Daily Bears Report 10/20/2017 - Homecoming and Sports

Today’s Events

• Homecoming Open House, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Women's Soccer, vs. Texas, 7:00 PM, Gametracker, Watch
• Men's Tennis, ITA Texas Regionals, College Station, Texas, All Day
• Baylor Athletics, vs. Hall of Fame Banquet, 6:30 PM
• Friday Night Flashback, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
• Extravaganza/Bonfire, 7:00 PM - 10 PM

Homecoming

Baylor Homecoming Parade to Be Broadcast Live on KCEN-TV Ch. 6 | Media Communications | Baylor University, Live streaming video also available for nation’s oldest and largest collegiate homecoming parade

Baylor University and KCEN-TV Ch. 6 will team up to broadcast the 108th anniversary Baylor Homecoming Parade, one of the oldest and largest collegiate homecoming parades in the nation, with live coverage from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, from Fifth Street on the Baylor campus. The parade also will be streamed live on the KCEN website at this link.

Baylor Nation keeps the spirit alive | The Baylor Lariat, From the massive bonfire on Fountain Mall to the roaring fans at McLane Stadium, Baylor homecoming is an incredible outpouring of Baylor spirit from students, alumni, faculty and anyone who has come to call Baylor home.

Being a part of the Baylor family means something different to everyone — from faculty and staff, who consider Baylor a component of their calling; to past and present students, whose life paths were shaped by their time at the university; to President Linda Livingstone, who is leading the university, at a formative time. Homecoming is about finding where each member of the Baylor family fits and celebrating that. It’s about coming home.

Soccer

Baylor soccer hosts No. 10 Texas in home finale | Baylor Soccer | wacotrib.com, Baylor couldn’t have picked a better time to be playing its best soccer of the season.

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Bears will face No. 10 Texas in their home finale at 7 p.m. Friday at Betty Lou Mays Field.

The Bears (10-3-2, 4-2-1) have beaten Texas Tech, Kansas State and Kansas in succession to move into fifth place in the Big 12. They’ve qualified for the Big 12 tournament, but the final two games against third-place Texas (12-1-2, 4-1-2) and TCU (10-4-1, 4-1-1) on Oct. 27 in Fort Worth will be important as the Bears try build their NCAA tournament resume.

Top defenses set to clash in Waco | The Daily Texan, No. 10 Texas prepares for the only Big 12 team more suffocating defensively than itself as the team heads to Waco on Friday for the final stretch of the regular season.

Volleyball

Men’s Basketball

Baylor Basketball Hosts Houston Saturday at Ferrell Center in Exhibition Game - Our Daily Bears, Baylor basketball will play Houston at noon on Saturday at the Ferrell Center. All ticket sales will benefit Hurricane Harvey relief.

You can buy tickets for $5 here. Students—with an I.D.—can purchase tickets for $1 at the arena. All seats will be general admission and the doors will open at 11:30.

Baylor released this info as well: . . .

Baylor MBB Picked Fifth in Big 12 Preseason Poll - BaylorBears.com - Baylor University Official Athletic Site, Baylor men’s basketball has been picked to finish fifth in the 2018 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bears received 47 points, trailing Kansas (81), West Virginia (71), TCU (64) and Texas (49).

Baylor men ranked No. 24 in preseason coaches poll | Baylor Men's Basketball | wacotrib.com, The Baylor men’s basketball team is ranked No. 24 in the USA Today coaches preseason poll.

Lady Bears Basketball

Trio of veterans ready to lead Lady Bears | The Baylor Lariat, Baylor women’s basketball has reached the Elite Eight in four straight NCAA Tournaments, but only three players on the current team have participated in multiple Elite Eight runs.

The Lady Bears, consisting of 10 players, have only one junior and two seniors returning from the 2017 Big 12 regular season Champions roster.

If this year’s team is going to be one of the last four standing, junior center Kalani Brown will need to continue her stellar play.

Brown, an All-American selection last year, was chosen as Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year.

Tennis

Men's Tennis Readies for ITA Texas Regionals - BaylorBears.com - Baylor University Official Athletic Site, Baylor men's tennis will have five players compete in the ITA Regional Championships Presented by Oracle, starting Friday, Oct. 20 and running through Monday, Oct. 23, at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas.

Football

• Matt Rhule says Baylor needs to eliminate 'here we go again' mentality after 0-6 start, Baylor football's start to the 2017 season hasn't provided much optimism for Bears fans on a game-to-game basis. Baylor head coach Matt Rhule thinks that . . .
• 5 Baylor players to watch out for against West Virginia this week, The Baylor Bears have yet to win a football game this season. They turn their attention to West Virginia in hopes of getting that elusive first win.
• WVU football will need a better running game this week at Baylor, The WVU football team was shut down in the running department against Texas Tech. The running backs need to step up this week on the road.
• Experts Make Their Picks for WVU-Baylor, The experts chime in on WVU-Baylor.
• Baylor Football: Buy into what Matt Rhule is doing with the Bears, You might find Baylor football at the bottom of the Big 12 standings by the end of the 2017 season, but things will turnaround soon under Matt Rhule.
• Technically Speaking: WVU vs Baylor – WVU | West Virginia Mountaineers sports coverage – Blue Gold News, The most consistently correct football adage is that games are won and lost in the trenches.

It’s the players up front, on both sides of the line, that often dictate how effective the skill position players can be. And in this match-up, the edge appears to go to West Virginia, both because of ability and the personnel changes the Bears have had to make on both sides.

• No. 23 West Virginia has reason to be wary of winless Baylor | FOX Sports, WACO, Texas (AP) Dana Holgorsen is very aware of Baylor's winless record. The Bears have gone more than a year since winning a regular-season game.
• Baylor to face off with WVU in homecoming matchup | The Baylor Lariat, The Bears (0-6) are coming off of back-to-back losses to both No. 14 Oklahoma State and Kansas State, while the Mountaineers (4-2) are riding a major 46-35 comeback victory after an 18-point defecit against Texas Tech last Saturday.

Baylor head coach Matt Rhule said in his Tuesday press conference that he was impressed with the Mountaineers’ big win and considers them one of the best teams in the Big 12.

Rhule also said he expects West Viriginia’s offense to look similar to that of Oklahoma State’s from last Saturday.

“This is an outstanding team we’re playing in West Virginia with a great offense,” Rhule said. “It’ll be a tremendous battle and a great opportunity for us, so we’ll see how we bounce back from last week. They have great receivers, just like Oklahoma State has great receivers. They run the football and are rugged up front. This is another one that’s going to take what you give them.”

• Holgorsen hopes WVU momentum continues | College Sports | register-herald.com, MORGANTOWN — When West Virginia put things together in the fourth quarter against Texas Tech last week after trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half of
• Mid Season Stats (They're Not Pretty) - Our Daily Bears, Here are some mid-season stats that can accompany our misery in year one of the Matt Rhule era.
• Walk-on Martin emerging as dual threat specialist for Bears | Baylor Bears Football | wacotrib.com, College kickers and punters live in a much different world than most of their teammates.

While the majority of players on Football Bowl Subdivision teams come to school on scholarships, many kickers and punters walk on to teams and have to prove themselves in open tryouts. Once the kickers establish themselves, they often earn scholarships.

That’s the route Baylor kicker Connor Martin has taken. While he isn’t yet on scholarship, he’s certainly making a case for himself by emerging as one of the top kickers in the Big 12 as a sophomore this season.

Martin has been a bright spot for the winless Bears who come into Saturday’s homecoming game against West Virginia at McLane Stadium with an 0-6 record.

• Connor Martin pulling double duty on special teams for Bears, Connor Martin is kicking and punting for the Baylor Bears, and he's still excelling despite pulling double duty for a major college program.
• Williams Coming Off 95-yard Rushing Performance at OSU - BaylorBears.com - Baylor University Official Athletic Site, If the decision had been solely up to Terence Williams, the fourth-year junior running back would have been on the field for the season opener against Liberty. No doubt.

Equestrian

No. 3 Auburn Hosts No. 7 Baylor Saturday :: Auburn University Official Athletic Site Auburn University Official Athletic Site :: Women's Equestrian, The No. 3 Auburn equestrian team returns to competition Saturday, Oct. 21, hosting No. 7 Baylor at the Auburn University Equestrian Center. The Tigers and the Bears will square off at 11 a.m. CT.

Baylor Bear Foundation

Baylor Mission

Students and Faculty Help Harvey Survivors Rebuild during Fall Break | Media Communications | Baylor University, Although most of the world only pays attention to natural disasters when they are in the headlines, the residents who live in the impacted areas are left to pick up the pieces and begin the long, emotional process of rebuilding their homes and their lives.

Instead of going home or traveling during Baylor’s Fall Break, a group of students, faculty and staff used this time of rest to serve the communities affected by Hurricane Harvey. Fifty-five students and three faculty members joined Baylor Missions on a mission trip to provide a helping hand to families in Houston as they work to restore their lives.

Baylor Missions partnered with various organizations, including Heritage Park Baptist Church, Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corp., and Preemptive Love Coalition and local Houstonian, Penelope Moore, to rebuild homes. At night, the teams worshipped and rested at South Main Baptist Church in midtown Houston before heading out the next day to serve the community.

“I was inspired to go with students to Houston as soon as I saw emails that BU Missions was sending people. Baylor in general, but especially Baylor Spiritual Life, had been so diligent about reminding me of my connection to Houston,” said Elijah Tanner, resident chaplain for Gordon Teal Residential College. “Even though no one I know was affected directly, Dr. Burleson reminded everyone that our spirits are still greatly impacted by the suffering of others. As much as I recognize the importance of prayer and financial aid, the fact that this tragedy was so close to home made me feel like it would be a missed opportunity if I didn’t go.”

Hall of Fame

Baylor Athletics Announces 2017 Hall of Fame Class | KCENTV.com, Highlighted by NCAA champions Benjamin Becker, Steffanie Blackmon and Jennifer Jordan Washington, Baylor's 2017 Hall of Fame class includes eight outstanding former student-athletes representing six different sports.

Baylor Athletic Hall of Fame to welcome 8 new inductees | Sports | hmbreview.com, Eight new members will be inducted into the Baylor athletic hall of fame at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the Brazos Room of the Waco Convention Center as part of homecoming.