After the loss to Fresno State and the squeaker to beat Michigan, I was contemplating how well our team was doing, compared to our historical experience. The last, best team to make it to the WCWS was the 2013 team led by senior Blaire Luna.*
My memory of that team was that we always went into games pretty sure that we were going to win and that Blaire was going to be pitching 2 out of 3 games of a 3-game stand. And, we hovered at the #4 spot for long time, even after some losses.
Doing a count of W-L of 2013 and comparing it to 2020, I find that we were/are both 19-3 after 22 games.
In 2013, the 3 losses at the 22 game mark were:
1) Tulsa - okay, they went 42-16-1 that year
2) Hofstra - hunh? okay, they went 46-13 that year
3) Fordham - wtf? mmm, they went 36-23
So far our three losses:
1) Duke - now 14-4
2) Louisiana - now 13-5
3) Fresno State - now 15-4
Not bad. This will be helpful when it comes to the RPI and deciding hosting of Regionals/Super-Regionals.
I hope we don't get dinged for having construction going on at McCombs. Some negatives:
1) one dugout does not have restrooms. They have two porta-potties in the shared bullpen or using the public women's restrooms (which is what visiting players have mostly been using)
2) Sharing bullpen and batting cages. Visiting teams have to trot over to the far right crossing behind home plate coming/going during the game. They do this during breaks in the batting.
I've been there in my seats when an NCAA official comes by for "grading" purposes to check out our stadium near the end of the year to give a report back about conditions (field, stands, ushers, etc...) when considering awarding regionals.
*I asked my 16 yr daughter if she remembered Blaire pitching when she was 9. She said yes, but she found it boring that Blaire pitched almost every single time! Oh, to be a 9 year old!
My memory of that team was that we always went into games pretty sure that we were going to win and that Blaire was going to be pitching 2 out of 3 games of a 3-game stand. And, we hovered at the #4 spot for long time, even after some losses.
Doing a count of W-L of 2013 and comparing it to 2020, I find that we were/are both 19-3 after 22 games.
In 2013, the 3 losses at the 22 game mark were:
1) Tulsa - okay, they went 42-16-1 that year
2) Hofstra - hunh? okay, they went 46-13 that year
3) Fordham - wtf? mmm, they went 36-23
So far our three losses:
1) Duke - now 14-4
2) Louisiana - now 13-5
3) Fresno State - now 15-4
Not bad. This will be helpful when it comes to the RPI and deciding hosting of Regionals/Super-Regionals.
I hope we don't get dinged for having construction going on at McCombs. Some negatives:
1) one dugout does not have restrooms. They have two porta-potties in the shared bullpen or using the public women's restrooms (which is what visiting players have mostly been using)
2) Sharing bullpen and batting cages. Visiting teams have to trot over to the far right crossing behind home plate coming/going during the game. They do this during breaks in the batting.
I've been there in my seats when an NCAA official comes by for "grading" purposes to check out our stadium near the end of the year to give a report back about conditions (field, stands, ushers, etc...) when considering awarding regionals.
*I asked my 16 yr daughter if she remembered Blaire pitching when she was 9. She said yes, but she found it boring that Blaire pitched almost every single time! Oh, to be a 9 year old!
