By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Igor Stepczynski | Broadcast Reporter No. 1 Baylor men’s basketball fell for the first time since early November as No. 3 Kansas left Waco with a 64-61 win. Jayhawk center Ukoka Azuibuke finished with a dominant 23 points and 19 rebounds against the Bear defense. Baylor started the game with a three by redshirt junior guard MaCio Teague and a redshirt senior forward Freddie Gillespie jumper to gain a 5-0 lead, but that was the last lead the Bears held all day. Kansas ran off the next nine points and didn’t let…
Author: Matthew Soderberg
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor softball finished day one of the Baylor Invitational with a 1-0 win over Tulsa and a 5-1 victory over Illinois, extending the current win streak to eight games. Redshirt senior righty Gia Rodoni also pitched her first no-hitter of the season in the win against the Hurricanes.Rodoni got the start for the Lady Bears and finished her seven-inning workout with nine strikeouts and two walks allowed. The graduate was working with a perfect game until she gave up a walk in the fifth. Rodoni said after the game that she didn’t feel like she…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterIn my last column, I didn’t take San Diego State seriously. I still don’t know if they’re real, or anyone else really, but I do think college basketball fans are in for one of the wildest tournaments in recent memory. Baylor To win 23 games in a row is insane, but just like the football team, it almost seems like they’re getting pretty lucky through this streak. According to KenPom, the Bears are the second-luckiest team in the conference, and the close wins and leads given up recently show it. Baylor’s key to winning it…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 1 Baylor men’s basketball has possibly their biggest game of the season at 11 a.m. Saturday as No. 3 Kansas is slated to come to Waco. ESPN’s “College GameDay” is also heading to town to air its pregame show from the Ferrell Center. Baylor is expecting a packed house for Saturday’s game, approaching the most-attended event in the history of the Ferrell Center as the game has been sold out for weeks, according to 247Sports. Ticket prices for the matchup have reached all-time highs, with the lowest around $175 and the highest north…
No. 1 Baylor men’s basketball extended its win streak to conference record proportions Tuesday night with a 65-54 win over Oklahoma. The 23 straight victories oust Kansas’ previous record of 22 set in 1996-97.With redshirt junior guard MaCio Teague out for the second game in a row, sophomore guard Jared Butler stepped up with 22 points, five rebounds and three assists. Redshirt junior forward Mark Vital was the only other Bear in double digits with 10 points.Redshirt senior Freddie Gillespie led Baylor in rebounding with 10 boards alongside six points and three blocks, junior Tristan Clark worked up eight points…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterAfter a 21-point performance in the win over No. 14 West Virginia, Baylor men’s basketball’s sophomore guard Jared Butler earns the honor of Baylor Lariat Sports Athlete of the Weekend. Butler’s proficiency from the field played a big part in Baylor setting the Big 12 record win streak. The hot shooting afternoon came with redshirt junior guard MaCio Teague out with a wrist injury. Butler said after the game Teague’s injury couldn’t affect his play. “I told myself that I can’t change my game,” Butler said. “I can’t, try to force shots now that he’s…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer Baylor softball finished their four-day six-game weekend with six wins and a Getterman Classic championship in hand. Thanks to their hottest start in two years, sophomore third baseman Lou Gilbert said the Lady Bears head into the second half of their 13-game home stand with a raised confidence level. Part of that confidence comes from the sheer number of players they can throw in at different positions. Senior Taylor Ellis played shortstop and catcher. Freshman Aliyah Pritchett played shortstop and pitched. Freshman Emily Hott played left field, shortstop and second base, a position she…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor softball claimed the victory in the Getterman Classic Sunday afternoon with an 8-3 win over Prairie View A&M. Six Lady Bears were named to the All-Tournament team after the game.Redshirt senior righty Gia Rodoni got the start for Baylor and pitched 4.2 innings of three-run ball with six strikeouts, but those three runs all came unearned. She was relieved by redshirt junior righty Sidney Holman-Mansell, who struck out three while giving up one baserunner in her 2.1 innings on the mound.With two aces on the mound in the championship game, Baylor started the scoring…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor softball earned two more victories Saturday to bring their record to 7-2 with a 2-1 win over Western Illinois and a 4-2 win over Grand Canyon. The Lady Bears played their two closest games of the season and came out unscathed.Redshirt senior righty Gia Rodoni pitched eight innings, gave up one run and four baserunners, and threw one strikeout short of a career-high. Her 16 strikeouts led the way for the Lady Bears in their first game, and she said after the game that her stamina is starting to work back up after injuries…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter No. 1 Baylor men’s basketball dominated No. 14 West Virginia Saturday to the tune of 70-59, though the Bears led by as many as 21 points with 3:15 left in the game. Sophomore guard Jared Butler shined as the game’s leading scorer with 21 points on 8-11 shooting. Baylor came out raucous to open the first half, gaining a 10-point lead just eight minutes into the contest. The Bears drove the lead up to 19 with 3:41 left before the break thanks to hot shooting from Butler…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor softball improved to 5-2 Friday with a 7-4 win over Prairie View A&M and a 10-2 win over Grand Canyon to start up the Getterman Classic. The Grand Canyon victory also launched head coach Glenn Moore into exclusive territory — the 900-win club.Redshirt junior righty Sidney Holman-Mansell started off the day for the Lady Bears with five innings on the mound and four earned runs allowed. Holman-Mansell also struck out ten batters and walked three before she was relieved by redshirt senior righty Gia Rodoni. Rodoni finished off the matchup with a lead in…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor softball opened its 2020 home campaign with a 10-1 win against Abilene Christian Thursday night. Redshirt senior righty Gia Rodoni pitched her best game since coming back from injury. Rodoni started the first inning with two groundouts followed by a home run, the only run she allowed in her four innings on the mound. She struck out eight of the next 10 batters she faced, shutting down ACU until sophomore lefty Madison Lindsey took over in the fifth. Head coach Glenn Moore said after the game that Rodoni went above and beyond his expectations…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor men’s basketball laid waste to Texas 52-45 in Austin Monday night. The Longhorns were down 42-27 with 8:04 left on the clock in the second half.In a defensive battle where each team shot lower than 35% from the floor, redshirt junior guard MaCio Teague led the Bears in scoring again with 11. He was also 3-11 from the field but led Baylor in the rebound category with eight and was the only Bear to put up more than 10 points.Senior guard Devonte Bandoo followed Teague with 10 points on 4-6 shooting, and…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterOn Monday, Baylor men’s basketball was picked as the No. 1 team for the fourth time in a row. Big 12 teams have also been ranked for five weeks this season, more than any other conference in the country. Kansas and Baylor have been ranked in the top five for the past month, with West Virginia right behind No. 14 and the defending national runner-up in Texas Tech hovering around the edge of the rankings. Baylor redshirt junior guard MaCio Teague said they are proud to be the top team in the nation. “We get…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer Baylor softball dropped to 2-2 after a 3-0 loss Sunday to Missouri State. The game was called after the sixth inning due to an agreed-upon drop-dead time for travel reasons.Redshirt junior righty Sidney Holman-Mansell started the game for the Lady Bears and gave up one earned run in the second to start Missouri State’s scoring and two unearned in the third before being pulled in favor of redshirt senior lefty Gia Rodoni.Rodoni eased the pain with three innings of scoreless pitching and four strikeouts, but Baylor’s offense never picked up. The Lady Bears managed…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer Baylor softball dropped to 2-1 Saturday after a 9-1 loss to Missouri. After allowing only four runs Friday, the Lady Bears allowed four home runs and eight total hits to the Tigers.Missouri started off the scoring early with a solo homer from shortstop Jazmyn Rollin in the first, then two more solo shots from second baseman Kendyll Bailey and first baseman Emma Raabe in the second frame. Freshman infielder/pitcher Aliyah Pritchett came then came in to replace starting senior Gia Rodoni.Baylor got on the board with Pritchett’s first career home run in the top…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter No. 1 Baylor men’s basketball earned a 78-70 victory against Oklahoma State Saturday at the Ferrell Center. The win extends the Bears’ current program-record streak to 20 straight games. Baylor gained an early lead against the Cowboys, up by 14 points with 9:16 left in the first half, but the Bears let the lead slip as OSU ran off 14 of the next 17, closing the lead to three with 3:37 left before the break. The Bears at least attempted to right the ship before going to…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports EditorBaylor softball opened its season Friday with an 8-0 win against No. 23 Auburn and a 7-4 win against Louisville. The Lady Bears start the 2020 campaign at 2-0 for the fifth time since 2011.Baylor started off the day retiring nine of the first 10 Auburn batters before starting their offensive onslaught in the third inning. The Lady Bears posted five runs as senior first baseman Goose McGlaun started the scoring with a double, bringing in redshirt senior outfielder Kyla Walker for the run.Sophomore third baseman Lou Gilbert, redshirt junior outfielder Madison Kettler, freshman outfielder…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports writerBaylor softball will begin its season in Clearwater, Fla., at the NFCA Lead Off Classic. The five-game series will feature matchups with No. 23 Auburn, Louisville, Missouri, Missouri State and an exhibition with the U.S. National Team. After the squad missed the postseason for the first time in the past nine years, the team is looking toward a return this season. The Big 12 coaches picked the Lady Bears fifth in the preseason conference poll, and senior catcher Taylor Ellis said they’re ready for a fresh start. “We’re excited to turn a new page,” Ellis…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter Dirt biking, four-wheeler riding, motorcycling, skydiving. All things Baylor sophomore KC Lightfoot loves to do, but add pole vaulting 18 feet into the air to the list, because he’s one of the country’s best. As a freshman, Lightfoot finished eighth at the Indoor Championships and fourth at the Outdoor Championships, reaching All-American status in both. Despite his relatively unprecedented success, he said he was still upset with some of his results. “You could say there was a little bit of frustration,” Lightfoot said. “I wouldn’t say there…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor men’s basketball hasn’t lost since early November. The Bears’ success is unprecedented, yes, but it also signifies a paradigm in college basketball — one that shifts away from the traditional blue bloods and towards the insurgents.The national champion 12 of the previous 13 seasons was a team that had won a title before. The lone exception? Last year’s Virginia squad, but even that school had been in the national conversation for years.College sports are different from the professional level not just in compensation for the athletes involved, but also because there is…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor men’s basketball held off Kansas State after blowing an early lead for a 73-67 win against the penultimate team in the Big 12 standings. The Green and Gold got into major foul trouble throughout as three players combined for 13 personal fouls.The Bears built up a 16-point lead in the first seven minutes of play, but that advantage was squandered after an 11-0 run led to a strong back half of the first half for the Wildcats. Baylor held serve for the last six minutes, but the damage was done as KSU…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 men’s basketball defeated Texas Christian University 68-52 Saturday in the Ferrell Center. The Bears improved their record to 19-1 and have now won a program-record 18-straight games this season.Baylor led by 17 points with 13:10 remaining in the second half but the Horned Frogs slowly chipped away down to six points. TCU guard Desmond Bane heated up after going scoreless in the first half as he posted 14 points in the last 20 minutes.TCU worked the lead down to eight points with 3:00 minutes left and had possession to drop it further, but…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor acrobatics and tumbling will begin their 2020 season at 5 p.m. Saturday in Belton against a new program, Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Bears return just 11 juniors and seniors (out of 43 total athletes) to their defending national champion squad from last season. According to head coach Felecia Mulkey, there have been grumblings of a rebuilding year for her team, but she said she is confident that they have the firepower to stay on top. “With a young group, the hunger is there,” Mulkey said. “You get a lot of just really driven…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor men’s basketball defeated Iowa State 67-53 in Ames, Iowa on Wednesday night. The Bears left no doubt as they led for the last 31 minutes of the game.Redshirt junior guard MaCio Teague led Baylor in scoring with 15 on 6-14 shooting, joining three other Bears in double figures. Iowa State had two players, guards Tyrese Haliburton (17) and Rasir Bolton (19), that outscored anyone in Green and Gold, but the Cyclones failed to field another player who scored more than four points.Redshirt senior forward Freddie Gillespie was second in scoring for Baylor…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor men’s basketball has transformed into a transfer-centric institution. Redshirt-senior forward Freddie Gillespie has shown that over the past year, and redshirt guards MaCio Teague and Davion Mitchell are exemplifying it now. Teague made his way to Waco from North Carolina-Asheville, where he spent two years as an All-Big South honoree. However, the program was limited on the national stage in such a small conference. Mitchell comes from Auburn, where he backed up starting point guard Jared Harper. In 2019, the season after he left, the Tigers made it to the Final Four as he…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 1 Baylor defeated unranked Floriday 72-61 Saturday in Gainsville, Fla. in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The two conferences tied 5-5 for the second time in the past seven years.After gaining a large lead by the second half, the Bears’ free throw shooting allowed them to hold on as they shot 15-16 from the line. The Gators shot 11-16 at the line and missed all three of the front ends of their bonus shots.Baylor was down 17-9 early as the Bears struggled to make shots. Down eight with 13 minutes left in the first…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterSporterberg is back! Maybe this will be better than ever! College basketball is in full swing, and with Baylor ranked No. 1, it’s time to look where the other teams are across the nation. The Big 12 What a week for the second best 10-team conference in the country! Baylor is ranked No. 1, Kansas is No. 3 and Kansas player Silvio De Sousa almost hit a Kansas State player over the head with a stool. At the end of the game between the two bitter rivals in Lawrence, Kans., with five seconds left on…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterSince Baylor’s Give Light funding campaign was announced in November 2019, the athletic programs have taken off with a vast amount of success and have received several major donations. Give Light was exclusively introduced to a select portion of the Baylor community in May 2014 and was originally connected to the Pro Futuris strategic plan. Now, the campaign is public and lives alongside the new strategic plan, Illuminate. The plan, ushered in by university president Dr. Linda Livingstone after her first year in office, focuses on five academic areas and leans heavily on Give Light.…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer The nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards were announced and almost immediately #OscarsSoWhite started trending on Twitter. That’s because the nominations look about as white as a wedding cake. Only two of the 20 nominations for acting went to people of color. Only two of the nine best picture nominees were directed by a woman or person of color. There were no women nominated for best director. The United States, meanwhile, is made up of 50% women and 40% people of color. This isn’t an issue of affirmative action. People aren’t pleading for the…