By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Baylor softball isn’t ready till the spring to find out what its objective is for the 12 months. The Bears have their sights set on making it to the Women’s College World Series — one thing this system hasn’t carried out since 2017.
Senior catcher Sydney Collazos stated the group finds all of the motivation it wants when it heads out to middle discipline at Getterman Stadium, the place it shows the 4 years this system had a WCWS look (2007, 2011, 2014 and 2017). So, despite the fact that the autumn is about intrasquad competitors, the group collectively is aware of the place the main target lies.
“Every day before practice, we’re coming out here and we’re all tapping that sign you see out in center field that has the Women’s College World Series dates,” Collazos stated. “So, yes, we’re competing internally, but we still have the same goals in mind.”
Baylor is in a a lot completely different spot than it was a few years in the past. In 2021, the Bears entered the season embracing an “underdog” position, simply seeking to compete in any recreation they might. Last 12 months was when the inexperienced and gold turned a number of heads, because it secured its first 40-win season in six years and upended six top-five foes — a kind of coming in opposition to Oklahoma, the now three-time defending nationwide champs. Baylor gave the Sooners (61-1) their solely blemish of 2023 on Feb. 19 in Waco.
But the Bears gained’t be sneaking up on anybody this spring, as they returned all however one member of final season’s group. Exactly 21 of twenty-two athletes from the 2023 squad are again for one more crack at it, and Baylor was a program that was on the cusp of internet hosting the NCAA Regional Round.
That profitable season impressed head coach Glenn Moore, particularly since his group handled an awesome quantity of accidents.
“Last year’s team proved what we’re capable of doing,” Moore stated. “Our Achilles’ heel has been injuries. I mean, we finished the year fairly strong in spite of having some very key injuries even early and even in the fall, and [we] still competed against just about everybody we played in a big way.”
Baylor right-handed pitcher Dariana Orme, who’s getting into her senior season in 2024, was one which needed to be shut down late within the 12 months. Orme hurled a conference-high 148 innings in the course of the common season after lacking the autumn of 2022 as a result of a proper arm harm and nerve harm to her ribs. The Bears’ ace needed to tackle an even bigger position following then-junior right-handed pitcher and infielder Aliyah Binford’s season-ending knee harm, which she suffered in late March.
Orme, a first-team all-region and second-team all-Big 12 decide, couldn’t restrict her nagging harm and was capable of have profitable surgical procedure for thoracic outlet syndrome over the offseason.
Moore did his finest to explain the main points back in May.
“From my understanding, they remove a portion of a rib to free up the nerve that’s being pinched and causing deadness in the arm,” Moore stated. “She was getting shots that were allowing her to play pain-free, but there’s no guarantee those are going to work. We were hoping that holding her out would rest her and also allow her to get that feeling back in her arm to finish up … but we had to shut her down.”
Another key harm was when then-sophomore first baseman Shaylon Govan suffered a torn labrum in late March as nicely. Govan performed by the shoulder ache and earned unanimous first-team All-Big 12 and first-team all-region honors after hitting a team-best .369 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs.
The Bears had been additionally with out then-sophomore right-handed pitcher Ava Knoll for many of the 12 months, and then-freshman utility Abbie Flores redshirted after lacking your complete season as a result of again surgical procedure.
Getting everybody again and wholesome, in addition to including a trio of freshmen in infielder Leah Cran, right-handed pitcher Lexie Warncke and infielder Paige King, has Binford amped for the upcoming season.
“I cannot wait to play,” Binford stated. “I can’t wait to see where this team’s going to go. We have so many different parts that just come together. It makes this team amazing, so it’s going to be awesome.”
With Baylor within the highlight for 2024, Collazos stated the group isn’t frightened a few goal being on its again. She stated the squad retains its personal goal on itself.
“We know, just as well as anybody, what kind of talent we have on this roster,” Collazos stated. “So, instead of thinking, ‘Oh, we have to perform to meet the expectations of others,’ we’re performing to meet our own expectations, which is to get back on the Women’s College World Series stage.”
The Bears have 4 extra occasions left on the fall exhibition schedule. They will play at 6 p.m. on Friday at McLennan Community College earlier than internet hosting the Green & Gold World Series, an annual intrasquad set of video games, Oct. Sept. 11. A pair of contests on Oct. 14 wraps up the slate, as Baylor will face Sam Houston in Huntsville after which North Texas in Spring.
Injury room:
- Orme is “on schedule,” based on Moore. He stated she must be “good to go in February.”
- Binford is again at apply following profitable knee surgical procedure halfway by the 2023 season. Moore stated the workers is limiting her all through the autumn however that she appears to be like wholesome.
- Govan continues to be nursing her shoulder after surgical procedure, however Moore stated she shall be cleared to get again to apply this week. Govan shall be restricted, however she’ll slowly get again into doing drills and different actions, per Moore.
- Flores continues to be coping with some minor again soreness and discomfort, however Moore stated he and the workers would check her over the weekend and see how she does.
- Junior utility Shannon Vivoda missed this weekend’s exhibition video games with a tweaked ankle, however Moore stated it shouldn’t be too extreme.
