Beyond seeding, Sooner fans must love draw
As nation's No. 3 seed, Oklahoma has clear path to Women's College World Series
Sooner fans may have wanted more.
Though their favorite team received the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA softball draw on Sunday, they may fail to understand how Alabama received the No. 1 seed when the Crimson Tide won not the SEC regular season nor tournament crown, while Oklahoma at least claimed the former.
Nor may they understand how Texas received the No. 2 spot, for OU took two of three from the Longhorns in Austin, only lost the other one in extra innings and finished four — four! — games in front in the conference standings.
The NCAA, however, is partial to conference tourney crowns and Texas won the SEC’s and that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
There is, though, something Sooner fans cannot be upset by at all and that’s OU’s draw.
It’s good.
Joining OU in the Norman Regional, beginning Friday, is the trio of Binghamton, Michigan and Kansas, none of which will bring even one scary starting pitcher to Love’s Field.
The Sooners won’t either, of course, but if that makes it a hitting contest OU should do just fine.
Not only that but the regional opposite Norman, in Eugene, Oregon, whose winner will face the Norman Regional winner, presumably in Norman, appears not to include any can’t-miss stoppers either. Or, at least, none backed up by a remotely dangerous offense.
Let’s get into it with a few stats and a few notes.
A few stats
Norman Regional
Oklahoma (48-8, 20-4 SEC)
.389/.488/.800 | 174 HR, 571 R | 3.15 ERA
Kansas (33-19, 14-10 Big 12)
.331/.420/.586 | 81 HR | 360 R | 3.78 ERA
Michigan (34-20, 11-13 Big Ten)
.315/.395/.542 | 67 HR | 315 R | 4.58 ERA
Binghamton (20-25, 15-5 American East)
.319/.411/.532 | 52 HR | 265 R | 6.07 ERA
Eugene Regional
Oregon (40-12, 20-4 Big Ten)
.331/.417/.554 | 67 HR | 356 R | 3.55 ERA
Mississippi State (38-19, 9-15 SEC)
.274/.360/.462 | 59 HR | 262 R | 2.24 ERA
St. Mary’s (40-14, 15-3 WCC)
.313/.360/.462 | 38 HR | 308 R | 3.45 ERA
Idaho State (37-18, 10-5 Big Sky)
.329/.410/.575 | 78 HR | 367 R | 4.10 ERA
A few notes
Kansas the toughest out in Norman
I don’t see the Jayhawks making a serious run to oust the Sooners in their own ballpark and still it’s easy to recognize the Jayhawks as a strong team.
They’re hitting better than .300, getting on base better than .400 and very nearly slugging .600, which are terrific numbers in a non-Sooner world.
And because their collective earned run average is nearer 4 than 3, even if the Jayhawk bats get going, one must presume the Sooners’ will be going stronger.
Kansas boasts one interesting pitcher in Kennedy Diggs (8-0, 1.91 ERA), yet she’s appeared in just eight games and started only one.
Despite her earned run average, she allowed four runs, three earned, over 2/3 of an inning against Texas Tech last Friday at the Big 12 tournament and it was her first appearance since April 24.
Because Kansas can hit, it’s interesting.
But the Jayhawks shouldn’t be in the Sooners’ class.
Root for the home team in Eugene
The selection committee penciled in Oregon as the nation’s No. 14 seed and if the home teams prevail in Norman and Eugene, it will be the Ducks and Sooners in Norman two weekends away.
Yet, the squad with the better chance to upend the Sooners appears to be Mississippi State and it’s all about the circle. The Bulldogs hold down a team earned run average of 2.24 and have two durable pitchers to thank for it.
Peja Goold is 15-10 with a 2.12 ERA over 142 innings in which she’s struck out 169 and Alyssa Faircloth is 13-7 with a 2.51 ERA over 153 1/3 in which she’s struck out an amazing 235. In lighter duty, there’s Leila Ammon, who’s 8-0 with a 1.70 ERA over 53 2/3 in which she’s struck out 59.
Refer to Mississippi State’s slash line and it’s easy to see how the Bulldogs lost more games than they won in the SEC, but its pitchers make them dangerous.
Meanwhile, Oregon has a sparkling record in the Big Ten and one pitcher, Lyndsey Grein, with a 2.73 ERA over 161 2/3 innings in which she’s struck out 195.
But she’s just one pitcher, her ERA is not exactly sparkling and the Big Ten is not the SEC.
As long as Mississippi State doesn’t start hitting like the ’27 Yankees, OU should return to the Women’s College World Series.
Sooner opener still matters
Though there’s no way on earth Binghamton can possibly stop OU at 2:30 p.m. Friday, it’s still an important game.
Sooner coach Patty Gasso needs to decide the pitcher she’ll most need this postseason, start her against Binghamton, aim get three or four easy innings from her while the Sooner bats go to work, hopefully with contributions from Kasidi Pickering and Kendall Wells, who are both trapped in slumps.
A quick run-rule in which that happens and OU’s off and running in the postseason.