Softball: Baylor Invitational, Waco, TX (2/28-3/2/2025)

[Matt from A700]

After an incredible game Wednesday night, the ladies have a chance to make another statement, returning to Waco to compete in the Baylor Invitational for the first time in a few years. Our ladies are the only team in the field with a winning record at 13-2. Five wins and I have to think we are ranked next week - we were receiving votes when we started 7-0 two years ago. But even a 4-1 weekend assuming a split with Baylor should deserve more than a look, that would put us at 17-3. FAU has already been ranked this year.

Round robin schedule

Championship schedule

 

Baylor will play at 3 PM Saturday and 9 AM Sunday no matter their seed. So if us and Baylor go 1 and 2 or vice versa, our fourth game would be 5:30 PM Saturday. If us and Baylor both win Saturday afternoon, we'd play at 9 AM Sunday for the championship.

Opponents:
BAYLOR (7-8): 0-7 against ranked opponents. Three of their seven wins are against Hofstra.

CALIFORNIA BAPTIST (7-10): 0-2, outscored 19-0 against ranked opponents (OU and Florida)

SAM HOUSTON STATE (7-7): lost to Texas 8-3 in only game vs. ranked opponent this year. Has two wins against conference foes Tulsa (4-1) and UTSA (5-0)

[Matt from A700]

Top of the AAC at the moment:

[EAGLE83]

I will be there at 10am today.

[Matt from A700]

Game 1 vs. SHSU - we are the road team

End of 1: SHSU 2, UNT 1

We opened the scoring with Rylee Nicholson single that scored Tatum Sparks.

SHSU answered with a two-run homer. Skylar is pitching, she also gave up two walks in the first.

[SUMG]

4-2 win for our gals. Skyler gets the win and is now 7-0. She had 6 walks. SHSU left 10 on base.

Anneca Anderson with some clutch relief to get the save. 

Two rbis by Cierra Simon.....1 each for Kailyn Bearpaw and Rylie Nicholson.

Two hit game for Wednesday's hero.....Riley McNemar.

14-2 on the season.

Surprising that he started Skyler in the SHSU game. Will be interesting to see who he goes with in the nightcap against Baylor. 

Edited yesterday at 06:16 PM by SUMG

[Rock]

Happy to see the win, but we let SH fill the bases a few times too many for me :).

Great to see the girls gel.   One thing I noticed.   Toward the end of the game, 2nd pitcher was in.

Foul ball over 3rd base .. Cierra Simon walked up to talk to pitcher and grab ball to hand back to pitcher

before returning to play .. they were laughing /smiling while waiting.   That said a lot.  I knew then that

team was comfortable and would get the W.

[NT80]

36 minutes ago, Rock said:

Happy to see the win, but we let SH fill the bases a few times too many for me :).

Great to see the girls gel.   One thing I noticed.   Toward the end of the game, 2nd pitcher was in.

Foul ball over 3rd base .. Cierra Simon walked up to talk to pitcher and grab ball to hand back to pitcher

before returning to play .. they were laughing /smiling while waiting.   That said a lot.  I knew then that

team was comfortable and would get the W.

Too many walks by both our pitchers.  I'd like to see more control and getting ahead in counts.  The SH batters early in the game were just waiting for the walks.

[SUMG]

Anderson gets the start in game 2.

It seems to me, that they are willing to try someone as their #1 pitcher, since Skyler has been so inconsistent. I hope she gets it together.....she could be such a force. 

 

Go Mean Green!!!

[UNTLifer]

Game vs. Baylor just started and we've jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first with a runner on third and one out.

*Now 5-0, two outs and the bases are empty.

Edited 21 hours ago by UNTLifer

[GMG_Dallas]

Going to have to make it to a game this year. My brother, who has no ties to UNT other than me, wants to come up to a game as well. People who follow softball are noticing this team.

Edited 21 hours ago by GMG_Dallas

[Matt from A700]

Perfect first inning. Five runs in our half, and a 1-2-3 bottom half for Baylor.

[UNTLifer]

Anderson serves up a 1, 2, 3 bottom of the first on eleven pitches.  Heading to the second inning with your Mean Green ahead 5-0.

Edited 21 hours ago by UNTLifer

[Matt from A700]

Baylor has their best statistical pitcher out there as well in Lexie Warncke at 3-1 and a 2.93 ERA.

[UNTLifer]

Two walks by Anderson led to one Baylor run in the bottom of the 2nd.  5-1 Mean Green coming to bat in the top of the third.  Nicholson, Bearpaw and Moffitt due up.  I predict two runs this inning.

 

[Matt from A700]

3 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Two walks by Anderson led to one Baylor run in the bottom of the 2nd.  5-1 Mean Green coming to bat in the top of the third.  Nicholson, Bearpaw and Moffitt due up.  I predict two runs this inning.

 

Off to a good start. A Nicholson double and Bearpaw walk has chased Baylor's starting pitcher.

[NT80]

Skyler comes in relief in the 6th and is erratic.  Pulled after two batters and Anderson is now back in again and NT gets out of the inning.  Still up 6-5.  We need a reliever that can come in and throw instant strikes.  

[Matt from A700]

A win's a win! Make that 3-1 this year against power conference teams.

I'm gonna keep an eye on the Baylor/Cal Baptist game this afternoon. Cal Baptist beat SHSU, 6-2 earlier today.

 

[SUMG]

I was wondering if Anneca Anderson, who got the win, was pulled for Skyler, and then came back in, to close out the game......would get credited with a save, too. 

It's not listed on the boxscore....so I guess not. 

[GMG_Dallas]

Warrennolan.com has several rankings for college sports. When i first started using the website, it was only basketball and really just followed the NET. I don't know much about rankings otherwise but they have what's called an ELO ranking. North Texas softball is #21 through Sunday Feb 23. Guessing it's updated every Sunday.

https://www.warrennolan.com/softball/2025/elo

 

Clicking on a team gets you the rankings (ELO and RPI) of every team played. There are Quad breakdowns like for basketball. Just fun to track, especially when our school is on the rise. 

[Matt from A700]

Cal Baptist scores first but Baylor scores the next five and wins 5-3 in the last game of the day. Standings through Day 1:

UNT 2-0
Baylor 1-1
Cal Baptist 1-1
SHSU 0-2

We will get CBU at 10AM tomorrow before the run to the tourney title begins. Maybe we will see Childers get the start.

[Texas Stranger]

5 hours ago, SUMG said:

I was wondering if Anneca Anderson, who got the win, was pulled for Skyler, and then came back in, to close out the game......would get credited with a save, too. 

It's not listed on the boxscore....so I guess not. 

I guess you could say Anderson relieved herself in the pitching circle.

[Matt from A700]

Kayleigh Smith getting the start this morning against CBU.

[Matt from A700]

Interesting first scoreless inning. CBU gets two hits, the second being a double that created an out-at-the-plate situation, but had to be reviewed first because the umps had a miscue and no one was at home.

We get walked twice but only have 3 PAs because Sparks gets caught stealing and Simon gets doubled off on a foul out.

[Matt from A700]

Still scoreless through four. Didn't take advantage of our best opportunity with two runners on and one out.

Kayleigh killing it with forcing CBU into groundouts. Every out in the fifth inning was hit to Riley McNemar at third.

[Matt from A700]

CBU breaks through for a solo homer in the top of the sixth that flies over the left foul pole. Kayleigh gives up a double on the next pitch but gets the next batter out to escape the inning. Heart of our lineup coming up.