March 28, 2006
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#20 BAYLOR (20-13, 2-1) TRAVELS TO #2 TEXAS (35-3, 2-0)
MARCH 29, 2006 - 6:30 PM
MCCOMBS FIELD
AUSTIN, TEXAS
THE SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29
Baylor at Texas, 6:30 p.m.
THE SERIES
TEXAS LEADS 12-5
Waco: Texas leads 5-2
Austin, Texas: Texas leads 7-2
Neutral: Baylor leads 1-0
Since 1996: Texas leads 12-5
Current Streak: Texas won 1
Baylor W-L Last 10: 5-5
LIVE COVERAGE
Radio: KRZI-1580 AM
Live Audio: www.BaylorBears.com
Live Stats: www.BaylorBears.com
The No. 20 Baylor softball team returns to action this week as the Lady Bears travel to No. 2 Texas to face the Longhorns in a single game on Wednesday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m.
Baylor enters the contest with a record of 20-13, 2-1 in the Big 12 Conference, after sweeping a pair of games against Texas Tech last weekend. Junior pitcher Lisa Ferguson will likely get the nod for the Lady Bears as the right-hander enters the contest after tossing consecutive shutouts against the Red Raiders. In 14 innings of work against Texas Tech, Ferguson allowed only six hits and no walks while striking out 10 as the junior pushed her season shutout total to six.
Texas enters the game one-half game out of first-place in the Big 12 Conference standings after a weekend sweep of Nebraska. The Longhorns are led by pitcher Cat Osterman, who earned Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors after going 2-0 with a save as Texas swept a pair of games from the Huskers.
Texas owns a 12-5 edge in the series; however, Baylor has won 4-of-5 from the Longhorns after the teams split a pair of games last year.
Fans can listen to the game in the Waco area on KRZI 1580-AM or can listen to the live, streaking audio on the internet at www.BaylorBears.com.
LADY BEARS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CLUTCH HITTING
Off to a 20-13 start on the season, the Baylor softball team has taken advantage of clutch hitting in key situation as high percentage of the Lady Bears' runs have come with two outs in the inning. Of the 147 runs scored by Baylor so far this season, 64 (40 percent) have come on two-out RBI hits.
Freshman Brette Reagan leads the team with 17 RBI with two outs as the tandem is currently leading a Baylor team that is hitting .281 (78-of-278) on the year with two outs while opponents are only hitting .217 (58-of-267) in the same situation.
SCOUTING TEXAS
The Longhorns enter the contest as one of the top teams in the country as Texas has climbed to No. 2 in the national rankings after sweeping a pair of games last weekend against nationally-ranked Nebraska.
Texas is led by All-American pitcher Cat Osterman. The left-hander broke the NCAA career strikeout mark this season and leads the Longhorns with a 21-1 record and 0.19 ERA. In 143.2 innings of work, Osterman has struck out 325 batters and has held opponents to a .075 batting average.
At the plate, Texas is led by Desiree Williams who leads the team with a .374 batting average, nine home runs and 38 RBI.
Baylor has won 4-of-5 in the series; however, Texas leads the all-time series with the Lady Bears 12-5.
SCHWETHELM REACHES 200 CAREER HITS
With four hits in the double-header sweep of Texas State, Baylor outfielder Harmony Schwethelm became only the fifth player in school history to reach the 200-hit plateau for her career. Schwethelm has pushed her career total to 217 after collecting a hit in the loss against Texas A&M.
Schwethelm ranks third on Baylor's career hits list and is now 31 hits shy of breaking the Baylor career record of 247 held by Naomi Fitzgerald (1998-2001).
Senior Kelly Osburn is also closing in on the 200-hit mark as the outfielder is only six hits shy of the milestone.
SCHWETHELM BREAKS CAREER STOLEN BASE RECORD
With a steal of second in the 6-5 win over No. 13 Washington, Harmony Schwethelm became Baylor's career stolen base leader, surpassing Kim Wilmoth (91, 2002-05) with 92 in her career. For her career, Schwethelm now has 94 stolen bases in 109 attempts as the senior closes in on 100 stolen bases for her career.
Schwethelm, who has only been caught stealing 15 times in her career, has a stolen base percentage of .861 to rank second on the Baylor career charts.
Chelsi Lake BREAKS RBI CAREER MILESTONE
With a RBI single to make the score 6-4 against No. 13 Washington, junior Chelsi Lake recorded the 102nd of her career as she became Baylor's career leader in the category, surpassing Sarah Caudle who drove in 101 runs from 2000-2003.
Earlier in the year, Lake became only the second player in school history to pass the career 100-RBI club as the junior will shatter the previous career record. Heading into this weekend, Lake has recorded 110 RBI during her two-plus year career.
Senior Kelly Osburn is also close to the RBI century mark as the senior has drove in 84 runs during her career and is 16 RBI shy from the milestone.
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.
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 (1st, 139); Harmony Schwethelm (3rd, 122)
HITS: Harmony Schwethelm (3rd, 217); Kelly Osburn 6th, 194)
MULTIPLE-HIT GAMES: Harmony Schwethelm (2nd, 61); Kelly Osburn (6th, 45)
DOUBLES: Kelly Osburn (2nd, 37); Chelsi Lake (t-5th, 27); Tessa Lynam (t-9th, 24)
TRIPLES: Harmony Schwethelm (t-3rd, 8); Kelly Osburn (t-5th, 7); Chelsi Lake (t-10th, 4)
HOME RUNS: Kelly Osburn (1st, 28); Chelsi Lake (2nd, 23); Tessa Lynam (5th, 19)
RBI: Chelsi Lake (1st, 110); Kelly Osburn (5th, 84); Tessa Lynam (8th, 71)
TOTAL BASES: Kelly Osburn (1st, 329); Harmony Schwethelm (5th, 253); Chelsi Lake (7th, 240)
WALKS: Kelly Osburn (1st, 94)
HIT BY PITCH: Kelly Osburn (2nd, 20); 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 (1st, 94); Kelly Osburn (3rd, 71)
STOLEN BASE ATTEMPTS: Harmony Schwethelm (2nd, 109); Kelly Osburn (3rd, 87)
PITCHING RECORDS
APPEARANCES: Lisa Ferguson (4th, 107); Tessa Lynam (8th, 40); Nicole Jackson (10th, 24)
GAMES STARTED: Lisa Ferguson (5th, 69); Tessa Lynam (8th, 14)
RELIEF APPEARANCES: Lisa Ferguson (t-3rd, 37); Tessa Lynam (6th, 25); Nicole Jackson (7th, 23)
WINS: Lisa Ferguson (4th, 47); Tessa Lynam (8th, 15)
LOSSES: Lisa Ferguson (6th, 17); Tessa Lynam (t-9th, 4)
DECISIONS: Lisa Ferguson (5th, 68); Tessa Lynam (8th, 19)
COMPLETE GAMES: Lisa Ferguson (5th, 34); Tessa Lynam (10th, 4)
SHUTOUTS: Lisa Ferguson (4th, 17); Tessa Lynam (t-9th, 1)
SAVES: Lisa Ferguson (1st, 13); Tessa Lynam (t-5th, 4); Nicole Jackson (t-8th, 1); Sarah Hausner (t-8th, 1)
INNINGS PITCHED: Lisa Ferguson (5th, 464.2); Tessa Lynam (8th, 111.1)
STRIKEOUTS: Lisa Ferguson (4th, 336); Tessa Lynam (8th, 101)
Kelly Osburn BREAKS PAIR OF CAREER RECORDS
With her solo home run to lead-off the game against Houston, Baylor senior Kelly Osburn pushed her career runs scored total to 129, breaking Michelle Sorrels (1996-99) career record of 128 runs scored. In three-plus seasons as a Lady Bear, Osburn has now scored 139 runs.
The record is just one of several where Osburn will hold the career lead once her career is over. Already Baylor's career leader in home runs (28), walks (94), runs scored (139) and total bases (329), the senior ranks second in doubles (37) and fourth in triples (7).
With a strong showing this week, Osburn could become Baylor's career leader in doubles as the senior left-fielder is currently one double shy of Caudle (38) for the career lead in the category.
UP NEXT...
Baylor continues Big 12 Conference play when the Lady Bears travel to Columbia, Mo., to take on Missouri in a two-game series beginning on Saturday, April 1, at 2:00 p.m.
