The No. 15-seed Baylor Lady Bears (43-12) kicks off its road back to the Women’s College World Series, hosting the Waco Regional to open play in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship, running May 19-21 at Getterman Stadium.
The Lady Bears welcome in a stout field of competition, with the 12/11-ranked James Madison Dukes (50-6), Kent State Golden Flashes (32-26), and Oregon State Beavers (28-25) all forming the regional, double-elimination bracket.
Tournament play kicks off on Friday, May 19, at 4 p.m., with James Madison taking on Oregon State. Baylor and Kent State will follow at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Every inning of action will be broadcast on ESPN 3 and the Watch ESPN app, with Brenda VanLengen and Frencesca Enea handling the commentary all weekend long.
Baylor’s games will all be broadcast on ESPN Central Texas radio, with Dan Ingham and Kaitlyn Thumann on the call for Friday’s matchup and Jordan Strickland joining Ingham on Saturday and Sunday.
Baylor is hosting an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2014, the last season the Lady Bears advanced to the Women’s College World Series.
Baylor earned an NCAA postseason bid for the 12th time in program history, including extending a program-record with the team’s seventh straight selection.
Baylor is 40-25 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including an 11-6 clip in games played at Getterman Stadium. The Lady Bears have advanced out of the Waco Regional two (2009, 2014) out of three times the program hosted (2004, 2009, 2014). BU made it to the WCWS in 2014.
Baylor is 28-11 all-time in the Regional round of the tournament, advancing to the Super Regionals five times in program history (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014). BU hosted the supers in 2005 and 2007.
All three teams the Lady Bears are hosting for the weekend Waco Regional will make their first trip to Getterman Stadium.
Baylor finished third at the Big 12 Softball Championship, reinstated for the first time since 2010. Jessie Scroggins, Shelby Friudenberg, and Kelsee Selman were named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team, highlighted by Scroggins, who led all Big 12 hitters on the weekend with an incredible .714 hitting clip.
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.
Lindsey Cargill was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team, qualifying for the ballot for Academic All-America voting.
Several Lady Bears are knocking on the doorstep of long-standing program records, with Lindsey Cargill and Kyla Walker currently tied with 77 hits this season. The duo is now just four hits away from tying Harmony Schwethelm (2005) and Ashley Monceaux (2007) for the program record of 81.
Cargill has tied Namoi Fitzgerald (1998-2001) for the program record in career hits, sitting at 247.
Cargill (.461 batting avg. in 2017) is in solid position to set the program’s single-season batting average record, set in 2016 by her teammate Kyla Walker (.415). Walker is second on the team in 2017 with a .412 hitting clip.
Baylor matched a program-record with six NFCA All-Region selections: Lindsey Cargill (first team), Kelsee Selman (second team), Shelby Friudenberg (second team), Kyla Walker (second team), Ari Hawkins (third team), and Jessie Scroggins (third team).
One former Lady Bear will return to the NCAA tournament, this time in the broadcast booth, with Megan Turk (2009-2012) joining Alex Pearlman on the call for ESPN in the Salt Lake City Regional, part of an unprecedented coverage effort by the network to broadcast every game from all 16 Regionals for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Baylor fans can follow action all season long on Twitter by following @BaylorSoftball and Baylor head coach Glenn Moore @BUMoore.
GAME INFO
Friday, May 19
4 p.m. – Game 1: JMU (home) vs. OSU (visitor)
6:30 p.m. – Game 2: BU (home) vs. KSU (visitor)
Saturday, May 20
1 p.m. – Game 3: Winner of G1 vs. Winner of G2
3:30 p.m. – Game 4: Loser of G1 vs. Loser of G2
6 p.m. – Game 5: Winner of G4 vs. Loser of G3
Sunday, May 21
1 p.m. – Game 6: Winner of G3 vs. Winner of G5
3:30 p.m. – Game 7: Winner of G6 vs. Loser of G6
All games to air on ESPN 3 and the Watch ESPN app. Select games could be picked up for ESPN, ESPN 2, or ESPNU.
Double elimination format, with the 5/21 3:30 game played only if necessary.
BROADCAST INFO
May 19
TV: ESPN 3 and Watch ESPN app
Talent: Brenda VanLengen and Francesca Enea
Radio: ESPN Central Texas
Talent: Dan Ingham and Kaitlyn Thumann
Live Stats: BaylorBears.com
May 20-21
TV: ESPN 3 and Watch ESPN app
Talent: Brenda VanLengen and Francesca Enea
Radio: ESPN Central Texas
Talent: Dan Ingham and Jordan Strickland
Live Stats: BaylorBears.com
No. 15 BAYLOR LADY BEARS
2016 Record: 45-14 (13-4 Big 12)
2017 Record: 43-12 (13-5 Big 12)
Head Coach: Glenn Moore (17th season)
Conference: Big 12
City: Waco, Texas
BU All-Time NCAA Record: 40-25 (.615)
BU All-Time NCAA Record in Waco: 11-6 (.647)
JAMES MADISON DUKES
2016 Record: 50-6 (18-1 CAA)
2017 Record: 50-6 (18-2 CAA)
Head Coach: Mickey Dean (5th season)
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
City: Harrisonburg, Va.
BU All-Time Record vs. JMU: Never met
- Waco: Never met
OREGON STATE BEAVERS
2016 Record: 30-20-1 (9-14 Pac-12)
2017 Record: 28-25 (9-15 Pac-12)
Head Coach: Laura Berg (5th season)
Conference: Pac-12
City: Corvalis, Ore.
BU All-Time Record vs. OSU: OSU leads, 5-1
- Waco: Never met
KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
2016 Record: 37-22 (16-7 MAC)
2017 Record: 32-26 (15-9 MAC)
Head Coach: Eric Oakley (1st season)
Conference: Mid-American Conference
City: Kent, Ohio
BU All-Time Record vs. KSU: Baylor leads, 3-0
- Waco: Never met
