Feb. 4, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

The Baylor softball team will open up the 2009 season on the road this weekend with a three-game series at No. 1 Florida. The Lady Bears and Gators will meet Friday at 5:00 p.m. CST, Saturday at Noon CST and Sunday at 11:00 a.m. CST.

This road trip will mark the first time since 2001 that they Lady Bears will begin their season schedule away from the friendly confines of Getterman Stadium.

The Lady Bears return 12 letterwinners and seven starters off of last season's team that went 23-22.

The Gators return all but one starter, including five All-Americans and four All-Southeastern Conference selections, from the 2008 Women's College World Series team that set a new NCAA record by winning 70 games. Last season, Florida rewrote the record books by setting or tying 32 school records.

Friday and Sunday's games will be broadcast on ESPN 1660 AM, while all three can be heard on baylorbears.com as Derek Smith and Kyle Cornish bring you all the action.

SCOUTING FLORIDA
The Gators return all but one starter, including five All-Americans and four All-Southeastern Conference selections, from the 2008 Women's College World Series team that set a new NCAA record by winning 70 games. Last season, Florida rewrote the record books by setting or tying 32 school records. The Gators are led by seven returning seniors, including two-time All-American Stacey Nelson.

Last season, Nelson went 47-5 in the circle with a 0.75 ERA and will be joined agains this season by sophomore Stephanie Brombacher, who was 20-0 with a 1.40 ERA in her freshman campaign.

In addition, the Gators welcome back their top-5 hitters, including two NFCA and Easton All-Americans, first baseman senior Ali Gardiner and sophomore second baseman Aja Paculba.

THE SERIES
The Lady Bears lead the all-time series 5-1, including a 2-0 mark in Gainesville. The last time the two teams played was at the Getterman Classic in Waco on Feb. 2, 2003, with Baylor coming away with a 3-0 victory.

LOOKING FOR ONE AGAINST ONE
Baylor is 0-5 all-time when playing the No. 1 team in the country. The Lady Bears last played a top-ranked team on March 29, 2006 at Texas, with the Longhorns winning 2-1. Baylor played a three-game series at Arizona on March 10-12, 2006 when the Wildcats were No. 1, and also faced Arizona on Feb. 27, 2005 in Waco at the Compass Bank Challenge.

RARE ROAD TRIP TO BEGIN SEASON
The 2009 season will mark the first time since 2001 that they Lady Bears will begin their season schedule away from the friendly confines of Getterman Stadium. For the passed seven seasons, Baylor's first tournament has been the Getterman Classic in Waco.

TOUGH SCHEDULE
Just take one look at the schedule and you will see what a gauntlet it is. The Lady Bears will play 21 games (14 of which are on the road or at a neutral site) against 11 teams that made the 2008 NCAA Tournament, including three teams (Florida, Alabama and Texas A&M) that advanced to the Women's College World Series. Baylor face nine teams that are currently ranked in the NFCA Top 25, including four in the top 10 and four who are receiving votes.

LADY BEARS PICKED SIXTH IN PRESEASON BIG 12 CONFERENCE POLL
The Baylor softball team was picked to finish sixth in a pre-season vote conducted by league coaches. Oklahoma (81 points) received nine of 10 first-place votes, followed by Missouri (68) who moved up two spots from a year ago. Texas A&M (60) was chosen ahead of Texas (58) as the third pick, with Nebraska (46) rounding out the top half of the list.

Nicole Wesley CARRIES OVER STREAK
Junior Nicole Wesley is currently bringing an eight-game hitting streak into the 2009 season. The streak began on April 19, 2008 against Texas Tech in Waco.

REAGAN LANDS ON NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Senior Brette Reagan has been selected for the third time to the initial "Watch List" for the eighth annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award, the Amateur Softball Association announced.

Reagan, a three-time All-Big 12 selection, is the only three-time All-American in Lady Bear softball history. The Magnolia, Texas, native started all 45 games, hitting a career high .385 while adding 10 home runs, 10 doubles and 36 RBI. Heading into the 2009 season, the senior is second on the Baylor RBI list with 126 and is third on the home run list with 32. Last season Reagan set the new career record in walks with 109 in her career.

The award, which is considered one of the most prestigious honors in women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.

Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 6. The final three finalists will be announced May 20 while the winner of the 2009 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced prior to the start of the 2009 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.