Softball 2012

[bbtds]

FYI, This is a double elimination regional so if you do go and don't live or know someone in southern Indiana or Louisville area then you will want to make a motel reservation. Also stop by the Clark County Red Cross office in Jeffersonville and drop off some donations for the tornado victims in southern Indiana.

http://www.clarkredcross.org/About_Us.php

Or you could even ask what you could help with on Saturday before Valpo plays it's second game:

http://www.iauw.org/donate/SouthernIndianaTornadoesAssistance.pdf

Also the U.S. Government warehouse in Charlestown, IN is taking donation items too. You need to get to Charlestown donation warehouse by 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday to drop donations.

SPECIFIC NEEDS – as of 5/2/12 – Please deliver to Warehouse
URGENT NEED FOR ladders, extension cords, 
work boots and heavy duty leather gloves
Construction Tools/Items
Sunscreen, first aid supplies
Yard tools  (shovels, rakes, trimmers)
Gas cards, gift cards 
New packages of socks and underwear 
100 hammers and 300 nail aprons
Construction materials – 2x4s, nails, screws,
shingles

[boomdad]

Louisville Regional Breakdown

Louisville was supposed to be good, but nobody thought they would be this good. The Cardinals head into the NCAA Tournament with a 53-3 record with losses coming to only DePaul (twice) and Tennessee. The entire season has been a momentum builder for Coach Sandy Pearsall and company, but that momentum got another big boost during the Big East Tournament. After knocking off Connecticut and DePaul, the Cardinals won in dramatic fashion against Notre Dame. That walk off homerun by Jordan Trimble has given this Cardinals team a ton of confidence heading into the big tournament.

However, that momentum could be quickly dismissed by a tough group that includes Michigan, Kentucky and Valparaiso. The Wolverines are very young, especially with freshmen pitchers Haylie Wagner and Sara Driesenga leading the way, but they are a talented team. The offense is not particularly strong, but Michigan can win games with their pitching. Kentucky's Sara Dill is a superb hitter and could be the toughest test for all of the quality pitchers in this region. However, senior pitchers Chanda Bell and Rachel Riley better be on their best game if the Wildcats want to get past Louisville and Michigan. By the numbers, Valpo has the best offense in the Louisville Regional. However, the level of competition should be too much for Jordan Rutkowski, Brittany Duncan, Jessie Marinec and the rest of the Valpo sluggers.

I sent this to my dd for her to forward on to the rest of the team. I hope it offends them and places a chip on their shoulders and they bring another level of play to Louisville

[FWalum]

Louisville Regional Breakdown

Louisville was supposed to be good, but nobody thought they would be this good. The Cardinals head into the NCAA Tournament with a 53-3 record with losses coming to only DePaul (twice) and Tennessee. The entire season has been a momentum builder for Coach Sandy Pearsall and company, but that momentum got another big boost during the Big East Tournament. After knocking off Connecticut and DePaul, the Cardinals won in dramatic fashion against Notre Dame. That walk off homerun by Jordan Trimble has given this Cardinals team a ton of confidence heading into the big tournament.

However, that momentum could be quickly dismissed by a tough group that includes Michigan, Kentucky and Valparaiso. The Wolverines are very young, especially with freshmen pitchers Haylie Wagner and Sara Driesenga leading the way, but they are a talented team. The offense is not particularly strong, but Michigan can win games with their pitching. Kentucky's Sara Dill is a superb hitter and could be the toughest test for all of the quality pitchers in this region. However, senior pitchers Chanda Bell and Rachel Riley better be on their best game if the Wildcats want to get past Louisville and Michigan. By the numbers, Valpo has the best offense in the Louisville Regional. However, the level of competition should be too much for Jordan Rutkowski, Brittany Duncan, Jessie Marinec and the rest of the Valpo sluggers.

I sent this to my dd for her to forward on to the rest of the team. I hope it offends them and places a chip on their shoulders and they bring another level of play to Louisville

Where was this quoted from?

[StlVUFan]

I was bored to tears by all the analysis in the selection show last night -- in part because I don't follow College Softball outside of Valpo (and that only lately), and in part because it seemed so generic and non-specific, as if name recognition alone of individual players should be enough to drive the point home.  Maybe College Softball fans enjoyed it, but I skipped past all of that.  All I wanted to see was the brackets.  When they talked about the Louisville region, they barely mentioned Valpo.

Plus, for reasons unknown to me, the sound of Beth Mowans' voice grates on me.

[vu72]

Their reaction and commentary should be nothing new to Valpo athletes.  We will be ignored and/or dismissed as irrelevant until we win some games.  I have a good feeling about this group.  Gritty and tough.  Win the region and then see what they say!!

[valpotx]

At least the committee gave us some credit, in that we are the second highest rated 4 seed in the tournament.  This assumption is based on us being placed against the 15 seed out of the 16 seeded teams.

At a minimum, we should come away with 3rd place in this regional (1-2).  We can beat Kentucky (with an above average game) and Michigan (with our best game), not familiar enough with softball to know about Louisville.

[boomdad]

Louisville Regional Breakdown

Louisville was supposed to be good, but nobody thought they would be this good. The Cardinals head into the NCAA Tournament with a 53-3 record with losses coming to only DePaul (twice) and Tennessee. The entire season has been a momentum builder for Coach Sandy Pearsall and company, but that momentum got another big boost during the Big East Tournament. After knocking off Connecticut and DePaul, the Cardinals won in dramatic fashion against Notre Dame. That walk off homerun by Jordan Trimble has given this Cardinals team a ton of confidence heading into the big tournament.

However, that momentum could be quickly dismissed by a tough group that includes Michigan, Kentucky and Valparaiso. The Wolverines are very young, especially with freshmen pitchers Haylie Wagner and Sara Driesenga leading the way, but they are a talented team. The offense is not particularly strong, but Michigan can win games with their pitching. Kentucky's Sara Dill is a superb hitter and could be the toughest test for all of the quality pitchers in this region. However, senior pitchers Chanda Bell and Rachel Riley better be on their best game if the Wildcats want to get past Louisville and Michigan. By the numbers, Valpo has the best offense in the Louisville Regional. However, the level of competition should be too much for Jordan Rutkowski, Brittany Duncan, Jessie Marinec and the rest of the Valpo sluggers.

I sent this to my dd for her to forward on to the rest of the team. I hope it offends them and places a chip on their shoulders and they bring another level of play to Louisville

Where was this quoted from?

http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/4025

[agibson]

It's a complicated tournament format!

If I read (and remember) well, only one team from the region advances?

It's going to be tough to beat Louisville (twice?! if necessary), but it should be exciting.  Great to be on ESPN2.  Great to go the tournament!

To betray my ignorance of non-basketball sports in the Horizon League, is this the first Horizon League tournament that we've won, in any sport?  Our first NCAA tournament, in any sport apart from bowling (which isn't Horizon League), since joining the Horizon?

[vu72]

Yes it is our first appearance in an NCAA tourney via the Horizon League.  It is our third regular season championship (Men's soccer, men's basketball and now softball) but we have lost in the previous two conference tourney.  So yes, it is a first!

[bbtds]

4 teams play in each of the 16 regionals. Yes, you must win the double elimination regional to advance to the Super-Regional. Two winners from 2 of the regionals play each other in a best of 3 in the Super-regional. Those 8 winners of the Super-regionals play in the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

One rule that I find suspect and truly anti-dramatic for NCAA Softball is the mercy rule. If after 5 innings  (4.5 if the home team is leading) if one team is leading by 8 or more runs that team wins at that moment. If that rule had been in effect for the Youngstown State game on a Saturday in April Valpo would have never come back from down 11 to win 13-12. The mercy rule is actually suspended for the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. What does that tell you?

http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/softball/d1

[agibson]

A mercy rule is a sort of a tradition in softball; in rec league softball, anyhow.

I don't recall whether, in the ASA rules, a mercy rule is mandatory, or optional.  (This rulebook often covers casual recreational leagues, but could also cover top-flight competition.)

But, I agree, it seems a bit funny in the NCAA.  I assume baseball doesn't use one?  I'd hope that equity within conferences would be such that it wouldn't be needed.  That it wouldn't come into play very often, and that if it was eliminated the effect wouldn't be too severe.

[valporun]

I don't remember correctly, but I believe in tournament play, once you're in the championship rounds/play, the mercy rule no longer applies. It becomes more reliant on teams playing mistake-free softball because you might have slaughtered your way thru the early rounds with weaker competition, but now you're playing the big girls. It's time to bring your best to the WCWS at all times.

[vusupporter]

4 teams play in each of the 16 regionals. Yes, you must win the double elimination regional to advance to the Super-Regional. Two winners from 2 of the regionals play each other in a best of 3 in the Super-regional. Those 8 winners of the Super-regionals play in the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

One rule that I find suspect and truly anti-dramatic for NCAA Softball is the mercy rule. If after 5 innings  (4.5 if the home team is leading) if one team is leading by 8 or more runs that team wins at that moment. If that rule had been in effect for the Youngstown State game on a Saturday in April Valpo would have never come back from down 11 to win 13-12. The mercy rule is actually suspended for the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. What does that tell you?

http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/softball/d1

Valpo was actually within 12-11 in that YSU game after 5 innings.

[bbtds]

4 teams play in each of the 16 regionals. Yes, you must win the double elimination regional to advance to the Super-Regional. Two winners from 2 of the regionals play each other in a best of 3 in the Super-regional. Those 8 winners of the Super-regionals play in the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

One rule that I find suspect and truly anti-dramatic for NCAA Softball is the mercy rule. If after 5 innings  (4.5 if the home team is leading) if one team is leading by 8 or more runs that team wins at that moment. If that rule had been in effect for the Youngstown State game on a Saturday in April Valpo would have never come back from down 11 to win 13-12. The mercy rule is actually suspended for the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. What does that tell you?

http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/softball/d1

Valpo was actually within 12-11 in that YSU game after 5 innings.

Yes, that should have been worded differently. Thank you for clearing that up for me.

[bbtds]

I don't remember correctly, but I believe in tournament play, once you're in the championship rounds/play, the mercy rule no longer applies. It becomes more reliant on teams playing mistake-free softball because you might have slaughtered your way thru the early rounds with weaker competition, but now you're playing the big girls. It's time to bring your best to the WCWS at all times.

College
For college softball, the mercy rule is invoked if one team is leading by at least eight runs after five complete innings, or 4.5 innings if the home team is leading. However, in the NCAA national tournament, mercy rules may not be used in the latter stages of the tournament, particularly the Women's College World Series.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/277799-softball-mercy-rules/#ixzz1urii8Ehz

[valporun]

I don't remember correctly, but I believe in tournament play, once you're in the championship rounds/play, the mercy rule no longer applies. It becomes more reliant on teams playing mistake-free softball because you might have slaughtered your way thru the early rounds with weaker competition, but now you're playing the big girls. It's time to bring your best to the WCWS at all times.

College
For college softball, the mercy rule is invoked if one team is leading by at least eight runs after five complete innings, or 4.5 innings if the home team is leading. However, in the NCAA national tournament, mercy rules may not be used in the latter stages of the tournament, particularly the Women's College World Series.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/277799-softball-mercy-rules/#ixzz1urii8Ehz

I was also referring to agibson's reference to the ASA softball mercy rule, not just what the NCAA uses.

[bbtds]

That is a traditional rule. I think it's time to break the tradition. It could lead to a couple of dramatic finishes and really how much time is saved in not playing 2 innings or less. Like the players wearing skirts in women's softball it's time to change a traditional rule.

[Valpo1b]

That is a traditional rule. I think it's time to break the tradition. It could lead to a couple of dramatic finishes and really how much time is saved in not playing 2 innings or less. Like the players wearing skirts in women's softball it's time to change a traditional rule.

Disagree. A lot. The mercy rule is a good thing. It can save significant time when there is a huge variance in talent level, which occurs often during Regional play. Not only does it save time, it eliminates the risk of some girl getting hurt in a 15-run game. Offense isn't very plentiful in the NCAA tournament. There aren't 13-11 games in the NCAA tournament, so if one team is up 8 after 5, it's pretty much a done deal. If a team can't deal with that, then don't fall behind so much so early.

And, by the way, the suspension of the mercy rule at the World Series isn't automatic. I've seen games ended via the mercy rule at the WS before, and it was a good thing.

[KL31NY]

Rule 6.13 in the 2012/2013 NCAA Softball Rule Book:

Exception: For NCAA tournament play only, the respective NCAA divisional softball committees may elect to remove the eight-run rule for games played between the final two teams of the championship, provided it is formally declared before the start of the tournament.

[bbtds]

It seems strange to me that the NCAA suspends the rule for the most important games (final 2 teams) if agreed up by a committee. It's kind of like the NBA allowing a 7th foul per player in the Final NBA championship round if a bunch of owners agree on it. Why the change in rules only for the last 2 teams remaining?

I just don't see any good in keeping players from playing the game they love no matter the score. Those end of the bench guys in basketball would never be rewarded for all that time in practice they put in sacrificing their bodies if basketball had a similar rule to suspend a game if one team got ahead by so much by a certain time in the game. And there certainly are just as many chances to get hurt in basketball as in softball at the end of a game. "Tell the players not to play as hard" never sat well with me.

[agibson]

In the most competitive game(s) of the season, a lot of the motivation for the slaughter rule goes away.  You're not particularly worried about injuries, the competition's presumably equal enough that, even if they're down ten runs, they might have a _chance_ at coming back, etc, etc.  Maybe if you knew there was one _vastly_ dominant team in the tournament you'd choose not to suspend the rule.  But, it'd look awfully dumb if the series went 4 games to 3, or something, with one of the games decided by the mercy/slaughter rule.

I guess you could argue that it's just part of the rulebook, part of the fabric of the game, etc.  And that you shouldn't play a fundamentally different game for the finals.  But, the rules just seems like a crutch (even if a potentially useful one, in some situations) - why not jettison it for the games in the year where it's least useful, and where a mercy rule mishap would be the most embarrassing?

[StlVUFan]

Their reaction and commentary should be nothing new to Valpo athletes.  We will be ignored and/or dismissed as irrelevant until we win some games.  I have a good feeling about this group.  Gritty and tough.  Win the region and then see what they say!!

It's not even that.  It's talking about what I take to be the College Softball equivalents of Kryie Irving, Derrick Rose, etc., except with College Softball, these are players I've never heard of.  Do most of the people watching that show know who those players are?  Maybe, maybe not, I can't tell.  And they're just throwing out those names without really telling me anything about why those names should impress me.

The elitism I'm used to.  But even on the College Basketball selection show, when they talk about the big names on the big teams, they usually give the viewer some factual tidbits on why those are the difference makers.  These commentators seemed so excited about players they'd seen play that they filled their commentary with so many superlatives they had no room for actual description to back up those superlatives (Yes, they did go in depth for a few teams -- the host teams at each sub-regional.  I fast-forwarded those parts because I'm really not interested in hearing from someone in whose favor the deck is obviously well-stacked).

And they took an hour and a half for this selection show!  A full 30 minutes longer than the one for the NCAA basketball tournament.

[bbtds]

I guess you could argue that it's just part of the rulebook, part of the fabric of the game, etc.  And that you shouldn't play a fundamentally different game for the finals.  But, the rules just seems like a crutch (even if a potentially useful one, in some situations) - why not jettison it for the games in the year where it's least useful, and where a mercy rule mishap would be the most embarrassing?

I argue that there is no reason for this mercy rule anymore in any setting. I believe it was instituted when people felt that women's feelings about losing a game had to be protected. The women's game has evolved past this mercy rule. It may save at most an hour but much more likely 15 minutes to 45 minutes. In the men's game in ASA with lots of games played on the same field time is of importance. But how many games are played on Valpo's softball diamond on a typical March to May day?

Why is there no mercy rule in college baseball with the same risk of injury or more and with the same time constraints?

You can be just as easily injured by a bad hop in the 4th inning as a bad hop in the 6th inning of a lopsided game. How many injuries are you really preventing? How many injuries does a team have in a season? You don't know how many games for sure would end up with a different winner.

Suspend it for a full year and see what the true differences are.

[KL31NY]

bbtds, there's one in the college baseball rules but it's not mandatory. The baseball rule, if I recall, is 10 after 7 and is subject to installment either by conference rule or by mutual decision of coaches pre-game. The Horizon League doesn't have it obviously, and we rarely ever use it for non-conference games. I think Tracy prefers to go the full 9, and I think the reason why is what you pointed out earlier: it gives that chance for other guys to get some playing time as a reward for their work in practice.

[valpotx]

You never see the mercy rule in NCAA baseball.  We beat several teams by much more than 10, and just use it to give playing time to those that don't otherwise see much game action.