By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Winners in 12 of its last 16 games, Baylor softball is looking to keep rolling through Ames, Iowa, as it takes on Iowa State in the final series before the Big 12 Tournament.
“We have been able to see how good we are when we’re all hitting on all cylinders,” senior first baseman Shaylon Govan said. “That’s giving us the momentum to finish the season strong and get a chance to hopefully go into the postseason.”
Baylor (25-24, 10-11 Big 12) is coming off a series win over BYU, the fifth-best team in the Big 12. They took two of three from the Cougars, with the only loss being a tight 4-3 defeat Saturday.
“We had an opportunity to sweep BYU this weekend,” head coach Glenn Moore said. “I think we’re playing our best ball … I’m really proud of the way the team is playing right now, and I think we can gain some confidence from that series win.”
The Bears now head north to face off against Iowa State (28-21, 13-8 Big 12) — the No. 3 team in the conference. Unlike the warmth of Waco in the spring, the Bears will beat the 90s and settle into Iowa, where the temperatures will max out in the mid-60s over the weekend and linger around 55 degrees during game time.
“First of all, it’s cold; it’s April — about to be May — it should not be that cold yet,” Govan said. “But it’s cold, I feel like it’s a hitter’s park. We’ve kind of played in those a lot this season.”
The Cyclones have won 11 of their last 15 and have not lost a conference series since they dropped two games to BYU on April 4 and 5.
The series, featuring two teams playing their best softball, could set the tone for the upcoming Big 12 Tournament. Baylor is looking to complete their regular season with a statement over favored Iowa State.
“[We’re] just firing on all cylinders, getting everybody moving in the same direction,” senior right-handed pitcher Ava Knoll said. “This series is big to us, and we’re looking to go in and come back home with a sweep.”
The Bears have had the Cyclones’ number throughout the matchup, holding a 42-19 record over them, including a 12-game winning streak spanning from April 2015 to April 2018. Baylor has not had as much success in their last two trips to Ames, splitting their last six games with a series loss the season prior.
“We usually catch them close to the end of the season, when they’re playing their best,” Moore said. “It has been a difficult place for us to compete.”
Sophomore third baseman and designated player Leah Cran is returning to the lineup after missing a month and a half of action due to injury. Through her last game against No. 9 Texas Tech on March 16, Cran had a hit in 13 of her last 16 games and hit at a .382 average.
“That’s a big bat that’s been out of our batting order for two months now,” Moore said. “She won’t come back hitting .400 like she left, I’m sure. But the fact that we could strengthen our offense a little bit, we need to do that.”
As the postseason approaches and the Bears face off against a higher-ranked team, they will lean on senior left-handed pitcher Lillie Walker, who has been the anchor of the pitching staff this season. Walker has eaten up 134 2/3 of the staff’s 322 1/3 innings pitched — over 40%. Her mark also ranks 91st in the country. She leads the team in ERA, wins, complete games, strikeouts and opponent batting average.
“Without Lillie, we’re getting ready for our end-of-the-year meetings and probably in last place in the Big 12,” Moore said. “[She] came in here to add that lagniappe, to use the south Louisiana term — a little something extra to our bullpen — and we’ve had to put the season on her shoulders.”
With three games remaining in the regular season, every game and result is becoming magnified and could make a substantial difference in where Baylor lands in the NCAA Tournament as a potential bubble team.
“We probably haven’t talked about it as much as we would probably like, because we still have really high hopes to make NCAAs,” Govan said. “Right now, we’re just taking it one pitch and one trip at a time and just making sure that we’re able to love on each other.”
The Bears will begin the three-game series against Iowa State 4 p.m. Friday at Cyclone Sports Complex in Ames, Iowa.
