arnold on the season and was the sixth of her career. In a game that took a span of three days to complete, Baylor defeated Louisiana-Monroe by a score of 3-1. After playing four rain-soaked innings on Friday, Baylor took a 3-1 lead into Sunday, where Ferguson retired nine of the 10 batters she faced to secure the victory. At the tournament, Baylor lost a pair of one-run decisions to Houston (2-1) and Texas A&M-Corpus-Christi (3-2). After grabbing leads in both contests, the Lady Bears were unable to hold on as both teams capitalized on Baylor mistakes. In the losses, Baylor did not allow an earned run.

Cristin Vitek SHINES AT COUGAR INVITATIONAL

Junior LHP Cristin Vitek had a strong showing at the Cougar Invitational, compiling a 2-0 record at the tournament. In three appearances, Vitek allowed only one earned run in 17.1 innings of work, giving up only eight hits while striking out 18. Vitek held opposing batters to an average of .129 on the weekend. Her most impressive performance might have come in her only no-decision on the weekend. Against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Vitek struck out 12 batters in 6.1 innings of work. The total was one off of a career-high and currently ranks her in a tie for fourth on Baylor's list for most strikeouts in a game.

BAYLOR VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS

The Lady Bears are 14-78 since 1997 against ranked opponents. The last victory for Baylor against a ranked opponent came on April 2, 2003, as Baylor defeated No. 19 Texas A&M by a score of 2-1. The last time the Lady Bears defeated a top five opponent was on March 22, 2002, when Baylor blanked No. 4 Nebraska 1-0. Since head coach Glenn Moore took over the program, Baylor has won nine games against ranked teams.

BAYLOR STIRS UP DUST ON THE BASE PATHS

Last season, the Lady Bears established a new single-season record for stolen bases with 119. This season, Baylor is off to another fast start in the category as the Lady Bears have swiped 20 bases through the first ten games of the year. At the Getterman Classic, Baylor established a new Big 12 Conference record for most steals in a game, with 11 in an 8-4 victory over Wichita State. Kelly Osburn had three, April Luce had two as six others added a steal each. The 11 steals marked the 10th highest total in NCAA history. Osburn currently leads the team in steals with four as ten Lady Bears have stolen a base this season. While Baylor has stolen 20 bases on 30 attempts this season, opponents have been much more timid on the bases. So far this season, Lady Bear opponents have only one steal on two attempts.

FERGUSON THROWS SEVENTH NO-HITTER IN PROGRAM HISTORY

Freshman Lisa Ferguson tossed the seventh no-hitter in Baylor history with her eight-inning, complete game performance against Auburn University. The Lady Bears won the game with two runs in the top of the eighth inning as Ferguson retired the Tigers in order in the bottom of the inning to record the first no-hitter since Cristin Vitek and Katie Decker combined to shut-down Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 22, 2002.

Kelly Levesque moving up career charts Senior center fielder Kelly Levesque continues her steady climb up the Baylor career charts. Levesque now ranks ninth in Baylor history for career hits (120), tied for seventh in steals (31) and ninth in total bases (163). Levesque will continue to move-up in almost every major offensive category throughout the season, as she ranks near the top in every category except for sacrifice hits. She is currently Baylor's career leader in the hit by pitch category with 16. She is currently tied in five career categories as she ranks tied for seventh in career doubles (19), third in triples (6), fifth in walks (48), eighth in runs scored (67) and fourth in sacrafice flies (3).

GETTERMAN ATTENDANCE CONTINUES TO GROW

In 18 home dates, Getterman Stadium attracted 8,157 fans last season. Baylor ranked 13th nationally in total attendance for the second consecutive season. Getterman's average attendance of 453 fans established a school record, breaking the 2002 mark of 402, and ranked 18th nationally, a program best. Six of the 13 largest crowds in the stadium's five-year history came last season, including the two largest crowds - 979 vs. Texas (April 16) and 840 vs. Nebraska (April 5). Baylor has finished 21st or better in total attendance and 23rd or better in average attendance nationally each of the past three seasons.

BAYLOR-TEAM USA TICKETS ON SALE

Tickets for Baylor softball's March 11 two-game exhibition with the U.S. Olympic Team at Getterman Stadium are on sale through the Baylor Ticket Office. The Lady Bears and Team USA play at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The games are part of the Olympic Team's college tour in preparation for the Games of the 28th Olympiad in Athens, Greece this summer. The event is in association with Texas ASA District 23. Single-game tickets are $15; tickets for both games can be purchased together for $25. The Team USA doubleheader is not part of the Baylor softball season ticket package. The Baylor Ticket Office is located in the North end zone complex at Floyd Casey Stadium. Ticket orders also can placed via phone at (254) 710-1000 or (800) BAYLOR-U ext. 7.

BAYLOR RECEIVES VOTES IN ESPN.COM POLL

For the second straight year, Baylor begins a season listed among teams also receiving votes in the national rankings. The Lady Bears are currently the tenth team out of the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Top 25. Baylor began the 2003 season as the second team out of the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll and eventually cracked the rankings at No. 25 for two weeks in March. The Lady Bears have been ranked nationally during each of the past three seasons. Defending national champion UCLA opens the season at No. 1 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings, garnering 18 of 19 first-place votes. Baylor plays UCLA Feb. 20 at the Palm Springs Classic in California. 2002 national champion and second-ranked California received the 19th first-place vote. Arizona, Oklahoma and Washington round out the top five, followed by Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, Louisiana-Lafayette and Georgia. Texas is ranked 11th, Texas A&M is 17th and Oklahoma State is 22nd, giving the Big 12 Conference five teams in the Top 25. Baylor is the next-highest ranked Big 12 school. Including UCLA and the five Big 12 schools, nine 2004 Baylor opponents are in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason rankings. Baylor plays No. 16 Cal State Fullerton Feb. 21 at the Palm Springs Classic, No. 18 Iowa March 4 at the Speedline Classic in Clearwater, Fla., and the Lady Bears host No. 25 Tennessee Feb. 27-29, at the Compass Bank Invitational. Other 2004 Baylor opponents Pacific, Texas State and South Florida also received votes.

TRANSFERS FIND HOME AT BAYLOR

Six members of the 2004 Lady Bears' squad transferred to Baylor from other schools, two coming in this season and four coming from four-year schools. In 2002, Danelle Arnold and Katie Decker transferred to Baylor from Nebraska, while Kelly Levesque transferred from Louisiana State. Last season, Amber Daniel joined the Baylor program after two all-America seasons at Temple [Texas] College. This year, Baylor adds two more transfers. Melissa Maler followed Daniel from Temple College, while Tessa Lynam followed Levesque from Louisiana State. Both are juniors for the 2004 season.

Player Prev. School Status Danelle Arnold Nebraska senior OF/C Amber Daniel Temple College senior 3B/C Katie Decker Nebraska senior RHP Kelly Levesque Louisiana State senior CF Tessa Lynam Louisiana State junior RHP/IF Melissa Maler Temple College junior UTL

BAYLOR ADDS 4 EARLY SIGNEES

Head coach Glenn Moore signed four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the fall early signing period: Jordan Daniels, Tiffany Hartsell, Nicole Jackson and Katie Ottens. Daniels is a senior at Tomball [Texas] High School where she competes in track for the Cougars. She plays softball for the Impact Gold travel team. Last year, she a member of the ASA national qualifier Spring-Klein Sliders, with whom she hit .523 with a .787 on base percentage. Hartsell will be a sophomore this spring at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas. She earned all-region honors as a freshman at Navarro. Hartsell prepped at Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas, where she earned District 13-4A MVP honors in 2001 and 2002. She was a second-team all-area selection by the Dallas Morning News in 2002 after hitting .541 with five home runs and 36 RBI. Jackson, a left-handed pitcher from Midway High School in Hewitt, Texas, posted a 15-1 record with a 0.21 ERA last spring for the Pantherettes. She registered 102 strikeouts with only six walks and 39 hits allowed in 102.0 innings pitched. Jackson led Midway to the 2003 regional finals and was named District 15-4A Most Valuable Player. She played club ball for the Texas High Voltage Gold. Ottens, a shortstop, will come to Baylor from Hollywood Christian School in Sunrise, Fla. She was named second-team all-state by the Florida Sports Writers Association and first-team all-Broward County by The Miami Herald after hitting .430 with 37 runs scored and 21 RBI last spring. Ottens led Hollywood Christian to the 2003 state title, the school's fourth since 1995. Ottens played club ball for the Davie Power.

BAYLORBEARS.COM

Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.BaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases, photos, biographical sketches and audio broadcasts, is part of the Official College Sports Network. OCSN currently hosts sites for more than 100 universities, including four Big 12 schools.

BAYLOR SOFTBALL RADIO NETWORK

For the third straight season, the Baylor Radio Network provides live play-by-play broadcast for selected Baylor softball games. Larry Little handles play-by-play duties, while Lady Bear Katie Decker provides color analysis. Broadcasts can be heard on KRZI-AM 1660/1580AM in Waco, the flagship station of the Baylor Radio Network. Broadcasts also are available worldwide on the Internet at www.BaylorBears.com and Yahoo!Broadcast.com.

2004 Radio Schedule March 29 OKLAHOMA (DH) 3:00 p.m. March 31 TEXAS A&M 6:30 p.m. April 9 TEXAS TECH 2:00 p.m. April 10 TEXAS TECH 1:00 p.m. April 14 at Texas A&M 6:30 p.m. April 21 at Texas 6:30 p.m. April 24 IOWA STATE 2:00 p.m. May 5 TEXAS 6:30 p.m. May 13-16 at Big 12 Tournament TBA May 19-23 at NCAA Regionals TBA May 26-31 at NCAA College World Series TBA

INSIDE BAYLOR SPORTS TV SHOW

Inside Baylor Sports, a half-hour look at the world of Baylor athletics, airs weekly throughout Central Texas and the region. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott-Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6, Fox Sports Net Southwest and the College Channel (Waco cable channel 18). KCEN carries the show at 10:30 p.m. Sundays, and it airs at 1 p.m. Wednesdays on FSN Southwest.

UP NEXT...

Baylor will return home to host the Compass Bank Invitational at Getterman Stadium beginning on Friday, February 27. The round-robin style tournament will feature Baylor, Tennessee, Lipscomb and Louisiana Tech. Baylor opens action at the tournament against Lipscomb at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27.