Boy, was it a weekend for multi-screeners. Between basketball conference tournaments, Selection Sunday and the World Baseball Classic, our cups were full the last couple of days. Add ranked matchups, extra-inning clashes and upsets in softball on top of that? I’ll spare you the exact number of games I had on at once.
There’s more than enough to analyze and discuss from last week’s action on the diamond, so let’s get right to it.
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1. Mississippi State is the real deal. Yes, the Bulldogs lost two of three to Tennessee, the No. 1 team in the country. But this was one of the most tightly contested series of the season, and Mississippi State deserves praise for not only handing Tennessee its first loss of the season but also for shutting down a formidable offense. This weekend was all about the pitching in Starkville, as 18 of the 23 innings were scoreless, and the two teams combined to average six hits per game.
I was cautious about giving the Bulldogs too much praise too early, as the beginning of their schedule was relatively weak, but there’s no denying now that pitchers Peja Goold and Leila Ammon are the real deal. Goold has a 0.95 ERA with 100 strikeouts, while Ammon has pitched to a 0.72 ERA and 0.56 WHIP. In comparison, the Vols’ three stars in the circle — Karlyn Pickens, Sage Mardjetko and Erin Nuwer, who form arguably the best staff in the country — have ERAs of 0.65, 0.83 and 0.99, respectively. This was an all-out pitching showcase, and if you love defense, this was the series to watch. If you want some offense, however, all you need to see is the walk-off homer by Taylor Troutman in Game 2, which ended the Vols’ run at perfection.
2. Take a breath, Texas Tech is just fine. Was the 9-0 run-rule loss to Arizona on Friday shocking? Absolutely, especially because it was NiJaree Canady on the mound. Those nine runs (four earned) were the most she’s allowed in her career, and props to Arizona for being ready with a game plan. But fear not, Red Raider faithful. The response by both the offense and pitching staff to come back and win the series, with two run-rule victories, proves that this is still one of the top teams in the country. But if anything, it’s a good reminder that Texas Tech and Canady aren’t perfect. It’s also worth noting that while Canady is still the leader in most of the team’s pitching categories, Kaitlyn Terry still holds a perfect record at 11-0, while also leading the Red Raiders with a .574 batting average and a 1.576 OPS.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t give Arizona a shoutout for pulling off the impressive victory in the first place, which was its ninth (you read that right, ninth!) straight win via the mercy rule. Wildcats right fielder Grace Jenkins hit two home runs and tallied seven of the nine RBIs, but one player to really keep an eye on moving forward is sophomore infielder Sereniti Trice, who leads the team with a .523 average.
Alabama pitcher Jocelyn Briski and catcher Marlie Giles slap gloves after Briski struck out an Arkansas batter in the Tide’s 4-1 victory on Sunday. (Gary Cosby Jr. / Imagn Images)
3. Alabama-Arkansas was a thrilling matchup. I know, I know. I said Tennessee-Mississippi State was a must-watch series, but the Tide-Hogs showdown was exactly as advertised. Alabama took the series, 2-1, but the games were close and thrilling to the very end.
Game 1 was a pitchers’ duel between Alabama’s Jocelyn Briski and Arkansas’ Robyn Herron, as both sides remained scoreless until the fifth inning before DP Alexis Pupillo opened things up for the Tide. On Saturday, it was an all-out slugfest, with the Razorbacks taking the 14-9 victory that was capped off by a six-run seventh inning. Left fielder Dakota Kennedy notched seven RBIs and hit two home runs. In Game 3, however, Briski returned to the circle and shut down Arkansas once again in a 4-1 victory.
4. Are you OK, Big 12? If there’s any conference that’s been, to put it nicely, all over the place, it’s this one. Case in point? UCF won the series against a ranked opponent, Oklahoma State, last weekend, but then lost a series to Baylor. The Cowgirls are as unpredictable as ever, especially after dropping their latest series to Arizona State. The Sun Devils seem to be back on track after they were swept by Utah last week, especially with Kenzie Brown getting back in a groove with 14 strikeouts against Oklahoma State in Game 1. Kenny Gajewski’s Cowgirls are normally a consistent, relentless force offensively with a strong defense. But for now, it’s truly hard to know what we will get out of this team. And that is something you can say about every team in the league except Texas Tech.
5. Quality matchups await this week. You thought I wasn’t going to mention how Grand Canyon is still undefeated at 30-0? Of course, I haven’t forgotten about it. No matter who your opponents are or what conference you’re in, 30 straight wins is quite impressive. However, the Lopes’ first major test comes this week against — you guessed it — Oklahoma State for a midweek showdown. GCU will also face Arizona next Tuesday, and those two games should tell us where the Lopes stand.
RankTeamLast WeekOverallPrev WeekRPI
1
Tennessee
4-1
27-1
1
1
2
Texas
4-0
26-1
3
4
3
Texas Tech
2-1
27-2
2
10
4
Alabama
3-1
26-1
4
2
5
Oklahoma
4-0
28-2
5
13
6
Florida
4-0
29-1
7
5
7
UCLA
4-0
25-3
8
7
8
Arkansas
2-2
23-4
6
6
9
Nebraska
3-0
21-5
9
3
10
Florida State
4-0
25-4
11
8
11
Mississippi State
3-2
27-4
12
9
12
Virginia Tech
2-2
23-4
10
16
13
Georgia
1-0
20-7
15
12
14
Arizona
1-2
21-7
13
18
15
Oregon
3-0
21-7
17
11
16
Washington
3-0
22-6
18
19
17
Grand Canyon
3-0
30-0
21
29
18
Virginia
3-1
25-3
16
21
19
Texas A&M
2-0
19-8
23
25
20
Arizona State
3-1
22-7
NR
36
21
Duke
3-1
18-10
NR
30
22
Utah
2-1
23-6
24
48
23
UCF
1-2
23-7
14
27
24
Oklahoma State
1-2
18-9
19
28
25
LSU
1-2
18-9
20
14
Just missed: Purdue, Louisville, Baylor
Dropped out: Stanford, South Carolina