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Today’s Events
Football
- Manvel three-star OLB/S Brian Johnson puts Baylor in top six, Baylor still looking for first 2018 defensive commit.
- Baylor's Russell invited to Raiders rookie camp; three others sign UDFA deals, Russell heard the seventh round as a possibility or even the sixth, but that going undrafted was more likely.
- Center Kyle Fuller, Baylor Football’s starting center for the last three seasons and a four-year letterwinner, was selected in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans with the 243rd pick (seventh round). From Baylor Bears dot com.
Fuller’s selection gives Baylor at least one draft pick in each of the last nine drafts. Meanwhile, the Bears have had eight offensive lineman drafted over those nine years. Since 2011, Baylor has had 23 players drafted, which is tied for most in the state of Texas over that span with Texas A&M.
Fuller was a vital part of Baylor’s winning ways over the past four seasons as the Bears were 39-13 overall and had a 25-11 mark in Big 12 action. Fuller was a reserve on BU’s 2013 Big 12 Championship team and started its 2014 conference-title winning squad. He played in four-straight bowl games, helping the Bears win the 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl and the 2016 Motel 6 Cactus Bowl.
The product of Wylie, Texas, was a three-year starting center for the Bears, garnering all-conference accolades in 2015 and 2016. He played in 52 career games with 39 career starts, which were both most of any Bear on the 2016 squad. Fuller helped anchor the o-line for the nation’s most productive offense in 2014 and 2015. He paved the way for BU’s rushing attack that led the Big 12 in 2015 and 2016, while helping the Bears rank fourth or better in sacks allowed in conference over the past three years. With Fuller starting at center, Baylor had four 1,000-yard rushers over the past three years.
Fuller is the first Baylor player drafted by the Houston Texans franchise, but former Bear Jonathan Weeks has been the Texans long snapper for the last seven years.
Tennis
- Semifinal Comeback Falls Short for No. 15 WT - Baylor Official Athletic Site, No. 15 Baylor came charging back (21-5) against No. 9 Oklahoma State (22-4) in Big 12 Championship semifinal action, but fell short of a comeback, 4-2, inside Headington Family Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon.
“Oklahoma State played really well. They’ve got a great team. From our side, we made a step forward today. We competed very hard. All the momentum was against us to start off the match and our team found a way to compete and make a positive step forward. I wish we could make two or three steps forward, but that’s not the way this works, it’s a process. We’re steadily improving and that’s all that a coach can ask for.” – head coach Joey Scrivano on the match.
“Blair is an incredible competitor. I’ve said it before, she’s one of the best player’s we’ve had here. She’s never out of a match. I was so proud of her ability to keep competing. She made great adjustments. She went in with a plan and that plan wasn’t working so well, so credit to her to have that calmness, make an adjustment and find a way to win.” – head coach Joey Scrivano on Blair Shankle’s comeback victory.
Softball
- No. 13 SB Falls in Series Finale with Oklahoma State - Baylor Official Athletic Site, No. 13/15 Baylor softball (39-10, 11-4 Big 12) could not find an answer for the steady attack by the RV/NR Oklahoma State (32-19, 11-3 Big 12) offense, dropping the series finale, 9-4, on Saturday afternoon at Getterman Stadium.
- Cowgirls escape Baylor in conference semis | stwnewspress.com, The finish wasn’t quite the storybook ending, but Oklahoma State doesn’t mind.
- Pitching, defense prevent No. 13 Lady Bears from completing sweep of Oklahoma State | wacotrib.com, The Baylor softball team fumbled a chance to notch a key Big 12 series sweep against Oklahoma State on senior day at Getterman Stadium.
Baseball
- Baseball Rained Out Saturday at Kansas, DH Sunday - Baylor Official Athletic Site, Baylor baseballs game Saturday at Kansas has been rained out and the team will finish the series Sunday with an 11 a.m. CT doubleheader at Hoglund Ballpark.
Acrobatics & Tumbling - Back to Back to Back National Champions
- No. 2 A&T Tops No. 1 Oregon for Third Straight NCATA Title - Baylor Official Athletic Site, No. 2 Baylor acrobatics & tumbling (9-1) took down the No. 1 Oregon Ducks (8-2) on Saturday night at Felix Events Center to win the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) finals for the third consecutive year.
- A&T Trio Garners NCATA All-America Recognition - Baylor Official Athletic Site, Baylor acrobatics & tumbling had a trio of players earn National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) honors Saturday. Kiara Nowlin was named Most Outstanding Player while Kaelyn Cowan, Nowlin and Lauren Sturm were recognized as All-Americans.
“I’m so proud of this team. Our girls wanted it. We made some adjustments this afternoon to grab some extra tenths, and really, that’s what we’ve done all season. We’ve made adjustments all year to continuously improve and peak at the right time, and we did just that. Tonight, the girls were ready to do whatever it took to make it happen and they never doubted, even when Oregon won some events and took leads. When it was time for the team event I told them to leave it all on the floor and have no regrets. We were so determined and not to be denied.” – Head Coach Felecia Mulkey.
- Baylor University Captures Third Consecutive NCATA National Championship - Nat'l Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Assoc., With two passionate fan bases in attendance and the best two teams across the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) footprint on the floor, the Baylor University Bears captured their third consecutive NCATA National Championship, 279.350-275.625, over the University of Oregon in an instant classic on Saturday night in Azusa, California.
- A&T Leads All Schools with Five NCATA Individual Event Titles - Baylor Official Athletic Site, Baylor acrobatics & tumbling posted five National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) individual event national titles to lead all schools. The Bears claimed the seven-element acro heat, pyramid twist heat, tumbling duo heat, tumbling trio heat and tumbling aerial heat.
- Five NCATA Members Secure Individual Event National Championships - Nat'l Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Assoc., Championship Saturday began at the Felix Center in Azusa, California with the individual event finals, where five members institutions brought home hardware during a 15-event schedule. In a possible preview of Saturday night's championship meet, Baylor University won an event-leading five heats, followed by four victories for Oregon, three for Hawaii Pacific, two for Quinnipiac and one for Fairmont State.
2017 NCATA Tournament - Baylor Post-Meet - April 29, 2017
Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling: Season Preview
Baylor A&T flies to third straight national championship | Baylor Acrobatics Tumbling | wacotrib.com, AZUSA, Calif. – The third time was a charm for Baylor, just like the previous two.
Highlights from the NCATA Championships have yet to be released, so for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, here is Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling: Highlights vs. Oregon April 2, 2017
The Continuing Saga
Mark White, Don Adams, guest columnists: Time to open up Baylor regent conclave to frustrated alumni, public | Guest Columns | wacotrib.com, In 1913, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis introduced the idea that “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Last week that shining idea of transparency took on added local significance when Baylor University regent Cary Gray dared to defend the university’s unrelenting cloak of secrecy . . .