Gopher Softball 2018

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rugger14 said:
It shook out unfavorably for us. We are a 2 seed and so is Michigan. They got seeded above us. The other two got seeded below and by luck got in regions with a lower seeded #1.

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By luck? It makes no sense.
 

Rickman55 said:
By luck? It makes no sense.
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Makes complete sense. They are not 2 seeds so they get seeded differently and can theoretically get put in a region with a weaker #1 and supposedly a stronger #2. Look at the Kentucky regional. A very winnable regional if Notre Dame gets hot.

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Curious how Washington fans feel. Probably relieved that they qualify for a home Super Regional, but their regional bracket looks like it could be tougher than some of those seeded lower.

Alabama got a huge gift in their weak bracket. They must have seats on the selection committee.
 

overpass said:
Michigan can beat Kentucky and then get smoked by Oregon in the Supers. Gophers beat Washington and then revenge on Alabama!

I wish they would've been sent to Arizona just because they beat them earlier! Did all 13 SEC teams get in?
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Yes.
 

15 teams out of the top 16 in RPI are hosts. Baylor was #16 and got leapfrogged by #19 (SEC) Arkansas. (Think I'm looking at it correctly.)
 


fan of Ray Williams said:
15 teams out of the top 16 in RPI are hosts. Baylor was #16 and got leapfrogged by #19 (SEC) Arkansas. (Think I'm looking at it correctly.)
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Of course a team with a better RPI got leapfrogged by the SEC. Not only do they get an advantage in the RPI due to the conference they play in, but if the RPI stacking fails to work the committee just picks the SEC team they want!
 

Alright, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how the selection committee drew things up on 17 through 32 according to how the brackets look.

17-MICHIGAN
18-BAYLOR
19-MISSISSIPPI STATE
20-OKLAHOMA STATE
21-OREGON STATE
22-LOUISIANA
23-JAMES MADISON
24-HOFSTRA
25-LONG BEACH STATE
26-CALIFORNIA
27-AUBURN
28-MINNESOTA
29-MISSOURI
30-TEXAS STATE
31-OHIO STATE
32-DRAKE
 

dlw4gophers said:
Again. Screw the NCAA and just go out and win.
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This attitude of showing the experts just how wrong they are has been one of the best weapons in a coach's arsenal! A great motivator.

Also, a Fan-tastic weekend for Women's Track & Field (B1G Outdoor Champs as well as Indoor earlier), Men's Tennis advancing to Sweet 16, and Women's Softball B1G Champs. SkiUMah y'all.
 

Regardless of what implied seeding position the Gophers have, I'm not going to complain about it. The way I look at it, the Gophers goal is to make it to the WCWS. They need to get through a top 8 Super Regional team to make it to the WCWS whether it's the 1st round or 2nd round. Out of all the top 8 teams, I would personally would have picked either Florida State or Washington to play. I don't know that much about Georgia.

I'm hoping for good ol' Seattle cold weather against Texas. Go Gophies!

Edit to above: I didn't realize Georgia lost their top pitcher to injury recently. Northwestern may have received a gift to be sent there.
 



overpass said:
Michigan can beat Kentucky and then get smoked by Oregon in the Supers. Gophers beat Washington and then revenge on Alabama!

I wish they would've been sent to Arizona just because they beat them earlier! Did all 13 SEC teams get in?
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So yes, all 13 SEC teams did get in. I follow softball, but not all that closely. Is their a logical reason why all SEC teams get an invite (e.g., is their non-conference record against other conferences really that good)?
 

Livingat45north said:
So yes, all 13 SEC teams did get in. I follow softball, but not all that closely. Is their a logical reason why all SEC teams get an invite (e.g., is their non-conference record against other conferences really that good)?
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Quick answer, depends on viewpoint. Missouri is 6-17 (0.261) in SEC and 28-27 (0.509) overall. They were thus 22-10 (0.647) non-SEC. Wisconsin, the least winning B1G team to make the Regions, is 11-9 (0.550) in B1G and 28-21 (0.571) overall. They were thus 17-12 (0.586) non-B1G. Does this moderate advantage in non-conference wins equate to better conference and overall? It shouldn't. Teams can select their non-conference opponents.
 

happygophersgolucky said:
Quick answer, depends on viewpoint. Missouri is 6-17 (0.261) in SEC and 28-27 (0.509) overall. They were thus 22-10 (0.647) non-SEC. Wisconsin, the least winning B1G team to make the Regions, is 11-9 (0.550) in B1G and 28-21 (0.571) overall. They were thus 17-12 (0.586) non-B1G. Does this moderate advantage in non-conference wins equate to better conference and overall? It shouldn't. Teams can select their non-conference opponents.
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You have to figure in the quality of teams they play in the NC and not just the record. I think Mizzou had the third hardest SOS this year. They did get beat up in their conference and they did get swept by the Illini. On the other hand they beat Wisconsin head to head.

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Panthadad2 said:
Regardless of what implied seeding position the Gophers have, I'm not going to complain about it. The way I look at it, the Gophers goal is to make it to the WCWS. They need to get through a top 8 Super Regional team to make it to the WCWS whether it's the 1st round or 2nd round. Out of all the top 8 teams, I would personally would have picked either Florida State or Washington to play. I don't know that much about Georgia.

I'm hoping for good ol' Seattle cold weather against Texas. Go Gophies!

Edit to above: I didn't realize Georgia lost their top pitcher to injury recently. Northwestern may have received a gift to be sent there.
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NU did get a break. However, I like the thinking that we have to beat a top 8 team at some point so let's do it right away. I think this team can hang around with anyone when Fiser has her best stuff. A few breaks and this team can find themselves in a super regional!
 



COMMON OPPONENTS WITH TEXAS

TEXAS VS
WISCONSIN WON 5-1
WISCONSIN LOST 7-3
COLORADO STATE LOST 6-2
ARIZONA LOST 2-0
ARIZONA WON 3-1
ARIZONA LOST 10-2

MINNESOTA VS
WISCONSIN WON 12-1
WISCONSIN WON 8-0
WISCONSIN WON 6-0
COLORADO STATE WON 5-3
ARIZONA WON 1-0

TEXAS VS BIG TEN
WISCONSIN WON 5-1
WISCONSIN LOST 7-3
RUTGERS WON 2-0
MICHIGAN WON 3-0
MICHIGAN LOST 4-0
OHIO STATE LOST 8-5

TEXAS VS RANKED OPPONENTS (AT THAT TIME)
#15 OLE MISS LOST 8-2
#3 OREGON LOST 8-0
#1 WASHINGTON LOST 2-1
#20 MICHIGAN WON 3-0
#21 OHIO STATE LOST 8-5
#20 MICHIGAN LOST 4-0
#8 ARIZONA LOST 2-0
#8 ARIZONA WON 3-1
#8 ARIZONA LOST 10-2
#17 SOUTH CAROLINA LOST 1-0
#25 TEXAS STATE WON 3-0
#25 TEXAS STATE LOST 2-1
#21 BAYLOR LOST 3-0
#19 OKLAHOMA STATE WON 3-0
#19 OKLAHOMA STATE LOST 3-1
#19 OKLAHOMA STATE LOST 4-1
#3 OKLAHOMA LOST 6-0
#3 OKLAHOMA LOST 7-1
#3 OKLAHOMA LOST 5-4
#19 BAYLOR LOST 7-5
#19 BAYLOR LOST 2-0
#3 OKLAHOMA LOST 10-1
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
Alright, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how the selection committee drew things up on 17 through 32 according to how the brackets look.

17-MICHIGAN
18-BAYLOR
19-MISSISSIPPI STATE
20-OKLAHOMA STATE
21-OREGON STATE
22-LOUISIANA
23-JAMES MADISON
24-HOFSTRA
25-LONG BEACH STATE
26-CALIFORNIA
27-AUBURN
28-MINNESOTA
29-MISSOURI
30-TEXAS STATE
31-OHIO STATE
32-DRAKE
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Well... you did ASK to be corrected. It does not work like this. One of the main mandates that the selection committee operates under has nothing to do with seeding - it's geography. When possible, the committee will send a team to a regional that is within 400 miles (I could be wrong on the exact distance) so that the team can take an inexpensive bus rather than a flight. That's why we tend to see the same match-ups year after year. There has been a long history of a Kentucky/Michigan and/or Notre dame regional. Also not a mere coincidence that Louisiana Lafayette seems to end up at LSU nearly every year.

Also, you cannot send teams to a regional within their own conference, so it would be impossible to do a pure 17-32 seeding bracket to match up with 1-16.

As for the Gophers, we simply don't have anywhere to bus to, unless Iowa State and the Northern Iowas of the world start hosting. Similarly, Washington does not have a natural #2 seed anywhere near Seattle. Oregon State is not eligible to be sent there because OSU is also a Pac 12 team. So, for the third time in six years, the committee is sending MN to Seattle.
 


ComoGopher said:
Of course a team with a better RPI got leapfrogged by the SEC. Not only do they get an advantage in the RPI due to the conference they play in, but if the RPI stacking fails to work the committee just picks the SEC team they want!
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Baylor got squeezed out for the same reason the 2017 Gophers got squeezed out - lack of top 25 wins. Baylor had 3. The committee has pretty much made it clear that on occasion top 25 wins and strength of schedule will supersede RPI. That's also why #38 Florida Gulf Coast is out, and #50 Wisconsin is in.
 

Ok, so how do they decide what teams are in fact #2 seeds? Are the teams I listed all #2 seeds, but not in the correct order?
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
Ok, so how do they decide what teams are in fact #2 seeds? Are the teams I listed all #2 seeds, but not in the correct order?
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I am sure they rely mainly on the final "selection day" RPI (I think the Gophers got bumped up to 23), so yes, I think your list of 17-32 are the #2 seeds, just not in the order you listed.

There is a blog called Justin's World of Softball (or something like that) and he has a Q&A with the selection committee chairwoman that is very informative. She pretty much lays out a lot of the discussion points you might be interested in. Here's the link:

http://www.justinsworldofsoftball.c...selection-committee-chairperson-natalie-shock
 

I totally understand the point of conference foes. The geography factor can certainly put a squad behind the eight ball in regards to match ups.
 

Interesting article. Thanks for posting it.
This jumped out.
JWOS: How much of a factor do conference tournament championships play?
Shock: It really doesn't play a factor because, once again, it gives you more games, it might give you some wins in a category but it doesn't play a factor. We don't look at 'well, you won a conference tournament so we're going to put you here'. That doesn't come into play at all.
 

Bottom line for me is that although this is not a great matchup for the Gophers, it could be worse. Make no mistake that Washington is an excellent team, but their #1 pitcher (Alvelo) has been dinged up lately and hasn't pitched much, and when she has pitched she has been ineffective. The #2 pitcher (Gabbie Plain) is a freshman phenom from Australia who has seen the bulk of the innings lately. I have not seen her, but she is supposed to be VERY good and VERY illegal (leaper).

My main concern was that we wouldn't end up in a BIG 4 regional or super regional, and by Big 4 this year I mean Oregon, UCLA, Oklahoma and Florida. That's why I think things could have been much worse.

How about this for wishful thinking - Gophers beat Texas and Washington twice to win the regional. Oregon State upsets Alabama. Gophers HOST Oregon State in the super regional. Go Gophers!!!!!
 

MNsoftballfan said:
Bottom line for me is that although this is not a great matchup for the Gophers, it could be worse. Make no mistake that Washington is an excellent team, but their #1 pitcher (Alvelo) has been dinged up lately and hasn't pitched much, and when she has pitched she has been ineffective. The #2 pitcher (Gabbie Plain) is a freshman phenom from Australia who has seen the bulk of the innings lately. I have not seen her, but she is supposed to be VERY good and VERY illegal (leaper).

My main concern was that we wouldn't end up in a BIG 4 regional or super regional, and by Big 4 this year I mean Oregon, UCLA, Oklahoma and Florida. That's why I think things could have been much worse.

How about this for wishful thinking - Gophers beat Texas and Washington twice to win the regional. Oregon State upsets Alabama. Gophers HOST Oregon State in the super regional. Go Gophers!!!!!
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Honestly, just get by Texas. Then worry about the Huskies.
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
Honestly, just get by Texas. Then worry about the Huskies.
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Heck I am way past Texas, Washington, and Alabama/Oregon State. I am already figuring out who we will play in the first round of the WCWS. :)

But of course you are right. Texas is a very good team, as good if not better than any team we have seen during conference play. Arguably the best team we have played since Arizona.
 

One more question MNsoftballfan...why in the world doesn't University of Southern California have a softball team?
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
One more question MNsoftballfan...why in the world doesn't University of Southern California have a softball team?
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Asked and answered:

Why USC has No Softball Team
When you look at the list of teams on the Pac-12 Softball Standings things don’t match up. There are only nine teams on the list. Missing are USC, Washington State and Colorado University.

In this article we’ll focus on the University of Southern California, which is located in Southern California, where fastpitch softball is HUGE. Their cross-town rival UCLA has numerous titles. Athletes in their backyard are being plucked and sent all across the country to fill roster spots in the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, ACC, etc.

We asked USC’s Director of Sports Information Tim Tessalon why USC has no Softball Team and if the PAC-12 powerhouse had ever considered starting a softball program.

“USC did an extensive study about 15 years ago on the feasibility of adding softball, but determined that there was not available adequate space on or near campus for a stadium and accompanying facilities that would allow USC to compete at the highest level in the sport,” stated Tessalon.
 

RPI in order of the #2 Seeds

14 Baylor in the Texas A&M Regional
18 Auburn in the Florida State Regional
19 Hofstra in the South Carolina Regional
20 Mississippi State in the Arizona Regional
21 Long Beach State in the Arizona State Regional
22 Louisiana in the LSU Regional
23 Minnesota in the Washington Regional
24 Missouri in the Oklahoma Regional
25 James Madison in the Tennessee Regional
26 Oregon State in the Alabama Regional
27 Oklahoma State in the Arkansas Regional
28 Texas State in the UCLA Regional
29 California in the Georgia Regional
30 Ohio State in the Florida Regional
31 Michigan in the Kentucky Regional
33 Drake in the Oregon Regional

Oregon State going across country.
California going across country.
Ohio State on a long trip.
Mississippi State sent packing.
Drake heading west.
In case you're wondering (because I certainly did), Liberty was #32 in RPI, but wasn't a 2 seed. They are heading to the South Carolina Regional. Beautiful softball complex at Liberty, by the way! https://www.liberty.edu/flames/index.cfm?PID=38097
 

MNsoftballfan said:
Asked and answered:

Why USC has No Softball Team
When you look at the list of teams on the Pac-12 Softball Standings things don’t match up. There are only nine teams on the list. Missing are USC, Washington State and Colorado University.

In this article we’ll focus on the University of Southern California, which is located in Southern California, where fastpitch softball is HUGE. Their cross-town rival UCLA has numerous titles. Athletes in their backyard are being plucked and sent all across the country to fill roster spots in the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, ACC, etc.

We asked USC’s Director of Sports Information Tim Tessalon why USC has no Softball Team and if the PAC-12 powerhouse had ever considered starting a softball program.

“USC did an extensive study about 15 years ago on the feasibility of adding softball, but determined that there was not available adequate space on or near campus for a stadium and accompanying facilities that would allow USC to compete at the highest level in the sport,” stated Tessalon.
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You are too kind!
 


happygophersgolucky said:
Thanks MNsoftballfan for the reference (http://www.justinsworldofsoftball.c...selection-committee-chairperson-natalie-shock) to the NCAA selection committee's thinking and guidelines. All of my comments re: Missouri vs. Wisconsin are answered. I am just gonna get ready and enjoy some great Gopher-ball coming up!
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MNsoftballfan is an RPI and tourney selection junkie! Good stuff! It was interesting to hear their logic.

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