I was joking with my original post, but thought you might and am glad you responded Dan. Most people look at me like I have lobsters crawling out of my ears when I mention NCAA softball.
Good story lines: Defending champion Florida State. Bonus Monday softball with JMU (CAA) defeating MI in Ann Arbor! Double happy for that. Always good to see Northwestern do well in any sport, have to face juggernaut OK (going for 3 of 4 championships) in Norman. 6 of 13 (all in the tournament) SEC teams made it to the supers. I sort of, kind of root against the SEC although sort of, kind of for AL and FL. It would be great to see them play again. Steel cage death match.
From Thursday night > Sunday there will be games on ESPN/2/U. Unlike some other sports no ESPN3.
Long shot hopeful for the finals: Northwestern/JMU. Reality check: OK/FL. Kelly Barnhill is must watch (Pedro, Sale) TV.
I think most people who would think your crazy for watching, likely haven’t given the sport an honest watch themselves. It’s hard not to enjoy the sport if you truly give it a chance. College softball generated 450 million in revenue last season - probably more this season. So quite a few are watching. But to each their own.
Anyway, let’s dive in...
Lots of great storylines - including this one which broke yesterday...
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/26762392/extra-innings-ucla-softball-star-stevie-wisz
The SEC is undoubtedly a deep and talented league - but getting all 13 teams into the tournament is really hard to swallow. I don’t like it for a number of reasons - but I won’t get too deep into it here. Suffice to say A&M had no business in the field as an at large with an RPI of 50 and a record of 28-27. They were a bad team this year. RPI might disagree but I think three other SEC schools should have watched from home - Teams that test themselves in the non-conference and actually win games in league play should get those opportunities...
JMU was actually ranked three spots ahead of Michigan in the polls heading into last weekend. That result didn’t surprise me at all - the Dukes can play and Megan Good is the BEST player in the country (the Hobey/POY favorite, in my mind). What a recruiting find she was - a part time softball player off a no name club team out of nowheresville southern Virginia. Don’t be surprised if she gives UCLA fits this weekend - although the Bruins have their own two-way stud...
I don’t think Northwestern has much of a chance at OK. They played twice earlier this year and OU won both, by a combined score of 15-0. They’re really the same mediocre team they’ve been for years - but this time with a hot shot FR arm in the circle. The BIG is a weak league - in most years well behind a number of mid-major leagues. UM is a force, Allister (now at Stanford) made Minny great. NU and UW are okay. Like Conklin in 2000-01 - Williams makes NU a threat, all by herself - but they still struggled past a ho-hum Louisville team last weekend...
I could tell you some Barnhill recruiting stories that would blow your mind - starting with watching her go from zero offers to near 50 in a matter of minutes, and right before my eyes, at a showcase camp in NJ. Not sure she can do it alone, however? It is shocking how bad UF is at the plate, outside of Lorenz, this season. Their offense has looked a lot like UNH’s the last few years - Little depth and low scores. They had a hard time scoring against BU, last weekend - much to the BU pitcher’s surprise...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here it is
Boston Univ's pitcher ecstatic and amazed on striking out Lorenz and lets us know it "Holy F@&kin S*÷t". <a href="https://t.co/udEX41wcNC">pic.twitter.com/udEX41wcNC</a></p>— GatorsChomp (@Gatorschomp1019) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gatorschomp1019/status/1129483517346238464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Additionally, the really good Gator teams have always had multiple aces - but their pitching coach left for OU last summer and they haven’t developed a true number two. Tennessee took the series at UF earlier this season. I’d still pick UF this weekend, but I’m not sure they have the team to do much in OKC...
I’d expect Alabama to beat Oregon - er, Texas - unless Elish can steal it all on her own. But ‘Bama can match her ability in the circle and has a far better offense. Texas does have some experience at this level, though, as four starters - including Elish - and their HC were in the WCWS with Oregon last season. At least three other Ducks stayed at Oregon but sat out the season to graduate and transfer - that team went from the penthouse to the outhouse in a hurry (and all because they wouldn’t give White a raise). Losing just BVR? No sweat...
LSU/Minny will be interesting but the Gophers are at home and have better pitching depth. Ironically, as a result of their number two Shelby Smith transferring home from LSU (She’s basically their Eddie C). LSU has for years struggled on offense against good competition/pitching...
Arizona and Ole Miss should be all offense especially in the launching pad that is Tucson. A UNH/BC late-90’s track meet. That’s the Wildcats’ specialty and If any pitcher is going to slow down the opponent it’s likely to be McQuillin, so look for Zona to advance...
Washington - with two AA caliber pitchers one elite hitter, an otherwise dangerous offense and a legit, non-Whittamorgue, home-field advantage on the other side of the country should be much too much for Kentucky. After NW I think UK is most likely to bow out early - they got a great regional draw to advance this far...
FSU probably gets past Okie State - but this series should be fun to watch with contrasting styles, cultures and personalities. Two good teams, great offenses led by some of the best in the game - it could be a shoot out unless King (the best developed player in softball - a mid level kid FSU stole late and turned into a star). Like Steve Saviano, King’s star-turn was completely unexpected...
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For all the talk about parity and how good the games were last weekend - 15 of the top-16 seeds advanced (and JMU probably deserved the seed over UM). Last year all 16-seeded teams advanced to the Super Regionals and all of the home Supers teams (8-national seeds) advanced to the WCWS. Will that trend hold true this weekend...?
Great to know at least a few of us are watching, though - it’s a fun ride and, hey, it’s deep into the off-season...
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St Louis is Boston - just not as talented. Bruins in 5 or 6...
Besides, that is, the potential that by June 12 - JUNE 12!!!! (and that's ANOTHER discussion) there may be a repeat of that Edmonton series where they were skating through fog the entire game.
