April 20- Arizona's postseason continues on Saturday as they travel to Baylor to take on the Bears in a D1A Quarterfinal in Waco, Texas. Kyle Rogers has been named captain in his usual spot and looks to help lead the Wildcats to the program's first final four.

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In the Forwards, Arizona names a mostly unchanged group from the team that defeated Air Force 51-7 in last week's first round matchup. Junior All American Steven Branham comes off a stellar performance and pairs with Kurt Vecchio at Prop, while Hooker Zach Biggs comes in to the lineup for the injured Jake Hedge. Vice Captain Sean Coleman pairs with fellow Junior All American Bronson Teles at Lock, while the dynamic back row of Zach Heisterkamp, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Tyler Hansen looks to continue their strong form. 

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Matt Rogers, scorer of a key try in last week's win, once again starts at Scrumhalf and joins his brother in the halfbacks. Luke Thayer once again starts at Inside Center where he joins Ben Joseph, fresh off a two-try performance. The second change in the team is on the edge, as Jeremy Fleet earns the start at Wing and joins Dante Weeks and Jack San Pietro in the back three.

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After playing a key role in last week's victory, the reserves have made their presence known, and they are once again ready if called upon. In the Forwards, Karl Steffany and Cody Hunt both provide front row cover, while Sam Peri covers at Lock and Flanker. Flanker Ben Scoular once again figures to vie for minutes after scoring a key late try in last week's victory. Flyhalf Anton Grigoriou, Center Shane Dempsey, Wing/Flyhalf Garrett Walker, and Wing Ryan Hudson give Head Coach Sean Duffy a multitude of backline options. 

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Coach Duffy pointed to that depth as a key reason for the continued growth in the program. "We have had some great success in our recruitment effort, which coupled with our constant process of player development means we have a great deal of depth and competition for spots in the roster every week" said Duffy. Arizona and Baylor meet for the first time in recent history, with the Red River Champions receiving a bye last week. "We don't know much about Baylor, but with our focus on our growth we hope that it will be enough for us to be on the right side of things and keep playing in to next week." This year's quarterfinal is the second straight appearance for the Wildcats, while Baylor makes their first appearance in the round of eight.

 

The match will be webcast by Flo Rugby at 2 PM CST here. 

 

 

Baylor Lineup (click for bio)

1. Steven Branham

2. Zach Biggs

3. Kurt Vecchio

4. Sean Coleman

5. Bronson Teles

6. Zach Heisterkamp

7. Ryan Fitzpatrick

8. Tyler Hansen

9. Matt Rogers

10. Kyle Rogers (C)

11. Dante Weeks

12. Luke Thayer

13. Ben Joseph

14. Jeremy Fleet

15. Jack San Pietro

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16. Karl Steffany

17. Cody Hunt

18. Sam Peri

19. Ben Scoular

20. Anton Grigoriou

21. Shane Dempsey

22. Garrett Walker

23. Ryan Hudson