Just some thoughts about the first day of the tournament. Maybe the most underrated conference was the Big XII. 4-0, with three of the wins with the conference teams scoring eight runs. OU won 8-0. Baylor won 8-4 against Mississippi St, and Texas won 8-3 against San Diego State. Kansas as a three seed, beat two seed, Louisville 1-0. Baylor, Texas and KU all play the regional hosts Saturday, ULaLa, UCLA and Mizzou.
ULaLa swept Baylor at home in a two game series a little over a month ago. Texas beat UCLA in an early tournament and Mizzou and Kansas hate each other. So all the games should be interesting. A&M, OU's Saturday opponent is bragging about how Norman has become their post season home away from home, but I don't remember A&M having any success in Norman any time recently. This is their fourth straight post season trip to Marita Hynes Field.
OU is less dominant this year than in the past. This team makes too many outs in the air, which any decent defense can make. In the first inning against UCA, they scored six in the first in an inning which should have been three up and three down for their starting pitcher, who ended up not surviving the first.
Chamberlain struck out. Pendley popped up twice. Both should have been outs. The first dropped foul behind third base and should have been a routine play for the SS. The second dropped about ten feet onto the grass behind the shortstop who couldn't figure out the win. Turned into a hustle double. Then Parker reached on an E4. It opened the flood gates. With two outs, and the bases loaded, Casey walked, for an RBI and then Lea Wodach hit a grand slam to center. Ellis doubled and scored on little Pendley's single.
Competent defense might have seen a first inning shut out. OU only scored twice after the first.
The most overrated conference in the tournament has to be the ACC. They are 2-5, including Notre Dame, a first seed, losing to four seed, Ball State, a northern Indiana neighbor. Only ACC champ Florida State and North Carolina State won. UNC, ND, Louisville, Pitt and VaTech all lost. Most weren't close.
We'll see how the winners brackets go.
The SEC got 11 teams in and only two lost, Miss State to Baylor and South Carolina to UCF who has a stud pitcher. Most interesting Saturday winners bracket games, I mean besides OU-A&M....
UCF at Florida State
South Alabama at Auburn
Arizona State at LSU
Kansas at Mizzou
Texas at UCLA
Baylor at ULaLa
UDub at Alabama
and maybe especially Utah at UTenn. The Vols only beat something called Longwood, the region's 4 seed 2-0.
I'd love it if Cal beat Michigan or any SEC team loses, especially Bama.
Go Huskies!
