NCAA Softball

[Anonymous]

As an older guy, I really like women's softball.

I think part of it is that my mother was a great athlete without enough sports to play in her day. But also part of it is the great level of coordination and athleticism of the athletes. The strategy component is fascinating, too, and 7 innings is the right amount of time to watch a game.

So in the finals tonight I observed something I have never seen. Texas Tech's pitcher, a transfer from Stanford who has proven to be virtually unhittable, was asked to throw an intentional walk to Texas's Reese Atwood, a six foot tall catcher (!) with a fearsome swing and a rocket arm. Canady the pitcher is so dominant she is rarely called upon to throw intentional walks, and sure enough, after three pitches that were a little too close to the strike zone, Atwood hits the fourth pitch notionally intended to be an intentional ball for a two run single to win the game. Texas Tech's fielders were not anticipating a ball being put into play. Those two runs won the game.

In any event, kudos to the women for providing great sports entertainment. NCAA D1 competition is very serious stuff and not for everyone, but if these games encourage women and girls to get involved in the game, I think it a great thing.

[Anonymous]

We love the college softball world series in our house. And that hit was amazing!

[Anonymous]

The WCWS and the tournament leading up to it have been crazy this year. The slide between the catcher's legs. The failed intentional walk. The walk-off walk after 10 innings. It's been gloriously fun to watch.

[Anonymous]

Let’s GOOOO, Nija!! No hitter tonight!!! The girl is amazing! She will fight back!

[Anonymous]

Watching college softball is fun. It's fast paced and entertaining.

Women's college volleyball is a blast as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an older guy, I really like women's softball.

I think part of it is that my mother was a great athlete without enough sports to play in her day. But also part of it is the great level of coordination and athleticism of the athletes. The strategy component is fascinating, too, and 7 innings is the right amount of time to watch a game.

So in the finals tonight I observed something I have never seen. Texas Tech's pitcher, a transfer from Stanford who has proven to be virtually unhittable, was asked to throw an intentional walk to Texas's Reese Atwood, a six foot tall catcher (!) with a fearsome swing and a rocket arm. Canady the pitcher is so dominant she is rarely called upon to throw intentional walks, and sure enough, after three pitches that were a little too close to the strike zone, Atwood hits the fourth pitch notionally intended to be an intentional ball for a two run single to win the game. Texas Tech's fielders were not anticipating a ball being put into play. Those two runs won the game.

In any event, kudos to the women for providing great sports entertainment. NCAA D1 competition is very serious stuff and not for everyone, but if these games encourage women and girls to get involved in the game, I think it a great thing.

I was surprised how bad the intentional balls were. Why are they so close the strike zone? I don't watch softball but based on a replay of the hit that would have been a strike in baseball and therefore completely in the zone of any athletes as good as these to hit and hit where they want it to go regardless of whether it's softball or baseball. Is it common for intential walks in softball to look like those pitches?

Kudos to the hitter--I feel bad for Canady.

[Anonymous]

The WCWS games have been absolutely fantastic this year! Tons of drama, walk off HRs, amazing plays. Have been flipping back and forth between the baseball and softball and the softball games are so much more exciting! It's great to see all of those young ladies out there killing it.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if I can keep my eyes open to the end of this one. Let's go Texas Tech, keep pouring it on, I want a finale tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if I can keep my eyes open to the end of this one. Let's go Texas Tech, keep pouring it on, I want a finale tomorrow.

Still here, go Raiders.

[Anonymous]

Can TT get pitching like that again tomorrow? Great game.

[Anonymous]

My daughter played HS softball, and we watched college games and I agree that softball is really fun -- what baseball should be, with faster play, a shorter game, more infield action and closer plays.

The one thing that I don't like about softball is that a team can run with one good pitcher for a whole series or season, so a team can go really really far if they have just one awesome pitcher. You don't see that in baseball where you need to have a rotation and a relief bench, etc.

THe other down side to softball (for parents and kids out there) is that from ages 8-11 or so it's pretty miserable. The softballs are heavy, the girls don't have the arm strength to really throw the ball cross field, and the pitching is really tough to get a handle on without significant coaching and training. So there's a period of years where it can be truly miserable to watch and play, and a lot of girls drop out then because it's a lot of standing around while the batter gets walked, and then errors all around the field. Baseball also has some of this at that age, but it's way worse for softball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can TT get pitching like that again tomorrow? Great game.

They plan on pitching Canaday for 3 games according to what the announcers said during game 1. Apparently she works out like a fiend and their confident that her conditioning will carry her through 3 straight game days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter played HS softball, and we watched college games and I agree that softball is really fun -- what baseball should be, with faster play, a shorter game, more infield action and closer plays.

The one thing that I don't like about softball is that a team can run with one good pitcher for a whole series or season, so a team can go really really far if they have just one awesome pitcher. You don't see that in baseball where you need to have a rotation and a relief bench, etc.

THe other down side to softball (for parents and kids out there) is that from ages 8-11 or so it's pretty miserable. The softballs are heavy, the girls don't have the arm strength to really throw the ball cross field, and the pitching is really tough to get a handle on without significant coaching and training. So there's a period of years where it can be truly miserable to watch and play, and a lot of girls drop out then because it's a lot of standing around while the batter gets walked, and then errors all around the field. Baseball also has some of this at that age, but it's way worse for softball.

A good rec league accomodates for the issues at the younger ages. Ours does shorter bases in 8U and modified pitch (no walks, just move to coach pitch) for the beginning years of player pitch. Helps a ton. I've always wondered why softball as a whole doesn't do a smaller field for the little girls the way baseball does. They modify the pitching distance and use the 11" ball, but for 8U they should also modify the base paths.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an older guy, I really like women's softball.

I think part of it is that my mother was a great athlete without enough sports to play in her day. But also part of it is the great level of coordination and athleticism of the athletes. The strategy component is fascinating, too, and 7 innings is the right amount of time to watch a game.

So in the finals tonight I observed something I have never seen. Texas Tech's pitcher, a transfer from Stanford who has proven to be virtually unhittable, was asked to throw an intentional walk to Texas's Reese Atwood, a six foot tall catcher (!) with a fearsome swing and a rocket arm. Canady the pitcher is so dominant she is rarely called upon to throw intentional walks, and sure enough, after three pitches that were a little too close to the strike zone, Atwood hits the fourth pitch notionally intended to be an intentional ball for a two run single to win the game. Texas Tech's fielders were not anticipating a ball being put into play. Those two runs won the game.

In any event, kudos to the women for providing great sports entertainment. NCAA D1 competition is very serious stuff and not for everyone, but if these games encourage women and girls to get involved in the game, I think it a great thing.

I was surprised how bad the intentional balls were. Why are they so close the strike zone? I don't watch softball but based on a replay of the hit that would have been a strike in baseball and therefore completely in the zone of any athletes as good as these to hit and hit where they want it to go regardless of whether it's softball or baseball. Is it common for intential walks in softball to look like those pitches?

Kudos to the hitter--I feel bad for Canady.

The strike zone in college softball often shrinks to approximately the size of a shoe box. That may be why some of the first 3 were not called strikes. Umpires have been calling an absolutely tiny zone for a few years now.

A pitcher can't throw a straight wild pitch with runners on, so you're trying to throw balls but ones that are catchable. The pitcher was under even more pressure than usual - hit this box but do not hit that box, because if you miss the right box or hit the wrong box bad things happen. Wonder how often college pitchers practice IBBs?

[Anonymous]

Just chiming in to say my youngest took up softball a couple of years ago - I had no idea this sport was so exciting to watch! Such a fun atmosphere and camaraderie amongst the teams. My older 2 took up other sports but softball is secretly my favorite to attend. I even enjoyed this week’s NCAA games and I rarely watch sports on TV.