By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Spring break can be a chance to regroup a little bit before the back half of the semester. Whether students were on a beach somewhere over the breather or catching up on sleep, Baylor Athletics continued business as usual.
Here is everything you may have missed over spring break.
No. 8 Baylor equestrian falls to No. 3 TCU, 12-7, in season-finale
Just two days after a 10-8 home loss to No. 1 Southern Methodist University on March 2, No. 8 Baylor equestrian came up short against No. 3 Texas Christian University. The Bears fell 12-7 to the Horned Frogs in the green and gold’s regular season finale on March 4 in Fort Worth.
“We had very strong performances in all four events today, and I’m very proud of how our team challenged this tough TCU team,” head coach Casie Maxwell said. “I feel like I’m getting redundant, but our team was really good. We exuded a lot of confidence and rode really strong. I think we are definitely ready to keep pushing forward this postseason.”
Baylor (5-8, 2-4 Big 12) now enters postseason play with a journey to Stillwater, Okla., for the Big 12 Championship meet on March 24 and 25. The contest’s first ride is yet to be announced.
Baylor men’s tennis splits home doubleheader
Baylor men’s tennis split its home doubleheader on March 5 at the Hurd Tennis Center, as it dropped the opener to Arizona State University, 4-3, before blowing past Furman University, 6-1, in the nightcap.
“It was a busy day of tennis,” head coach Michael Woodson said. “I think we got everything that we wanted and bargained for with good tests in both matches. I think obviously, it was tough in the first match to go 3-0 and have opportunities, but that’s college tennis. I think it’s a really difficult thing to do to bounce back after losing to come back to play again.
“I think in general, we did a good job with having good energy and focus from the start and we got off the court fast in a few spots, which was impressive. Credit to Juampi [Grassi Mazzuchi] and Zsombor [Velcz]. I think they had a really, really good day. They’re playing excellent tennis and starting to find their rhythm. And I think doubles is getting better; we had a big emphasis on that over the last couple of weeks and we’re moving in the right direction. It’s an opportunity to get better this week as we look to future matches.”
The Bears (7-9) had a doubleheader on March 11 which was canceled due to weather, so they return to action at 6 p.m. Friday for a match against the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Strong back-nine pushes No. 21 Baylor men’s golf to a tie for sixth at the Cabo Collegiate
The No. 21 Baylor men’s golf team mustered a 19-over 871 to end up tied for sixth with No. 19 University of Arizona at the Cabo Collegiate on March 7 at the Twin Dolphin Club in Los Cabos, Mexico.
“I asked the guys to climb the leaderboard today, and they did just that,” head coach Mike McGraw said. “I’m happy with our finish after struggling yesterday.”
The Bears play their next event back in their home state of Texas, as they will compete in the Aggie Invitational from April 10-11 at Traditions Golf Club in College Station.
No. 1 Baylor acro & tumbling edges No. 5 Oregon in Eugene for 20th-straight win
No. 1 Baylor acrobatics and tumbling took down No. 5 University of Oregon in its first top-5 matchup of the season, winning 285.305 – 278.910 in Eugene, Ore., on March 8.
“Alyiah [Chibi] Thomas and Ally Joswick stepped into some new positions in tosses today to fill a need for the team,” head coach Felecia Mulkey said. “I am proud of both of them and their poise under pressure. Chibi competed in [the] toss event for the first time. It was one of our best toss events so far this year and we still have room to improve.
“The team scored well in tumbling today, but we have a lot of work to do there as well. Can’t wait to get back and get back at it. It is fun to compete at Matthew Knight Arena, but we can’t wait to get back to the Ferrell Center in front of the best fanbase in the country.”
The Bears (4-0) get another break before taking on Frostburg State University in the Ferrell Center on March 22. The meet is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
No. 10 Baylor men’s basketball falls 78-72 to Iowa State in Big 12 quarterfinals
No. 10 Baylor men’s basketball dropped its Big 12 Championship quarterfinal contest to Iowa State University, 78-72, on March 9 in the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
“[The] game came down to rebounding,” head coach Scott Drew said of the Bears being dominated on the glass, 44-17. “I think you have to credit Iowa State. Their coaches did a better job preparing their guys for the physicality and toughness. And credit their players for kicking our butt on the glass.”
The Bears (22-10) now enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed in the South Region, and await a first-round matchup with 14th-seeded University of California, Santa Barbara. Tipoff between Baylor and the Gauchos (27-7) is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CT on Friday on TNT in the Ball Arena in Denver.
No. 20 Baylor softball suffers two-game setback at Louisville Slugger Invitational
No. 20 Baylor softball dropped consecutive contests on March 9, as it fell 2-0 to Boston University and then 2-1 to Long Beach State University.
The Bears’ (18-4) two games on March 10 were canceled, so they now play host to South Dakota State University for a doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch for the first game is set for 4 p.m.
Joens, Iowa State knock Baylor women’s basketball out of Big 12 tourney, 74-63
Even with four players in double figures, sixth-seeded Baylor women’s basketball couldn’t overcome third-seeded Iowa State University. The green and gold fell 74-63 in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship Friday night in the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
“It was a really good game, a really good game,” head coach Nicki Collen said. “It was a really good Iowa State crowd. I thought we played really, really well for about 34 or 35 minutes.”
The Bears (19-12) were placed in the Seattle 3 Region of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed. They will play against tenth-seeded University of Alabama at approximately 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2 Saturday in the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.
Baylor track and field men record highest indoor finish since 2011
The Baylor track and field team ended its indoor season at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, N.M., with the highest NCAA Division I Indoor National Championship finish since 2011, thanks to 13 team points to put it in 17th place.
“I am super proud of the student-athletes we brought to Albuquerque,” head coach Michael Ford said. “So happy for Matthew [Moorer] breaking the school record in the 400 and placing third. Nathaniel [Ezekiel] did an awesome job on the 400m as well, placing sixth. I was also pleased with the 4×400-meter relay that finished fifth and with Demar [Francis] and Mariah [Ayers] earning second team All-American status in the 200 meters. I will remember this team because it’s my first top-20 finish as a head coach and we did a great job this weekend.”
The Bears kickstart the outdoor season at home with the Clyde Hart Classic March 24-25 at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium.
Baylor baseball gets swept by Mercer in series finale loss, 6-3
Baylor baseball dropped its series finale to Mercer University, 6-3, on Sunday at Baylor Ballpark.
“Well, we’ve got to have better, more competitive at-bats,” head coach Mitch Thompson said. “I mean, we are not going to win games with only five or six hits. It’s not going to happen. We are going to have to be more competitive. We went one-two-three in too many innings and we have just got to get better. We’ll continue to work and continue to get better, but until we do, that’s what we are going to get.”
The Bears (5-11) now look to a midweek contest against Rice University at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark. Tuesday’s game marks the final tune-up before Big 12 play.
Baylor women’s tennis blasted by No. 20 Oklahoma, 6-1
Baylor women’s tennis suffered a setback to No. 20 University of Oklahoma via a 6-1 decision at the Hurd Tennis Center on Sunday.
“The entire weekend, I liked the spirit of our team,” head coach Joey Scrivano said. “We competed really hard, and it just didn’t work out on the scoreboard for us, but we are moving in the right direction. The spirit is good, and our doubles pairs have made tremendous improvements. Now, we just have to get ready for our Kansas trip, which is always a tough trip. We have to get back to work and make sure we are physically and mentally prepared for that.”
The Bears (8-8, 0-2 Big 12) continue conference play with a road matchup with the University of Kansas (Friday) and Kansas State University (Saturday).
