Softball Hosts McNeese State on Wednesday
2/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 8, 2005
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#15 BAYLOR (6-0) HOSTS McNEESE STATE (1-4)
Feb. 9, 2005, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Getterman Stadium • Waco, Texas
THE SERIES
Baylor vs. McNeese State: Baylor leads 10-4
Waco, Texas: Baylor leads 5-0
Lake Charles, La.: Series tied 2-2
Neutral: Baylor leads 3-2
Streak: Baylor won 4
Last Meeting: Baylor 7, McNeese State 0 (3/17/2004)
LIVE COVERAGE
Radio: None
Live Audio: None
Live Stats: www.BaylorBears.com
Television: None
No. 15 Baylor (6-0) returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 9, when the Lady Bears host McNeese State (1-4) in a doubleheader at Getterman Stadium beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Baylor enters the contest after posting a perfect 6-0 record over the weekend at the fourth-annual Getterman Classic as the Lady Bears captured their third Getterman title in four years.
McNeese State enters the twin-bill with a 1-4 record and has lost four straight after a season opening win over Prairie View A&M.
Baylor owns a 10-4 edge in the series including a 5-0 advantage in games played in Waco Texas. The Lady Bears have won four straight in the series, including a pair of shutout victories last season.
QUICK NOTES
• Baylor climed to No. 15 in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. The ranking marks the highest for the Lady Bears in school history.
• Baylor is 80-3 over the past four seasons when scoring at least four runs.
• Baylor is 65-7 over the past four seasons when collecting at least eight hits.
• Baylor is 108-12 over the past four seasons when out-hitting its opponent.
• Baylor is 76-19 over the past three seasons at Getterman Stadium, including a 27-4 mark at home last season.
• With its opening win of the season over Louisiana-Monroe, Baylor earned its 100th victory at Getterman Stadium. Baylor is now 105-38 all-time in games played at Getterman Stadium
• Baylor established a new Big 12 Conference record with 142 steals in a season last year.
• For her performance at the Getterman Classic, Kim Wilmoth was named Big 12 Conference Softball Player of the Week.
• Tessa Lynam posted her first career win in a Baylor uniform when she defeated Centenary on Feb. 5. Nicole Jackson recorded her first career save in the 3-1 win over the Ladies on Feb. 6.
LAST TIME: BAYLOR CLAIMS GETTERMAN CLASSIC TITLE
Baylor claimed its third Getterman Classic title in four years as the Lady Bears went a perfect 6-0 with two-game series sweeps against Centenary, Louisiana-Monroe and No. 22 Illinois. Lisa Ferguson, Tessa Lynam and Cristin Vitek picked up two victories each at the tournament as Baylor improved to 22-1 all-time at the Getterman Classic.
Baylor had several outstanding performances throughout the weekend as Ferguson, Chelsi Lake, Kelly Osburn, Harmony Schwethelm and Kim Wilmoth were named to the Getterman Classic All-Tournament team.
Baylor 7, Louisiana-Monroe 0
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Ferguson got the Lady Bears off to a good start on the year as she tied her single-game career high with seven strikeouts against Louisiana-Monroe in the opener. Ferguson tossed six innings of shutout ball, allowing only two hits and one walk along the way as she improved to 1-0 on the season.
Osburn and Wilmoth each collected two hits as Schwethelm and Leerberg scored two runs each to lead the attack for the Lady Bears.
Jennifer Braley allowed one run and four hits in four innings of work to take the loss for the Indians.
Baylor 5, Illinois 2
Baylor continued to capitalize on errors in the second contest of the night as the Lady Bears scored three unearned runs to defeat No. 22 Illinois 5-2.
The Lady Bears scored a pair of runs in the top of the second inning as Baylor grabbed an early 2-0 lead. With runners on first and second, Erin Sheek placed a bunt down the third place line to force Illinois pitcher Jackelyn Diekemper into a hurried throw that sailed down the right field line. Wilmoth and Osburn made the most of the mistake as both runners came home to score to give the Lady Bears the early two-run cushion. Baylor then went on to extend the lead to five before Illinois managed a pair of runs.
Cristin Vitek picked up the victory as tossed a complete game, allowing two runs on seven hits as Baylor avenged last season's loss to Illinois in the NCAA Softball Championships.
Schwethelm led the way for Baylor with two hits as Osburn and Wilmoth scored two runs each in the victory.
Baylor 8, Centenary 0
Senior shortstop Kim Wilmoth sparked the Lady Bears attack in the opener as she went three-for-three against Centenary with two runs, two RBI and two doubles.
Baylor jumped on Centenary for three runs in the second and four more in the third to grab a seven run lead.
Tessa Lynam picked up her first career victory in the win, tossing six innings for Baylor.
Baylor 3, Illinois 1
Baylor continued the momentum in the second game as the Lady Bears moved to 4-0 on the season with a 3-1 win over No. 22 Illinois.
After taking an early 1-0 lead, Illinois managed to tie the contest in the third. Baylor responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. April Luce doubled to score Sheek and eventually scored on a wild pitch as the runs would prove to be enough to complete the tournament sweep of the No. 22 Fighting Illini.
Ferguson tossed four innings of shutout ball the rest of the way as she moved to 2-0 on the season. For the contest, Ferguson allowed one run on six hits as she tossed her first complete game of the season.
Baylor 10, Louisiana-Monroe 1
Baylor clinched its third Getterman Classic title in the opener as the Lady Bears cruised to a win over Louisiana-Monroe. Carrie Leerberg led the attack for the Lady Bears as the senior shortstop went two-for-four with four RBI in the win.
Both of Leerberg's hits were triples, marking only the second time in school history a Baylor player has hit two triples in a game. Kelly Levesque was the only other player to accomplish the feat when she hit two triples against Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 8, 2003.
Cristin Vitek picked up the win for the Lady Bears as she allowed only one run in four innings to move to 2-0 on the season.
Baylor 3, Centenary 1
Baylor claimed a 3-1 win as Chelsi Lake provided the fireworks with her two run blast over the left field wall to give the Lady Bears all the runs they would need.
Tessa Lynam picked up her second win of the season as she allowed only one unearned run in 5.2 innings of work while striking out five.
Jackson picked up her first career save as she retired the last two batters as Baylor improved to 22-1 all-time at the Getterman Classic.
SCOUTING McNEESE STATE
McNeese State enters the doubleheader with Baylor with a 1-4 record. The Cowgirls opened the season with a 19-5 win over Prairie View A&M; however, have dropped four straight since the season opening victory. Baylor owns a 10-4 series advantage against the Cowgirls and have won four straight, including a pair of shutout victories at McNeese State last season. Baylor has never lost to the Cowgirls in Waco, Texas, and owns a 5-0 series edge in games played at home.
McNeese State is led by Beth Jordan. On the season, Jordan has posted a .500 batting average and leads the Cowgirls in hits (8) and RBI (4). Brooke Brodhead has also had a strong year for the Cowgirls as she leads the team with four runs scored and currently is batting .389 on the season.
In the circle, McNeese State is led by Jana Jones. Jones has yet to allow a run this season as she has posted a 0.00 ERA while allowing only four hits in 6.2 innings of work. Meghan Novak has also seen time in the circle as she currently sports a 3.11 ERA, allowing four runs in nine innings of work.
Kim Wilmoth NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kim Wilmoth was named Big 12 Conference Softball Player of the Week for her performance at the Getterman Classic the conference office announced Tuesday. The selection marks the first time a Baylor player has been selected for the honor since Kelly Osburn was recognized the week of March 11, 2003.
Over the weekend, Wilmoth led the Getterman Classic field with a .529 batting average as the No. 17 Lady Bears started the season with a perfect 6-0 record. The senior led the tournament in several categories including hits (9), doubles (2), total bases (11), slugging percentage (.647) on base percentage (.529) and stolen bases (4).
Wilmoth provided the game-winning RBI in Baylor's 3-1 win over No. 22 Illinois and also went three-for-three with two doubles and two RBI in the Lady Bears win over Centenary. She tied for third on the Baylor team with three RBI during the tournament and was second on the team with five runs scored.
800TH CAREER STRIKEOUT IN SIGHT FOR VITEK
Senior left-handed pitcher Cristin Vitek continues to climb up the career charts in several categories, including strikeouts where she enters the season as Baylor's career leader with 644. In fact, Vitek has a good shot at becoming Baylor's first-ever 800 strikeout performer as the lefty is only 156 strikeouts shy of the milestone.
Last season, she became only the second player in school history to record 600 strikeouts in her career when she struck out Tina Boutelle of Texas in the sixth inning at the Big 12 Conference Tournament.
Several Lady Bears are aiming to continue making their way up the career charts in 2005. Below is a list of Lady Bears who currently rank in the top ten in one of the career categories:
BATTING RECORDS
AT-BATS: Kim Wilmoth (10th, 505)
RUNS: Kim Wilmoth (6th, 77)
HITS: Kim Wilmoth (7th, 149)
MULTIPLE-HIT GAMES: Kim Wilmoth (4th, 39)
TRIPLES: Carrie Leerberg (t-1st, 8); Kim Wilmoth (t-4th, 6); April Luce (t-10th, 3)
HOME RUNS: Kelly Osburn (2nd, 16); Stephanie Pomes (t-8th, 8)
TOTAL BASES: Kim Wilmoth (10th, 178)
WALKS: Kelly Osburn (3rd, 51)
HIT BY PITCH: Kelly Osburn (2nd, 13), Carrie Leerberg (8th, 8)
SACRIFICE FLIES: April Luce (t-9th, 2); Erin Sheek (t-9th, 2); Kelly Osburn (t-9th; 2)
SACRIFICE HITS: Kim Wilmoth (t-8th, 18)
STOLEN BASES: Kim Wilmoth (1st, 70); Carrie Leerberg (2nd, 56); Harmony Schwethelm (6th, 45); Kelly Osburn (8th, 40)
STOLEN BASE ATTEMPTS: Kim Wilmoth (1st, 91); Carrie Leerberg (2nd, 67); Harmony Schwethelm (7th, 54); Kelly Osburn (8th, 50)
PITCHING RECORDS
APPEARANCES: Cristin Vitek (3rd, 134); Lisa Ferguson (7th, 47)
GAMES STARTED: Cristin Vitek (3rd, 89); Lisa Ferguson (7th, 30)
RELIEF APPEARANCES: Cristin Vitek (1st, 45); Lisa Ferguson (8th, 17)
WINS: Cristin Vitek (3rd, 63); Lisa Ferguson (6th, 18)
LOSSES: Cristin Vitek (4th, 32); Lisa Ferguson (7th, 8)
DECISIONS: Cristin Vitek (3rd, 95); Lisa Ferguson (7th, 26)
COMPLETE GAMES: Cristin Vitek (3rd, 39); Lisa Ferguson (6th, 13)
SHUTOUTS: Cristin Vitek (3rd, 16); Lisa Ferguson (4th, 9)
SAVES: Cristin Vitek (t-2nd, 8); Lisa Ferguson (t-2nd, 8); Nicole Jackson (t-7th, 1)
INNINGS PITCHED: Cristin Vitek (3rd, 624.1); Lisa Ferguson (7th, 204.2)
STRIKEOUTS: Cristin Vitek (1st, 654); Lisa Ferguson (7th, 119)
GETTERMAN STADIUM KIND TO LADY BEARS
With a win over Louisiana-Monroe to open the season, Baylor claimed its 100th win at Getterman Stadium as the Lady Bears now own a 105-38 career mark on their home field, opened in 1999. The Lady Bears had their best year ever at Getterman Stadium last season as Baylor went 27-4 at home on the year.
Baylor went undefeated in conference play at home last season as the Lady Bears swept season series with Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas Tech and Iowa State. Prior to the NCAA Softball Championships the Lady Bears were 27-2 at Getterman Stadium on the year.
Baylor has lost less than 10 games at home four of the five years the stadium has been open and has never posted a losing record in a season at home.
Baylor has not lost a regular-season contest at Getterman Stadium since a 3-2 setback to Oklahoma Christian on April 1, 2004, a span of 13 games.
HEAD COACH Glenn Moore
Glenn Moore begins his fifth season as head coach at Baylor and his seventh full season as a collegiate head coach. Moore, who was selected to guide the Lady Bear program in June 2000, Moore now has a career record of 308-128 (.705). His teams have won at least 30 games in all six seasons of his Division I career.
The 2004 Baylor softball season saw Moore guide the Lady Bears to unprecedented success. For the first time in the program's history, Baylor was selected to participate in the NCAA Softball Championships and the Lady Bears' home field, Getterman Stadium, was selected as one of eight NCAA host sites.
Along the way, Moore's 2004 version of the Lady Bears established new school records for wins (48), conference victories (11) and winning percentage (.814). In addition, Moore helped the Lady Bears climb to their highest national-ranking in school history, finishing the season ranked 19th in the country.
At one point during the season, Baylor won 27 of 28 games and established a new school record with a 14-game winning streak. During the year, Baylor defeated seven teams ranked in the top 25, including a series sweep of No. 9 Oklahoma, a team that advanced to the NCAA Women's College World Series.
The 2004 season also saw Baylor advance to the Big 12 Conference Tournament semi-finals for the first time ever. After finishing fourth in the conference during the regular season, tying Baylor's highest-ever conference finish, the Lady Bears advanced to the semi-finals of the conference tournament for the first time ever before falling to Nebraska.
During Baylor's historic run at the conference tournament, the Lady Bears helped Moore reach a career milestone. Rallying to defeat rival Texas A&M 2-1 in an elimination game, the Lady Bears gave Moore his 300th career victory, a milestone that was recognized by the NFCA at its annual convention this past winter.
During Moore's tenure, three Lady Bears have received CoSIDA Academic All-America honors (Kim Wilmoth twice), and 10 players have received NFCA All-Midwest Region honors; Cristin Vitek earned all-region accolades twice. 11 Lady Bears have earned 14 all-Big 12 Conference selections (Miller, Levesque and Vitek twice twice), while numerous Lady Bears have earned academic all-conference honors.
Prior to coming to Baylor, Moore spent two-plus seasons as head coach at Louisiana State and four years total with the Tigers' program. Moore led LSU to the Southeastern Conference championship in 1999 and 2000. While at LSU, Moore amassed a 117-25 (.820) record.
Before his stint at LSU, Moore spent one season as the head coach at William Carey College in Hattiesburg, Miss. Moore was 22-17 that season and guided William Carey to a second-place finish in the Gulf South Conference.
UP NEXT...
Baylor travels to Las Vegas, Nev., for the Louisville Desert Classic. The Lady Bears open play at the tournament on Fri., Feb. 11, at 6:30 p.m. when Baylor faces UC Riverside.
