May 11, 2017 Baylor Big 12 SB Notes 
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation
Since losing traditional softball powers like Nebraska, Missouri and Texas A&M, Big 12 softball has needed something to bring a little life back to the league.
Baylor coach Glenn Moore is hoping the revival of the Big 12 Softball Championship this weekend at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla., is the answer.
"We needed a shot in the arm for our conference," said Moore, whose No. 12/16 Baylor team (41-11) will face Oklahoma State (33-22) at 11 a.m. and Iowa State (23-32) at 5 p.m. Friday in the pool-play portion of the six-team tournament. "We needed to have some eyes on us. A lot of the other conferences are getting a lot of publicity that the Big 12 is missing out on by not having a tournament. So, we're going to have some coverage with that."
But, that was just one of the reasons why the tournament is back after a six-year absence. At the top of that list, Moore says, is the chance to win a Big 12 championship.
"You have an opportunity to play your best ball in two days, and you can bring a trophy home," said Moore, who hasn't won a Big 12 title since winning the regular-season championship back in 2007. "Not having won one in a long time, this is the easiest way to do it. I'm not saying it will be easy, but it's certainly another championship, and we value this just as much as we do the regular season."
Senior third baseman Lindsey Cargill, who joined senior pitcher Kelsee Selman and outfielders Kyla Walker and Jessica Scroggins on the All-Big 12 first team that was released Wednesday, said the Lady Bears "should have won the (regular) season championship."
"It's just nice to have another chance to show we are better than them, no matter who it is," said Cargill, who's hitting .459 with 32 stolen bases. "I know we can do it. We have the motivation to beat these teams."
If they need any more motivation to perform well this weekend, the Lady Bears need to look no further than last season. Despite having a top-16 RPI, they were sent packing to Oregon for the region tournament instead of getting a host site.
This year, Baylor is No. 10 in the RPI, one spot ahead of Big 12 champion Oklahoma, with the NCAA Softball Championship selections announced at 9 p.m. CDT Sunday on ESPN2.
"It's another opportunity to put the finishing touches on your resume before you send it off to the committee," Moore said. "If you are a bubble team, this gives you an opportunity to play well in this tournament and say, `Hey, we deserve to go to the (NCAA) tournament,' or in our case, we deserve to host."
Because of the latest RPI rankings, Moore doesn't feel like the Lady Bears have anything left to prove or have to do anything in Oklahoma City in order to nail down one of the 16 regional host sites, "but history tells me I can't think nothing."
"We put together a schedule that if you do well in it, you should be rewarded with a host site," he said. "And I think we've done what we need to do under normal circumstances. But, I don't know what goes on when those doors are shut and who's fighting for what conference or what region.
"Last year, we were maybe not in as good a shape as we are this year, but we were in a good position and we were sent to Oregon. We're not bitter about that, but we just know that we can't let chances go by. And this weekend is a chance to do even more."
Baylor won two of three at home against Oklahoma State, sweeping a doubleheader before losing the series finale, 9-4, and took all three regular-season games against Iowa State.
Selman (21-9, 1.54 ERA) faces an explosive OSU offense led by Vanessa Shippy, who hit .404 with 13 doubles, four triples, five homers and 44 RBI. Shippy and senior pitcher Brandi Needham (18-8, 2.69) were the Cowgirls' lone first-team All-Big 12 selections, while junior infielder Rylee Bayless and sophomore utility player Madi Sue Montgomery were named to the second team.
Friday's other pool-play games include Texas vs. Texas Tech at 11 a.m. on the Integris Field; Oklahoma vs. Texas at 2 p.m. in Hall of Fame Stadium; Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State at 2 p.m. at Integris; and OU vs Tech at 7:30 p.m. in the Stadium.
Saturday's 4:30 p.m. championship game will be played at the stadium and will be aired by FS2, with Friday's games on the Stadium field being broadcast by FOX College Sports.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The No. 12/16 Baylor Lady Bears (41-11, 13-5 Big 12) opens its run at the 2017 Big 12 Softball Championship as the No. 2 seed, facing No. 3 Oklahoma State at 11 a.m. and No. 5 Iowa State at 5 p.m. on Friday at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Big 12 Softball Championship is returning for the first time since 2010, with the league's head coaches and the instiutions' athletic directors voting to bring the tournament back into play.
Hosted by the conference office in partnership with USA Softball, the tournament is played in the same stadium as the annual NCAA Softball Division I Women's College World Series, the only conference in the country that can stake that claim.
With an altered pool play format, all six teams that qualified for the tournament are guaranteed three games of competition, with the winner of the Baylor-OSU-ISU pool advancing to face the winner of the OU-UT-TTU on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
FOX College Sports will carry both of Baylor's games on Friday, with Chad McKee and Lauren Chamberlain on the call. If the Lady Bears do advance to the championship game, FOX Sports 2 will carry the broadcast.
ESPN Central Texas will also carry all three Baylor games of the tournament, with the Voice of the Bears, John Morris on the call.
- Baylor is looking for the program's first Big 12 Tournament title, with the lone conference trophy for the program coming with the regular season title in 2007.
- Baylor is 11-22 all-time in the Big 12 Softball Championship, with the Lady Bears' best finish coming on bow outs in 2004, 2005, and 2009. BU is vying for its first trip to the tournament final.
- Baylor took a 3-0 series sweep over Iowa State and a 2-1 series win over Oklahoma State in regular season Big 12 play.
- Baylor landed a program-record 10 Big 12 postseason accolades, including Jessie Scroggins as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, four first team All-Big 12 selections, two second team honorees, and three All-Freshman team members.
- Baylor landed six Academic All-Big 12 selections, including five first-teamers and all four seniors.
- Several Lady Bears are knocking on the doorstep of long-standing program records, with Lindsey Cargill and Kyla Walker currently tied with 72 hits this season. They both sit nine short of tying the Baylor single-season hits record (81, Harmony Schwethelm, 2005 & Ashley Monceaux, 2007).
- Cargill is also five hits (242) short of tying the Baylor career hits record (247, Naomi Fitzgerald, 1998-2001).
Baylor fans can follow action all season long on Twitter by following @BaylorSoftball and Baylor head coach Glenn Moore @BUMoore.
GAME INFO
Friday, May 12
vs. Oklahoma State | 11 a.m.
vs. Iowa State | 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 13 | TBD | TBD
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium (7,300) | Oklahoma City, Okla.
Game 1 & 2
TV: FOX College Sports
Talent: Chad McKee and Lauren Chamberlain
Radio: ESPN Central Texas
Talent: John Morris and Jonathan Hill
Game 3
TV: FOX College Sports
Talent: TBA
Radio: ESPN Central Texas
Talent: John Morris and Jonathan Hill
12/16 BAYLOR LADY BEARS
2016 Record: 45-14 (13-4 Big 12)
2017 Record: 41-11 (13-5 Big 12)
Head Coach: Glenn Moore (17th season)
Conference: Big 12
City: Waco, Texas
Current RPI (Updated May 8): 10
OKLAHOMA STATE COWGIRLS
2016 Record: 32-26 (6-11 Big 12)
2017 Record: 33-22 (12-6 Big 12)
Head Coach: Kenny Gajewski (2nd season)
Conference: Big 12
City: Stillwater, Okla.
BU All-Time Record vs. OSU: OSU leads, 33-30 Â
- Neutral: OSU leads, 7-4
Current RPI (May 8): 37
IOWA STATE CYCLONES
2016 Record: 20-35 (1-17 Big 12)
2017 Record: 23-32 (6-12 Big 12)
Head Coach: Jamie Trachsel (1st season)
Conference: Big 12
City: Ames, Iowa
BU All-Time Record vs. ISU: Baylor leads, 34-12 Â
- Neutral: Series tied, 2-2
Current RPI (May 8): 138
#SicEm
