Tuesday, 7 June 2016

Omaha Head Coach Jeanne Scarpello Retires

Omaha head softball coach Jeanne Scarpello has announced her retirement after seventeen seasons at the helm of the UNO program.


Scarpello guided the Mavericks softball program through the transition from Division 2 to Division 1, earning conference Coach of the Year honors in her team's first full season of D1 eligibility.

In that same first opportunity of postseason eligibility, the Mavs earned the Summit League's #2 seed in the conference tournament thanks to their 12-5 in-conference record, before being eliminated in the tournament semifinals.

The Mavs earned 145 victories under Scarpello's leadership at the Division 1 level and 684 wins in her full seventeen seasons.

In a statement on Twitter, Scarpello noted the opportunity to spend time with her family as a primary reason for her retirement.

Monday, 6 June 2016

Oklahoma vs. Auburn - Head-to-Head by Position

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Auburn Tigers will face off in the best-of-three championship series of the 2016 Women's College World Series. Let's take a look at how the teams match up against one another at each position.

CATCHER
Oklahoma: Sophomore Lea Wodach sits behind the dish for the Sooners. Sharp defensively, she's hit a rough patch at the plate with just one hit in the World Series. Wodach does a good job of keeping her classmate and battery mate Paige Parker under control in the emotional moments that can be her kryptonite. Nonetheless, thus far for this series, Wodach's bat has been the proverbial "easy out" in the Sooner lineup.

Auburn: Carlee Wallace said in her press conference yesterday that she had "had enough" after her 0-4 day at the plate during the Tiger win over Georgia on Saturday and her determination to put that game behind her showed with a big three-run home run in the Auburn half of the first inning against Florida State. Wallace has scored three times in this series and earned three walks in the cleanup spot, despite going just 2-9 in Oklahoma City thus far.

Advantage: Auburn

FIRST BASE
Oklahoma: Freshman Shay Knighten has become an invaluable part of the Sooner offense. An all-American in her first season in Norman, she already has two home runs in this World Series, including the walk-off longball that beat Alabama. In this World Series, she is hitting .500 with those two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs scored. Coming in to the World Series, Knighten was hitting .388 on the year with eleven home runs and a .656 slugging percentage to her name.

Auburn: Jade Rhodes came into Oklahoma City with a .335 batting average and seventeen home runs on the season, putting on a power show throughout the season. She's been known to be wildly inconsistent at times, but seems to have hit her stride in the World Series after dismal offensive performances in the Regionals and Super Regionals. The senior is hitting .400 in three games in Oklahoma City, gathering 6 RBI and boasting a massive three-run home run against Florida State in Sunday's night game that sent the Tigers to their first-ever championship final.

Advantage: Draw

SECOND BASE
Oklahoma: Caleigh Clifton, a freshman, commands the second sack for the Sooners and has done a solid, if unheralded, job in the World Series; in three games in Oklahoma City, she has reached base six times, despite just one hit, and has scored four times. Coming into OKC, Clifton carried a stat line of .368/.623/.558, as well as five home runs. She has shown a good eye at the plate, earning four walks.

Auburn: Undoubtedly not just one of the best players in the nation, but also one of the smartest, Emily Carosone holds down the 5-hole for the Tigers and does a stellar job of it. The #22 overall pick by the Chicago Bandits in this year's National Pro Fastpitch draft, Carosone has assumed the role of making opposing pitchers pay for pitching around Kasey Cooper. In more than 170 at-bats coming in, Carosone was hitting .405 on the season with a .682 slugging percentage. In her second appearance in OKC with the Tigers, Carosone is hitting .400 even, with four RBI and three runs scored. She was an intergral part of the Tiger rally vs. Georgia, ultimately assuming the major portion of credit for the tying & winning runs' scoring.


Advantage: Auburn



THIRD BASE
Oklahoma: One of the freshman that even casual fans know the most about, Sydney Romero has taken admirable care of the hot corner for the Sooners. No longer simply "Sierra's little sister" and building a reputation all her own, Sydney popped a home run over the fence against her sister's team in the Sooners' win over Michigan and has maintained well defensively at the hot corner, dubbed so for a reason. She has a bright future ahead, but has not shown consistent hitting under the spotlight in the World Series.

Auburn: If there is a player in this World Series with a higher softball IQ than the afore-mentioned Carosone, it is Cooper. She brings shades of Albert Pujols in his St. Louis-prime to this reporter's mind when she's at the plate, with her smooth swing and moonshot home run power. World Series attendees and SportsCenter watchers got just a small sampling of her defensive abilities last night that cast shades of Scott Rolen (coincidentally, another former Cardinal). Cooper is one of the most well-rounded, intelligent, and capable players in the nation and will be an invaluable depended-upon asset for the Tigers in this championship series.


Advantage: Auburn

SHORTSTOP
Oklahoma: Were this comparison made strictly based on defense, the Sooners' Kelsey Arnold would have it sewn up in her favor without a semblance of doubt. As an all-around comparison, the competition is slightly more open but just slightly. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Arnold makes few mistakes in the hole at short. Offensively, she was second on the team with a .393 batting average coming into the World Series. Filling her spot as the "second leadoff" in the 9-spot in the lineup, Arnold has hit .333 in her team's games to this point, scoring two runs.

Auburn: The starting shortstop position almost fell into Whitney Jordan's lap after Haley Fagan's injury last fall, and she has proved capable of filling the role, if not to the star-quality level of Fagan. A bottom-of-the-order hitter with a bit of pop in her bat, Jordan's stat line coming into Oklahoma City was .236/.416/.330. She has struggled with the bat in the World Series with just one hit to her credit. She has driven in two runs, but needs to pick things up and contribute a bit better in the championship series.


Advantage: Oklahoma

OUTFIELD
Oklahoma: Seniors Kady Self and Erin Miller dot the outfield corners for the Sooners, with Nicole Pendley covering ground in center field. Miller has become both the emotional and literal leader of the Sooner offense, hitting an even .400 during the regular season and the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. She also led her team with a .682 slugging percentage, accumulating nine home runs and fifty RBI during the year. The trio of outfielders excel defensively, with just four errors combined all season long, and they're "not bad" on offense either - the trio combined for a cumulative .360 batting average during the year, with nineteen home runs and one hundred twenty runs driven in. In the Women's College World Series, the trio has gathered seven hits, scored five runs, driven in another five, and earned eight bases-on-balls.

Auburn: Tiffany Howard; Victoria Draper; and Madi Gipson make up the outfield trio for the Tigers. Howard, a senior, is the fiery leadoff hitter and table-setter for the Tigers; Draper, the defensively-stellar "second leadoff"; and Gipson, the freshman with the ability to make things happen on offense. The trio have combined to score nine runs in the World Series, in addition to the game-winning run over Florida State that began with Gipson's three-base hit on an error and saw her lifted for a pinch runner that scored to end the ball game in the bottom of the 8th. The trio have gotten the job done at times this World Series, including Draper's rally-starter that led the Tigers over Georgia, but they'll need to be a bit more consistent with the stick in this championship series and stick to their defensive superiority as they have so-often done.


Advantage: Oklahoma


DESIGNATED PLAYER
Oklahoma: OU's Fale Aviu handles the hitting-only duties for the Sooners, and recorded a .364/.571/.413 stat line in the regular season, with eight home runs and forty-seven RBI. She's gone on a bit of a cold streak in this World Series though, mustering just one hit in eight at-bats and driving in only a single run in three games.


Auburn: Haley Fagan has assumed full-time DP duties since returning from her injury for the postseason and seems to have hit her stride in the World Series, batting .333 in Oklahoma City with two RBI. It has taken her a bit of time to warm up, but she seems to slowly be regaining her stride in her comeback and "getting hot" at the right time.


Advantage: Auburn

PITCHER
Oklahoma: OU is riding the arm of sophomore Paige Parker as long as possible, and she's thus-far answered the call admirably. The only pitcher that the Sooners have sent to the circle this postseason, Parker put together a 2.12 ERA in thirty-three innings in the Regionals and Supers, but she has given up eight runs in twenty-two innings since arriving in Oklahoma City. Senior transfer Kelsey Stevens has postseason experience, but Parker has done a much better job this season of handling her emotions and the pressure of the "big moment" and getting out of situations with minimal damage.

Auburn: A proverbial 180-degree turn from Oklahoma's pitching scenario, the Tigers have a plethora  of arms at their disposal. Transfer Kaylee Carlson has gotten the lion's share of the work in the postseason, but pitching coach Corey Myers showed Sunday night that he isn't afraid to mix-and-match hurlers and play to matchups. The Tigers used their three top hurlers in the eight-inning semifinal matchup against Florida State, turning to Martin and Walters in relief before Carlson returned to finish off the Seminoles. The five-arm staff put together a 2.24 during the regular season and first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, but have allowed thirteen runs in three games in Oklahoma City, including seven to Florida State in the previously-noted semi-final matchup.

Advantage: Draw


RESULTS:
Oklahoma: 2 (shortstop, outfield)
Auburn: 4 (catcher, second base, third base, designated player)
Draw: 2 (first base, pitcher)


Conclusion:
Both teams have dynamic offenses and stellar offensive players. Auburn has shown the ability in this World Series, as in many past instances, to rally from behind and do what's necessary to get the job done. Oklahoma, for their part, are no slouches with the stick and can be deadly from 1-9 in the order. Pitching wise, it's the tale of two very different stories - the dependable solo workhorse of Oklahoma and the by-committee approach of Auburn. This is one of the most balanced championship final matchups in recent memory.

Sunday, 5 June 2016

Sights and Sounds, Day 3

Explaining "the play"
During the Auburn/Georgia winner's bracket game yesterday, Auburn entered the top of the seventh inning down by a score of 3-1. Victoria Draper led off the inning with a single, and Tiffany Howard followed with a chopper that wound up, thanks to an error, with runners on the corners. Kasey Cooper brought in Draper and Howard moved to third. An Emily Carosone RBI single tied the game at three-all and that's when things got interesting.

Jade Rhodes stepped to the plate with Cooper at third base, Carosone at first with the chance to tie the ballgame. Rhodes hit a ground ball to Alex Hugo at second base. Hugo reached out to tag Carosone, who jumped away from the tag and slid into second, just behind a quick throw from Hugo, and was called out. Cooper raced home to give the Tigers the lead.

Then things got REALLY interesting... In the adrenaline-fueled excitement, Rhodes apparently jumped around behind the first base bag, trying to continue to pump up her team. First base coach Scott Woodard grabbed Rhodes' arm to get her back to first base and ready for the next batter.

Georgia coach Lu Harris-Champer came out to argue, noting the contact between coach and player was illegal. The umpires, after conferencing, called Rhodes out to end the inning.

The run remained on the board, and would ultimately be the winning run despite a brief UGA rally in the bottom of the frame. So what was the call?

After the respective teams' press conference and a ruling from the NCAA, here's what happened.

Carosone, moving from first to second, was called out for leaving the basepath. Cooper, moving from third, was awarded possession of home plate, scored, and that play ended. Separately, Rhodes' contact with Woodard, the first base coach, was illegal by virtue of rule 12.8.3 and she was then called out, with the credit for the put out given to the first baseman, unassisted.

Friday, 3 June 2016

Sights and Sounds, Day 1

Sights and sounds from Oklahoma City and Day 1 of the 2016 Women's College World Series...

Clint Myers hasn't just revitalised a fan base; he has created one. 
Auburn softball had some very faithful fans during the Tina Deese years. Fans that stuck by the Tigers and rooted them on even when postseason appearances ended early in the Regional round or didn't happen at all. But since Clint Myers' arrival prior to the 2014 season, new fans have come in droves and they have stayed. Some will call them fair weather, but any team that has the immediate success like Myers has brought to the Tigers is sure to see the stands fill exponentially. The Tiger fan base travels, too - whether it be to the SEC Tournament, the World Series, or even just an away series during regular-season play, if the Tigers are playing, you can be sure that their cheering section will be loud and large.

Juuuust a bit inside
In the first inning of their opening matchup vs. Auburn, UCLA pitchers Selina Ta'Amilo and Paige McDuffee combined to hit four Tiger batters. Ta'Amilo's pair of HBPs were crucial to her small 1/3 inning of work as she only gave up one hit, but four runs. Surprisingly enough, ball magnet Emily Carosone (she of eighty-four career HBPs) escaped the game without a new bruise of her own.

Florida State ties a record of the wrong kind
Head coach Lonni Alameda said her team got caught up in the emotion of the game and stage, but whatever the cause, the Noles seemingly had a case of butterfingers when they faced off against Georgia to open the World Series. Seven errors were registered by the Noles' defense in the game, tying a WCWS all-time single-game record.

Wouldn't be a World Series without some rain
As the evening session kicked off with Alabama vs. Oklahoma, dark clouds that had threatened but held off through the morning session began to roll once again and you could just feel something coming. And what you couldn't feel, the many shades of green on the radar told you about. The rain started in the middle of the second inning and only briefly stopped until about 9pm local time when word began to trickle down that the games were postponed. The sell out crowd hung in for quite some time as shades of the 2012 championship series between the same two teams came to mind.

Schedule changes
The games originally scheduled for Thursday night's Session 2 will be played tonight at the same times, 6 and 8:30 local time. The bracket shifts with the semi-final "If Necessary" games originally scheduled for Sunday evening shifting to Monday if they need to be played. In that instance, the first game of the championship series would be played Tuesday, with the If Necessary game of the championship moving to Thursday night. Find the full revised bracket here.

Wednesday, 1 June 2016

2016 NFCA All-Americans Announced

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced today the all-American teams for the 2016 season.

2016 National Player of the Year Sierra Romero leads the group with her fourth-consecutive selection. This marks the first time she has gained the honor with recognition as a second baseman - she was a shortstop for the first half of her career and earned an at-large first-team selection a season ago.

Joining Romero on this year's first team are her fellow POTY finalists Kasey Cooper of Auburn and Aleshia Ocasio of Florida. Romero was also joined by her Wolverine teammates Tera Blanco and Sierra Lawrence on the first team.

All eight teams in the Women's College World Series are represented on the all-American roster. Twenty-two players in all represent the octet of teams.

The SEC led all conferences with eighteen selections, while the PAC12 (ten) and Big Ten (eight) followed. The other two Power Five conferences, the Big 12 and ACC, as well as the Sun Belt and Colonial Athletic Association all placed multiple athletes on the list.

Conference USA, Southland, Big West, American Athletic, and Mid-American (MAC) all earned recognition via a single player.

Three so-called mid-major players earned first team honors in Louisiana-Lafayette's Lexie Elkins and James Madison's Megan Good and Jailyn Ford.

Fourteen of the newly-minted all-Americans were seniors selected in this year's NPF draft, including Elkins; Ford; Romero; Kristen Brown; Haylie McCleney; Emily Crane; Kelsey Nunley; Emily Carosone; Lindsey Stephens; Cheridan Hawkins; Bianka Bell; Sami Fagan; Allexis Bennett; and Kiki Stokes.

A pair of sisters shared all-American honors this season in Nebraska's MJ Knighten and her younger sister Shay of the Oklahoma Sooners.

The full list of the 2016 NFCA All-Americans can be found here.

Sierra Romero Named National Player of the Year

The third time was the charm for Sierra Romero, as the three-time finalist finally took home the National Player of the Year award to add to her own trophy case.

Michigan's Romero hit .465 on the season with nineteen home runs and seventy-eight RBI to her name. Her .916 slugging percentage was one of four statistical categories in which she ranked in the top ten nationwide.

Formerly a shortstop, Romero converted to a second baseman for the final two seasons of her career in the maize & blue.

For her career, Romero boasts a .444 batting average with eighty-two home runs, also a top-ten all-time mark, and 304 RBI. She has drawn 222 walks in her career, compared to just sixty-three strikeouts. She has started every game she has played in but one and is a three-time Big 10 Player of the Year and is likely to soon be named a four-time all-American with the announcement of the 2016 all-American teams.

Romero bested Auburn junior third baseman Kasey Cooper and Florida sophomore pitcher Aleshia Ocasio for the POTY crown.

Tuesday, 31 May 2016

2016 JWOS All-Freshman Team

Fourteen athletes from eleven different schools comprise the inaugural JWOS All-Freshman Team. The list is made up of two pitchers; one catcher; four infielders; three outfielders; one utility player; and three "at-large" selections.

All three finalists for National Freshman of the Year made our list in Florida's Kelly Barnhill & Amanda Lorenz and Oklahoma's Shay Knighten.

Five SEC programs are represented with at least one selection, while Florida and Texas A&M enjoy two each. Oklahoma of the Big 12 is the only other program to be represented by two players.

Three players from mid-major schools made the list, including Kelsey Horton of New Mexico State; Taty Forbes of Coastal Carolina; and two-sport star Claire Oberdorf of Marist.

The full list of members of the All-Freshman Team can be found here:

P – Sydney Smith, LSU
P – Kelly Barnhill, Florida
C – Reagan Dykes, Alabama
IF – Shay Knighten, Oklahoma
IF – Kelsey Horton, New Mexico State
IF – Sydney Romero, Oklahoma
IF – Hailey Lunderman, Ole Miss
OF – Taty Forbes, Coastal Carolina
OF – Amanda Lorenz, Florida
OF – Kyla Walker, Baylor
UT – Claire Oberdorf, Marist
At-Large – Samantha Show, Texas A&M
At-Large – Ali Wester, Notre Dame
At-Large – Keeli Milligan, Texas A&M

Monday, 30 May 2016

Super Regionals Recap

Myers Wins the Rematch
There was more than a Super regional taking place in Auburn this weekend - the showdown between the Tigers and the Wildcats of Arizona also served as the renewing of an old rivalry. When Clint Myers still served as head coach of Arizona State (the job he left to take the reins at Auburn), the rivalry between the Sun Devils and the Wildcats' respective softball clubs was at its peak.

They traded wins, traded losses... both were perennial contenders for conference championships, World Series berths, and national titles.

This weekend was the rekindling of that rivalry between the coaches - though Myers may have worn navy & orange instead of maroon & gold, both legendary coaches wanted to head to the World Series at the other's expense.

Auburn emerged victorious, thanks to back-to-back victories on the second day of the series after Arizona came out on top in Game 1. Candrea's Wildcats headed home and Myers' Tigers boarded a plane bound for Oklahoma.

Harrisonburg, Virginia - The Next Softball Hotspot?
Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Alumni Field in Michigan. Tiger Park in Baton Rouge. Easton Stadium in Los Angeles. Lamson Park in Lafayette. All are major softball venues famous for their raucous environments that are difficult for even the best opponents.

We may soon have to add Harrisonburg, Virginia to that list. The home of the James Madison Dukes, tickets to the Super regional sold out in MINUTES after being posted. The school, having added extra seating for the Regional round, then had to add even MORE seating... which also sold out in the span of just minutes.

The crowd was raucous and loud for their team, and while the Dukes didn't emerge successful, there's no reason to believe this was a one-time affair. Head coach Mickey Dean in a place primed for success and, as the movie saying goes, 'if you build it, they will come'. Dean has built a stellar program - and the fans are coming.

Upset of the Decade?
Coming into their hosted Super regional, the Florida Gators remained the favorite to take home the national title. Playing #16-seeded Georgia, they were widely picked to sweep through the Super Regional round to Oklahoma City with ease. Not so fast said the Bulldogs.

In the Super regional's leadoff game, Bulldogs ace Chelsea Wilkinson held the Gators to just three hits and shut out one of the nation's leading offenses. The Dawgs, for their part, scored three runs off of Gators star hurler Delanie Gourley and put nine runners on base.

The Gators would have had to win two back-to-back games on the Supers' second day, and looked like they were headed to  the winner-take-all game three with a one-run lead headed to the bottom of the 7th inning. With Aleshia Ocasio, the Player of the Year finalist and Gators ace, in the circle, the reigning national champions looked good and set for the winner-take-all matchup.

Enter pinch hitter Kaylee Puailoa. A senior coming off the bench, Puailoa stepped in with a runner on and proceeded to knock a no-doubter over the fence for the game-winning and Super-ending home run.

For the Gators, this will be the first year since 2012 that they aren't in Oklahoma City. The first time for the Class of 2016 that their season hasn't ended amongst the final eight. The first time for the Gator class of '17 that they'll watch the World Series from their couch.

Saturday, 28 May 2016

National Player of the Year Top 3 Finalists Named

Auburn's Kasey Cooper; Florida Aleshia Ocasio; and Michigan's Sierra Romero will be the three players vying for the title of National Player of the Year when the award is handed out prior to the Women's College World Series.

Cooper, the SEC Player of the Year, boasts a .431 batting average with nineteen home runs and seventy-five runs driven in. Her .906 slugging percentage leads the SEC and her .591 on-base percentage was second in the conference. The 2013 National Co-Freshman of the Year, 2016 is the first time Cooper has reached the final stage of finalists for Player of the Year.

Ocasio, the only non-upperclassman of the bunch, posted an 0.65 ERA mark prior to yesterday's upset loss to Georgia, an appearance that gave her only her second loss of the season and increased her ERA to all of 0.77. Opponents hit just .183 against the sophomore hurler and she stands in the top ten nationally in five different categories.

Sierra Romero, now a three-time top three finalist for the award, is in the final season of a stellar career in the maize and blue. Three times the Big 10's Player of the Year, Romero ranks in the top ten nationally of four categories, including with her .470 batting average and 934 slugging percentage. She also boasts nineteen home runs and seventy-six to her own credit.

An original list of twenty-five finalists was released earlier in the season, a grouping that was then trimmed down to ten from which the final three vying for the award were selected.

All three players suited up for teams that earned top-four national seeds in the NCAA tournament.

The National Player of the Year will be announced on May 31st. The National Freshman of the Year award will also be handed out that day; finalists for that award are Ocasio's teammates Kelly Barnhill and Amanda Lorenz and Oklahoma's Shay Knighten.

Thursday, 26 May 2016

George Washington Head Coach Stacey Schramm Resigns

George Washington head coach Stacey Schramm has resigned.

Schramm’s departure comes following the conclusion of her sixth season at the helm of the Colonials, a time during which she posted a 134-162-2 record and reached the postseason three times. In 2016, her squad garnered a berth in the Atlantic 10 conference tournament but were the first team eliminated with an 0-2 record in the double-elimination tournament.

Schramm previously spent time as the head coach at Division II Queens and Wheeling Jesuit; her resume also includes stops as an assistant coach at Drexel and Bucknell.


Schramm owns a lifetime 247-284-4 career record.

Super Regional Primer

What's on tap?
Eight Super Regionals, hosted by the top eight seeds of the tournament: Florida; Michigan; Oklahoma; Auburn; Oregon; Alabama; James Madison; and Florida State.

Every seeded team advanced to the Super Regional round, with the exception of Kentucky and Tennessee, the #9 and #13 seeds, respectively. 

Six teams from the SEC and five from the PAC-12 remain, while five other conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, CAA, and Sun Belt) are represented by one remaining team a piece.

The Gainesville (Florida/Georgia) and Norman (Oklahoma/Louisiana-Lafayette) Super Regionals kick off on Thursday. Harrisonburg (James Madison/LSU), Tuscaloosa (Alabama/Washington), and Tallahassee (Florida State/Utah) begin on Friday. The Super Regionals in Ann Arbor (Michigan/Missouri), Auburn (Auburn/Arizona), and Eugene (Oregon/UCLA) begin on Saturday. 

All Supers go over a span of two days, with a single game being played on the beginning day and a second game followed by an "if necessary" game to determine the winner to be played day #2.

Where to Watch:
ESPN's family of networks will carry all eight Super Regionals.

The first two games of the Gainesville super will be seen on ESPN2, with the "if necessary" game being played on ESPNU. The same set-up goes for the games from Norman, with Oklahoma's games immediately following the Gators each night.

The pitching-heavy James Madison/LSU matchup will be seen on ESPNU for game 1, switch to ESPN for the second game, and move back to ESPNU for the "if necessary" game 3.

Friday's game 1 of Alabama/Washington from Tuscaloosa will be seen on ESPN2, while Saturday's game 2 will be on ESPN and game 3 on ESPN2.

Florida State hosts the surprising-upset entry Utah on ESPNU for game 1, ESPN2 for game 2, and ESPN for game 3, if it becomes necessary.

The first two games of the Michigan-hosted Super will be seen on ESPN on Saturday, while game 3 would be seen on ESPNU.

Auburn/Arizona could end up being seen on all three major networks, with game 1 on ESPN2, game 2 on ESPN, and game 3, if it is played, rounding out the trifecta on ESPNU.

The matchup of all-PAC-12 teams kicks off on ESPN Saturday evening and continues on ESPNU for the remaining games, both in a late-evening start in the Eastern time zone.

Expert Pick 'em
Our expert panel is back this way to pick the winners again, with some new faces and fresh takes. Let's see how their picks match up.

The Panel:
Justin McLeod, JWOS head writer
Lee Dobbins, JWOS staff writer/fmr. D1 head coach
Kristina Thorson, three-time all-American
Brittany Fowler, 2013 Sun Belt Player of the Year
Jeff Franquet, former collegiate & professional head coach
Michael Steuerwald, head coach, Chicago Bandits
Eric Lopez, 'In the Circle' podcast host
Ivy Renfroe, four-time all-SEC selection
Courtney Albritton, 4-time D2 all-American
WNY Softball, founder of MAAC Softball blog

The Picks:
Gainesville Super Regional:
JM: Florida
LD: Florida
KT: Florida
BF: Florida
JF: Florida
MS: Florida
EL: Florida
IR: Florida
CA: Florida
WNY: Florida

Ann Arbor Super Regional:
JM: Michigan
LD: Missouri
KT: Michigan
BF: Missouri
JF: Michigan
MS: Missouri
EL: Michigan
IR: Michigan
CA: Michigan
WNY: Michigan

Norman Super Regional:
JM: Oklahoma
LD: Oklahoma
KT: Oklahoma
BF: Louisiana-Lafayette
JF: Louisiana-Lafayette
MS: Louisiana-Lafayette
EL: Oklahoma
IR: Oklahoma
CA: Louisiana-Lafayette
WNY: Louisiana-Lafayette

Auburn Super Regional:
JM: Arizona
LD: Arizona
KT: Arizona
BF: Auburn
JF: Auburn
MS: Auburn
EL: Auburn
IR: Auburn
CA: Auburn
WNY: Auburn

Eugene Super Regional:
JM: Oregon
LD: Oregon
KT: Oregon
BF: Oregon
JF: Oregon
MS: Oregon
EL: Oregon
IR: Oregon
CA: Oregon
WNY: Oregon

Tuscaloosa Super Regional:
JM: Alabama
LD: Alabama
KT: Washington
BF: Alabama
JF: Alabama
MS: Alabama
EL: Alabama
IR: Washington
CA: Alabama
WNY: Alabama

Harrisonburg Super Regional:
JM: James Madison
LD: James Madison
KT: LSU
BF: LSU
JF: LSU
MS: James Madison
EL: LSU
IR: LSU
CA: LSU
WNY: LSU

Tallahassee Super Regional:
JM: Florida State
LD: Florida State
KT: Florida State
BF: Utah
JF: Florida State
MS: Florida State
EL: Florida State
IR: Utah
CA: Florida State
WNY: Utah

Matchups to Watch:
James Madison pitching vs. LSU pitching
     >>> Both teams are made and broken on the backs of their pitching staffs, and the work from the circle should be the highlight of the weekend in Harrisonburg. For JMU, senior Jailyn Ford and sophomore Megan Good combine for a 0.89 ERA coming in. While Good has shouldered a bit more work than her veteran counterpart, the duo make a deadly 1-2 punch for the Dukes and, even against an SEC opponent with bats like the Tigers', they're far from pushovers. Opponents - including three early-season SEC teams and seventeen Power Five teams overall - have collectively hit just .152 against the pair and .161 against the Dukes staff as a whole. On the Tigers' part, their three-headed beast is led by the fiery Carley Hoover. Statistically, though, Hoover's allowance of 2.25 runs per game ranks third on her squad, a mark far more to the credit of the staff's viability and dominance than anything else. Freshman Sydney Smith boasts a 0.92 mark, while sophomore Allie Walljasper checks in a 1.89. The group, along with seldom-used but equally-gifted Baylee Corbello, can brag of an even 400 strikeouts thus-far on the year, while opponents have hit sub-.220 against the quartet. Hitting coaches may not want to watch too much of this Super regional pairing.

Delanie Gourley vs. Tina Iosefa
     >>> The newest addition to the USA Elite Team's circle will have her hands full with a familiar Bulldog lineup. Iosefa is coming off of a Regional final performance where she set the SEC's single-season RBI record and catapulted the Dawgs into the Supers thanks to her bat. Gourley, the latest in a long recent line of Gator aces, boasts a 0.70 ERA in more than 150 innings this year, allowing more than a single just five times and more than three runs just once. Gourley boasts all of two innings of work against the Dawgs in her career, with four strikeouts, no runs, and just one hit allowed in those brief appearances. She has never faced Iosefa, so the first-ever meeting of this power pitcher and power hitter should be an interesting one.

Danielle O'Toole vs. Auburn offense
     >>> After dispensing with one SEC team in the Regional round, Mike Candrea's club has their sights set on besting another to reach Oklahoma City. The Cats' run thus-far can be attributed to a lot of things, but one need look no further than the circle to find one of the biggest reasons for the squad's success. Riding the arm of the SDSU transfer O'Toole, the Cats will now face an offense that ranked #13 in the nation in batting average and hit seventy-nine home runs. O'Toole vs. Kasey Cooper will itself be riveting viewing, but thanks to the protection Clint Myers has around his Player of the Year finalist & star slugger, O'Toole will catch no breaks in the Tigers lineup. For the Tigers' part, three players continue to boast .400+ batting averages and Emily Carosone deserves nearly as much applause as Cooper for her work at the plate, and in the field. Speedsters Tiffany Howard and the surprisingly-great Victoria Draper give the Tigers the whole offensive package.

JWOS Bracket Challenge Standings
Nine individuals are tied atop the Justin’s World of Softball Bracket Challenge standings after the Regional round – with twenty-eight points a piece, tied for the lead are: Jason W., Emily R., Bob P., Willie S., Sarah W., Brent B., Melinda B., Chris D., and Kevin M.

Just two points behind and tied for tenth are six others, namely Don M., Marcie B., Scott R., Andy G., Nate M., and Karalee M.

With twenty-four points are Brian S., Kathy M., and Hannah L.  Heidi B., Chad B., and Tex G. all have twenty-two. Farrah S. has twenty points, while Rommel B. (the only one to pick the surprising Utah upset over Kentucky) and CA S. are at eighteen.

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Where Are They Now: Mariah Gearhart

Who is she? Mariah Gearhart, a former all-conference and all-region third baseman and NCAA record holder for the Oklahoma State Cowgirls.

What is she known for? Gearhart was three times named an all-conference selection and earned all-region honors in each of the last three years of her career. She held the NCAA all-time career record for hit-by-pitches, a record that stood for years until it was broken earlier this season. 

Here's something interesting... Continuing her athletic career post-softball, Mariah has become an all-star National CoEd Flag Football star. A 3-time United States Flag & Touch Football League national champion (twice on a CoEd team and once as part of an all-women’s team), in just four years of playing, Mariah’s achievements have made her eligible for the association’s Hall of Fame. The only remaining qualification for admittance into the Hall has to do with longevity, so she says “I will be playing flag football for at least another six years!”.

Quotable quote: "Never be satisfied. This generation is starting to lose the true meaning of hard work and dedication with the opportunities that have been created. Young players have so many different outlets now to play and gain experience and the appreciation for it all gets lost. The numbers haven’t changed though; there are still only a certain amount of players that can make a Division 1 roster, only a certain number of girls that get to play college ball, and even less that are able to do it for 4 years and graduate. Your hard work and dedication to your skill starts when you decide to commit to this sport and that commitment doesn’t end until that diploma is in your hand."

What's she up to now? Since her graduation in 2011, 
Mariah has worked in the production department for ESPN and their variety of networks… whether it’s preparing graphics or something else related to an event’s broadcast, chances are you have seen Mariah’s work on-screen! She was promoted to the position of Associate Producer late last year and moved to Orlando from Charlotte, her former headquarters.
 Keep up: You can find Mariah on Twitter @riahGhart

Monday, 23 May 2016

2016 Regionals Roundup

Parity Returns
The selection of eight SEC teams to hosting opportunities for the regional round led to some extensive discussion about favoritism on the part of the selection committee, but that apparently didn't bother the teams out west. Of the eight PAC-12 teams that made the field of sixty-four, five remain standing, a 62.5% conference percentage. With six SEC teams alive and kicking, a 55% mark for the conference that has produced three of the last four national champions. The Super Regionals feature two SEC v. PAC matchups, as well a single in-conference matchup for each league.

Extra-Inning Affairs
If you like "free softball", the South was the place to be Saturday night. Two mid-major schools taking on two PAC-12 schools in two SEC parks. The stars were aligned and the full moon must've been taking effect. Both games went to the 14th inning before ending in walk-off fashion. In Auburn, improbable candidate Jacksonville State, they of the Ohio Valley Conference, upended Oregon State, thanks in no small part to ace pitcher Whitney Gillespie (more on her later). To make matters worse? The Gamecocks had to turn around and play another elimination game that very night - a game that they also won to catapult them into the regional championship after playing 21 innings of softball in a seven-hour period.

Down in the Red Stick, McNeese State and Arizona State battled it out in a late-night elimination game for the chance to face hosting LSU on Sunday. Near complete-game performances by Cowpoke seniors Emily Vincent and Jamie Allred were stellar, as they allowed just seven hits between them and only a single run a piece. On the Sun Devil side of the equation, starter Kelsey Kessler went nearly eight and was effective, striking out eight and limiting the Cowpoke offense to just two runs on ten hits. The performance of the night, though, may have come from ASU's Dale Ryndak, who came in in relief in the eighth inning and went the rest of the way. As the night wore on, Ryndak allowed just one hit and absolutely suffocated McNeese's hitters at nearly every turn, eventually earning the "W" for her efforts.

Tigers Make a Statement
In the midst of countless off-field distractions, including an athletic department investigation and a player protest in support of head coach Ehren Earleywine, the Missouri Tigers were definitely intent on proving a point with their play this weekend, and prove that point they did. Winning every game in run-rule fashion and without allowing a single run, while scoring twenty-six of their own, the Tigers followed the lead of ace Paige Lowary, who pitched every inning of the regional and allowed just seven hits all weekend long. The Tigers excelled in every area: Three players hit home runs; five different players stole a total of nine bases; and senior Emily Crane and sophomore Amanda Sanchez each registered five-RBI games.

As the controversial saga has drawn on, one thing has remained abundantly clear - whatever feelings the Tiger administration has for Earleywine, the fans and those that matter most, the players, are firmly in his corner.

O'Toole Stays Hot
In the midst of her team's eventually-successful upset bid in Knoxville, O'Toole was as sharp as ever. Through her team's first two games in the Regional, a victory over Ohio State and the first upset win over Tennessee, O'Toole pitched every one of her team's innings, holding both opponents scoreless while scattering three hits and ten strikeouts. Though she floundered a bit in the third and final game, she still earned the victory and is now primed for another run at an SEC squad in the Auburn-hosted Super regional this weekend.

Jax State's Gillespie Boosts Her Team with the Bat 
and in the Circle
The afore-mentioned redshirt sophomore hurler deserves more than footnote after her performance in the first two days of the regional round. On Friday, in a game that ultimately swayed to the Tigers on a walk-off, game-ending sacrifice fly, Gillespie still held the SEC champions to three hits and two runs in 6.2 innings pitched, striking out seven. Working out of the loser's bracket, she pitched all but an inning and 2/3 of the marathon game vs. Oregon State, striking out eleven and holding the Beavers scoreless in all but two innings. In the bottom of the 13th inning, with two outs, her team down a run, and down to her last strike, the stud sophomore knocked an RBI double to knot the game up and buoy her team for one more inning, which turned out to be all that the Gamecocks needed.

Given the start off for the second game of the evening, Gillespie came in and closed out the victory over USC-Upstate, getting two outs on six pitches to seal her team's spot in the regional final. Even in the eventual season-ender for her squad on Sunday, Gillespie held the Tigers to just four hits and one earned run in a single recorded inning of work before being replaced in the circle.

The Gamecocks should be very, very excited about their in-state native ace.

No More Streaking
Coming into the NCAA tournament, the Florida Atlantic Owls were riding a twenty-one game win streak. The Conference USA champs, riding the stellar arm of ace Kylee Hanson, had firmly entrenched themselves in the conversation as possible sleeper pick for the Super regionals round. Even after being placed in the regional with #1 overall seed Florida, the Owls gathered some consideration as a possible upset pick.

Cross-state in Tallahassee, Ken Eriksen's South Florida club had enjoyed a twenty-three game winning streak in the middle of the season and an American regular-season title, earning them some brief consideration as a potential host. 

Out West, Fresno State had their own twenty-three game winning streak snapped in the last game of the regular season, but behind senior ace Jill Compton, they hoped to earn a late-seed hosting bid or a "winnable" regional placement. Just missing out on hosting, the Bulldogs were placed in the Los Angeles regional with one of the PAC-12's best in UCLA.

All three teams had different paths throughout the season, but one thing is similar between all three - all will be sitting at home on Super Regional weekend after bowing out in less-than-graceful fashion. All three sported 1-2 records in tournament play and all were eliminated without ever facing their hosting, seeded team.

USF was twice shut out against SEC foe South Carolina, giving up eight runs over two games to the Gamecocks.

Fresno, facing an underrated Big West foe in Cal State Fullerton, failed to even make the elimination game competitive, bowing out after a 7-1 second defeat at the Titans' hands.

Joan Joyce's Owls headed back to Boca Raton after two hard-luck losses to in-state rival UCF. Both pitcher's duels, as expected, FAU's staff gave up just three runs and Owls ace Kylee Hanson ended her junior campaign with a 0.78 ERA.

Three teams with lengthy, impressive winning streaks during the season, but short, unimpressive and disappointing stays in the postseason.

Thursday, 19 May 2016

Expert Pick 'em - Regionals

As the first Regionals get set to begin today, here are our eight-member expert panel's predictions for how things will go this weekend.

The Panel:

Justin McLeod, JWOS head writer
Lee Dobbins, JWOS staff writer/fmr. D1 head coach
Kristina Thorson, three-time all-American
Brittany Fowler, 2013 Sun Belt POTY
Eric Lopez, 'In the Circle' podcast host
Courtney Albritton, 4-time D2 all-American
WNY Softball, founder of MAAC Softball blog

The Picks:
Gainesville regional:
JM: Florida
LD: Florida
KT: Florida
BF: Florida
EL: *
CA: Florida
WNY: Florida

Ann Arbor regional: 
JM: Michigan
LD: Michigan
KT: Michigan
BF: Michigan
EL: Michigan
CA: Michigan
WNY: Michigan

Norman regional:
JM: Oklahoma
LD: Oklahoma
KT: Oklahoma
BF: Mississippi
EL: Oklahoma
CA: Oklahoma
WNY: Oklahoma

Auburn regional:
JM: Auburn
LD: Auburn
KT: Auburn
BF: Auburn
EL: Auburn
CA: Auburn
WNY: Auburn

Eugene regional:
JM: Oregon 
LD: Oregon
KT: Oregon
BF: Oregon
EL: Oregon
CA: Oregon
WNY: Oregon

Tuscaloosa regional:
JM: Alabama
LD: Alabama
KT: Alabama
BF: Alabama
EL: Alabama
CA: Alabama
WNY: Alabama

Harrisonburg regional:
JM: James Madison
LD: James Madison
KT: James Madison
BF: James Madison
EL: James Madison
CA: James Madison
WNY: James Madison

Tallahassee regional:
JM: South Florida
LD: Florida State
KT: Florida State
BF: Florida State
EL: Florida State
CA: Florida State
WNY: South Florida

Lexington regional:
JM: Kentucky
LD: Kentucky
KT: Kentucky
BF: Kentucky
EL: Kentucky
CA: Kentucky
WNY: Kentucky

Baton Rouge regional:
JM: LSU
LD: LSU
KT: LSU
BF: LSU
EL: LSU
CA: LSU
WNY: LSU

Seattle regional:
JM: Minnesota
LD: Washington
KT: Washington
BF: Washington
EL: Washington
CA: Washington
WNY: Washington

Los Angeles regional:
JM: Fresno State
LD: Fresno State
KT: UCLA
BF: UCLA
EL: UCLA
CA: UCLA
WNY: Fresno State

Knoxville regional:
JM: Arizona
LD: Arizona
KT: Arizona
BF: Tennessee
EL: Tennessee
CA: Tennessee
WNY: Tennessee

Lafayette regional:
JM: Texas A&M
LD: Texas A&M
KT: Louisiana-Lafayette
BF: Louisiana-Lafayette
EL: Louisiana-Lafayette
CA: Texas A&M
WNY: Louisiana-Lafayette

Columbia regional:
JM: Missouri
LD: Nebraska
KT: Louisville
BF: Missouri
EL: Missouri
CA: Missouri
WNY: Missouri

Athens regional:
JM: Georgia
LD: Georgia
KT: Georgia
BF: Georgia
EL: Georgia
CA: Georgia
WNY: Georgia


* - Eric Lopez will not predict the Gainesville due to a conflict with duties with the UCF Softball team, who will participate in that regional.