Baylor

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- No matter how they're playing, the Baylor doubles tandem of Marko Mandic and Eric Roddy always make themselves heard on the tennis court.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Although temperatures reached the mid-90s Friday afternoon, it was Simon Holden's pace that wilted the rest of the Division II distance runners.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- After her team allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning of the Division II-AA softball championship game Friday night, Baylor coach Kelli Smith didn't worry about how the Lady Red Raiders would respond. After all, they had been there just the day before.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- The Scenic City's ownership of the Division II girls' state track championship is over. Chattanooga had dominated the D-II state title the previous seven years with Baylor winning the last four championships and GPS three straight before that.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- In the moments immediately following Baylor's soccer match against Father Ryan on Thursday, sophomore defender Rafael Gaglianone knelt down at midfield to say a little prayer. Goalkeeper Henrique Ribeiro came over and joined him, and after they were finished, Gaglianone put a finger to the sky and went to celebrate with his teammates.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Eleven weeks removed from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, Ringgold senior Matthew Crownover was easy to spot in the softball crowd Thursday.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Ellie Henry wasn't too confident about the idea of playing doubles with her sister Hannah in the postseason. She just wasn't too sure how well the partnership would work out.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- The ticking time bomb that is Baylor's offense went off in the sixth inning Thursday.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- All the long hours of "4-ball" sprints paid championship-type dividends for the Baylor girls' tennis team -- with another championship.

LEBANON, Tenn. -- Gene Etter stopped short of calling this year's Baylor team overachieving, although the Red Raiders had to fight through some injuries and deal with external doubts.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- The Baylor soccer team defeated Christian Brothers 2-0 to advance to the Division II-AA state championship match. Ramsay Seagle scored both goals for the Red Raiders (11-3-4), who had a standout defensive effort.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- The Notre Dame girls' tennis team came to Murfreesboro with full intentions of playing in today's match for the Class A/AA state championship. Coach Anne Ricksecker did her part, booking rooms for Monday

LEBANON, Tenn. -- John Tipton threw a four-hit shutout and he and his Baylor teammates picked on four Christian Brothers pitchers for 15 hits as the Red Raiders advanced to the winners-bracket final with a 10-0 victory.

Throughout the course of the 2012 tennis season, Cleveland's Alex Klibisz used the element of surprise against some opponents that might not have remembered him the last time he played a match for the Raider tennis program.

At the beginning of every season, coaches of all sports identify games as "must-wins."