Paige ties NCAA record

[sybarite]

Freshman pitcher, Paige Parker, tied an NCAA record with her fourth perfect game of the season today in a 14-0 win over Utah Valley. Since nobody has ever pitched five in a career, Paige has four years to set a new record. How dominant was Paige? She faced fifteen batters in the run-shortened game. She struck out twelve. One popped foul to Lauren (first base), about twenty feet down the line. One popped foul about fifteen feet to catcher Whitney Ellis, the game-ending play. One ball was hit fair in the entire game, a soft line drive at Paige's head which she caught easily.

There were five home runs by an unusual murderer's row: Ellis, Arnold, N. Pendley, Townsend (grand slam), and Vest. But, it was the home run that wasn't that will be the one that is remembered. With two outs in the second and Nicole Pendley on first after a walk, Lauren drove one out about twenty to thirty feet beyond the right field wall, a no-doubter. BUT, Nicole left base too early, meaning that she was the third out. Lauren's #92 didn't count.

 

[Soonersincefitty]

Man alive, good stuff there.
The 22nd or 23rd run rule game of the year? Seems that would be a record in and of itself.

I really like Gasso.
She's almost like the King (Barry) in drag in that she has a distinct knack for squeezing every drop of talent out of her charges.
What a gift for OU.

Thanks Syb.

 

[iasooner1]

Well done ladies!

 

[Plainosooner]

There is no excuse for leaving a base early with the bases loaded.

I would say just the opposite about Patti. They are capable of dominating outmanned teams. But this team has very likely played themselves out of a top eight seeding, which is about hosting a super regional. And they are a pitcher short. For a team of OU's stature to have recruited one quality college pitcher in the last five years is the opposite of praiseworthy, IMO.

They have a lineup that is going to be very vulnerable to a good pitching featuring a good rise ball. The make too many easy outs and have nobody on their roster that can unsettle a defense with their speed.

The pluses are many. The play very fundamentally sound defense, and I love them for that. And they have their boppers. But when they faced good pitching against LSU, their offense was totally shut down and that is going to be a problem in the post season. There are likely some great high school programs and certainly good high school aged club team could beat Utah Valley. So Parker blowing them away isn't exactly a shock.

 

[sybarite]

Well. That would be right, except for one point. The bases were not loaded. Nicole was the only person on base, having just been walked with two outs following successive home runs by Ellis and Arnold.

Secondly, I'm not sure how a team that is rated #4 in the country is not among the eight favorites for a Super-Regional. Which teams not in the top eight will be given a regional over #4?

OU is #20 in the NCAA in ERA, and a lot of that came from early in the year when we were still trying to get our feet on the ground with a rather ineffective Kelsey. Since then, we have been pretty solid on ERA.

I don't know where this two-pitcher idea came into play. The only time that OU has ever used a second pitcher in the World Series was in the finals against Tennessee when we gave Gascoigne a shot, knowing that she had become pretty solid. Prior to that, OU had breezed through a 2000 and 2012 Series without having a second pitcher of consequence. As Schults said on the telecast, a softball pitcher is pretty much a rubber arm. The motion is natural, unlike that of a baseball pitcher. Thus, it doesn't put so much fatigue on the arm. In baseball, a hundred pitches is a lot. Softball pitchers often exceed 150 or 160 pitches in a game and come back to pitch tomorrow.

Paige may be better right now than Keilani was in 2012.

 

[iasooner1]

Obviously both of you guys dwarf my knowledge of the game. For post season placement, I sure hope you are correct in your assessment syb

 

[Plainosooner]

OU is ranked top six in eveything except the one that counts, which is RPI. There, the Sooners are 12th. It includes SoS.

The two pitcher thing come from?

Well every quality team in the country has two. It is not 2000 any more. OU did not win their second NC until they had two. They beat a team in the finals that had two. And both teams last year had two. As hot as it get for the last two or three weeks, it is very optimistic to think you can send one girl to the circle every inning.

LSUswept two games from OU using two different pitcher. ULaLa swept two from Baylor using two. Very few of the top 15 this year are using one girl for weekend conference series.

That is where the idea comes from.

But you may be right. OU has two of the top five homerun hitters ever, a terrific pitcher and plays outstanding, fundamental defense. Having home field if they make the second round will be close to crucial. If that is enough to get to OkC, then they will have as good a chance as anybody.

Today on the ESPN softball broadcasts, they were pushing the RPI argument hard, adding This is a lot more important than rankings. They spoke rankings like it was a dirty word. ESPN likes to push their agenda in these non revenue sports championships. I wonder who they were referencing?

 

[sybarite]

OU is ranked top six in eveything except the one that counts, which is RPI. There, the Sooners are 12th. It includes SoS.

The rpi is rather absurd in softball, and will be regarded as such. Kansas is the second best team in the Big Twelve according to the rpi, ranked ahead of teams that swept them in Lawrence, like Texas and Baylor. Tech took two of three from them, and Tech was #88 while KU was around #17.

If you look at the KU schedule, you can find absolutely no reason that they are ranked that highly by the rpi. They have played zero teams outside the Big Twelve that are in the top twenty-five or fifty, other than one game against Florida, which they lost. They are 0-3 vs Baylor and Texas, in Lawrence, and 1-2 against OU, in Lawrence. They are 1-2 against Tech in Lubbock. Otherwise, their schedule (SOS) consists of teams that have never seen the top twenty-five. Why are they ranked so highly, #18? The only thing that I can figure is that they did most of their preseason schedule in Florida.

The SEC is rather highly-ranked in the rpi. I can see it with Florida. But, they are about the only ones. Most of the SEC played rather soft preseason schedules. I'm not concerned with OU's losses to LSU. They were AT LSU. Louisiana-Lafayette is just like LSU. They look good in Louisiana, not so good on the road. The only team in the SEC that stands a chance at winning it all is Florida.

We have lost seven games. Florida has five losses in the SEC. Auburn has six. Everyone else has at least seven.

Rpi
#18 Kansas
#26 Baylor, just swept KU in Lawrence
#28 Texas, swept KU in Lawrence
#77 Texas Tech, took two of three from Kansas.

Now, tell me about the value of the rpi. ESPN? Well, they like it because it seems rigged to rate SEC teams highly.

 

[mcbrider]

There is no excuse for leaving a base early with the bases loaded.

I would say just the opposite about Patti. They are capable of dominating outmanned teams. But this team has very likely played themselves out of a top eight seeding, which is about hosting a super regional. And they are a pitcher short. For a team of OU's stature to have recruited one quality college pitcher in the last five years is the opposite of praiseworthy, IMO.

They have a lineup that is going to be very vulnerable to a good pitching featuring a good rise ball. The make too many easy outs and have nobody on their roster that can unsettle a defense with their speed.

The pluses are many. The play very fundamentally sound defense, and I love them for that. And they have their boppers. But when they faced good pitching against LSU, their offense was totally shut down and that is going to be a problem in the post season. There are likely some great high school programs and certainly good high school aged club team could beat Utah Valley. So Parker blowing them away isn't exactly a shock.

 

[mcbrider]

Watch the game before you make remarks. The bases were not loaded when Pendley left early. When you you say," I would say just the opposite about Patti" (criticism), you have no credibility. You make way to much of their losses to LSU. If they played again OU might come out on top .Do you recall last year when they lost a double header to ULL and then came back to beat them in the college world series. Coach Gasso had no way of knowing that Stevens would run into the problems she is having now. Are you privy to recruiting information that allows you to know that Coach has not made a great effort to recruit quality pitching? OU has two pitchers on the team now that have just not panned out. They recruited a junior college pitcher last year who quit the team. Given OU's geographic location and the recruiting competition with the warm weather schools for players, Coach Gasso has done a most praiseworthy job. Can you explain exactly how this team has played themselves out of a top eight seeding for a super regional.

 

[Plainosooner]

Already did explain it. Being ranked fifth isn't going to be as big a factor as being 12th in the RPI. OU's SoS is low among the top15 teams, because the conference this year is so weak. Beating up on Utah Valley doesn't do much for ones esteem with the bracket makers. We'll see how it comes down. But losing to KU scoring two runs, does not bode well for them. The run rule loss to Baylor, the week after the Lady Bears got swept at U La La didn't help either.

On the ESPN broadcast yesterday, they were making a big deal out of RPI and how that was the factor most considered and that rankings were relatively unimportant. I don't trust ESPN as far as I could throw their studios, but they do have clout, especially in the non revenue college sports national championships.

Patti makes mistakes just like any of us. But here she gets a free pass here, while Bob's perceived mistakes get made into federal cases. Is she an outstanding coach? Absolutely. Is this team fun to watch and in contention for a national title? Absolutely. But they've taken a few nights off in the last five weeks, and it might just bite them on the butt.

The only reason that LSU was such a big deal, is that it was by far the most important series of the season. They pointed toward it and didn't play well. If you think that's not a factor, I hope your right. But I doubt it.

 

[sybarite]

Let's see. LSU beat us twice---at LSU. Kentucky lost two of three to Kentucky. We beat Kentucky at a neutral site. So? LSU has played exactly one team other than OU that was in the top twenty-five, Arizona, winning by a run. We lost by a run. If they don't play top twenty-five teams in the SEC, they won't play any. Seems like an SEC trait. Play nobody outside the conference, but talk about how tough your conference is. If you do play someone, play them at home.

Do you know how many top twenty-five teams came to Norman this year? Baylor----that's all. We played all of our games against good teams on the road.

Quit listening to ESPN as they sell their product. Of course they are marketing the SEC and rpi. It's their product. The rpi is almost worthless since it ranks teams highly that are at the bottom of conferences, e.g., Kansas.

 

[Plainosooner]

Sybarite, LSU has won two out of three at Florida ranked number 1.
They lost two of three at number 16 Kentucky.
They won two of three at number 12 Tennessee.
They won two of three against number 25 A&M at home.
They lost two of three at number 11 Mizzou.
They lost two of three to number 8 Auburn at home.
Almost every week of their conference season, they were playing a top 25 team.
And of course, they beat OU two straight at home.

OU's comparison would be winning two of three against number 17 Baylor.
And the two losses at LSU. Those were their only games against ranked teams since the third week of February. LSU is fourth in the SEC and Georgia is sixth. OU is 0-3 combined against them. If you count Kansas, who isn't ranked in the rankings, but is 17 in the RPI, OU won two of three in Lawrence.

 

[sybarite]

You paid zero attention to their non-conference season, of any of these. LSU played Arizona and OU, OU twice at home. OU played Arizona, Kentucky, Georgia, LSU (twice), Arizona State (twice), and Washington----all on the road. LSU played one non-conference game against anyone of significance on the road---one.

Forget the rpi unless you can explain Kansas. Now, go look at the SEC teams and their non-conference schedules. Alabama, for example, played exactly two games against top 25 teams, both against Michigan, both in Tuscaloosa, losing both. That's all. You still haven't explained why Kentucky beat LSU two of three, while losing to OU at a neutral site. In fact, the only games that LSU seems to have won were in Baton Rouge. Tennessee went on a western swing and lost to Cal, Utah, and Nebraska. Where is this super-status of the conference coming from? Auburn and Florida have done well. The others---do OK at home.

 

[Plainosooner]

Neutral site games are not road games. The two ASU games, which we split, were road games. So in road games against non conference ranked teams, OU is 1-3 on the road.

But the win over UDub in Tempe and the losses to Arizona and Georgia and the win over Kentucky in Palm Springs are not road games. And they were more than two months ago and they count less. But it means that in non conference games against top 25 competition OU is 1-3 on the road and 2-2 at neutral sites. You have obviously decided that those are more important games than games of the last two months, but I doubt the bracket committee will.

What would be interesting to me would be if OU was as the RPI says, is a 12 and Michigan is a five. Michigan is to me very overrated. The Big Ten is pretty lousy as a softball conference. Michigan has some quality pre conference wins. I think OU v Michigan would be a great Super. And I think we'd have a great chance to advance, even up there.

But I've seen strange looking strike zones in the Supers. A whole lot of home cookin' goes on. I'd much prefer to see the Sooner play in Norman.

 

[sybarite]

I think you pay too much attention to ESPN. Go back and look at the specifics of those OU losses. Look at the games surrounding those losses, the numbers on the pitchers, and compare them to now. Our staff was unsettled early. Yet, those losses that you seem to think were so important were:

4-8 (walk-off grand slam) Arizona State in Tempe, loser Shelby.
4-5 (one run loss, two runs unearned) Arizona in Palm Springs, Paige
5-6 (one run loss, Shelby started, Paige takes loss in relief) Georgia in Palm..
0-1 (one run loss, Paige pitched a two-hitter) LSU in Baton Rouge.
2-10 (OK, there was a nonsense game) in LSU in Baton Rouge

Aren't you putting a lot of weight on some one run losses prior to the pitching staff settling in place? The LSU pitcher that beat Paige has been bombed on the road a couple of times since, notably against Kentucky and Missouri. Remember that we beat Kentucky. We have really been beaten once, significantly. The Baylor loss was more significant, and we did come back twice against them. Baylor played a tougher non-conference schedule than LSU, splitting with Oregon, beating Arizona in Fullerton, losing to Arizona State and Michigan in Fullerton.

LSU got lucky. There are only three players on the LSU roster who have hit more than three home runs. One got one against OU. We have about ten that have more than three. None hit one out. Nothing good ever happens in Louisiana.

 

[Plainosooner]

You want to separate out a non conference schedule and make that someone more important than conference schedules. You want to have your cake and eat it too. You said "putting a lot of weight on some one run losses prior to the pitching staff settling in place?" because it was early in the season. But give more credibility to games played in mid February than March, April or early May. That's contradictory.

What you and I think don't matter. Baylor's schedule isn't close to as difficult from start to finish as any of the six or seven top schools in the SEC. I despise the SEC. But Baylor, Kansas and Texas as a group don't stack up.

The new RPI came out this afternoon. All of the SEC schools don't play each other. But they have 1. Florida. 2. LSU. 4 Auburn. 6. Alabama. 9 Mizzou. 11. Tennessee. 21 A&M and 23. Kentucky. Kentucky, btw is 12th in their conference standings. Thirteen team play softball in the SEC. The RPI includes strength of schedule. I believe LSU played all but Alabama. And they played us. If you think Baylor's schedule stacks up with that, you're in a small minority. It's why even though they are in fourth place in the SEC, they are the second rated team in the country.

 

[sybarite]

The non-conference schedule, or lack thereof, indicates how absurd the rpi is. You mention that Kentucky is 12th in their conference, but #23 in rpi. OK. Why are they #23?

Kentucky played only three games against top twenty-five teams in preseason, and lost two. In conference play, Kentucky has won exactly one road game, at Texas A&M. They took two of three from LSU. They were swept at in Lexington by Auburn, Florida, and Georgia. From that, you get #23? How? That is as dumb as ........

Kansas is ranked #24 in the rpi. Kansas was swept in Lawrence by #20 Baylor and #28 Texas. #13 Oklahoma took two of three in Lawrence. Indeed, that win over Oklahoma is the only win that Kansas has over a team in the top twenty-five rpi or coaches poll.

Now, tell me how valid the rpi is. Explain it. Kansas is third from last in that "weak Big Twelve." But, they are #24? They have exactly one win over a top twenty-five team, and they are #24?

Not.

 

[Sooners83]

You want to separate out a non conference schedule and make that someone more important than conference schedules. You want to have your cake and eat it too. You said "putting a lot of weight on some one run losses prior to the pitching staff settling in place?" because it was early in the season. But give more credibility to games played in mid February than March, April or early May. That's contradictory.

What you and I think don't matter. Baylor's schedule isn't close to as difficult from start to finish as any of the six or seven top schools in the SEC. I despise the SEC. But Baylor, Kansas and Texas as a group don't stack up.

The new RPI came out this afternoon. All of the SEC schools don't play each other. But they have 1. Florida. 2. LSU. 4 Auburn. 6. Alabama. 9 Mizzou. 11. Tennessee. 21 A&M and 23. Kentucky. Kentucky, btw is 12th in their conference standings. Thirteen team play softball in the SEC. The RPI includes strength of schedule. I believe LSU played all but Alabama. And they played us. If you think Baylor's schedule stacks up with that, you're in a small minority. It's why even though they are in fourth place in the SEC, they are the second rated team in the country.

Plaino...I am not quite sure where you are coming from as I have seen you as a rose colored football fan...what up with the hate for the softball team?..and yes pretty much everything you post about the softball team is negative including a 2 time NC coach.

Neutral site games are not road games. The two ASU games, which we split, were road games. So in road games against non conference ranked teams, OU is 1-3 on the road.

But the win over UDub in Tempe and the losses to Arizona and Georgia and the win over Kentucky in Palm Springs are not road games. And they were more than two months ago and they count less. But it means that in non conference games against top 25 competition OU is 1-3 on the road and 2-2 at neutral sites. You have obviously decided that those are more important games than games of the last two months, but I doubt the bracket committee will.

What would be interesting to me would be if OU was as the RPI says, is a 12 and Michigan is a five. Michigan is to me very overrated. The Big Ten is pretty lousy as a softball conference. Michigan has some quality pre conference wins. I think OU v Michigan would be a great Super. And I think we'd have a great chance to advance, even up there.

But I've seen strange looking strike zones in the Supers. A whole lot of home cookin' goes on. I'd much prefer to see the Sooner play in Norman.

Plaino...I am not quite sure where you are coming from as I have seen you as a rose colored football fan...what up with the hate for the softball team?..and yes pretty much everything you post about the softball team is negative including a 2 time NC coach.

 

[Plainosooner]

Again, it's not that hard. Some teams have schedule strength because they played 15 conference games against teams in the top 25. Some have a combination. There is also some penalty for bad losses. I'm not defending the details of RPI. But it's a fact that it's a huge factor in seeding whether you like it or not.

 

[Sooners83]

Plaino...I am not quite sure where you are coming from as I have seen you as a rose colored football fan...what up with the hate for the softball team?..and yes pretty much everything you post about the softball team is negative including a 2 time NC coach.

Plaino...I am not quite sure where you are coming from as I have seen you as a rose colored football fan...what up with the hate for the softball team?..and yes pretty much everything you post about the softball team is negative including a 2 time NC coach.

wow...a double post on the new board..cool..a new way to flood it..

 

[Plainosooner]

83, I'm not a rose colored glasses football guy at all. And I'm surely not a hater of OU softball. I love watching them play. I was peeved when my tv carrier cut out the three Fox College Sports channels, costing me the chance to watch Rounding Third and Sunday's game against Utah Valley. I sat there listening on 1560 on Sunday online.

I've said what I love about this team and commented, fairly I believe, about their season. Part of the inclination here is when they hit six home runs in a game as they did against Utah Valley, to proclaim them unbeatable. Utah Valley is a lousy program. Dominating them ought to be expected.

Tempering expectations, which tend to run amok here when Sooner teams have a great outing in any sport. This is the kind of team that can absolutely roll lesser competition. But that is not the standard by which they are measured, nor should be.

I think they can load up and go for it. Lauren has been dealing with a bunch of pressure for the last two months. That is over. They have some serious opportunities, but they are very vulnerable. Being at home for this group is a big deal.

I'm not dumping on the softball team. Just trying to temper the claims that we're easily America's best college softball team. This team will have to over achieve to win a national title.

 

[Soonersincefitty]

Now 83, correct me if I'm wrong but is that like uh, cyber stuttering?

 

[Sooners83]

Now 83, correct me if I'm wrong but is that like uh, cyber stuttering?

Mr. Cash...it is more along the lines that even after 13 years I have no effing clue what I am doing..and when I know what I am doing? they change the format just to eff me up. Not sure what happened there but I am close to stuttering?...drooling?..yes!

 

[Soonersincefitty]

Yeah, I hear ya.
It was a little daunting at first but once you figure it out it's pretty easy to navigate.
One thing I do miss is the drop down menu of all the other Rivals sites in the Big 12.
You actually have to work for that now. Bastids!

 

[Sooners83]

83, I'm not a rose colored glasses football guy at all. And I'm surely not a hater of OU softball. I love watching them play. I was peeved when my tv carrier cut out the three Fox College Sports channels, costing me the chance to watch Rounding Third and Sunday's game against Utah Valley. I sat there listening on 1560 on Sunday online.

I've said what I love about this team and commented, fairly I believe, about their season. Part of the inclination here is when they hit six home runs in a game as they did against Utah Valley, to proclaim them unbeatable. Utah Valley is a lousy program. Dominating them ought to be expected.

Tempering expectations, which tend to run amok here when Sooner teams have a great outing in any sport. This is the kind of team that can absolutely roll lesser competition. But that is not the standard by which they are measured, nor should be.

I think they can load up and go for it. Lauren has been dealing with a bunch of pressure for the last two months. That is over. They have some serious opportunities, but they are very vulnerable. Being at home for this group is a big deal.

I'm not dumping on the softball team. Just trying to temper the claims that we're easily America's best college softball team. This team will have to over achieve to win a national title.

I don't think that anyone on here is claiming them to be the best team in the nation...but to continually look at the negatives isn't something that I would expect from a fan of any of the OU sports programs...and sorry Plaino..that is what I see you posting....sorry if I am wrong, but that is the aura I am getting from your posts about the team.

 

[stuck in del rio]

I enjoy reading both sides - you both have a lot of knowledge and I learn a lot by reading your posts. Thank you.

 

[sybarite]

Again, it's not that hard. Some teams have schedule strength because they played 15 conference games against teams in the top 25. Some have a combination. There is also some penalty for bad losses. I'm not defending the details of RPI. But it's a fact that it's a huge factor in seeding whether you like it or not.

i realize that you are citing the announcers on ESPN who embellish the claims of the SEC. Unfortunately, ESPN pollsters don't listen to the same memos and march to a different drummer. The May 5 ESPN poll is now out, and OU is up to #4. Meanwhile, the SEC bellwether for the year, Florida, has been replaced at the top by Oregon. Don't you think they ought to respond to the same internal memos?

Meanwhile, the NFCA poll, you know that poll that has the people who actually decide who will be seeded, still has OU at #5/ But, Oregon has replaced Florida at #1 as well.

If you somehow use a formula that makes everyone in the SEC have a high rpi, you can play high rpi teams all of the time. Since none of the SEC teams like to venture outside the south, they kind of have a home court advantage to the rankings. Oklahoma spent a week in Hawaii, a week in Tempe, and a week in Cathedral City, CA. At the time, each of those looked formidable, the decline of DePaul notwithstanding. Most of the SEC teams haven't been north of the Mason-Dixon line or west of the MIssissippi more than a day or so---once---if at all.

Right now, it is obvious that winning the national title will likely come down to beating two teams: Florida and Oregon. The rest----it will be an upset if OU is eliminated by anyone else. Oregon and Florida are tough. How good will our hitting and pitching be on the day that we play one of them? If Lauren and Shelby were to be hot, or if Paige is unflappable, we could win. We haven't had our stars be hot for a big game all year, and I don't think anyone suspects that Lauren and Shelby aren't for real.

 

[Plainosooner]

i realize that you are citing the announcers on ESPN who embellish the claims of the SEC. Unfortunately, ESPN pollsters don't listen to the same memos and march to a different drummer. The May 5 ESPN poll is now out, and OU is up to #4. Meanwhile, the SEC bellwether for the year, Florida, has been replaced at the top by Oregon. Don't you think they ought to respond to the same internal memos?

Meanwhile, the NFCA poll, you know that poll that has the people who actually decide who will be seeded, still has OU at #5/ But, Oregon has replaced Florida at #1 as well.

If you somehow use a formula that makes everyone in the SEC have a high rpi, you can play high rpi teams all of the time. Since none of the SEC teams like to venture outside the south, they kind of have a home court advantage to the rankings. Oklahoma spent a week in Hawaii, a week in Tempe, and a week in Cathedral City, CA. At the time, each of those looked formidable, the decline of DePaul notwithstanding. Most of the SEC teams haven't been north of the Mason-Dixon line or west of the MIssissippi more than a day or so---once---if at all.

Right now, it is obvious that winning the national title will likely come down to beating two teams: Florida and Oregon. The rest----it will be an upset if OU is eliminated by anyone else. Oregon and Florida are tough. How good will our hitting and pitching be on the day that we play one of them? If Lauren and Shelby were to be hot, or if Paige is unflappable, we could win. We haven't had our stars be hot for a big game all year, and I don't think anyone suspects that Lauren and Shelby aren't for real.

No, it comes straight from the NCAA official site. The RPI rankings are the default rankings there with the voted polls also included in tabs.

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1/nfca

 

[mcbrider]

Already did explain it. Being ranked fifth isn't going to be as big a factor as being 12th in the RPI. OU's SoS is low among the top15 teams, because the conference this year is so weak. Beating up on Utah Valley doesn't do much for ones esteem with the bracket makers. We'll see how it comes down. But losing to KU scoring two runs, does not bode well for them. The run rule loss to Baylor, the week after the Lady Bears got swept at U La La didn't help either.

On the ESPN broadcast yesterday, they were making a big deal out of RPI and how that was the factor most considered and that rankings were relatively unimportant. I don't trust ESPN as far as I could throw their studios, but they do have clout, especially in the non revenue college sports national championships.

Patti makes mistakes just like any of us. But here she gets a free pass here, while Bob's perceived mistakes get made into federal cases. Is she an outstanding coach? Absolutely. Is this team fun to watch and in contention for a national title? Absolutely. But they've taken a few nights off in the last five weeks, and it might just bite them on the butt.

The only reason that LSU was such a big deal, is that it was by far the most important series of the season. They pointed toward it and didn't play well. If you think that's not a factor, I hope your right. But I doubt it.

 

[mcbrider]

Patty Gasso wouldn't have punted to Tyreek Hill. Come to think of it neither would about 80,000 other people. When Bob starts recruiting as well as Coach Gasso and wins another national championship perhaps he will get more of a pass.

 

[iasooner1]

Patty Gasso wouldn't have punted to Tyreek Hill. Come to think of it neither would about 8,000,000 other people. When Bob starts recruiting as well as Coach Gasso and wins another national championship perhaps he will get more of a pass.

fify

 

[sybarite]

No, it comes straight from the NCAA official site. The RPI rankings are the default rankings there with the voted polls also included in tabs.

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1/nfca

The NCAA doesn't make the pretense, offered by ESPN, that rpi has any special significance. Indeed, even in basketball, they have made it clear that rpi is nothing more than one tool. The ESPN sales team is the only group making that claim, and it is because of their contract with the SEC. If their contract was with another conference,, they would be pointing at whatever favored that conference. The ESPN commercials will be about as successful as the commercials for Poof, Stopette, Serutan, Ipana, and Wildroot Cream Oil.