• Seven Baylor teams ranked in top 25 nationally

    Kristen ShortridgeJanuary 2008 has been very good to Baylor sports fans. The Baylor men are enjoying their second straight week in the rankings, holding on at No. 25, while the most recent women’s polls have the Lady Bears at No. 6. On the heels of that success come preseason rankings for Baylor baseball and softball.

    After winning their first Big 12 title and making their first College World Series appearance, head coach Glenn Moore’s softball team is ranked No. 8 in the nation. The Lady Bears have been ranked in every poll since early in the 2004 season, but this is their highest-ever preseason ranking.

    Baylor baseball had been ranked anywhere from 17th to 28th in earlier offseason polls, but their best ranking has come from the most reliable source. The Bears are No. 15 in Baseball America‘s preseason ranking; the last time the publication named Baylor to its preseason top 25 was 2005, when the Bears started 11th and advanced to the College World Series.

    So to sum it up, here are some of your options for rooting on Baylor’s winter/spring sports:

    * Men’s tennis (No. 4 nationally)
    * Women’s basketball (No. 6)
    * Softball (No. 8)
    * Men’s track and field (No. 10)
    * Women’s tennis (No. 13)
    * Baseball (No. 15)
    * Men’s basketball (No. 25)

    All this, mind you, while maintaining the top graduation rates in the conference.

    Sic ’em, Baylor student-athletes!