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Post by bulkey on May 31, 2024 16:42:23 GMT -5
It's our annual softball world series thread. As probably everyone knows, the great Jordy Bahl, who won a couple of trophies at OK, shocked the world by transferring home to Nebraska. But she tore her ACL in February. Otherwise, Nebraska would loom large here. (Fortunately for her and for all of us who so admire her incredible talents, she was eligible to redshirt, so she's still got 2 more years.) Click to enlarge.  |
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Post by knightsbridgeaz on Jun 1, 2024 1:38:12 GMT -5
I'm probably not going to be thrilled about the winner.
Duke was eliminated and Alabama advanced in the loser's bracket. The one team I am rooting for, Stanford, eliminated OK State.
3 of the 4 teams in the winner's bracket (plus Alabama) are probably among my least favorite teams - Florida, UCLA and Oklahoma. And while I generally like Texas, I don't get warm and fuzzy about Coach Mike White, who was at Oregon before Texas.
So I'll continue to root for Stanford to advance from the loser's bracket and Texas from the winners. Of course, it is Oklahoma's tourney to lose, I suspect, even though they are technically the 2 seed to Texas's #1
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Post by bulkey on Jun 1, 2024 7:11:51 GMT -5
Thanks so much for this knightsbridgeaz! That's helpful for me, as I haven't been following closely this year (family and work). TX-OK would definitely be the most spirited series, but I suppose I'll embrace your favorites as well, since Stanford and TX are academically the highest ranked and OK basically plays a home world series every year. There'll certainly also be TX fans showing up, but Stanford fans don't even come to home games, I imagine.
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Post by bulkey on Jun 2, 2024 8:27:58 GMT -5
 updated |
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Post by knightsbridgeaz on Jun 2, 2024 23:55:11 GMT -5
So I got my wish, in the semi's tomorrow - Texas and Stanford advanced, but now they play each other - Texas needs to win once, Stanford would need to beat Texas twice. Go Stanford!
On the other side, Florida plays Oklahoma. OK needs the one win, Florida would have to beat them twice. A lukewarm go Florida.
Whoever comes out of Texas / Stanford I will root for in the championship series.
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Post by bulkey on Jun 3, 2024 6:04:46 GMT -5
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Post by ursusminor on Jun 3, 2024 17:20:24 GMT -5
So I got my wish, in the semi's tomorrow - Texas and Stanford advanced, but now they play each other - Texas needs to win once, Stanford would need to beat Texas twice. Go Stanford! On the other side, Florida plays Oklahoma. OK needs the one win, Florida would have to beat them twice. A lukewarm go Florida. Whoever comes out of Texas / Stanford I will root for in the championship series. Stanford doesn't seem to have much of a pitching staff; I don't think their ace throws three games in two days and beats Texas twice. If I were a betting person, I'd have significant money on Texas. On the other hand, it wouldn't be the first time one ace carries a team the whole way. |
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Post by bulkey on Jun 3, 2024 17:46:21 GMT -5
For whatever reason, I can't get it on TV no matter where I look...
That's one of the beauties of softball...an ace can pitch a double header. Why Nebraska would have had a chance....
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Post by ursusminor on Jun 3, 2024 17:52:11 GMT -5
For whatever reason, I can't get it on TV no matter where I look... That's one of the beauties of softball...an ace can pitch a double header. Why Nebraska would have had a chance.... I think the next game doesn't start for about ten minutes? I had it in my head as 4pm Pacific time, so that's 7 Eastern. I'm not sure which ESPN channel it is. Edit to add: I am still watching the replay of the OK-FL game from earlier today. Somebody hit an inside the park home run! That never happens. |
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Post by knightsbridgeaz on Jun 3, 2024 18:06:10 GMT -5
For whatever reason, I can't get it on TV no matter where I look... That's one of the beauties of softball...an ace can pitch a double header. Why Nebraska would have had a chance.... ESPN for tonight's game. The problem was a 3 hour rain delay. Every time that sort of thing happens, it screws up the TV stations. Interestingly, the "If Necessary" games were postponed to tomorrow. Texas can advance tonight, however, if it becomes necessary to play again, that will be tomorrow, after the other matchup. |
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Post by knightsbridgeaz on Jun 3, 2024 18:08:41 GMT -5
So I got my wish, in the semi's tomorrow - Texas and Stanford advanced, but now they play each other - Texas needs to win once, Stanford would need to beat Texas twice. Go Stanford! On the other side, Florida plays Oklahoma. OK needs the one win, Florida would have to beat them twice. A lukewarm go Florida. Whoever comes out of Texas / Stanford I will root for in the championship series. Stanford doesn't seem to have much of a pitching staff; I don't think their ace throws three games in two days and beats Texas twice. If I were a betting person, I'd have significant money on Texas. On the other hand, it wouldn't be the first time one ace carries a team the whole way. I agree that it isn't likely. Texas has looked great in every game I've seen. I saw Stanford in person, in fact, Arizona beat them in the one game of their series that we attended. Their ace was impressive, however. |
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Post by bulkey on Jun 3, 2024 18:30:27 GMT -5
On "my ESPN" it doesn't seem to be on. I'll keep checking: thanks!
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Post by bulkey on Jun 4, 2024 7:49:54 GMT -5
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Post by ursusminor on Jun 4, 2024 13:17:23 GMT -5
Florida scores in the top of the first in the elimination game, which is very, very important for them. Their offense seems streaky, but when it's on, they can keep up with Oklahoma's relentless bats.
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Post by bulkey on Jun 4, 2024 15:26:44 GMT -5
C'mon Florida. Up 1 in the bottom of the 6th (sneaking a peak while my wife is walking; otherwise, it's the French Open).
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Post by bulkey on Jun 4, 2024 16:07:09 GMT -5
sigh....
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Post by bulkey on Jun 4, 2024 16:41:48 GMT -5
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Post by knightsbridgeaz on Jun 4, 2024 22:14:24 GMT -5
Go Texas!!!! I have a University of Texas Polo to bring out. My wife's sister and her husband live in the Austin area and root for Texas, so we have been in the habit of generally rooting for them.
My only hesitancy with softball is that Mike White isn't my favorite coach. Nothing specific, he just didn't thrill me when he was at Oregon. He seems to come off ok on TV, but that wasn't my feeling previously.
But in the end my wife and I are ABO - anybody but Oklahoma. There has been a bit of rivalry with Arizona, we got sent there a couple times in the Regionals, they enticed a few of our players to transfer (there wasn't a sit out rule for softball) including one of our best. But in addition I think that their repetitive championships in a row is more than enough.
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Post by UConnChapette on Jun 5, 2024 14:02:05 GMT -5
Interrupting softball to make a quick note that the UConn baseball team stunned two top 15 teams (Duke and Oklahoma) and has advanced to their third Super Regional in program history.
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Post by ursusminor on Jun 5, 2024 17:12:04 GMT -5
But in addition I think that their repetitive championships in a row is more than enough. Says a UConn wcbb fan  I cannot, in good faith, hold Oklahoma's softball success against them. That said, their team personality does seem to rub people the wrong way; they are very "hype", celebrating hard with every walk and hit, and that's frankly more typical of Cinderella teams than powerhouses. It's definitely not my style; I would not have been a good fit on a team like that. |
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Post by knightsbridgeaz on Jun 5, 2024 17:41:54 GMT -5
But in addition I think that their repetitive championships in a row is more than enough. Says a UConn wcbb fan I cannot, in good faith, hold Oklahoma's softball success against them. That said, their team personality does seem to rub people the wrong way; they are very "hype", celebrating hard with every walk and hit, and that's frankly more typical of Cinderella teams than powerhouses. It's definitely not my style; I would not have been a good fit on a team like that. Well, I'm one of the very few non-UConn fan on the board, as many know. Arizona and Rutgers are my teams, more Arizona since we moved west in 2011. The thing is, I respect UConn - I agree with Vivian Stringer that said Connecticut was the team that every program wants to be. So I have never experienced multiple championships in any sport. Since we've been out here, Arizona had won a Baseball Natty and a Women's Golf Natty and I'm pretty sure that's it. At least they have a history of success in a mix of sports. But I never held to a "bad for the game" objection of any sort regarding multiple championships. I just don't like Oklahoma and yes, the 'tude is part of it. And just to be honest, the celebrating every play hard thing - as opposed to "acting like you've been there before" - is always a turn-off for me. |
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Post by ursusminor on Jun 5, 2024 17:51:50 GMT -5
Says a UConn wcbb fan I cannot, in good faith, hold Oklahoma's softball success against them. That said, their team personality does seem to rub people the wrong way; they are very "hype", celebrating hard with every walk and hit, and that's frankly more typical of Cinderella teams than powerhouses. It's definitely not my style; I would not have been a good fit on a team like that. Well, I'm one of the very few non-UConn fan on the board, as many know. Arizona and Rutgers are my teams, more Arizona since we moved west in 2011. The thing is, I respect UConn - I agree with Vivian Stringer that said Connecticut was the team that every program wants to be. So I have never experienced multiple championships in any sport. Since we've been out here, Arizona had won a Baseball Natty and a Women's Golf Natty and I'm pretty sure that's it. At least they have a history of success in a mix of sports. But I never held to a "bad for the game" objection of any sort regarding multiple championships. I just don't like Oklahoma and yes, the 'tude is part of it. And just to be honest, the celebrating every play hard thing - as opposed to "acting like you've been there before" - is always a turn-off for me. My bad; I forgot who I was replying to. Every time I want to not like Oklahoma, a voice in my head says, "yeah, but you gotta respect how damn good they are. They're really, really good." But I will also watch good softball anytime, anywhere; I'm not a fan of any team in particular. Game start in a little over an hour, I think? We'll see how it goes. |
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Post by bulkey on Jun 5, 2024 21:10:54 GMT -5
not much of a game. OK jumped ahead and extending it....
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Post by meyers7 on Jun 6, 2024 9:06:20 GMT -5
My brother and his wife are at the games. They are big Oklahoma fans.
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Post by bulkey on Jun 6, 2024 20:00:12 GMT -5
uggh. down in the 2nd game.
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