March 1, 2004

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Baylor returns to action on Tuesday, March 2, when the Lady Bears travel to Arlington, Texas, to face the University of Texas-Arlington at 6:00 p.m. at Allan Saxe Field. Baylor enters the game on a seven-game win streak, including a trio of victories over nationally-ranked teams. The Lady Bears went 5-0 at the Compass Bank Invitational, defeating No. 11 Tennessee 5-1 to claim the tournament title. Baylor handed Tennessee pitcher Monica Abbott her first loss of the season, as BU dropped her record to 17-1 on the year.

Texas-Arlington enters the contest with a record of 6-9-1 overall. UTA opened Southland Conference action last weekend with a pair of victories over McNeese State, a team Baylor will play later in the season.

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 129-74 (.626) in three-plus seasons at Baylor. Moore has a career record of 268-116 (.694); he posted a 22-17 mark in his first year as a collegiate head coach at William Carey in Mississippi. Moore is 245-97 (.713) at the Division I level.

SCOUTING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-ARLINGTON

Baylor travels to Arlington, Texas, this week for one game against the University of Texas-Arlington before heading to the Speedline Classic in Tampa, Fla. Both teams enter the contest riding winning streaks, as the Lady Bears have won seven straight contests while UTA is riding a two game win streak. The Mavericks are led by Amanda Haney, who currently is batting .244 on the year, posting three doubles, five runs and a RBI on the season. UTA also gets tremendous support from Falon Kwasnick. Kwasnick leads the Mavericks with 12 runs this year and leads the team with a .383 on-base percentage. On the mound, Texas-Arlington has posted a solid ERA of 2.02 for the season. Jill Garro leads the Mavericks on the mound with a 6-4 record and 0.77 ERA. In 73 innings of work, Garro has held opponents to only eight earned runs while striking out 73 batters. With a victory, the Lady Bears would extend its winning streak to eight games, the longest streak since Baylor won 13 in the middle of the 2002 season.

LADY BEARS WIN COMPASS BANK INVITATIONAL

Baylor is coming off an impressive performance at last weekend's Compass Bank Invitational. The Lady Bears went 5-0 at the tournament, running the team's all-time record to 15-0 at the annual event, including a pair of victories over No. 11 Tennessee. Baylor captured the tournament title with an impressive 5-1 victory over the Lady Vols and star pitcher Monica Abbott. Abbott was handed her first loss in her collegiate career, as Baylor dropped her overall record to 17-1 on the season. A number of Baylor players had outstanding tournaments, as Carrie Leerberg, Harmony Schwethelm, Kelly Osburn, Cristin Vitek and Lisa Ferguson were named to the all-tournament squad. Leerberg led the Compass Bank Invitational field in hitting, going 8-14 on the weekend for an average of .571. She scored two runs and added two RBI on the weekend, including the game-winning RBI against Louisiana Tech with her run-scoring triple. The junior from Colorado Springs went two for three in the 8-1 vitcory over No. 11 Tennessee, adding a run and a RBI. She also had a perfect outing at the plate in the victory over the Lady Techsters, going three for three in the game. On the weekend, she had a slugging percentage of .714 with an on-base percentage of .600. On the mound, Vitek was impressive, posting a perfect 3-0 record at the tournament. She became the first pitcher to defeat Tennessee's Monica Abbott (17-1) as she tossed a complete game against the Lady Vols, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings of work. In the 8-1 victory over Tennessee, Vitek allowed one run on four hits while striking out nine Tennessee batters in seven innings of work. For the weekend, Vitek had an ERA of 1.17, allowing three earned runs in 18 innings of work. Opponents had an average of .197 against her, as she struck out 18 on the weekend while allowing only one walk.

Kelly Osburn HAS CAREER GAME AGAINST TENNESSEE

In the Lady Bears first victory over No. 11 Tennessee, in which Baylor won 8-1, the team was led by sophomore center-fielder Kelly Osburn. With the bases loaded, Osburn blasted the game open with a grand slam in the second inning to give Baylor a 6-0 lead. Osburn was not through, however, as she followed her grand slam with a two-run home run to center field to give Baylor an 8-1 cushion. It marked the first time in her career Osburn had hit multiple home runs in a game. It also marked the first time since Holly Fields hit two against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi on February 24, 2001, a player had hit multiple home runs in a game. With her performance, Osburn set new career highs for home runs in a game (2), RBIs (6) and total bases (8).

LEERBERG AND SCHWETHELM RED HOT

In the last ten games, the Lady Bears have seen tremendous production from a pair of Baylor speedsters. Junior Carrie Leerberg and sophomore Harmony Schwethelm have produced batting averages over .500 while seeing consistent action over Baylor's last ten games. The pair has led a Baylor attack that has seen the team go 8-2 over the last ten games, including three victories over ranked opponents, with a team batting average of .266. Leerberg has gone 12-22 during the stretch, batting an amazing .545 with a triple and four RBIs. Over the course of the last ten games, Leerberg has posted an on-base percentage of .583 with a slugging percentage of .636. In addition, the second baseman has been a perfect six for six in stolen base attempts. Schwethelm has been equally impressive, posting an average of .500 with three runs and three RBI.

Lisa Ferguson SHUTTING DOWN OPPONENTS

Freshman right-handed pitcher Lisa Ferguson continues to have an impressive first-year campaign. After recording two wins and a save at the Compass Bank Invitational without allowing a run, Ferguson ran her scoreless inning streak to 19. Ferguson has not allowed a run since giving up a run in the fourth inning against No. 20 Cal State Fullerton at the Palm Springs Classic. At the Compass Bank Invitational, Ferguson pitched 17 innings of shut-out ball, allowing only six hits and one walk while striking out nine batters. For the tournament, opponents only managed to hit .109 against her. In addition, with her third save of the season, coming in the 3-2 victory over Lipscomb, she is only two short of the all-time Lady Bears single season record, held by former standout Joni Miller.

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 36 bases through the first 19 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. Carrie Leerberg currently leads the team in steals with eight as 12 Lady Bears have stolen at least one base this season. While Baylor has stolen 36 bases on 52 attempts this season, opponents have been much more timid. So far this season, opponents have only four steals on six attempts.

FERGUSON THROWS SEVENTH NO-HITTER IN SCHOOL 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 CAREEER 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 (125), tied for seventh in steals (34) and ranks ninth in total bases (170). 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 18. She currently ranks tied for sixth in career doubles (21), third in triples (6) and fifth in sacrifice flies (3). Levesque also ranks second in walks (52) and eighth in runs scored (70).

LADY BEARS APPEAR ON THE PRICE IS RIGHT

The Baylor softball team appeared on the 6,000th episode of The Price is Right on March 1, 2004. The Lady Bears attended a taping of the popular game show while in Los Angeles, Calif., before heading to Palm Springs, Calif., to play in the Palm Springs Classic. "We always try to include a unique experience for the team each time we travel," head coach Glenn Moore said. "The fact we were a part of television history means it was an experience we will never forget." In the episode, Lady Bears freshman infielder Kylie Conroy appeared as a contestant. Although Conroy was one of the first contestants called to contestant's row, she was unable to get on stage with host Bob Barker as she was never closest to the actual price without going over.

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 IN THE NATIONAL POLLS

For the second straight year, Baylor began the season listed among teams also receiving votes in the national rankings. 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 remains at No. 1 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings, garnering all 20 first-place votes. Baylor played UCLA Feb. 20 at the Palm Springs Classic in California, falling 9-0 to the Bruins. Arizona, California, Washington and Oklahoma currently round out the top five. Nebraska is ranked 14th, Texas is ranked 16th and Texas A&M is 25th, giving the Big 12 Conference four teams in the Top 25. Nine 2004 Baylor opponents were ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason rankings.

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.

BAYLOR ADDS FOUR 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 travels on the road again next weekend, this time to the Speedline Classic in Tampa, Fla. The Lady Bears open play on Thursday, March 4, when BU takes on nationally-ranked Iowa and Troy State. The Lady Bears will also face Team USA at the tournament, with the game scheduled for Friday, March 5, at 7:00 p.m.