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2018 Softball opening weekend

Tax Guy

I.T.S. Sophomore
Dec 5, 2003
569
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Tulsa opens the season ranked 20th nationally in both polls, and picked 1st in the preseason conference coaches poll.
Emily Watson is on the USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List
Defensively I heard that Shelby Estocado will move from Center to Third and Julia Hollingsworth will move from Left to Center.

Opening weekend is a trip to Lake Charles, LA
Friday:
Virginia 1:00 pm
McNeese State 6:00 pm
Saturday:
Houston Baptist 12:30 pm
McNeese State 5:30 pm
Sunday:
Houston Baptist 10:00 am

Last year Virginia was 22-31 overall and 9-15 in the ACC, and an NCAA tournament team winning their Conference Tournament. They are very young with 8 of the 17 on the roster being Freshman.
Host McNeese State was also a NCAA tournament team at 43-28 overall, 24-3 and picked to repeat as Southland Conference champions.
Houston Baptist was 17-26 overall and 8-19 in the Southland Conference.

FWIW later in the year there are 5 midweek home games. Home games are usually $5 each and these are also being sold as a $20 package for all 5 including games with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State.

The midweek games usually include a home/away series with Wichita State, but with The Shockers addition to the American that becomes a 3 game weekend conference series and there are fewer midweek regional games this year including no Arkansas this year either.
 
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1st day jitters. Lack of fire and no pounce in the infield a little over confident overall, Maybe? Lots of easy pop ups. Pitching will get
better. Tomorrow I hope to see a top 25 team.
 
Weekend results: 2-2

Game 1: W 9-5

Tulsa 9 Runs, 7 hits 0 Errors and 14 LOB
Virginia 5 Runs, 10 Hits, 2 Errors and 12 LOB

Rylie Spell was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI
Julie Hollingsworth, Morgan Neal and Haley Meinen all doubled
Tulsa collected 14 walks. Hollingsworth with 3 and also stole a base
Mikayla Whitten had 2 SACs
Emily Watson pitched 7 innings 5 ER 10 Hits 7 BB and 7 K and 4 WP and 1 HBP

Game 2 : L 3-6
Tulsa 3 Runs 3 Hits 2 Errors and 2 LOB
McNeese 6 Runs 10 Hits 1 Error and 4 LOB

Shelby Estocado went 2 for 3 with an HR and a SB
Julia Hollingsworth was 1 for 2 with a Triple and a BB
Samantha Pochop pitched 5 innings 6 ER 1 BB 6 K
Haley Meinen pitched 1 innings 0 Runs 0 Hits 0 BB and 0 K

Game 3: Rained Out

Game 4: L 6-8
Tulsa 6 Runs 10 Hits 2 Errors and 7 LOB
McNeese 8 Runs Hits 2 Errors and 4 LOB

Tori Stafford was 2 for 4 with a Double
Morgan Neal as 2 for 4 with a Double and 3 RBI
Shelby Estocado was 2 for 4 with a HR and 2 RBI
Emily Watson pitched 4 innings 4 ER 3 BB 4 K 2 WP
Madison Higley pitched 2 innings 0 Runs 1 Hit 1 BB 1 B and 1 HBP

Games 5: W 3-2
Houston Baptist 2 Runs 2 Hits 2 Errors 2 LOB
Tulsa 3 Runs 6 Hits 2 Errors 7 LOB

Morgan Neal was 2 for 3 with an RBI
Erin Harris pitched 2.1 with 1 Run 0 ER 2 BB 2 K
Samantha Pochop pitched 4.2 with 1 Run 0 ER 2 BB and 1 K
 
Is McNeese good? or did we just stumble?
Looks like McNeese can put the bat on the ball and that Emily Watson is still in pre-season form. 7 walks is too many in fast pitch softball. It's already hard enough to hit a 55 mph rise ball coming at you from 48 feet. (more like 42-44 once the pitcher takes the stride and releases the ball). MOST umpires give a generous inch on either side as well forcing players to put the bat on the ball. Remember, after the 1st month of last season, Watson was pretty near unhittable, even for the best teams in the country. OU struggled against her until the later innings. TU must find a 2nd quality pitcher to give Watson some rest. She pitched every meaningful game the last month of last season.
 
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McNeese was receiving top 25 votes preseason. Were 43-18 last year with alot returning. They weren't bad losses, but still would of been nice to win one of them.
 
McNeese State is solid. They were receiving votes in the Top 25 last week and based on results should be receiving more this week.
Cold, Wind and Rain shouldn't really be an excuse for an L because it affects both teams, but might explain a few errors and pitching not being a sharp as hoped for. Both of those will need to improve by this coming weekend.

FWIW pitching rubber is 43 feet out.

A couple of rule changes in NCAA are interesting and has caused some debate around the country opening weekend. I didn't read of any issues in Tulsa's games.
Batters can't step on the Batter's box line and make contact with the ball. Previously they could step on the line but not over it. This changes the stride that a slappers takes moving forward and caused more than a few outs this last weekend.
Also catchers can't be in the line when a runners coming home unless they have complete possession of the ball. Even if moving over to catch the ball. This is just stupid change and was a game ending call in a Tennessee/Utah match up.
 
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I hate the catcher rule. I believe catchers should have right to path as long as they are in the motion of catching the ball. This is going to cost a lot of catchers to catch the ball off ball path then having to dive head first to try and place a tag down before runner gets to the plate. Not a fan.
 
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