By snoadmin
The No. 14-seeded Long Beach State softball team returns to the NCAA Regionals with a tough field to work with. Having a No. 1 seed in the Iowa City bracket has its rewards for a phenomenal 39-15 season and a Big West title, but playing the likes of Creighton, Missouri and host Iowa will be no easy task for the 49ers.
“I don’t think the field’s any easier,” head coach Kim Sowder said. “All these teams have very impressive numbers. I think they all have strong pitching, strong defense and good hitters.”
The NCAA Regional, which is in double elimination format with round robin matchups, will have LBSU most likely playing the other two teams in the bracket. While Creighton (43-15) boasts a power-hitting cast and a talented ace in the pitcher’s circle, Missouri (44-15) and Iowa (40-18) are just as lethal at bat and in the circle.
Senior leftfielder Lacy Tyler, the team’s co-leader in hits with senior shortstop Jessica Beaver (49) this season, believes LBSU’s staff (freshman Brooke Turner and sophomore Bridgette Pagano) will be in pitching duels throughout the regionals, but said the 49er hitters will have to come together to provide a spark and an edge in the games.
“We’re going to have just hit together,” Tyler said. “We’re not going to need to leave it at one person at bat. If we bring like we have all season long, we’ll be fine.”
Tigers have triple threats at bat, in the circle
The Tigers average nearly six runs per game and are ranked 16th in the nation in home runs per game (1.07). Missouri’s powerful bats start with a trio of sluggers and All-Big 12 first team selections – senior first basewoman Amanda Renth, junior third basewoman Lindsey Ubrun and senior pitcher Jen Bruck.
Renth is the team’s leading slugger with 19 homers, which was seventh in the nation. Renth’s .750 slugging percentage is 24th in the nation, while her 10 doubles and 55 RBIs rank second on the team. Ubrun wasn’t too far behind with 15 bombs – 25th in the nation – and led the team with 57 RBIs.
Out of the trio, Bruck was the only double threat at bat and in the circle. Bruck has hit 14 home runs – 27th in the nation – and slugged .720 this season. Bruck has a .483 on base percentage and has been walked a team-high 40 times. And that is just as a batter.
Bruck is also one of Missouri’s three pitchers with double-digit victories. Bruck (16-9) has split time with junior Stacy Delaney (18-3) and sophomore Jana Hainey (10-3). Delaney has punched out 165 hitters in 156 2/3 innings, with nine shutout victories and a 1.75 ERA. Hainey, meanwhile, has struck out 80 this season, mostly as a reliever. Bruck has 99 strikeouts to her record, but boasts a 2.75 ERA.
Missouri is more nationally recognized as a hard-hitting team due to its 23rd-ranked slugging percentage (.473). Turner hasn’t met a hitter she couldn’t strike out this season and even punched out Hawaii’s Kate Robinson (19 homers) twice and top-seeded Florida’s Francisca Enea (14 homers) once this season.
Turner has allowed 3.97 hits per seven innings this season – 20th in the nation – but that may be tested by Big 12 Freshman of the Year Rhea Taylor, whose 81 hits, 60 runs and .405 batting average lead the team. Taylor is also second in the nation in stolen bases per game (0.9), completing 53-of-56 this season.
The Buckeyes’ ERA is strong
The Buckeyes may not hit as hard as Creighton and Missouri, but they sure do pitch and defend as good as their visitors. Iowa, 11-2 at home this season, has two pitchers capable of shutting out teams, as junior Brittany Weil (26-13) and sophomore Amanda Zust (14-5) have combined for 14 shutouts this season.
Weil, an All-Big Ten second team selection, struck out 281 in 264 1/3 innings of work and has a 1.14 ERA. Zust has 120 strikeouts in 141 innings with a 1.41 ERA. The staff combined to post a 1.17 ERA, ninth in the nation.
Countering Weil and Zust could be four 49ers that could hit, score or do both at any time. Tyler leads the team with 28 runs scored, while junior third basewoman Jennifer Griffin has a team-high 16 doubles with 27 runs scored. Junior rightfielder Danielle Linke is fourth in the nation with eight triples and 22 runs scored, while Beaver has posted 14 doubles with 22 runs scored.
