NCAA Softball Regionals

[NormanGlenn]

The regionals have been announced by the NCAA. For all the brackets, go to www.ncaachampionships.com. (http://www.ncaachampionships.com.)

OU is the ONLY Big 12 to host a regional. The teams playing in Norman are:

Seed #1 Texas
" #2 Oklahoma
" #3 Texas A&M
" #4 Arkansas
" #5 Utah
" #6 Army

OU has defeated all except Arkansas and Army, although we lost 3 of 4 to Texas. We will have play our best to advance to the WCWS.

The regional dates are May 16 - 19.

[NormanGlenn]

I failed to add that the only other Big 12 team in the tournament is Nebraska who is the #1 seed at Iowa Univ.

[Jennifer]

Wow, only 4 Big 12 teams and 3 in one regional.

OU will have a tough road in this one, but as the Oklahoman article says, they are now very familiar w/ Texas pitcher Osterman and will have the crowd on their side.
http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=860733&pic=none&TP=getsooners

The other hosts are:
The other seven regional hosts are South Carolina, Minnesota, Louisiana-Lafayette, Fresno State, Michigan, Iowa and Florida State.

[swok34]

Has the NCAA changed the way they award the seedings? or does being a #1 seed not matter? I was really surprised that no #1 seeds get to host.

Oh boy, OU gets Texas..... http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/frown.gif

Jennifer, the time that OU beat Texas, Cat wasn't the starting pitcher that night, though she came in at the 3rd or 4th inning, OU had already done it's damage.

Cat's good, really, really good. If OU can hit her, they'll be okay. I don't think highly of their infield, but if you can't get past the pitcher, it doesn't matter....their outfielders are really good.

[carolann]

I'm disappointed Texas does not get to host. I have a hard time getting to softball games. Spring seems to be a busy time of year. I was hoping to get another chance to see Texas play.

[Jennifer]

I think OU has hosted in the past and not been the #1 seed.
They have a great facility and fan support. $$ matters. And it seems like one year they had to travel to the NE (Mass?) several years ago when they were a #1 seed.
It looks like they try to minimize the traveling for teams as well.

Very surprised OU and Texas are together though. But then, this isn't basketball. THey do things differently.

[swok34]

oh, Carolann.....if you haven't seen Cat pitch, you've missed a treat. Actually it's kind of boring to watch for fans, she "K's" so many of them. I think OU is going to have a really hard time getting around Texas. Texas played a double-header at OU and Texas won both games.

I know there's a lot of consideration given to "travel" and trying to keep any one team from travelling very far though Arizona and another team are having to travel out to the east coast.

I think teams that were up for consideration had to give a "guaranteed" dollar figure to the NCAA. OU really gets good fan support and has an incredible (fairly-new) facility.

Here's an interesting article, sorry couldn't find the link....just the full article that someone posted on another message board.

Really, 'Dogs land a regional
But 14th-ranked Fresno State's road to the softball World Series is loaded with four of the nation's top 20 teams.
By Andy Boogaard
The Fresno Bee
(Published Monday, May, 13, 2002 5:25AM)

It was a reward with a caveat. And it came with an announcement so swift, so stunning that Fresno State softball players left The Bulldog Brewing Company Sunday evening clearing their eyes and wondering if what they saw was in fact true.
"Everybody started cheering," Bulldogs star pitcher Jamie Southern said. "I was like, 'What are they cheering about?' I was shocked."

Her teammates, her coach, Margie Wright, and about 50 team boosters cheered for this reason while watching a 2-minute, rapid-fire NCAA tournament announcement on ESPNEWS via DirecTV: Fresno State will host its 17th and, perhaps, most improbable regional beginning Thursday. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs will oppose third-seeded Cal at 5 p.m. in one of four first-round games that day.

"I'm really surprised, but excited," senior center fielder Tiffany Whipple said.

Then, the rub.

"We're playing some tough teams," she added.

Tough? Fresno's six-team regional makes the other seven appear as exhibitions by comparison.

Joining the 14th-ranked Bulldogs (49-18) will be No. 5 Cal (48-19), No. 8 Stanford (43-18), No. 9 Cal State-Fullerton (50-11), No. 17 Pacific (42-15) and, oh, by the way, unranked Evansville (34-25).

Typically, West regionals have been loaded, and the chances of that occurring to a greater degree this year increased with the NCAA's emphasis on restricted travel following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

And, with that same mindset, a previous rule prohibiting schools from a common conference to play in a regional was discontinued. Hence, Cal and Stanford headed to Bulldog Diamond.

A lucrative guaranteed return ($21,000) to the NCAA, the nation's finest facility and rich tournament history of hosting worked in Fresno State's favor. But nothing, apparently, like location.

Cal, Stanford, Pacific and Fullerton all are just a bus ride away. And not all will arrive in giddy moods.

Not even in a homecoming for Courtney Scott, Cal's junior catcher from Clovis High.

"I definitely have mixed feelings," she said.

The good? Easy. She'll play in front of family and friends.

The bad? Where to begin?

"To have five of the top-20 teams in this region, that's just ridiculous," she said. "At least four of these teams should be No. 1 or No. 2 seeds elsewhere. I'm baffled."

And she's not alone in the mighty Pac-10 -- the conference with six top-10 teams, the one with 14 of the 20 NCAA softball titles, the one, above all, with standard-bearers UCLA and Arizona.

The one -- buckle your seat belt -- shut out Sunday as regional hosts.

Last year -- three. This year -- none.

Without so much of a warning.

"I'm looking forward to hearing the justification," UCLA coach Sue Enquist said.

The Bruins, Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State and Washington all bid to host regionals out of the Pac-10.

"We were 95% sure we were going to host," UCLA assistant sports information director Amy Symons said.

Per the NCAA's new requirement of lights at regionals, the Bruins already had portable standards installed at Easton Stadium.

"I don't envy [the NCAA Softball Selection Committee]," Enquist said. "And maybe it is time to change some mindsets. I'm just not sure it should be done at regionals."

What does the message say regarding the Pac-10 blackout?

"It tells me, as head coach at UCLA, I better not comment," Enquist said.

Wright, conversely, was ecstatic. And to heck with the stiff competition.

"There are a lot of positives being on the West Coast," she said. "There's also times everybody's like, 'Oh my God, look at this.' The way I see it, you've got to beat the best anyway, and whoever comes out of this regional is going to be way more prepared at the World Series."

Enquist agreed.

"The team that comes out of the Fresno regional certainly will have a lot of confidence being able to compete at a very high level," she said. "At the same time, our sport is growing so fast, upsets happen so often, I don't look at our regional [in Columbia, S.C.] and say, 'Oh, let's move right into Oklahoma City [for the World Series]."

In Columbia, only No. 25 Georgia is ranked in addition to the Bruins.

At Bulldog Diamond, Fresno State will see familiar faces.

Southern's four-hitter beat Cal 1-0 to open the season at the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Ariz. And the Bulldogs also swept Pacific, 2-1, 6-1, at home three weeks later. However, they're 0-2 against Fullerton and 0-3 against Stanford.

"We're prepared. I think we're ready," said Southern (32-8), a national top-10 finalist for player of the year.

And don't be surprised, Wright said, if Southern starts every regional game in the circle.

"It's always a possibility, I've done it before," said Wright, citing pitchers Maureen Brady, Terry Carpenter and Amanda Scott.

"If somebody's hot, stay with them. That's just what you do ... well, that's what I do."

[Jennifer]

Here's an article about Jennifer Stewart and the tough year she's had. http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=861119&pic=none&TP=getsooners

[swok34]

A friend that I go to the games with, who knows a whole, whole lot more about softball than I do....I wouldn't know a curve from anything else.....made the comment that he thought Jennifer was pitching different this year, in that she's pitching with a lot more "power" and a lot less "control"....

[carolann]

OU and Texas to meet again!

The Texas men clinched the Big 12 baseball regular season last night.

[swok34]

oh boy, OU has to run over a Cat to get up the road to Oklahoma City http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[Jennifer]

OU finally was able to hit Cat and won 4-1 today.
Texas now plays Texas A&M in an elimination game. Winner plays OU tomorrow for the CWS berth.

OU had 8 hits to Texas' 5.
OU had a big 5th inning, scoring all 4 runs off of 3 hits. There were also a couple of wild pitches, a hit batter, and a passed ball that helped things out.

You have to think that OU's experience as well as the home field advantage are making a big difference.

[Jennifer]

Also, Nebraska was a 7-0 winner over #2 seed Oregon State.

They'll play the winner of Oregon State/ND tomorrow for the CWS berth. It'll be nice to see 2 Big 12 teams representing the conference in OKC!

[carolann]

http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/frown.gif Oh, well. Texas is an amazingly young program. The Horns are a good team but relying an awful lot on one person - Cat. Of course, it will be great fun if the team goes further in the tournament. Regardless, the program is definitely on the rise.

[Jennifer]

Agreed, Carolann.
For such a young and new program, Texas is definitely on the rise and one to watch out for. Texas (the state) has lots of softball talent, so I'm sure they'll only get stronger behind the pitching of Osterman.
If they beat A&M, they'll have to beat OU 2x tomorrow. They've done it before...though OU has experience at this point on their side (though they have a fair share of young ones contributing!)

Bottom of the 3rd--A&M leads 2-1. Bradford is pitching for Texas.

[This message has been edited by Jennifer (edited 05-19-2002).]

[Jennifer]

Wow.
A&M beat Texas, 2-1.
Osterman pitched the last 2/3 inning.

[ChipperF1]

One more game to Oklahoma City. I hope the lasses in scarlet and cream never give Notre Dame a chance. Hit 'em with some more Peaches power and don't let them off the ground.

And GO OKLAHOMA! Keep Kat away, FAR AWAY!!! http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[swok34]

heck of a ballgame this afternoon!

Had I not had an OU alumni player sitting beside me I wouldn't have known what was going on half the time...like being able to run if the catcher drops the 3rd strike or base interference....

I think Texas relied way too heavily on Kat in this regional.... and she had on off pitching day today vs OU. I couldn't believe that she pitched last night's game......for as good as Kat is, and she is unbelievably good.....Texas needs some infield practice, almost acted like they didn't know what to do with the ball when it did got into the infield .....and that's what I mean by relying TOO heavily on Kat......and kudo's to Gasso & staff for making the adjustments they have, it works http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif I think OU finally realized they didn't have to plow the ball out of the park, just get it into play, base hit by base hit.....though Kat wasn't throwing her usual self today, either.

OU may get to meet up with Nebraska, afterall, chipper.....they've yet to meet this year.

[This message has been edited by swok34 (edited 05-19-2002).]

[This message has been edited by swok34 (edited 05-19-2002).]

[Jennifer]

None of the #1 seeds were hosts. The hosts were seeded either 2, 3, or 4.

Still playing tomorrow--
Region 1: #1 UCLA vs. #3 South Carolina (SC host school)
Region 2: #1 Arizona vs. #2 Depaul
Region 3: #1 LSU vs. #2 Arizona State
Region 4: #1 Cal-State Fullerton vs. #3 California
Region 5: #2 Oklahoma vs. #3 Texas A&M (Oklahoma host school)
Region 6: #2 Michigan vs. #3 Ohio State (Michigan host school)
Region 7: #1 Nebraska vs. #3 Notre Dame
Region 8: #3 Florida State vs. winner of #5 Ga Tech/#6 Chattanooga (Florida State host school)

Region 8 has to be the only big surprise--#1 seed Florida Atlantic went 2-2, losing both game to Chattanooga, and neither of them really close.
Washington was the #1 seed in Region 6. They have a strong CWS history.
The CWS seeding is based on the region numbers, so the OU/A&M winner will play the Cal-STate Fullerton/Cal winner first round.
Nebraska/ND winner will play Arizona/Depaul winner.
If OU and Nebraska both win tomorrow, they will be on opposite sides of the bracket and thus wouldn't meet until their 3rd game at the earliest (I think).
Here's the championship bracket (pdf). http://www.ncaachampionships.com/staticfiles/2002_wcws_bracket.pdf

[NormanGlenn]

I have felt since the first time I saw Cat Osterman pitch in Norman during the regular season, that if anyone hit her consistently that she would problems. At the Big 12 tournament I saw OU get close to frustrating her. Give credit to the OU coaching staff, they made the necessary adjustments so the hitters could get the hits and as expected Cat went to pieces. She does not have a good defense behind her. When she blows up and becomes wild like she did Saturday, the Texas team is mediocre at best.

[ChipperF1]

swok, we look forward to having Oklahoma as an adversary yet again...hopefully, the story will end better for Nebraska that it has in the past.

First things first for the lasses, BEAT ARIZONA!
No matter what, these Husker girls have really put things together. This season the ladies have played like world champions, and other times they've played like they've had their heads stuck in their John Brown hind parts.
What I think makes Big Red softball go is that this team doesn't quit. The girls stay together and focus in even when it gets hard (like it did yesterday). Notre Dame just kept making plays, and that can wear down a team when you see good efforts not working. But the kids stayed with it, and now we have a shot at that elusive National Championship.

I hope the girls get it done. Coach Revelle has earned it in my book, and so has this team.

Maybe Nebraska should drop womens basketball and divide the money among all the other womens sports at the school.

[TXSNOS]

Saw this in the 5/23/02 Austin American-Statesman:

Texas' Cat Osterman has been named second team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Osterman set school records for strikeouts (554), wins (36), innings pitched (304.1), games started (40), appearances (51), consecutive scoreless innings (60.1), consecutive innings without allowing an earned run (79.2), and shutouts (17).

She also pitched 5 nohitters and three perfect games.

[swok34]

chipper, I watched the Nebraska/Arizona game last night....
Peaches James did an awesome pitching job.....Arizona seems to win the majority of it's games 1-0.

The announcer's mentioned that Peaches has a 30" vertical jump...
surprised that she never sought out volleyball or basketball as a sport. Though when you pitch as well as Peaches does, I'd stay in the circle, too.

[ChipperF1]

Peaches pitched great vs. Arizona...with one exception. She solid again last night. Problem is she ran into something that always seems to plague Ronda Revelle's teams when in comes to the WCWS....HER TEAMS ALWAYS FIND IRRITATINGLY STUPID WAYS TO CHOKE

4 errors in one innings of softball handed Florida State a nice 3-run gift. Next inning, Nebraska showed that heart. They got within a run, but then Chipper's Rule #64 came into play

"All the heart and talent in the world can be undone by stupidity."

Amanda Bucholtz was held at third. Ray Charles could see it, appearantly Nicole Trumboli didn't and was tagged out scrambling back to second, to kill the inning and the rally. Nicole really had a poor tournament (more fielding errors than hits, something she's been doing most of the stretch drive).

Nontheless 50-14 is a great season. Congrats ladies, but one of these years it would nice if Nebraska would go to the WCWS and actually come home with the gold for a change.

[swok34]

That was an awesome game of softball last night....

I agree about the Bucholtz gaf........that put the nail in the coffin as they were making their way back.....after giving on their field errors.

I thought they maybe pulled Peaches too soon in the inning, she managed to work her way out of her jams in the Arizona game.

Can't say many more positive's about the OU/UCLA game...why, oh why was Kelli Braitsch sent home to battle with the college games best catcher? Especially when UCLA turned and walked the next 3. And how do you ever justify throwing a pitch that same catcher can hit........... http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[TXSNOS]

From the 6/6/02 Austin American-Statesman:

Two UT players make USA team

University of Texas left-handed pitcher Cat Osterman and second baseman Lindsay Gardner were named to the 17-player USA Softball elite team on Wednesday.

Osterman and Gardner were chosen after competing in the Women's World Championship tryout camp May 30-June 2 in Chula Vista, Calif. The elite team will help prepare the 2002 World Championship team for international events by competing in scrimmages and exhibition games. In addition, the elite team will compete July 12-21 at the Canada Cup in Surrey, British Columbia. Osterman, a freshman, and Gardner, a junior, led the Longhorns to their first Big 12 regular-season title.