Softball, tennis, golf, track show well in postseason play

It was a busy weekend for many of Baylor’s athletic programs, and a pretty successful one:

* Most notably, head coach Glenn Moore’s Lady Bear softball team swept through the Waco Regional, advancing to the program’s third Super Regional in five years. Baylor will head north to play at No. 5 seed Michigan Friday and Saturday; the winner of the best-of-three series will move on to the Women’s College World Series.

* Also in NCAA play, Baylor’s men’s and women’s tennis teams each advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals (Elite Eight) before bowing out. Coach Joey Scrivano’s No. 4 seed Lady Bears trumped perennial powerhouse Stanford in a marathon match Saturday before falling to Notre Dame 4-3 on Sunday, while coach Matt Knoll’s No. 6-seeded men advanced to the quarterfinals for the seventh straight year by beating Wake Forest but lost to No. 3 seed Ohio State (season record: 35-1) on Sunday.

* Sophomore men’s golfer Cody Palladino earned an individual spot in the NCAA Championships, tying for third at the NCAA Stillwater Regional and then defeating LSU’s John Peterson in a playoff. Head coach Greg Priest’s Baylor men’s team finished seventh at the regional, missing qualifying for the NCAA Championships by six strokes but still matching the team’s best regional showing since ever.

* Last but not least, coach Todd Harbour’s Baylor track and field claimed three conference titles at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Junior Erin Bedell won the women’s 1,500 meters, and Baylor swept the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relays. The men’s relay team extended its winning streak to 41 consecutive competitions, not to mention winning the event at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship for the 12th straight year.

Sic ’em, Baylor athletics!