Opening Game in WCWS Could Be Low Scoring
OKLAHOMA CITY – Don’t be surprised if Thursday’s opening game (noon, CST) in the NCAA Women’s College World Series isn’t high scoring.
The game matches the University of Oklahoma, making its seventh appearance, against South Florida, which is making its debut. The reason the game could be low scoring is because these two schools rank 1-2 in team earned run average among Division I members. It will be the sixth game between the two schools with South Florida leading 3-2 and the Sooners having won the last two games between these two teams.
Led by left-hander Keilani Ricketts, the Sooners (50-8) have a team ERA of 1.15 while the Bulls trail with a team ERA of 1.18. Behind these two is No. 1 ranked California (1.21) with LSU 9th, Tennessee 10th (each 1.51), defending champion Arizona State 29th (2.07) and Alabama 32nd (2.12).
And when it comes to team batting average, OU isn’t too bad in that category, ranking 8th with a .321 team BA. Highest among the WCWS teams is ASU (5th at .333) with California 10th (.318), Alabama 12th (.316), Oregon 16th (.311) and Tennessee 29th (.302). In scoring runs per game, Alabama ranks second (6.98) followed by ASU (third, 6.98), California (5th, 6.70), OU (9th, 6.55), Oregon (12th, 5.93) and Tennessee (49th, 5.02).
Tennessee, which is making its fifth appearance in the WCWS, is No.1 defensively with a team fielding percentage of .983, followed by California (.980), ASU (7th, .977) Oklahoma (29th, .970) and South Florida (45t, .968.). The Sooners, however, have hit the most homers of the field of eight with 95, followed by Alabama (93), ASU (88), California (81) and Oregon (64).
The numbers give an interesting look at how these teams match up in various categories, but we all know that the outcome will be decided between the white lines when the umpire gives the ‘play ball’ signal on Thursday and the annual WCWS starts to determine a national champion. It’s college softball at its best!
