Can Someone Let me in on the Nuances of College Softball Playoffs?

[Livingat45north]

I follow softball, but not all that close. Can you fill me in a bit on the finer points of the playoffs. For example:

-- In baseball playoffs you hope a starting pitcher goes 7 innings, with a max of around 100 pitches, and then you get a setup pitcher in the 8th and a closer in the 9th. The starter can pitch on around 3 days rest, whereas setup and closer can go pretty much every game. So in a three game series in baseball you almost always have three starting pitchers. How does this mesh with softball? Is the starting pitcher expected to go the whole game? How many days rest does that pitcher need between games?

-- Fill me in on the Gophers style of offensive play. It seems like they're more of a big-run inning style where everyone is swinging, versus a "get a leadoff runner on and then sacrifice and bunt to get one run across" approach. Do I have that right?

-- In softball there's a huge advantage to being the home team. In the playoffs, how do they decide which team gets that advantage?

 

[Sparlimb]

I follow softball, but not all that close. Can you fill me in a bit on the finer points of the playoffs. For example:

-- In baseball playoffs you hope a starting pitcher goes 7 innings, with a max of around 100 pitches, and then you get a setup pitcher in the 8th and a closer in the 9th. The starter can pitch on around 3 days rest, whereas setup and closer can go pretty much every game. So in a three game series in baseball you almost always have three starting pitchers. How does this mesh with softball? Is the starting pitcher expected to go the whole game? How many days rest does that pitcher need between games?

-- Fill me in on the Gophers style of offensive play. It seems like they're more of a big-run inning style where everyone is swinging, versus a "get a leadoff runner on and then sacrifice and bunt to get one run across" approach. Do I have that right?

-- In softball there's a huge advantage to being the home team. In the playoffs, how do they decide which team gets that advantage?

In softball pitchers can pitch more than one full game a day and be fine to pitch the next day. Obviously they get tired, but it doesn't ruin their arms like over hand pitching does.

The best teams have at least two good starters so they can rest their best one, but if you had to win two games in two days, gophers would send Sara out for both.

Offensively they are at a historic level for team batting average. They have power but tend to score more but piling up hits. In the games against the top teams, runs will be at a premium, so you will see the Gophs play more small ball.

 

[Livingat45north]

How do they decide who's the home team (last at bat) for the playoff?

 

[Sparlimb]

Usually the higher seeded team is the home team although that can get flipped in a double elimination tournament. I believe the team that has lost once gets to be home in the first game of the finals and if they win they are the visitor for the 2nd game. That's my recollection anyway. Otherwise the higher seed...

 

[WorkingMyTailOff]

Thanks! Is the playoff single elimination?

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Thanks! Is the playoff single elimination?

Double Elimination.

Going 2-0 is very important.

 

[WorkingMyTailOff]

Double Elimination.

Going 2-0 is very important.

Okay thanks!

 

[#2Gopher]

Usually the higher seeded team is the home team although that can get flipped in a double elimination tournament. I believe the team that has lost once gets to be home in the first game of the finals and if they win they are the visitor for the 2nd game. That's my recollection anyway. Otherwise the higher seed...

Didn't work out this way for the championship game of the Big 10 Tournament as many of us discovered.

 

[Sparlimb]

Didn't work out this way for the championship game of the Big 10 Tournament as many of us discovered.

Actually it did. The Big Ten Tournament is single elimination, so the lower seed was the home team in the Championship game because Ohio State played last (later in the day and it was the second game of the day). Had it been double elim and they beat us, we'd have been home the second game.

 

[rowdaboat]

Format for the tournament is regional 4 team double elim, super 2 team best of 3, WCWS 2 parallel 4 team double elims, winners of those play in best of 3. So you can at best go 10-0 or as bad as 12-4 and still win the championship

 

[#2Gopher]

Actually it did. The Big Ten Tournament is single elimination, so the lower seed was the home team in the Championship game because Ohio State played last (later in the day and it was the second game of the day). Had it been double elim and they beat us, we'd have been home the second game.

Got it...

 

[Section2]

Format for the tournament is regional 4 team double elim, super 2 team best of 3, WCWS 2 parallel 4 team double elims, winners of those play in best of 3. So you can at best go 10-0 or as bad as 12-4 and still win the championship

so if Albany goes 0-2 their first two games, they don't play a third? How does that work. Let's say we were their next game, what happens?