Daily Bears Report 9/4

Today’s Events

Sport: Women’s Soccer

Event: at University of Illinois Chicago

Time: 1:00 p.m. CT

Cross Country

Baylor’s Maggie Montoya wins Bear Twighlight Invitational title. From News Channel 25:

For a second-straight year, Baylor women's cross country senior Maggie Montoya won the individual title at the Bear Twilight Invitational Thursday at the H.O.T. Soccer Complex. The men's squad was led by junior Eric Anderson, who placed third overall.

"It really didn’t look we were going to be able to run with the weather, but it was great to get a race in. I am happy with where we are at, but we need to get a couple people back. We know what Maggie and Peyton are going to do and then Anna West ran really well and Gabby ran really well too. We held out two big ones in Lindsey Bradley and Alex Davis, so we may have even a little more depth than maybe we did two years ago." -- head coach Todd Harbour on the women's top performers

"I am really pleased with the way my guys got out there and competed. That was a really exciting race. Shortening the race to a 4K really spiced things up. I am just really pleased with how the race came together. Eric is in pretty good shape. He comes in in good shape. He does his homework over the summer and he was able to show that, but we have a lot of guys right behind him and that is exciting." -- assistant head coach Jon Capron on the men's team

Women’s Soccer

Baylor soccer earned a 1-0 win at Northern Illinois on Friday evening at NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex. The Bears (4-1-0) used a late goal from Julie James to take down the Huskies (1-2-1). From Baylor Bears dot com:

After a scoreless first 87 minutes of the game, Lauren Piercy launched a pass into the box that was headed in by James in the 88th minute. The Bears hung on from there as they did not surrender a shot in the entire game.

“I am proud of the way our team played. I give credit to NIU – they had a great game plan. I felt like we kept our calm and played through it. We scored a great goal and came away with a great road win.” – Head Coach Paul Jobson

Baylor soccer finishes the weekend with a 1 p.m. CT match at Illinois Chicago today. More from Baylor Bears dot com:

Wrapping up the weekend, the Bears will face Illinois-Chicago at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Flames (1-1-2) are coming off their first win of the season, dominating New Mexico State, 4-1, and will face Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on the road Friday before returning home for the Sunday afternoon matchup.

Volleyball

Baylor volleyball (3-3) dropped two gritty matches to open play in the Thunderdome Classic at UCSB, falling to No. 25 Colorado State (4-0), 23-25, 25-20, 19-25, 18-25, and UC Santa Barbara (4-1), 25-18, 27-25, 25-14.

Baylor volleyball (4-3) rebounded from two-match skid, sweeping the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners (1-4), 25-13, 29-27, 26-24.

Baylor Baseball

John Perlman’s path from walk-on to 1st round draft pick to Hall of Fame. Here’s the story from the Baylor Bear Foundation.

Mickey Sullivan didn’t recruit Jon Perlman to Baylor. He had never even heard of him until the 6-foot-1, 150-pound freshman pitcher showed up at his office at Floyd Casey Stadium.

“I don’t remember exactly how it went, but I got in there and said, ‘Coach, I’d like to walk on the baseball team,’’’ Perlman said. “And he was just, ‘All right, show up at Dutton Street Park at such and such time.’ I did. And I just kept showing up.”

Perlman did more than just show up. From those humble beginnings as a non-invited walk-on, he became one of the best pitchers in program history, a part of two World Series teams and the school’s first-ever first-round pick in the MLB Draft.

And now, 40 years after that chance visit to Sullivan’s office, Perlman is part of the Baylor Hall of Fame class that will be inducted during Homecoming weekend.

Lady Bears Basketball

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Baylor Lady Bears unveil their BIG XII schedule for 2016-2017. They start off the conference slate at home against Kansas State on December 29. From Baylor Bears dot com.

• Thurs., Dec. 29 vs. Kansas State
• Sun., Jan. 1 vs. Kansas
• Wed., Jan. 4 at West Virginia
• Sat., Jan. 7 at Oklahoma State
• Wed., Jan. 11 vs. TCU
• Sun., Jan. 15 at Kansas
• Wed., Jan. 18 vs. Iowa State
• Sat., Jan. 21 vs. West Virginia
• Wed., Jan. 25 at Kansas State
• Sun., Jan. 29 vs. Oklahoma
• Wed., Feb. 1 at Iowa State
• Sat., Feb. 4 at Texas Tech
• Mon., Feb. 6 vs. Texas
• Sat., Feb. 11 at TCU
• Sat., Feb. 18 vs. Oklahoma State
• Mon., Feb. 20 at Texas
• Sat., Feb. 25 vs. Texas Tech
• Mon., Feb. 27 at Oklahoma

The six-time defending league champion Baylor Lady Bears open Big 12 Conference action against Kansas State on Dec. 29, 2016, inside the Ferrell Center. The team, which has amassed a 102-7 regular season conference record in the last four seasons, will play nine home and nine away Big 12 contests.

Football Returns

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Same as it ever was, football opened in front of a near capacity crowd of 44,849 Friday night, despite the years long in the making scandal. USA Today has this story.

Fans grilled burgers in the parking lots. A few “sailgated” in the manmade harbor off the Brazos River. A very few danced as the Gin Blossoms played a show just outside the stadium.

A short while later, 3,500 freshmen raced onto the field, part of the Baylor Line. And then as a steamy hot afternoon faded into evening, Baylor romped over an outmanned nonconference opponent.

For one of college football’s nouveau riche, it was all a familiar routine.

“It felt like Baylor,” said Seth Russell, the Bears’ senior quarterback. “That’s just the way it was.”

For more detailed coverage of Friday’s game, Our Daily Bears has you covered here.