Feb. 9, 2006
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#10 BAYLOR (0-0, 0-0) HOSTS THE 2006 GETTERMAN CLASSIC
Feb. 10-12, 2006
Getterman Stadium • Waco, Texas
THE SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 10
Wichita State vs. Tulsa, 10:00 a.m.
Illinois vs. Wichita State, 12:30 p.m.
Tulsa vs. Baylor, 3:00 p.m.
Baylor vs. Illinois, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11
Illinois vs. Tulsa, 10:00 a.m.
Wichita State vs. Baylor, 12:30 p.m.
Baylor vs. Illinois, 3:00 p.m.
Tulsa vs. Wichita State, 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 12
Wichita State vs. Illinois, 9:00 a.m.
Illinois vs. Tulsa, 11:00 a.m.
Baylor vs. Wichita State, 1:00 p.m.
Tulsa vs. Baylor, 3:00 p.m.
THE SERIES
Baylor vs. Illinois: Baylor leads 5-1
Baylor vs. Tulsa: Baylor leads 4-1
Baylor vs. Wichita State: Wichita State leads 5-4
LIVE COVERAGE
Radio: None
Live Audio: www.BaylorBears.com
Live Stats: www.BaylorBears.com
Television: None
After months of preparation, the No. 10 Baylor softball team (0-0) is ready for the first pitch of the 2006 season as the Lady Bears host the fifth-annual Getterman Classic at Getterman Stadium beginning on Friday, Feb. 10. The Lady Bears open play at the tournament at 3:00 p.m. against Tulsa before meeting Illinois at 5:30 p.m.
The Lady Bears enter the 2006 season with nine letterwinners returning from last year's squad that saw Baylor go 51-14, capture the NCAA Auburn Regional championship and fall one game shy of the Women's College World Series.
Baylor has dominated play at the Getterman Classic, going 22-1 all-time at the tournament after capturing the 2005 title with a perfect 6-0 record.
Illinois, Tulsa and Wichita State form a versatile 2006 field as the Shockers qualified for the NCAA Softball Championships last season while the Fighting Illini will play in tournament for the second consecutive season. Baylor is 13-7 all-time against the 2006 Getterman Classic field; however, the Lady Bears own a 7-2 record against the field in games played in Waco.
All Baylor games at the Getterman Classic can be heard live on the internet at www.baylorbears.com.
QUICK NOTES
• Baylor opens the season at No. 11 in the latest USA Today/NFCA Top 25 and No. 10 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25. The No. 10/11 ranking are the highest the Lady Bears have been in the preseason poll in school history.
• Baylor's appearance in both polls marks the 27th consecutive week the Lady Bears have appeared in the NFCA Top 25 and the 26th consecutive week the team has appeared in the USA Softball Top 25.
• Baylor is 120-4 over the past five seasons when scoring at least four runs.
• Baylor is 99-11 over the past four seasons when collecting at least eight hits.
• Baylor is 143-13 over the past five seasons when out-hitting its opponent.
• Baylor is 50-10 over the past two seasons at Getterman Stadium, including a 23-6 mark at home last season.
• Baylor's Chelsi Lake and Harmony Schwethelm were named to the ASA Softball National Player of the Year Preseason Watch List. The selection to the watch list marked the first time in school history Baylor players have been named to the preseason list.
• Baylor's Kelly Osburn and Lisa Ferguson successfully underwent off-season surgery and are available for the start of the 2006 season.
• Baylor's Harmony Schwethelm was one of 20 players in the country selected in the inaugural PFX Tour Draft.
THE FIFTH-ANNUAL GETTERMAN CLASSIC
Baylor opens the 2006 season with the fifth rendition of the Getterman Classic, presented by Compass Bank and Hilton. Baylor won each of the first two Getterman Classics, going 6-0 both years, before Pacific captured the 2004 title with a 5-0 record. Baylor reclaimed the title in 2005, posting a perfect 6-0 record. In 23 games, Baylor is 22-1 all-time at the Getterman Classic as the Lady Bears have out-scored opponents 151-21 over the three-year history of the tournament.
As a freshman, Baylor junior Lisa Ferguson tossed the only no-hitter in Getterman Classic history as she blanked Auburn 1-0 in an eight-inning contest.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois enters the 2006 season after posting a 24-26 record in 2005. The Fighting Illini return eight starters and three pitchers from the 2005 squad, including all-Big 10 Conference selections Jenna Hall and Shanna Diller. Hall, a three-time all-conference selection, led the Fighting Illini last season with a .343 batting average, nine home runs and 43 RBI. Diller, who earned all-conference honors as a freshman, finished the 2005 campaign with seven home runs and 29 RBI.
In the circle, Illinois returns left-handed hurler Mary Miller. Miller led the Fighting Illini in innings pitched last season with 161.0 as the sophomore went on to finish the year with a15-10-1 record and a 3.74 ERA.
Illinois is making its second consecutive appearance at the Getterman Classic. Last season, Illinois finished 3-3at the classic, falling twice to Baylor. The Fighting Illini are 1-5 all-time against the Lady Bears as Illinois' only victory in the series came in the 2004 NCAA Tournament when the Illini eliminated Baylor with a 4-0 victory.
SCOUTING TULSA
Tulsa returns six starters from last year's 31-30 squad as the Golden Hurricanes head into the Getterman Classic led by first-year head coach John Bargfeldt. First-team All-WAC selection Lindsey Tower returns after an outstanding freshman season where she hit .313 with 21 RBI. In addition, Tulsa returns second-team All-WAC selection Katie Torres, who returns for her senior season after leading the team with six home runs and 25 RBI a year ago.
In the circle, Tulsa returns two picters, including Maren Genow. Genow, a right-handed senior, led Tulsa last year with a 11-8 record while posting a 2.13 ERA. Hard-throwing left-hander Julie Fennell returns as well for Tulsa after leading the Golden Hurricanes with 187 strikeouts and a 2.10 ERA last season.
The Getterman Classic marks the first time Tulsa has played in Waco since the 2003 Compass Bank Invitational. Baylor leads the all-time series 4-1 and has won four straight since 1-0 loss on March 7, 1996.
SCOUTING WICHITA STATE
Eight returning starters will lead the Shockers into the 2006 season this weekend as WSU is coming off one of the most successful season in school history, posting a 46-18 record in 2005.
Last season, Wichita State finished the season second in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, and received its first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Softball Championships.
Among the starters returning for Wichita State is last year's MVC Newcomer of the Year Katie McGeeney. The sophomore led the team last season with a .387 average and 51 runs scored. In addition, the Shockers return the school's career home run leader in Ashley Lynn, who led Wichita State last year with 12 round-trippers.
In the circle, Margo Pruis returns for Wichita State after leading the Shockers with a 20-8 record. In 180.0 innings of work last season, Pruis struck out 212 batters while holding opponents to a .182 batting average against. Pruis led the team with a 1.52 ERA and also recorded four saves on the season.
Wichita State leads the all-time series with the Lady Bears 5-4; however, Baylor captured the only victory in the series at Waco when the Lady Bears came away with an 8-4 victory at the 2004 Getterman Classic.
LADY BEARS PICKED THIRD IN BIG 12 CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
In a pre-season vote conducted by league coaches, the Baylor softball team has been picked to finish third in the Big 12 Conference the conference office announced Thursday. The third-place preseason prediction marks the highest the Lady Bears have appeared in the league preseason vote. Prior to the third-place selection, the highest the Lady Bears have been tabbed in the preseason poll was fourth, in 2003 and 2005.
Defending Big 12 Conference champion Texas A&M was picked to repeat as league champion while Texas was selected to finish second.
GETTERMAN STADIUM KIND TO LADY BEARS
Heading into the 2006 season, Baylor's home field of Getterman Stadium has been kind to the Lady Bears as BU owns a career 122-44 mark at the home park since the stadium opened in 1999. Last year, Baylor went 23-6 in the friendly confines of Getterman Stadium as no Lady Bears team has lost more than 10 games at home in a single season.
Baylor's best mark at home came during the 2004 campaign when the Lady Bears enjoyed a 26-4 record at home, including a 24-2 mark during the regular season.
In the stadium's five years of existence, attendance has steadily risen as Baylor set a pair of attendance records last season. Last season, Baylor averaged 652 fans a game, a new school record, as the Lady Bears set a single-game attendance record when 1,288 fans attended the BU-Texas A&M game on May 23, 2005. The Lady Bears ranked 11th nationally in average and total attendance last season as 12,384 fans saw Baylor play during the year.
BAYLOR SOFTBALL IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
The Baylor softball team received the highest preseason ranking in school history as the Lady Bears are ranked No. 10 in the preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll released Tuesday. In addition, Baylor earned a No. 11 ranking in the preseason USA Today/NFCA Top 25.
Baylor is one of six Big 12 Conference school ranked in the preseason polls as Texas (No. 4 ESPN.com/No. 4 USA Today) and Texas A&M (No. 6, No. 9) are ranked ahead of the Lady Bears in both polls. Oklahoma (No. 11, No. 13), Missouri (No. 18, No. 23) and Nebraska (No. 22, No. 21) are the other Big 12 schools ranked in the preseason poll.
Michigan, the defending national champion, opens the season as the top-ranked team in both polls.
Baylor's appearance in both polls marks the 27th consecutive week the Lady Bears have appeared in the NFCA Top 25 and the 26th consecutive week the team has appeared in the USA Softball Top 25. The last time Baylor failed to appear in either poll was March 16, 2004.
BAYLOR SOFTBALL SEES FRESH FACES ARRIVE FOR 2006 SEASON
With six seniors and seven letterwinners gone from last year's squad that finished 51-14 and advanced to the NCAA Super Regional against No. 2 Cal, six newcomers will play an important roll in this year's squad if the Lady Bears hope to duplicate last year's success. New to the team in 2006 are a pair of junior college transfers, Ashley Monceaux and Miriam Romero, as well as four freshman: Alex Colyer, Lauren Parker, Brette Reagan and Brittany Turner.
Monceaux and Romero join Baylor after standout careers at Pima Community College in Pima, Ariz. The junior college All-Americans helped lead Pima CC to the national championship as freshman as the duo established themselves as two of the top junior college players in the country. As a sophomore, Monceaux earned All-America honors after hit .501 with 21 home runs, 92 RBI and 80 runs scored. In addition, the right-handed hurler went 26-5 on the season while recording 182 strikeouts. Romero also earned All-America honors last season after leading the nation with 68 stolen bases while hitting .468 on the year.
Colyer, a four-time first-team all district selection out of Stratford High School in Houston, Texas, comes to Baylor after finishing in the top 10 in the Houston area in runs scored and stolen bases as a senior. Parker, a freshman from Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School in Port Neches, Texas, joins the squad after earning 2005 TAPPS all-state honors as a senior.
Reagan, a talented third baseman from Tomball (Texas) High School who earned second-team NFCA All-South Region honors as a senior and Turner, a right-handed pitcher from Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, and was named District 6-4A Most Valuable Player as a senior, round out one of the most talented incoming classes in school history.
BAYLOR LADY BEARS IN THE CAREER CHARTS
Several Lady Bears are aiming to continue making their way up the career charts in 2006. Below is a list of Lady Bears who currently rank in the top ten in one of the career categories:
BATTING RECORDS
RUNS: Kelly Osburn (2nd, 124); Harmony Schwethelm (5th, 100)
HITS: Harmony Schwethelm (5th, 179); Kelly Osburn 6th, 166)
MULTIPLE-HIT GAMES: Harmony Schwethelm (5th, 51); Kelly Osburn (6th, 38)
DOUBLES: Kelly Osburn (2nd, 31); Stephanie Pomes (t-6th, 25)
TRIPLES: Harmony Schwethelm (t-4th, 7); Kelly Osburn (t-4th, 7); Chelsi Lake (t-10th, 4)
HOME RUNS: Kelly Osburn (1st, 23); Chelsi Lake (4th, 16); Tessa Lynam (t-6th, 14)
TOTAL BASES: Kelly Osburn (3rd, 283); Harmony Schwethelm (7th, 209)
WALKS: Kelly Osburn (1st, 82)
HIT BY PITCH: Kelly Osburn (2nd, 16); Kylie Conroy (t-7th, 9)
SACRIFICE FLIES: Kelly Osburn (t-7th; 3); Chelsi Lake (t-7th, 3); Tessa Lynam (t-7th, 3)
SACRIFICE HITS: Harmony Schwethelm (6th, 25)
STOLEN BASES: Harmony Schwethelm (2nd, 80); Kelly Osburn (4th, 63)
STOLEN BASE ATTEMPTS: Harmony Schwethelm (2nd, 93); Kelly Osburn (4th, 76)
PITCHING RECORDS
APPEARANCES: Lisa Ferguson (5th, 85)
GAMES STARTED: Lisa Ferguson (5th, 53)
RELIEF APPEARANCES: Lisa Ferguson (t-4th, 32)
WINS: Lisa Ferguson (4th, 36)
LOSSES: Lisa Ferguson (6th, 14); Tessa Lynam (t-9th, 4)
DECISIONS: Lisa Ferguson (5th, 50); Tessa Lynam (8th, 15)
COMPLETE GAMES: Lisa Ferguson (5th, 21); Tessa Lynam (10th, 4)
SHUTOUTS: Lisa Ferguson (4th, 11); Tessa Lynam (t-9th, 1)
SAVES: Lisa Ferguson (1st, 11); Tessa Lynam (t-5th, 4); Nicole Jackson (t-8th, 1)
INNINGS PITCHED: Lisa Ferguson (5th, 357.0); Tessa Lynam (8th, 96.0)
STRIKEOUTS: Lisa Ferguson (4th, 246); Tessa Lynam (8th, 86)
Kelly Osburn AND Lisa Ferguson RETURN AFTER OFF-SEASON SURGERY
A pair of key Baylor players, Lisa Ferguson an d Kelly Osburn, have returned to practice and are ready for the 2006 season after undergoing off-season surgery. Ferguson returns after undergoing minor shoulder surgery while Osburn is back at full-strength after season-ending knee surgery late last year.
Ferguson led the team last season with a 20-6 record and 1.97 ERA while Osburn, an all-conference selection last season, returns after establishing a new school record with 59 runs scored last season.
BAYLOR SOFTBALL RADIO NETWORK
The Baylor radio crew will again this season provide live play-by-play broadcast for selected Baylor softball games.
Derek Smith handles play-by-play duties with former Baylor pitcher Katie Decker providing color analysis. Smith is in his first season serving as play-by-play voice for the Lady Bears and has served as a public address announcer for several Baylor athletic events. Decker returns for her second year in the booth.
Selected games can be heard on flagship station Fox Sports 1580AM in Waco. Also, for the first time in school history, every Baylor home game is also available worldwide on the internet at www.BaylorBears.com and Yahoo Broadcast.com.
UP NEXT...
Baylor will return to action when the Lady Bears travel to the Marriott Houston Hobby Invitational the weekend of Feb. 17-19 in Houston, Texas. Baylor opens play at the tournament against Houston at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17.
