Friday, April 8
Lawrence, KS
4 PM
Baylor
at
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Kansas
SB Travels to Kansas for Three-Game Set
4/7/2022 10:14:00 AM | Softball
Bears have won four of the last six against the Jayhawks
BAYLOR (18-17, 0-6 Big 12) at KANSAS (12-20, 1-5 Big 12)
Friday, April 8 • at Kansas • Lawrence, Kansas | Arrocha Ballpark • Radio: 101.3 FM • TV: Big 12 Now ESPN+Saturday, April 9 • at Kansas • Lawrence, Kansas | Arrocha Ballpark • Radio: 101.3 FM • TV: Big 12 Now ESPN+
Sunday, April 10 • at Kansas • Lawrence, Kansas | Arrocha Ballpark • Radio: 101.3 FM • TV: Big 12 Now ESPN+
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
After snapping a seven-game losing streak with Wednesday's 8-0 run-rule victory over Lamar, Baylor softball (18-17, 0-6) will try to carry that momentum into a weekend series at Kansas (12-20, 1-5).
While the Bears still have a split series next month against 14th-ranked Texas (30-10-1, 6-0) that will close out the regular season, Wednesday's win over Lamar started a stretch of 15-consecutive games against teams that are all ranked below Baylor's No. 52 spot in the latest RPI.
"We were at a point where we needed to win, no matter who it was, no matter how we got it," Baylor coach Glenn Moore said. "Nice to do it in the fashion that we did with a couple of kids out of our lineup. But, it's not about the opponent anymore, it's about us. We need to run off some wins here, and (Wednesday) night was a good start."
Even with Taylor Strain and Aliyah Binford both sitting out, the Bears scored in all but the first inning and belted out eight hits in five innings in the win over Lamar. Dariana Orme (7-10, 3.34 ERA) and Rachel Hertenberger combined on a one-hit shutout with nine strikeouts.
"Coming off a tough series against Oklahoma State, this gave us the momentum we need," said sophomore Sydney Collazos, who's hitting .302 with two homers and 19 RBI. "We've faced some really tough teams, but we're ready to get back on track where we should be."
Baylor had the unenviable task of opening conference with back-to-back series against top-ranked Oklahoma and No. 6 Oklahoma State. While the Bears lost six in a row, they had a seventh-inning lead against the Sooners and were up 2-0 on the Cowgirls in last Sunday's game.
"When you're playing the No. 1 team and the No. 6 team, you start looking for small victories," Moore said. "In the last four games of those six, I thought we competed really well and gave ourselves an opportunity to even win those games. We didn't, but we gave ourselves opportunities.
"We might have played as well as we're capable of playing at this stage. So, we're looking back and kind of grabbing some of those small, moral victories. We feel like we've seen the best of the best, so no surprises from here on out. We just know we have to win."
Kansas has had a similar path this season, losing five of its first six conference games, but the Jayhawks dropped a pair of one-run games at home against Texas and are coming off a 10-4 win on the road at Texas Tech.
"Like us, their backs are against the wall, so you're probably going to see them at their best playing at home this weekend," Moore said of Kansas, which is last in the league with a 4.78 ERA and .305 opponent batting average. "They've got enough arms where they can give you different looks. A big challenge for us will be making adjustments. They make a lot of in-game changes, and you've got to make quick changes to be able to stay ahead of that."
While Baylor (.288) and Kansas (.286) are batting just about the same, the Jayhawks have belted out 34 home runs compared to just nine for the Bears. Ashlyn Anderson (.337, 9 homers) has hit as many dingers as Baylor's team.
"I just feel like we have the upper hand right now because we know what we're capable of doing," Collazos said. "We had close games against OSU, and I feel like that gives us the upper hand against Kansas, because we are close in talent, but we have the experience and momentum right now."
Collazos has been Baylor's Swiss army knife this season, playing catcher, third base and shortstop.
"I've caught my whole life, so obviously playing in the infield is different for me," she said. "But, I like it there, too. I just do what I'm told, and I try to do it well. I enjoy both third base and middle infield . . . and behind the plate. I'm surprised he hasn't put me in center yet. Maybe I'll see that this weekend."
Moore said it's "not ideal" for Collazos to have to move around like that, but "she's got a great mentality for it and is willing to do what we need her to do."
"Her bat has been so strong that we need to find a place for her defensively when she's not catching," Moore said. "We have to have her in the lineup. So, if that means middle infield, we need her to get the job done the best she can. We've thrown her around, as we have a few others. Again, that's not ideal, but it's what we have to do right now to put together our best, most productive offense."
Shortstop Campbell Selman (.237) matched her season total for hits in Wednesday's game alone, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, one run scored and an RBI.
"I think playing the toughest competitors in the Big 12 has given us the confidence to play with anyone," Selman said. "I'm not going to say it's going to be easy, but we're definitely going to compete and try our best. I think everyone doubted us, that we weren't going to go in there and compete that well. I think that gave us a lot of respect in how we stand in the Big 12."
The series begins with Friday's 4 p.m. game at Arrocha Ballpark, followed by 2 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday. All three games will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
STORY LINES
• Baylor Softball heads to Lawrence, Kansas to take on the Jayhawks in a three-game conference series.
• The Bears (18-17) are trying to pick up their first win in conference play after opening the season at No.1 Oklahoma and hosting No. 6 Oklahoma State.
• Kansas (12-20) opened conference play with Texas and Texas tech, picking up its only conference win so far against Texas Tech in the finale of the three-game series.
• These two teams have previously met 68 times with Baylor leading the all-time record 40-28, including the 16-10 lead in Lawrence, Kansas.
• Baylor picked up a midweek shutout against Lamar, 8-0. Dariana Orme and Rachel Hertenberger combined for a one-hitter as Josie Bower hit a two-run home run and Campbell Selman went 3-for-3 at the plate.
•The Bears are currently sitting at 52 in the NCAA RPI rankings. All seven Big 12 schools currently rank in the top 100 RPI rankings.
• Head Coach Glenn Moore said this could be one of the best situational hitting teams he has ever had. Taylor Strain leads the charge in hits with two outs posting a .452 batting average when two outs are on the board. McKenzie Wilson has recorded a leadoff hit or walk in the last five contests.
BEARS IN THE BIG 12 RANKINGS
• McKenzie Wilson still ranks first in the Big 12 with five triples on the season. Her .431 season batting average still leads the Bears as well as her 22 RBI. Also in the Big 12, Wilson is fourth in batting average (.436), second in hits (44) and first for stolen bases (19).
• Baylor as a team is fourth in the conference in pitching. BU is also leading the league in sacrifice bunts (16).
• Maren Judisch is tied for first in saves with two.
• McKenzie Wilson is 1st in percentage reached as a leadoff batter with .714, while Josie Bower is batting 1.000 with the bases loaded.
• Josie Bower is leading the league in hit by pitches (8), while Taylor Strain leads in sacrifice bunts (8).
• Aliyah Binford is tied for fifth in doubles with 10.
KANSAS
BAYLOR LEADS 40-28Waco: Baylor leads 23-11
Lawrence, Kan.: Baylor leads 16-10
Neutral: Kansas leads 7-1
- BaylorBears.com -
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Players Mentioned
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