2018 Softball Season thread

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Sun May 20, 2018 8:56 pm

Ok it's 6-2 UCLA now, yeah we're headed to LA to take on a team that swept us at home.

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Sun May 20, 2018 9:48 pm

UCLA can be beat. The Cats should of won 2 of the games they lost when UCLA visited earlier. Watched the Bruins play asu a few weeks ago and even though they beat UCLA once, they played them tough. UCLA is beatable but the UofA needs to get the runners in when they have the opportunity.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu May 24, 2018 11:54 am

MrMeow · Post by **MrMeow** » Thu May 24, 2018 12:25 pm

azgreg wrote:

I hope to see a lot of red shirts in the stands.

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Thu May 24, 2018 2:12 pm

Need this first one

MrBug708 · Post by **MrBug708** » Thu May 24, 2018 2:39 pm

Good luck. If you can beat Garcia in game 1, you guys deserve it.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu May 24, 2018 5:41 pm

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu May 24, 2018 6:18 pm

Not the start we wanted.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu May 24, 2018 6:43 pm

Garcia is on tonight.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Thu May 24, 2018 6:44 pm

UCLA is just on a higher level than us this year.

MrBug708 · Post by **MrBug708** » Thu May 24, 2018 7:00 pm

Big three Ks

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu May 24, 2018 7:02 pm

That was huge. Bases loaded with no outs and McQuillin gets three straight K's.

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Thu May 24, 2018 7:43 pm

Pwned

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Thu May 24, 2018 7:49 pm

The Bruins are really good.

shimdic · Post by **shimdic** » Thu May 24, 2018 7:55 pm

Off topic, but A&M made a few errors and couldn't close out with two outs. On topic, I wish we could hit and at least score something.

KaibabKat · Post by **KaibabKat** » Thu May 24, 2018 8:13 pm

I hope that UCLA beats us four times this year.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Fri May 25, 2018 6:04 pm

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Fri May 25, 2018 6:16 pm

2 run jack for the Cats!

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Fri May 25, 2018 6:18 pm

azgreg wrote:2 run jack for the Cats!

Bear Down!!

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Fri May 25, 2018 6:38 pm

Game is online: http://www.espn.com/watch/player?bucket ... id=3358793" target="_blank

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:03 pm

McQuillin isn't real sharp tonight.

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:20 pm

azgreg wrote:McQuillin isn't real sharp tonight.

Better than last night...
... but they are forcing walks with all the foul balls.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:28 pm

And that's the season, good night.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:30 pm

We need our bats to come alive to have any chance here

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:32 pm

WTF!?!?

22 of 36 earned runs all season against McQuillan have been by UCLA???

That’s an unbelievable stat!!!

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Fri May 25, 2018 8:02 pm

Palomino got hosed.

shimdic · Post by **shimdic** » Fri May 25, 2018 8:03 pm

ChooChooCat wrote:Palomino got hosed.

Announcers reviewed it and even said it was a shit call.

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Fri May 25, 2018 8:24 pm

I’m sad.

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Fri May 25, 2018 8:27 pm

pc in NM wrote:I’m sad.

Tough loss but next year this team should be playing in Oklahoma City as long as no one gets hurt. Was a fun year and looking forward to next season.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Fri May 25, 2018 8:40 pm

Honestly if it doesn't happen in the next 2 years I dont think it happens again during Candrea's tenure. Theoretically we should have a senior ace, a capable junior pitcher, and a freshman ace in the making next year. Add that along with the entire infield returning and becoming upperclassmen and you have a shit or get off the pot situation. UCLA pretty much returns every body important from this year's team, so they will continue to be a roadblock.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Fri May 25, 2018 8:51 pm

Irish27 wrote:
pc in NM wrote:I’m sad.
Tough loss but next year this team should be playing in Oklahoma City as long as no one gets hurt. Was a fun year and looking forward to next season.

We've seemingly said that about every next year since like 2010

PieceOfMeat · Post by **PieceOfMeat** » Fri May 25, 2018 9:01 pm

tough loss today. really thought we had that one.

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Fri May 25, 2018 9:04 pm

Did UDug put a sevun curse on our softball team too?

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Fri May 25, 2018 9:23 pm

ASUHATER! wrote:
Irish27 wrote:
pc in NM wrote:I’m sad.
Tough loss but next year this team should be playing in Oklahoma City as long as no one gets hurt. Was a fun year and looking forward to next season.
We've seemingly said that about every next year since like 2010

No we haven't. Only last year was when they had a legitimate shot. Next's year's team only loses Hughes and Craighton. The returners will all be veterans and throw in a really good freshmen class, I like our chances.

shimdic · Post by **shimdic** » Sat May 26, 2018 8:01 pm

Irish27 wrote:
ASUHATER! wrote:
Irish27 wrote:
pc in NM wrote:I’m sad.
Tough loss but next year this team should be playing in Oklahoma City as long as no one gets hurt. Was a fun year and looking forward to next season.
We've seemingly said that about every next year since like 2010
No we haven't. Only last year was when they had a legitimate shot. Next's year's team only loses Hughes and Craighton. The returners will all be veterans and throw in a really good freshmen class, I like our chances.

I hope we can make it to the final 8!

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Sat May 26, 2018 10:32 pm

4 Pac 12 schools make the World Series, including ASU who has a relatively new coach and didn't even make the tourney just 2 years ago. That's not a good look for Candrea.

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Sun May 27, 2018 6:57 am

ChooChooCat wrote:4 Pac 12 schools make the World Series, including ASU who has a relatively new coach and didn't even make the tourney just 2 years ago. That's not a good look for Candrea.

Greg Hansen nailed it this morning:

Although college softball has changed thoroughly since Arizona won its first NCAA championship in 1991 — better playing facilities, higher pay for coaches, more national exposure and a considerably deeper pool of available high school talent — pitching still rules the game as it did in ’91.

Arizona went 0-11 against the Pac-12’s current superpowers, UCLA, Oregon and Washington. Why? It couldn’t effectively hit the pitching aces at those schools: Oregon’s Megan Kleist, Washington’s Taron Alvelo and UCLA’s Rachel Garcia.

The numbers are extraordinary.

Those pitchers went 9-0 against Arizona with a 1.04 ERA, allowing just six runs. They struck out 81 Wildcats in 52 innings.

More daunting: all of them return next season.

If Mike Candrea’s 2019 club — which returns mostly intact — is to get to the World Series, it will have to climb from good to a much higher level in the pitching circle.

Get this: UA junior Taylor McQuillin, the 2015 Gatorade national softball player of the year, was 28-3 with a 1.03 ERA and 248 strikeouts in 198 innings when NOT pitching against UCLA, Oregon or Washington. She was almost unhittable.

But against the Ducks, Huskies and Bruins, McQuillin was 0-9 with a 7.14 ERA.

Candrea adds the top high school prospect in Arizona for the ’19 season, pitcher-hitter Marissa Schuld of Phoenix Pinnacle High School. Not to put any additional pressure on Schuld, but if she’s not immediately ready to pitch at a high-level in the Pac-12, it’s difficult to picture Arizona breaking an eight-year streak without reaching the Women’s College World Series.

Schuld went 33-2 her last two seasons, striking out 398 batters in 207 innings She also hit .574 with 16 home runs this season as Pinnacle won the Class 6A state title.

“She’s a bulldog,” Candrea said.

It’s getting more and more difficult to project – to guess – how elite high school pitchers will do once they get in a league as talent-rich at the Pac-12. Since 2012, Arizona has landed some of the top pitching prospects in the West: Shelby Babcock, Nancy Bowling, Michelle Floyd and Trish Parks.

None became an ace, or even close.

The disparity of McQuillen's performance between Pac-12 opponents vs the rest is unbelievable!!! And she was the best pitcher on paper as a recruit!!

Arizona has never recovered from the loss of Nancy Evans as pitching coach, whatever the reason for that departure. Hard not to point to the lack of development of all these top-rated recruits...

Irish27 · Post by **Irish27** » Sun Jun 03, 2018 12:16 pm

Washington eliminates 2-time defending National Champion Oklahoma to reach the championship. The Huskies will play either UCLA or Florida State for the title.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Sun Jun 03, 2018 1:25 pm

At least there's a good chance of the title coming back to the PAC 12 for the first time since 2011.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Sun Jun 03, 2018 4:13 pm

UW, UCLA, Oregon, ASU will only get stronger next year.

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Sun Jun 03, 2018 5:41 pm

Peace out Bruins

MrBug708 · Post by **MrBug708** » Sun Jun 03, 2018 9:11 pm

Coach blew it

MrMeow · Post by **MrMeow** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 6:41 am

MrBug708 wrote:Coach blew it

How? By not pulling Garcia? Please explain.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 8:13 am

The future and our best hope at getting back to the WCWS next year and beyond: https://amp.azcentral.com/amp/668751002 ... ssion=true" target="_blank

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:12 am

MrMeow wrote:
MrBug708 wrote:Coach blew it
How? By not pulling Garcia? Please explain.

I think UCLA got screwed multiple times by the Ump

1) FSU batter hit ball with foot out-of-box, almost on plate - no call - got to scoring position, but did not score

2) UCLA batter his low drive that hit dirt, then pitcher's foot, bounced in air and caught "on-the-fly" - incorrectly ruled an out; the home plate ump never asked if the ball hit the ground, onlt if "on-the-fly" - got to scoring position, but did not score

3) FSU batter partially swung at pitch, hit on wrist in strike zone - incorrectly called "HBP" and awarded first base. was on second base for the game-winning, two-out, three-run homer.

UCLA should have been three outs from victory, instead of three outs from loss.

The regionals, super-regionals and WCWS (at a minimum) should have instant replay for the umps....

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Tue Jun 05, 2018 6:36 pm

The Huskies are in deep trouble.

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