Softball Games of the Week 3/20 – 3/25
As teams begin conference play most of the games between top ranked teams will happen in the PAC-12, SEC and Big 12. This week is one exception. There are some great matchups this week, with an intriguing mid-week double header between Sun Belt’s undefeated Louisiana and ACC inconsistent performing but sometimes giant killer Georgia Tech.
#1 Alabama vs #12 Tennessee Wednesday (3/21 4pm & 6:30pm Central, Tuscalossa, AL)
The Tide are 24-0 overall and 5-0 in the SEC. Coach Murphy’s bunch is hitting .357 with 38 home runs. Kayla Braud sets the table. She has a .429 average, has 20 stolen bases and has scored 24 times. Senior Amanda Locke has six home runs, 23 RBI and is slugging .755. On a staff with four pitchers getting time, Jackie Traina has thrown more than half the innings. She is sporting a 1.06 ERA and has struck out 114 in her 79 innings of work. The Vols are 19-6 overall and 3-3 in SEC play. Madison Shipman and Lauren Gibson lead the way offensively for Tennessee. Gibson has eight home runs and 22 RBI. Shipman has a .357 average and 26 RBI. Controlling them will be key for Bama. The Vol’s ace, Ellen Renfroe’s ERA is 0.99. She has fanned 152 in just over 112 innings. With a double header, Renfroe will need to be lights out and collect a win for Tennessee to get a split. A sweep by the Tide would likely eliminate Tennessee from any serious SEC title contention.
#3 Cal vs #8 Stanford Friday, Saturday, Sunday (3/23 7pm, 3/24 1pm, 3/25 12pm Pacific, Palo Alto, CA)
Cal is 25-1, sustaining its first loss last week in extra innings in Honolulu to a good Hawaii club. Jolene Henderson and Valerie Arioto have been great in the circle. The Golden Bears lead the Pac-12 with an ERA just over one. The Cal offense is led by Arioto who is hitting close to .500 with 10 home runs. Stanford has a 25-3 record and is hitting .354 as a team. Hanna Winter, Jenna Rich and Danielle Miller are hitting over .400. Ashley Hansen continues to be a serious threat at the plate and teams consistently work around her. She has been walked 13 times. Teagan Gerhart has been carrying the load in the circle. She has an outstanding 20-1 record with a 1.35 ERA. Both teams are among the Pac-12’s best defensively. Look for three very close, well played games.
#6 Louisiana vs Georgia Tech Thursday (3/22 5pm & 7:30pm Central, Lamson Park, LA)
The Ragin Cajuns offense continues to put up tremendous numbers including the nine they put up against Arizona St. last week. Hitting .360 as a team, they have eight players above .300 and three over .400. Christi Orgeron has 10 of the teams 34 home runs. She is slugging .889. There is power up and down the lineup. Seven batters have gone deep and six have done it multiple times. Louisiana has scored an amazing 246 runs in 26 games. Jordan Wallace and Ashley Brignac are keeping ULL in every game and are 13-0 and 10-0 respectively. Georgia Tech’s Hope Rush will need to be her best to control the ULL bats and unless she pitches both games, one of them will likely be short.
#7 Oklahoma vs #22 Baylor Friday, Saturday, Sunday (3/23 6:30pm, 3/24 2pm, 3/25, 12pm Central, Getterman Stadium, Waco, TX)
The Sooners are 24-3. The team is hitting .346, second only to Texas in the Big 12. They have pounded out 41 home runs in just 27 games. Freshman Lauren Chamberlain leads the way with 11 bombs. Jessica Shults has 9 and Keilani Ricketts has hit 6. OU is pitching well also. Both Ricketts and Michell Gascoigne are striking out over 11 batters per game. Baylor is pitching well but is really struggling at the plate. Courtney Repka and Liz Paul have been working by committee and throwing well enough to win. They have a combined 1.18 ERA. OU leads the conference in ERA at 0.83. Not so great news for Baylor. Without some good run support this weekend, it will be tough for the Bears to pull out a win.
#9 Arizona State vs #10 Arizona Friday, Saturday, Sunday (3/23 7pm, 3/24 7pm, 3/25, 12pm Mountain, Tempe, AZ)
At 28-3 the defending National Champs are still very good. They took an uncharacteristic beating last week at the hands of Louisiana, but expect them to rebounding this weekend at home. The team is hitting .356. Katelyn Boyd is, without question, one of the most dangerous hitters in the country, batting .463, slugging 1.037 with 13 bombs and 38 RBI. She has been walked 24 times and scored 42 runs. Four of her teammates are hitting over .400. Hillary Bach has lowered her ERA to .057. She is 13-0 in the circle. Rival Arizona comes into the games at 18-4 having played just twice since March 4 due to weather. Kenzie Fowler and Shelby Babcock will be tested against the Sun Devil lineup. Shelby Pendley has 9 home runs for the Wildcats. Brigette Del Ponte, Lini Koria and Jessica Spigner each have gone long five times. It will be quite a battle, but give the edge to Arizona State this year.
#16 Missouri vs #21 Texas A&M Friday, Saturday, Sunday (3/23 7pm, 3/24 3pm, 3/25, 12pm Central, College Station, TX)
Missouri comes into College Station at 20-3, undefeated in March. They are hitting .320 with 21 big flies and with no particular batter putting up eye-popping numbers, their offense is a true team effort. Chelsea Thomas is as difficult to hit as ever. She is 10-1 with a 0.59 ERA. The Ags are 20-8, but have played a very tough schedule and beaten some quality teams including Arizona and Hawaii. Mel Dumezich leads this team at the plate and in the circle. She has eight bombs, is slugging .644 and has been walked 20 times. In the circle she gets the bulk of the innings and, though it isn’t always pretty, she battles and keeps gives her team a chance to win. Meagan May is still very dangerous. She has 5 home runs and has earned 30 walks. She is hitting .269, but her on-base percentage is .490. Expect low scoring games in the last year of this Big 12 series. Both teams join the SEC next year.
