Betsa shuts out #20 ASU
Yep, it was an excellent performance from Betsa. I think all but 1 of the strikeouts were swinging.
We'll play #7 UCLA later tonight at 10:30pm in game 2 of the Judi Garman Classic out in Fullerton.
taking my daughter to the UCLA game at 7:30 and tomorrow against CSUF at 5pm...
anyone in town?
ASU fans must hate us so much these days. We bounced them from the tournament a couple of times recently, including that nasty Lindsay Doyle home-run-robbery for the final out in their park, and we've whooped up on them a lot in non-conf. play.
Also, let's take a moment and note the fact that Kelly Christner is hitting like .600 or so right now. Not even worried about jinxing it, because of course that's unsustainable, but she's playing some great softball, just what you want to see with a senior.
GO BLUE!!
Betsa's just shaking off the winter and she's entering the zone. Laser beams to come.
Michigan lost to UCLA 4-0 last night. They play Baylor and Cal State Fullerton later today.
Really frustrating game last night. Got runners to 3rd more innings than not, but couldn't push even one across. Makes this Baylor game pretty big, too - it's one of our last chances to get a W over a ranked opponent.
Also, don't look now, but Minnesota is 14-0 and creeping up into top-ten territory in the polls. They haven't played a ton of marquee opponents yet, but they're weed-whacking everyone they see. They'll definitely be dangerous in the Big Ten this year.
I hope I am wrong, but I think Michigan just does not have a plausible path to a top 8 seed. Today's game against Baylor is their last scheduled game against a ranked team--only Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament and maybe Kentucky, since they are right on the edge of the rankings.
It's not too early to start worrying about whether Michigan will even host a regional this season. Massey has Michigan ranked #17, and that is including the ASU win but not the UCLA loss. Hopefully Michigan has "gamed" the RPI well enough to get into the top 16.
I agree on both counts. In my preseason preview, I worried about our ability to host post-season play, and that concern is playing out. A super-regional is all but out of reach, even if we were to miraculously win out, simply due to lack of opportunities to impress. A regional is still very possible, but we’ll need to play very well to get one. Ws over Baylor, Kentucky, and (hopefully) Minnesota in the Big Ten tourney would go a long way.
Meanwhile, these missed opportunities hurt bad. We had plenty of chances to beat UF in extras, and got robbed of one against FSU. Shift those games into the W column, and we’re talking about a very different season. Even in as long a season as college softball provides, the whole thing can come down to a few bounces.
Stranded 6 runners through 3 innings. Hard to when that way.
Michigan lost again by the score of 4-0, this time to Baylor on Fri. afternoon. They need to win the last two on this trip, CS Fullerton (Fri night), and LBSU (Sat afternoon). They are falling in the rankings.