Softball Games of the Week (2/14 - 2/17)
#17 Kentucky vs #18 Washington Friday 2/15 11:15 pm PT, Campell/Cartier Classic, San Diego, CA)
A 4-2 Kentucky squad surprised a little last weekend beating Stanford and Cal in extra innings and in all, recording three wins in four tries against the Pac-12. The Wildcats got excellent efforts in the circle from junior Lauren Cumbess and freshman Kelsey Nunley and will have another opportunity to impress this weekend in San Diego. Washington was also 4-2 in the opening weekend splitting with Hawaii in Hawaii. Junior Kaitlin Inglesby continues to lead the Huskies on offense and in the circle. This should be a solid low scoring matchup.
#20 Arizona vs Nebraska Friday 2/15 4 pm MST, Tucson, AZ
Coach Candrea’s bunch got off to a slow start, going 3-2 to open the season in the Kajikawa Classic. The team suffered an eye opening loss to Bradley and an absolute thumping from the big sticks of Florida. It looks like the Cats can still score, but the need for some shut down pitching is evident. Shelby Babcock and Estela Pinon combined for a 3.71 ERA. Freshman star Nancy Bowling has yet to see action in the circle. Arizona managed no shutouts in their first five contests, allowing 24 runs over those games. The Cornhuskers were 5-0 to open the season in New Mexico. Their bats did the job, banging out 47 runs, winning three of their games by run-rule. Junior Taylor Edwards had a tremendous start to the season earning Conference Player of the Week honors by delivering a 10-for-18 weekend at the plate, hitting at a .556 clip. She slugged 1.167, homered three times, doubled twice and drove in 15 runs. This action should help us learn more about the Cornhusker bats and, more importantly, the Arizona pitching staff.
#10 Texas A&M vs #25 North Carolina Friday 2/15 5:15 pm CT and Saturday 2/16 3 pm CT, College Station, TX
The Aggies got off to a 4-0 start, beating UCLA in Westwood on Sunday. Nicole Morgan, Cali Lanphear and Meagan May are each hitting .400 or above. Morgan homered four times and all together they mashed 12. Senior Mel Dumezich continues to be one of the best all-around players in the game. She was 3-0 in the circle, with a 1.74 ERA and struck out 23 in 15 innings. Dumezich also hit .364 with two bombs, slugging 1.000. North Carolina brings one of the best pitchers in the country, junior Lori Spingola. The Tar Heels went 3-2 in Baton Rouge last weekend, splitting with LSU. The North Carolina sticks will need to do better to compete in College Station. The Tar Heels scored just six runs in their four serious contests. Even with Spignola in the circle, that will not get it done.
#4 Tennessee vs #12 South Florida Saturday 2/16 1:15 pm ET, Tampa, FL
The good news is these teams will likely play twice, once on Saturday and then in the finals on Sunday. Somewhere in there we can hope for an Ellen Renfroe and Sara Nevins matchup, though Nevins did not see action in week one. The Vols absolutely decimated their opponents in Utah to open the season, winning five games, three by run-rule. They scored 53 runs and allowed eight. The weather cheated us out of the sixth contest, which would have been against Oklahoma State. USF was 3-1 at home to start the season, with a win over Michigan.
#1 Oklahoma vs #17 Kentucky Saturday 2/16 1:30 pm PT, Campbell/Cartier Classic, San Diego, CA
OU and their unbelievable lineup managed to surprise even those who predicted their dominance. The Sooners hit more home runs in the first inning of their first game than most D1 teams did in the whole weekend. The 2012 Player of the Year, Keilani Ricketts, no-hit not one, but two Top 25 teams. They run-ruled three teams, including Oregon. Like Florida, they beat three Pac-12 teams to start the season. Offensively, the Sooners are just ridiculous, averaging 10 runs per game against serious competitors. Scary. Kentucky will need to be at their best to stay on the field with the juggernaut from Norman. This will be fun for us to watch.
#1 Oklahoma vs #18 Washington Saturday 2/16 3:45 pm PT, Campbell/Cartier Classic, San Diego, CA
Washington is likely to be another Pac-12 victim for this powerful lineup, that many describe as the best they can ever remember.
#9 Texas vs #24 Houston Saturday 2/16 5:30 pm CT, Houston, TX
The Longhorns were 5-0 at home in week one. They pitched three shutouts including a no-hitter by senior Blair Luna. The offense was hitting on all cylinders scoring 32 runs. The Longhorns hit for average (.331), power (14 extra base hits, 5 HR’s) and stole 13 bases. Houston was 4-2 at home, with losses to Lipscomb and Iowa. They beat Texas State three times. If the Cougars face Luna, it will be a solid challenge for their lineup. This will be Texas’ toughest test in the young season and a very nice regional matchup that should be entertaining.
