Baylor Soccer Readies for Outrigger Invitational

Notes provided by Baylor Athletics:

BAYLOR (1-1) at HAWAII (1-1)

Aug. 21, 2024 • 7 p.m. HT | 12 a.m. CT • Watch: Spectrum Sports • Waipahu, O’ahu • Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium

BAYLOR (1-1) vs PORTLAND (1-0-1)

Aug. 25, 2024 • 12 p.m. HT | 5 p.m. CT • Waipahu, O’ahu • Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium

Story Lines

• Baylor continues play this week as they travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, to face both the University of Hawaii and Portland in the Aloha State for the Outrigger Invitational. BU will face the host team, Hawaii, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, before facing Portland Sunday, Aug. 25.
• The 2024 season marks the 28th season of the Baylor Soccer program. During that time, BU has won four Big 12 titles, advanced to two Elite Eights and had four All-Americans to go with countless All-Big 12 and Academic All-Big 12 honorees.
• This season also marks the third year of the Michelle Lenard coaching era, as she was selected as the Bears sixth head coach in program history in December of 2021.
• With the new Big 12 teams joining the conference this season, the Bears will only play 11 of the 15 other opponents this season. The Bears will face all four of the new schools, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. BU will not face Cincinnati, UCF, Kansas or Kansas State in regular season play.
• The Bears are 1-1 to open the season, falling to No. 18 Mississippi State in the season opener, 1-0, before turning around and defeating St. Bonaventure, 5-2, in Baylor’s home opener.
• Baylor has a 33 person roster this season and features 25 returners and eight newcomers.
• BU has nine starters returning, Hallie Augustyn, Hannah Augustyn, Ava Colberg, Skye Leach, Ashley Merrill, Blythe Obar, Tyler Isgrig, Skylar Zinnecker and Ashlee Zirkel.
• Baylor lost just two starters from the 2023 squad.
• Joining the 2023 squad are two transfers, goalkeeper Azul Alvarez (TCU) and midfielder Kai Hayes (UNC).
• The six incoming freshmen are, Alysiah Lockette, Paisley Mabra, Caelan DeBolt, Jade Martinez, Madison Encinas and Hilary Washington.
• Returning to the squad for the first time since the 2022 season in fifth-year Marissa Gray. After working for the past year and applying to PT school, Gray re-joined the Bears to use her fifth year of eligibility. She hasn’t seen playing time since the 2019 season due to injury but returns to the pitch as a veteran on the backline.
• This season the Bears roster features two international student-athletes for the first time since the 2017 season. Salma Simonin returns to Baylor from Manchester, United Kingdom and Hilary Washington joins the Bears from Wellesley, Ontario, Canada.
• In the Bears 5-2 win over St Bonaventure, Ashley Merrill scored her first brace of the season accounting for two of the Bears’ goals. She has scored two or more goals in eight games of her college career, with three of those multi-goal games coming at Baylor.
• Juniors, Hallie and Hannah Augustyn, accounted for two of the Bears other goals against the Bonnies, to make it four-career goals for each of them.
• BU faced UTSA in a preseason exhibition match and shutout the Roadrunners 3-0. Ashley Merrill picked up where she left off last season, scoring two of the Bears goals in the preseason contest. Also finding the back of the net against UTSA was sophomore, Theresa McCullough.
• Merrill was the team’s leading point scorer last season with 25 points from 12 goals and one assist. With her 12 goals, Merrill scored the most goals from an individual player in a single season since Dana Larsen in 2012.
• The Bears are facing Hawaii for the first time in program history.
• Baylor and Portland have previously faced off three times, with Portland leading the all-time record 2-1.