The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from Baylor's Week of Sports
Softball stayed scorching hot, basketball heads down the home stretch, and "Quartermile U" flexes its muscle.
Here's a look at The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from the past week in Baylor Athletics.
The Good
Softball — The Bears remained red hot with a 5-0 week overall, including a 4-0 run to capture the Baylor Invitational, defeating Minnesota 15-2 in the finale. The now surging Top 25 squad will host UT-Arlington on Tuesday and then welcome in Texas A&M and Sam Houston for the Ode to Joy Invitational.
Dariana Orme — Softball's star on the mound and reigning National Pitcher of the Week, followed up last week's perfect game vs. SFA with a no-hitter as the Bears defeated Top 25 Maryland 5-0 on Friday. Orme narrowly missed a second perfect outing, striking out 11 but allowing one pesky walk.
Women's Basketball — The Bears snapped a four-game skid, thanks to win over TCU in Fort Worth and Texas Tech at home, each by ten points, thanks in part to strong performances from Bella Fontleroy and Caitlin Bickle, among others. Nicki Collen's team regrouped and responded, thus avoiding total disaster. Now entering the final week of the regular season, a Big 12 title is out of reach, but the Bears have a stellar opportunity against No. 19 Texas on Monday night. They'll host West Virginia on Saturday in the regular season finale.
Men's Basketball — Awesome win against the Longhorns. Beating Texas — Top 10, no less — is always a cause for celebration, and that was certainly the case on Saturday. An ugly start and Keyonte George's early exit seemed like bad omens, but the Bears again showed their championship might with that incredible 18-0 run, flipping the game on its head. Jalen Bridges, Flo Thamba, and Dale Bonner helped lead the way. Bonner, in particular, played a crucial role off the bench and made the most of his opportunity, which was fantastic to see in its own right. Now, a quick turnaround into another Big Monday showdown against Oklahoma State in Stillwater. And then the regular season finale at home against Iowa State. And with that, the last time the program will close a season at the Ferrell Center.
Quarter Mile U — At the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Lubbock, the Bears took home their third-straight women's indoor 4x400 conference title, and Matthew Moorer won the Big 12 title in the 400-meters. And not only did Moorer grab gold, but the Bears swept the podium, with Hasani Barr earning the silver and Nathan Ezekiel nabbing the bronze. Elsewhere, those three and teammate Dillon Bedell set a new program record in the 4x400 relay with a 3:02.89, good enough for a silver medal.
Men's Tennis — It had to feel good for Michael Woodson and crew to get back in the win column after a gauntlet of ranked opponents and subsequent losses. The Bears swept Abilene Christian and Brown, 7-0 each, on Saturday at Hawkins Indoor. They'll host Arizona State and Furman for a doubleheader next Sunday at the Hurd Tennis Center.
A&T — Junior Bayley Humphrey earned NCATA Specialist of the Week honors.
JaMycal Hasty — Awesome to see the former Bears RB has inked a new deal in Jacksonville after a solid first season with the Jaguars. As it turns out, his previous release from the 49ers may have been a blessing in disguise.
From the Jaguars' official release, "Hasty played in all 17 regular season games and both postseason games for the Jaguars in 2022 after being claimed off of waivers on August 31, 2022. In his first season with Jacksonville, he recorded career highs in scrimmage yards (320), rushing yards (194), carries (46), and rushing TDs (2). The Longview, Texas native entered the league with the 49ers and played in 19 games with San Francisco from 2020-21."
Abram Smith — The XFL weekend wasn't particularly newsworthy, but seeing Baylor's single-season rushing leader trotting into the end-zone for the first time with the DC Defenders was good. He finished with 71 yards rushing on 11 carries and a fourth-quarter score that helped propel DC over Vegas, 18-6.
The Bad
Keyonte George Injury — The school announced George suffered a mild ankle sprain on Saturday and will miss Big Monday against Oklahoma State. While not ideal to be without a star player, the diagnosis was welcome news compared to some initial fears. But no injury is ever good news.
0-2 vs. EMAW — Jerome Tang and Kansas State finished off a regular season sweep of the Bears, and he celebrated in turn. No one is probably happier about Tang's success than Scott Drew. Still, seeing him celebrating another crucial victory and dismantling any realistic chances of the Bears' earning a regular-season championship stings a little.
Men's Golf — Strong winds wreaked some havoc last week as the No. 21 Bears finished in 8th place at UC Davis' The Prestige in Palm Springs, California. They will next compete at the Cabo Collegiate in Mexico, which begins on Sunday.
Women's Tennis — The Bears lost their third straight contest, falling to Washington 5-2 at Hawkins Indoor.
The Ugly
Blue Devil Blowouts — Baseball had a nightmare trip to North Carolina, not just getting swept in their weekend series at Duke but crushed by a whopping 52-7 margin. The team did earn a midweek win over HCU, but that resonates little after the rough results in Raleigh. Interestingly enough, the program begins a 14-game home stand that lasts through March 21. This week at Baylor Ballpark, the action starts Tuesday against UTSA before a four-game weekend series hosting Youngstown State.
WBB Third Quarter — Against Texas Tech, the Bears did not make a single field goal in the third quarter, shooting 0-12 from the field and mustering only six total points in the third frame, all from free throws. Thankfully, a huge fourth quarter followed.
