Softball

Two big hits and a strong pitching performance. Aviu's two-run home run and Mendes two-run triple combined for the four run difference.

I was worried when they got a single and triple off Juarez in the first. Can the better teams hit her? She settled down to allow only a single.

Aviu was pretty good on her birthday.

Pretty sure that was an anomaly. G wasn't at her best today; not sharp but still good enough to hold Tech to three hits.
 
Pretty sure that was an anomaly. G wasn't at her best today; not sharp but still good enough to hold Tech to three hits.

I think he said it was raining at first. This may have affected her?
 
I think he said it was raining at first. This may have affected her?

It stopped raving about minutes before the and never rained much! That being said the wind was blowing 25 + the entire game. It definitely impacted pitching for everyone. It also impacted hitting! Fali’s Homer hooked around the left field foul pole. No one was going to hit one out to right or center! It is supposed to be nice tomorrow and Sunday!
 
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OU wins 8-3 as Saile relieved Lopez and pitched 5.1 scoreless innings.

Green had two home runs. Romero and Mendes had one each.
 
13-1 in six for a run-rule over Tech. Juarez with the win. Romero, Knighten, Alo, and Green with home runs (Green hit a grand slam in the sixth). Knighten was four for four.
 
My rankings on 3/25:

1a. UCLA 27-1

-----https://uclabruins.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Midweek: 3/25 Cal Santa Barbara, 3/26 Cal Fullerton, in Los Angeles
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, California, in Los Angeles, CA


1b. Oklahoma 29-2

-----http://www.soonersports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&SPID=127251&SPSID=750355

-----midweek: 3/27, Tulsa, in Norman, weekend, 3/30-31, Utah, in Salt Lake City, UT

3. Florida State 32-3

-----https://seminoles.com/sports/softball/schedule/

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31. Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA

4. Tennessee 26-5

-----https://utsports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=376

-----Weekend: 3/30-31, 4-1, Missouri, in Columbia, MO

5. Washington 23-6

-----https://gohuskies.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=461

----Midweek: 3/27, Cal Poly, in Seattle, Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Oregon State, in Seattle


6. Alabama 33-1

-----https://rolltide.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=475

-----Midweek, 3/27 Georgia Tech, in Tuscaloosa, AL,

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa, AL

7. Texas Tech 27-5

-----https://texastech.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=1407

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Iowa State in Ames, IA

8. Texas 29-6
-----https://texassports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=406

---- in Nashville, TN, 5 Lipscomb 0,

-----Midweek: 3/27, Baylor, in Waco, TX

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Oklahoma State, in Stillwater, OK


9. Florida 27-6

-----https://floridagators.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=404

-----Midweek: 3/27, Bethune-Cookman, in Gainesville, FL
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Ole Miss, in Oxford, MS

10. LSU 28-6

-----http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=5200&SPID=2174&SPSID=27871

-----Midweek: 3/27, Nicholls State, in Baton Rouge, LA
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, South Carolina, in Baton Rouge, LA


11. Arizona 24-7

-----https://admin.arizonawildcats.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Arizona State, in Tucson, AZ


12. Minnesota 22-9

-----https://gophersports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=384

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31. Purdue, in Minneapolis, MN


13. Auburn 28-5

-----https://auburntigers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=417

-----Midweek: 3/27, DH, Kennesaw State, in Auburn, AL
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Georgia, in Auburn, AL

14. Oklahoma State 23-9
-----https://okstate.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Midweek: 3/27, Wichita State, in Wichita, KS
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Texas, in Austin, TX


15. Arkansas 22-9

-----https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/sport/w-softbl/schedule/

-----Midweek: 3/26, Tex-Arlington, in Arlington, TX
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Kentucky, in Fayetteville, AR


16. Michigan 19-10

-----https://mgoblue.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=1515

-----Midweek: 3/26, Central Michigan, in Mount Pleasant, MI
-----Weekend: 2/29-30-31, Rutgers, in Piscataway, NJ


17. Kentucky 21-10

-----https://ukathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Midweek: 3/26, Western Kentucky, in Lexington, KY, 3/27, Ohio State, in Lexington
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Arkansas, in Fayetteville, AR


18. Arizona State 25-8

-----https://thesundevils.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31. Arizona, in Tucson, AZ

19. Ole Miss 21-7

---https://olemisssports.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball
-----Finish: South Carolina, Columbia, SC Monday
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Florida, in Oxford, MS


20. Illinois 20-7

-----https://fightingillini.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball&

-----Midweek: 3/26 Eastern Illinois, in Urbana, IL
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Nebraska, in Lincoln, NE

21. Stanford 21-4

-----https://gostanford.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Next week: 3/25: California
-----Midweek: 3/37 DH, St. Marys, in Stanford, CA
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Oregon, in Stanford, CA

22. Northwestern 22-6

-----https://nusports.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Midweek: 3/27, DePaul, in Evanston, IL
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Iowa, in Iowa City, IA

23. Louisiana-Lafayette 26-4

-----https://ragincajuns.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=297

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Georgia Southern, in Statesboro, GA


24. Wisconsin 22-5

-----https://uwbadgers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=495

-----Midweek: 3/26 DH, Northern Iowa, in Madison, WI
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Penn State, in University Park, PA


25. Colorado State 23-4

-----https://csurams.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=365

-----Midweek: 3/26, Northern Colorado, in Greeley, CO
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Utah State, in Fort Collins, CO


26. Indiana 25-9

-----https://iuhoosiers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=1513
-----Midweek: 3/26, Louisville, in Louisville, KY
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Michigan State, in Bloomington, IN


27. Notre Dame 18-10

-----https://und.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=592

-----Midweek: 3/27, Western Michigan, in Notre Dame, IN
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Syracuse, in Syracuse, NY


28. James Madison 19-6

-----https://jmusports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=563

-----Midweek: 3/27, Marshall, in Harrisonburg, VA
-----Weekend: 3/30-30-31. Towson State, in Towson, MD


I should have a 29 and 30, but who? Certainly not Georgia or South Carolina. North Carolina is struggling. Indiana had a terrible week and probably shouldn't be in the top thirty.

Tulsa, Houston, Boise State, Virginia Tech, and UNLV are possibilities.
 
I don't attempt to rank teams myself as I know I cannot see enough of all the teams to have the proper perspective. But I did take your top 10 and calculate their records against Power 5 conference schools plus Louisiana, Colorado State and James Madison.

1. UCLA 12-1
2. OU 12-2
3. FSU 14-2
4. Tennessee 13-5
5. Washington 14-6
6. Alabama 11-1
7. Texas Tech 6-4
8. Texas 13-6
9. Florida 10-6
10. LSU 14-6
14. Oklahoma State 12-7

Not that it tells us too much with the season only half gone but I personally think that Texas Tech might be ranked a little too high having played fewer quality opponents than the other teams and having the worst winning percentage.

Also found it interesting that Texas (19) scheduled 5 more top opponents than did the Sooners (14). But then the whorns took it on the nose 4 more times than did the Sooners with 2 of those losses in Austin to Minnesota. That is an RPI ouch.
 
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My rankings on 3/25:

1a. UCLA 27-1

-----https://uclabruins.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Midweek: 3/25 Cal Santa Barbara, 3/26 Cal Fullerton, in Los Angeles
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, California, in Los Angeles, CA


1b. Oklahoma 29-2

-----http://www.soonersports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&SPID=127251&SPSID=750355

-----midweek: 3/27, Tulsa, in Norman, weekend, 3/30-31, Utah, in Salt Lake City, UT

3. Florida State 32-3

-----https://seminoles.com/sports/softball/schedule/

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31. Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA

4. Tennessee 26-5

-----https://utsports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=376

-----Weekend: 3/30-31, 4-1, Missouri, in Columbia, MO

5. Washington 23-6

-----https://gohuskies.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=461

----Midweek: 3/27, Cal Poly, in Seattle, Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Oregon State, in Seattle


6. Alabama 33-1

-----https://rolltide.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=475

-----Midweek, 3/27 Georgia Tech, in Tuscaloosa, AL,

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa, AL

7. Texas Tech 27-5

-----https://texastech.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=1407

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Iowa State in Ames, IA

8. Texas 29-6
-----https://texassports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=406

---- in Nashville, TN, 5 Lipscomb 0,

-----Midweek: 3/27, Baylor, in Waco, TX

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Oklahoma State, in Stillwater, OK


9. Florida 27-6

-----https://floridagators.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=404

-----Midweek: 3/27, Bethune-Cookman, in Gainesville, FL
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Ole Miss, in Oxford, MS

10. LSU 28-6

-----http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=5200&SPID=2174&SPSID=27871

-----Midweek: 3/27, Nicholls State, in Baton Rouge, LA
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, South Carolina, in Baton Rouge, LA


11. Arizona 24-7

-----https://admin.arizonawildcats.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Arizona State, in Tucson, AZ


12. Minnesota 22-9

-----https://gophersports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=384

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31. Purdue, in Minneapolis, MN


13. Auburn 28-5

-----https://auburntigers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=417

-----Midweek: 3/27, DH, Kennesaw State, in Auburn, AL
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Georgia, in Auburn, AL

14. Oklahoma State 23-9
-----https://okstate.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Midweek: 3/27, Wichita State, in Wichita, KS
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Texas, in Austin, TX


15. Arkansas 22-9

-----https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/sport/w-softbl/schedule/

-----Midweek: 3/26, Tex-Arlington, in Arlington, TX
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Kentucky, in Fayetteville, AR


16. Michigan 19-10

-----https://mgoblue.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=1515

-----Midweek: 3/26, Central Michigan, in Mount Pleasant, MI
-----Weekend: 2/29-30-31, Rutgers, in Piscataway, NJ


17. Kentucky 21-10

-----https://ukathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Midweek: 3/26, Western Kentucky, in Lexington, KY, 3/27, Ohio State, in Lexington
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Arkansas, in Fayetteville, AR


18. Arizona State 25-8

-----https://thesundevils.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31. Arizona, in Tucson, AZ

19. Ole Miss 21-7

---https://olemisssports.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball
-----Finish: South Carolina, Columbia, SC Monday
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Florida, in Oxford, MS


20. Illinois 20-7

-----https://fightingillini.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball&

-----Midweek: 3/26 Eastern Illinois, in Urbana, IL
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Nebraska, in Lincoln, NE

21. Stanford 21-4

-----https://gostanford.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Next week: 3/25: California
-----Midweek: 3/37 DH, St. Marys, in Stanford, CA
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Oregon, in Stanford, CA

22. Northwestern 22-6

-----https://nusports.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball

-----Midweek: 3/27, DePaul, in Evanston, IL
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Iowa, in Iowa City, IA

23. Louisiana-Lafayette 26-4

-----https://ragincajuns.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=297

-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Georgia Southern, in Statesboro, GA


24. Wisconsin 22-5

-----https://uwbadgers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=495

-----Midweek: 3/26 DH, Northern Iowa, in Madison, WI
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Penn State, in University Park, PA


25. Colorado State 23-4

-----https://csurams.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=365

-----Midweek: 3/26, Northern Colorado, in Greeley, CO
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Utah State, in Fort Collins, CO


26. Indiana 25-9

-----https://iuhoosiers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=1513
-----Midweek: 3/26, Louisville, in Louisville, KY
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Michigan State, in Bloomington, IN


27. Notre Dame 18-10

-----https://und.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=592

-----Midweek: 3/27, Western Michigan, in Notre Dame, IN
-----Weekend: 3/29-30-31, Syracuse, in Syracuse, NY


28. James Madison 19-6

-----https://jmusports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=563

-----Midweek: 3/27, Marshall, in Harrisonburg, VA
-----Weekend: 3/30-30-31. Towson State, in Towson, MD


I should have a 29 and 30, but who? Certainly not Georgia or South Carolina. North Carolina is struggling. Indiana had a terrible week and probably shouldn't be in the top thirty.

Tulsa, Houston, Boise State, Virginia Tech, and UNLV are possibilities.

It helped OU that Tech was ranked high but they are NOT the #7 team in the country. It is not even close, if you watched them play then you would know that not a single player on Texas Tech would start for OU. None of the three games was actually ever in doubt and the final total score for the weekend was OU 26 Texas Tech 5 (I guess that is better than OU 35 Texas Tech 1 in Norman, though the results are the same). If the wind had not been blowing in from RF on Friday at about 30+ and on Saturday at 25+ then every game would have been like the last one. The first thing I noticed yesterday when I sat in my seat at the game was the flags in CF were limp. Tech's pitching is average at best and they have two really players at CF Hamilton and 1B/3B Hartwell but again neither would start at OU. I think they will finish 4th in the Big 12 behind OU, Texas, and OSU.

By the way, Grace Green hit 3 homers this weekend including two on Saturday even with the wind.
 
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I think Tech had the misfortune of playing the best team in the nation three games this weekend. I think the difference you see is the difference between OU and everyone else. I think the only contenders are UCLA and Florida State, but they both got us in their home area before we had our pitching worked out.

I've seen a lot of Texas, and they are not comparable to OU. I want to see how Tech and Texas fare against each other.
 
I think Tech had the misfortune of playing the best team in the nation three games this weekend. I think the difference you see is the difference between OU and everyone else. I think the only contenders are UCLA and Florida State, but they both got us in their home area before we had our pitching worked out.

I've seen a lot of Texas, and they are not comparable to OU. I want to see how Tech and Texas fare against each other.

Have you actually seen Texas Tech play? They have three slappers who can't hit elite pitching. They can steal bases if they get on. However, they couldn't get on against OU and were 0-2 trying to steal bases this weekend. The rest of the team is really really (need to give it a third really) slow. They got 11 hits in 3 games and hit a collective .183 in the series. They have two pitchers that are really average in Zow and Edmondson. They have to try to play almost every game using both of them to give the other teams different looks within the game. This does not work in three game series because other teams adjust.

Mark my words, Texas will absolutely whip Texas Tech. Texas has pitching that Texas Tech does not have and as I have said pitching and defense wins in softball.

As for who wins it all, anyone with an ace pitcher or two can beat anyone. OU walked in against Washington's Alvelo last year and lost. Elite pitching wins in the WCWS. UCLA, Florida State, OU, Florida, Tennessee, LSU, and even James Madison will be dangerous.
 
Have you actually seen Texas Tech play? They have three slappers who can't hit elite pitching. They can steal bases if they get on. However, they couldn't get on against OU and were 0-2 trying to steal bases this weekend. The rest of the team is really really (need to give it a third really) slow. They got 11 hits in 3 games and hit a collective .183 in the series. They have two pitchers that are really average in Zow and Edmondson. They have to try to play almost every game using both of them to give the other teams different looks within the game. This does not work in three game series because other teams adjust.

Mark my words, Texas will absolutely whip Texas Tech. Texas has pitching that Texas Tech does not have and as I have said pitching and defense wins in softball.

As for who wins it all, anyone with an ace pitcher or two can beat anyone. OU walked in against Washington's Alvelo last year and lost. Elite pitching wins in the WCWS. UCLA, Florida State, OU, Florida, Tennessee, LSU, and even James Madison will be dangerous.

We'll see. OU has faced ace pitchers three years in a row. Barnhill was no slouch. But, the CWS last year caught some OU hitters in a slump. Plain was the one that began our downfall, and it was that we, unlike the two previous years, we didn't get the big or key hit. Knighten had two line drives to right that could have won both games, barely caught (if actually caught). Whether they fall or not defined whether we won three in a row, or not. We got eight hits in eight innings against Alvelo, just all singles. No big hits. No walks. We've only beaten her once, but we have hit her better. UCLA took three from Washington in Seattle. They need luck to get there. We have a pretty good history against UCLA. We did destroy Garcia once. In the CWS, it is largely who gets the big hit. Everyone has an ace. We won because we had Knighten getting big key hits for two years. If not Knighten, Romero. Last year, that really wasn't true.
 
OU had holes in the lineup that were pretty devastating in key situations last year. OU also did not defend the short game well in the UW games! I agree that if Shea’s liner to right had dropped, it would have been a different game.

No question, the current team is playing better so far. However, it is who is hot at the right time with elite pitching!
 
OU had holes in the lineup that were pretty devastating in key situations last year. OU also did not defend the short game well in the UW games! I agree that if Shea’s liner to right had dropped, it would have been a different game.

No question, the current team is playing better so far. However, it is who is hot at the right time with elite pitching!

Bingo. That and a little luck. To win it all in OKC you invaribly need a break or 2 at key times. In the 2018 WCWS the FSU pitching staff allowed 20 runs and the Washington staff 11 runs but the 'noles bats got hot and they scored 37 runs to win it all. OU scored only 5 runs in 4 games getting shutout twice.
 
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