The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from Baylor's Week of Sports
Football finds their quarterback, and men's golf survives, while we find three more programs at season's end.
Here's a look at The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from the past week in Baylor Athletics.
THE GOOD
QB Commit — Football's pursuit of a signal-caller in the 2023 class seemingly ended last week with the pledge of legacy Nate Bennett, just days after he became the staff's first QB offer in months. We know the rollercoaster that has been QB recruiting of late, so this was not only a colossal pledge but should do some good in calming nerves, answering an essential question at the most crucial position. I was genuinely impressed by Bennett's subsequent interview with us on 365 Sports. It appears he truly understands and is grateful for the opportunity in Waco, and it didn't sound like lip service. That's what you hope for. It's understandable if you reserve celebrating until the ink is dry in December. However, I feel anything but skeptical after hearing Bennett's excitement. It's a vital score for Aranda, Grimes, and Bell.
Men's Golf — The Bears are moving on to the NCAA Championships later this week in Arizona, courtesy of a fourth-place finish at the Morgan Hill Regional. Survive and advance.
Track & Field — The Bears notched 31 overall selections for the West prelims in Sacramento as the NCAA Outdoor postseason begins. That includes 16 entries on the men's team and 15 for the women. First-round action starts on Wednesday for the men and Thursday for the women.
Equestrian Accolade — Senior Dominika Silvestri earned NCEA Co-Flat Rider of the Year honors.
Baseball's Last Hurrah — The 2023 baseball season ended with four-straight wins, including a three-game sweep of CSU Bakersfield at Baylor Ballpark. So, there was something to smile about as things wound down following a year where success was hard to find, much less sustain.
THE BAD
So long, Softball — Glenn Moore's 2023 group had a fun ride, with plenty of exciting moments, but the music stopped this weekend with their elimination in the Salt Lake City Regional. Baylor dropped their tourney opener against Ole Miss 3-0 and fell to the Rebs a second time, 9-2, to end the season a day later. The team stayed alive in between with a 13-9 win over Southern Illinois, but that was all she wrote. A fun season overall, but health had taken its toll by the end, and the Bears' pitching staff was depleted. But the future is bright. The Bears will finish a Top 25 team, with an overall mark of 40-18. And on paper, senior outfielder Josie Bower is the only player set to move on.
Farewell, Women's Golf — The Bears finished their season with a 17th-place finish at the NCAA Championship. They were just two spots back of the cut line, missing out on Monday's final round.
Bye, Bye Baseball — It was a long, tough debut season for Mitch Thompson's Bears, but it's all over now. It was a long, tough debut season for Mitch Thompson's Bears, but it ended positively with four-straight wins, capped by a two-game weekend sweep at home against.
WNBA Cuts — I focus on the NFL regarding Baylor pros. But I did enjoy Garrett Ross' accounting for the WNBA side of things. Unfortunately, the Bears' most recent league prospect didn't stick around, as the Connecticut Sun cut recent departure, Caitlin Bickle. And she wasn't alone. Speaking of fan favorites, DiDi Richards found herself waived by the New York Liberty, while the Dallas Wings dropped Kalani Brown.
THE UGLY
Another week where I don't believe anything applies here. If you feel differently, drop a line below.