They Simply Love to Play the Game, Parity Arrives in College Softball
In the early years of the Women’s College World Series there would generally be two top-level teams, four in the middle and two at the bottom. Not anymore. All eight teams are excellent and in the case of Oklahoma, outstanding. But parity has arrived for college softball which means the competition is getting better and the crowds at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium are getting larger. If there had been an extra session in 2013, the attendance would have reached almost 79,000, which was predicted.
With the three phase renovation planned, the environment at the ASA Hall of Fame will only get better and better, and it will be better for the fans as well as the players. The bottom line is the players give the fans what they want to see—all-out effort, dedication and commitment to playing major college softball. The 15-inning game this year between Nebraska and Florida took five hours and 20 minutes, but it was a nerve wrecking game for the players as well as the fans. Both teams showed will, determination and heart in determining a winner. It was the first time that the two schools had met in the WCWS and only the third time in history. Florida now holds a 2-1 advantage. A total of 534 pitches were thrown in the game by the four pitchers with Nebraska’s Tatum Edwards hurling 185. It was the longest game in the WCWS since Oklahoma State defeated Cal State Northridge, 3-2 in 15 innings in 1994. It was a game both teams could be proud of because the players’ effort on both teams was superb. This was big-time college softball at its best and the fans loved it. Florida coach Tim Walton said, “Winning a game at the World Series for any team is huge, but they showed me a ton today, and I am really proud of the way we played today.”
In a world where pro players never have enough money and are ready to renegotiate another contract after one or two years, it is a blessing and a joy to see athletes excel at a sport that they love to play. It’s as simple as that, but evidently more and more people are getting the message as the attendance continues to increase and is expected to eventually top 100,000 people.
One father who came to the WCWS and couldn’t get a ticket, even standing room only, went online and purchased a standing room only ticket for $50.00. The regular standing room only tickets were only $20.00. The NCAA World Series is geared toward the family unlike many pro events which price themselves out of the market although they say they are for the family. But the problem is how many times can a family of four or more go to the event. One father said he doesn’t to go a certain NBA team because the prices are too high and he has three daughters and a wife, so he said he isn’t going and the tickets continue to increase every year. Where it is going to stop no one knows, but the NCAA World Series is the best ticket in town and will continue to be in the years ahead.
