#1 Oklahoma (20-1) at #2 Baylor (17-3) - 7pm est - Oklahoma has already beat Baylor twice this year, once indoors in Chicago and once outdoors in California (box scores below), so you'd think it'd be tough to beat them again. Since the 2nd meeting Oklahoma has played and beat #10 TCU, #9 Texas, and #29 Tulsa while Baylor hasn't played anyone substantial. It'll be interesting to see if that lack of competition over these last 3 weeks will hurt Baylor. The Bears will have the home court advantage with a loud, rowdy crowd cheering on every point so we'll get to see how Oklahoma handles it though they managed just fine in Columbus against Ohio State. The teams have split the doubles point in the previous 2 meetings but I like Baylor to take the point this time around because of the influence of the crowd.
Prematch comments via Baylor:
"It's going to be a blast," head coach Matt Knoll said. "I've been here a long time and this is only going to be the second time we've ever had this situation. On top of that we'll have a No.1 vs. No. 2 match in singles as well, so it's going to be a special day. It's a big day for the program and something that we're very excited about. It's going to bring out the best in us."
"I think they're super good," Knoll said. "I
think the margins are small when you go against the best teams like this. We
have to focus. We have to have fight. We have to do the intangible things, and
I think we're going to have a chance. Having the chance to play in front of a
big crowd here is going to be a special event for our guys and build a lot of
enthusiasm and momentum going into the NCAA Championships."
