Softball

Andrew Linnehan

Six Big Ten teams will try to make the Women's College World Series for the fourth time in five years.

ESPN, here comes softball. The time is here when sports fans across the country realize how cool softball is to watch. Little girls develop new idols and heroines, older guys develop crushes, and everyone remembers what they told themselves last year: ‘If softball gets such high ratings on ESPN during its NCAA tournament, why doesn’t some schmuck in Bristol make an executive decision to televise the sport more frequently?

But enough of that, it’s time to get amped. Six B10 teams are in the field, some with cushy draws and others with toughies. Is this the year that MULTIPLE Big Ten teams advance to the 8-team Women’s College World Series? Quite possibly. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the softball tournament, here’s how it works: There are 16 “host” sites comprised of 4 teams each (so it’s a 64-team field just like basketball. At each of these 16 sites, the four teams will play a mini double elimination tournament, where the winner will represent that region in the Sweet 16. With the remaining 16 teams, there will be 8 Super Regionals, or in other words, 8 best-of-three series where the winners from each will advance to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. From there, the 8 teams compete in a gigantic double-elimination tournament, and it is ADDICTIVE. Softball’s format (baseball uses the same one, too) could arguably rival the giant single-elimination tourney that is March Madness. It gives fans of underdogs more than one game, it allows for one slip-up by a favorite without being eliminated, but most importantly it allows for more softball.

Below is a preview of the 6 Big Ten teams that have been invited to the dance along with information about the teams in their respective regionals:

#5 MICHIGAN (41-10, Finished 1st in the B10)

Others in Ann Arbor regional: Miami - OH (32-22), Cleveland State (35-16), Notre Dame (41-15)

Synopsis: The Wolverines got about what they deserved with this draw. Two should-be cakewalks in Miami and Cleveland State, and a team that’s tough but beatable in Notre Dame. No one can argue with Big Blue snatching the tournament’s overall 5-seed, and I can’t say that the Wolverines got a tough draw for how well they’re seeded, either. One thing that U of M has that most teams in this tournament don’t is MULTIPLE lights-out pitchers in Nikki Nemitz (0.90 ERA) and Jordan Taylor (1.45 ERA). Say what you will about Stacey Nelson and Danielle Lawrie, but Michigan has TWO pitchers that are right there with those aces. The Wolverines have won 21 of the last 22, but perhaps more importantly, are 14-0 at home this year. And they won’t have to leave Ann Arbor until they book tickets to OKC.

The Regional Comp: Notre Dame probably poses the biggest threat to the Wolverines, as it won just as many games (41) as the Wolverines did (albeit a much easier schedule) and is also a very hot squad (won 20 of last 22). Perhaps more dangerous for Michigan is the Golden Domers’ confidence against bigtime competition. ND has played exceptionally well down the stretch against the top teams in the Big East, including a 1-0 win over DePaul. You might decipher from that score that the Irish have a dandy in the circle, and your detective work would be spot on. Brittney Bargar boasts a 1.58 ERA and her 23-10 overall record includes a whopping 10 shutouts. ND’s offense could also prove somewhat troublesome for Michigan. The Irish are 5-2 against lefties this year. I’d bet they haven’t seen a southpaw quite like Nemitz, but if they get to her or get to avoid her, pressure lies in the pitching hand of Jordan Taylor.

Prediction: Michigan sweeps the regional, hosts Supers next weekend.

#11 OHIO STATE (44-9, Finished 2nd in the B10)

Others in Columbus Regional: Canisius (27-22), BYU (39-16), Kentucky (32-21)

Synopsis: The Ohio State Buckeyes are sneaky good, but I don’t understand why “sneaky” still describes them. They’ve been overshadowed for years now behind the likes of Iowa, Michigan, and Northwestern, but year-after-year prove that they belong with the elite teams in the conference AND in the country. One explanation for this could be OSU’s historical ineptitude come tournament time, a trend the team hopes to Buck this year, and they have the tools (and the draw) to do just that. Sam Marder, who just broke OSU’s all-time homerun record (42) on Saturday against Penn State leads a dynamicly multidimensional offense that can score in a variety of ways. They have good on-base percentage and speed at the top of their lineup, and the middle of the order can do anything you want it to do: A host of players including Marder, Whitney Cooper, Alicia Herron, Tory Haddad, and Courtney Pruner can either hit for AVG to manufacture runs OR put the ball over fences to supply big innings. Don’t forget about P Kim Reeder (1.28 ERA), either, who has been stifling opponents all year long with a dazzling assortment of speeds and spins. I would insert a quote from the OSU coaching staff here about Reeder and her perfect pitching complement, Lindsey Bodecker, but THE Ohio State University doesn’t talk to blogs.

The Regional Comp: Ohio State probably has the easiest region of all the B10 teams. Canisius, BYU, nor Kentucky really offer much challenges to the Buckeyes. Sure, a random upset could happen, but it’s highly unlikely that OSU loses two games this weekend to get eliminated. ESPN’s Graham Hayes, the most trusted softball analyst/expert in America, will tell you that Kentucky could be the sleeper team of this year’s NCAA Tournament, but I’ll politely disagree.

• Hayes says: “Ohio State and Mountain West champion BYU are balanced teams with two quality starting pitchers and lineups that turn mistake pitches into home runs in the blink of an eye. But thanks in part to freshman pitchers Rachel Riley (who one-hit Florida in an April loss that marked her ascension to the role of de facto ace) and Chanda Bell, that description also fits snugly around a team that survived the SEC and is ready for more.”

I say that the SEC is a bit overrated, especially for a conference that has never won a national championship, even when Tennessee had the great Monica Abbott coupled with a TEAM avg. of .352. STILL, that team couldn’t get the job done. So what makes us think that a Kentucky team whose go-to pitchers Rachel Riley and Chanda Bell have lofty 2.95 and 3.21 ERAs, and whose lineup only has three players who hit over .252 can contend with the mighty Buckeyes? I don’t see that happening.

Prediction: Ohio State sweeps regionals, hosts North Carolina next weekend.

#12 NORTHWESTERN (31-13, Finished 3rd in B10)

Others in Waco Regional: Louisiana-Lafayette (43-11), Baylor (37-20), Texas State (39-16)

Synopsis: Whenever the seeded team in the region has BY FAR the fewest number of wins in the region, you know it’s gotta be one of the toughest of the 16 locales. This region will indeed be a doozy, boasting powerful lineups and multiple programs that have enjoyed gobs of recent success. Northwestern could face Baylor in a rematch of an ‘07 World Series tussle in which NU pounded the Bears. No doubt some players still on that Baylor team remember that elimination game. Northwestern’s offense will have to overcome a susceptibility to inconsistent pitching and erratic defense that has bitten the Wildcats on multiple occassions this year. Ace Lauren Delaney hopefully got back on track in a doubleheader sweep over Wisconsin last weekend, a set where she only gave up one run in 14 innings, but you never know with this power pitcher. If you add up Delaney’s walks, hit batters, and wild pitches, they nearly equal her strikeouts. Not a good sign. Still, this is an offense that is arguably the best in the country and has FOUR hitters that have 40+ career homeruns (just to put that in perspective, they’d all hold OSU’s dong record) and yet another batter, freshman Adrienne Monka, who might be deadlier than even those four. She has 19 HR’s already in her freshman campaign. Yowzers. This team could bash its way to OKC.

The Regional Comp: We’ve briefly talked about Baylor already, but they deserve more than a cursory mention. NU might meet its match when it comes to offense. The Bears don’t hit nearly the amount of HRs that the Wildcats do, but they’ll drain you to death with hitting. Seven players — count them, seven — hit .297 or better and the team as a whole boasts a .308 clip. You think that’s good? Let’s take a look now at Louisiana-Lafayette (pronounced U-LALA for those unfamiliar with the rich softball tradition of the Rajin’ Cajuns). ULA-LA, like NU and BU, also has a dynamic lineup, with seven batters hitting over .292. But where ULA-LA might have a real advantage in this regional is in the circle. Ashley Brignac is back after an absence earlier in the season and is better than lights out. In 12 appearances this season, she has a miniscule 0.20 ERA, which would EASILY set the ERA record had she pitched in the minimum number of contests. What’s scarier, though, is that she doesn’t seem to be the Cajun ace. That designation falls upon the arm of freshman Donna Bourgeois, who’s 29-8 on the year with a 1.10 ERA and only 46 walks to her 289 strikeouts. I know their SOS isn’t exceptional, but you’re foolish if you overlook this team’s numbers.

Prediction: Northwestern and Louisiana-Lafayette, each team with one loss, meet in the decisive game. ULA-LA wins, 5-3, and advances to Supers in Ann Arbor.

ILLINOIS (29-15, Finished 4th in B10)

Others in Columbia Regional: Depaul (37-12), Missouri (45-9), Bradley (25-26)

Synopsis: No one can argue that Illinois isn’t among the best offenses in the country. A perfectly assembled order consists of girls who have a knack for working their way around the diamond. Led by Danielle Zymkowitz (.408 AVG, 48 runs scored, and 20-20 in stolen bases), the Illini will look to outhit the likes of DePaul and Missouri and sneak into a Super Regional against likely opponent UCLA. Hoping to stem the tide on a pitching staff that’s gotten roughed up all year long will be freshman Monica Perry, who the Illini have put in the circle for 42 of their 44 games this season. She’s a prized recruit to the Illini program, and has the tools to be very successful… it’s just a matter of when. If she can have her coming out party this week, the Illini could be the cinderella of the Super Regional round.

The Regional Comp: I know I said the Waco regional would be the toughest, but this one could rival it. Missouri and DePaul are both teams that have legitimate WCWS aspirations, and one of them won’t even get out of regionals. DePaul is the favorite according to the polls, and rightfully so, but Missouri could be a serious sleeper. If I had to bet on a complete longshot to win the national title, I’d think long and hard about plunking that money on the Tigers. 3rd in the Big 12 in team ERA (2.08), 1st in homeruns (23), 2nd in runs scored (99), and, perhaps the most impressive stat, a .380 team on-base percentage. You also can’t discount that this team just slayed several giants to win the Big 12 tournament crown, which, by the way, is played at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in OKC. The girls have been battle-tested and gotten used to the big stage. The Tigers should shine brightest in this regional’s biggest moments.

Prediction: Illinois loses to Missouri on Friday, comes back to outslug DePaul in an elimination game, and then falls to Missouri again on Advancement Sunday.

IOWA (42-12, Finished 5th in B10)

Others in Atlanta Regional: Auburn (29-27), Boston University (41-16), Georgia Tech (41-13)

Synopsis: Brittany Weil, the gutsiest pitcher in the Big Ten, has the head for a tournament like this and represents all you need to know about this Iowa squad. Throw all the cliches around you want: They’re all heart, they never give up, etc. This team could be primed to make a nice little postseason run, and it has the region to do it in. Six players are hitting an astounding .320 or higher, and they rarely have problems producing with runners in scoring position. In 56 games, the Hawkeyes scored 277 runs (a whopping 4.95 runs per game). When you score that many runs on a team whose ace (Weil) boasts a 1.06 ERA and has a ridiculous 6.2/1 strikeout to walk ratio, you’ve got a team that can contend.

The Regional Comp: Could be one of the easier regionals for Iowa to try and get out of. Auburn shouldn’t even be in the tournament (for some reason the NCAA likes the SEC this year), and Boston University, while carrying an impressive record to Atlanta, just isn’t that impressive. That leaves us with Georgia Tech, who will undoubtedly lock horns with Iowa on the regional’s final day. The Yellow Jackets have home field advantage, the ACC crown, and a crazy good offense on their side. Yes, they carry two hurlers with sub-2.00 ERAs (you’ll probably see ace Kristen Adkins in the circle on Sunday), but the most impressive thing about the Jackets is their hitting. THREE hitters (Jen Yee, Kelsi Weseman, and Whitney Haller) bat over .400. What?!? And if by some infinitesimal chance you keep them off the basepaths, Tech brings two more .300-plus hitters at you (Christy Jones and Blair Shimandle) that have each swiped 22 bags on the year. They like to hit, they like to run, and they like to create chaos. Weil’s got her work cut out for her.

Prediction: Weil and Amanda Zust cruise into Sunday, and Weil is up to the challenge against this dynamic Tech lineup, pitching a gem to advance the Hawkeyes to Supers where they’ll play Danielle Lawrie and Washington.

PURDUE (29-18, Finished 6th in B10)

Others in Louisville Regional: #9 Arizona (41-14), Tennessee-Martin (38-22), Louisville (47-9)

Synopsis: P Suzie Rzegocki stormed onto the pitching-heavy Big Ten scene this season and quickly proved she belongs among the conference’s elite (I still can’t believe she wanted to go to U of I and the Illini rejected her). Rzegocki posted a 1.40 ERA and had wins over a plethora of tournament teams including UCLA, Miami (OH), Auburn, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Illinois. Purdue’s offense will have to find a way to help Rzegocki out a little bit more in the tournament than they did in the regular season, as inconsistency and, at times, ineptitude at the plate was directly related to its middle-of-the-pack finish in the conference standings. Only three hitters (Liane Horiuchi, Candace Curtis, and Molly Garst) flirted with a .300 AVG all year, and a majority of the bottom half of the Boilers lineup struggled to stay above the Mendoza line (.200). The Boilers played better on the road this year than they did at home (23-13 in away or neutral site games), which could help them as they travel to Louisville.

The Regional Comp: Obviously, the team to worry about in this region is the always-dreaded Arizona Wildcats. Sure, Louisville is a solid Big East squad, but Purdue is easily on its level. The Arizona Wildcats, however, are a whole other bag of potato chips, especially come tournament time. The U of A game(s) against Purdue will be a VERY interesting matchup, as each team’s strength inhabits a different side of the ball. Arizona does not have good pitching like it’s historically had (Sarah Akamine, sister of Penn State’s Lisa Akamine, leads the team in ERA at 2.37), but the Wildcats’ bats could be the most potent in the country. Arizona brings SEVEN hitters to the plate that boast a .320 AVG or better. Even more impressive, this team has hit 126 bombs, an astounding 43 HRs more than second place Arizona State. Six players on the roster have hit 10+ HRs, including arguably the best position player in America, the pint-sized Brittany Lastrapes (5′3″), who’s batting .458 with 17 HR, 57 RBI, 71 R, and only struck out 14 times. YIKES!

Prediction: Purdue beats Louisville twice, loses to Arizona twice.