tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12440034200048847092012-01-29T22:25:27.067-08:00A Western Athletic Conference Softball Fan Blog written from a fan's perspective. Don't take it too seriously.College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comBlogger9441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-78544938165657530442012-01-29T21:45:00.000-08:002012-01-29T21:45:07.454-08:00

With the 2012 college softball season beginning on February 9, this will be a big week in terms of preseason polling and predictions for the Western Athletic Conference. The inaugural preseason Mid-Major Top 25 poll will be unveiled in a matter of hours, along with the preseason WAC coaches poll and preseason All-WAC honorees. Wednesday, the American Softball Association and USA Softball will

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-31516573199268573202012-01-25T11:44:00.000-08:002012-01-25T12:36:57.449-08:00

With an 8-team conference that chooses to play 3-game weekend series, there's no way to get around an uneven schedule of games.Once again, the 21-game Western Athletic Conference softball slate gives a scheduling advantage to four teams. Four teams will host 12 WAC games, while the other four will only have nine home contests.This year, it's BYU, Fresno State, Louisiana Tech and Nevada who gain

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-58176778407672169012012-01-24T09:32:00.000-08:002012-01-24T09:51:33.092-08:00

For the first time in Western Athletic Conference softball history, four teams are ranked among the Top 40 in the country in a national preseason poll.In today's preseason NFCA/USA Today Top 25 rankings, four WAC teams received recognition, setting the stage for what should be the the strongest season in conference history.For the second time in four years, four WAC teams received poll votes by

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-22003760564628858602012-01-24T08:06:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:21:09.753-08:00

Brigham Young and Fresno State each received recognition in the newly-released ESPN.com / USA Softball Top 25 poll out this morning.The Cougars earned eight votes, while the Bulldogs received three, to rank 29th and 34th, respectively. No other WAC team earned a preseason Top 25 vote.The Pac-12 Conference leads the way with seven members of the Top 25. In a sport that has increasingly been

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-4482993675617450712012-01-22T12:19:00.000-08:002012-01-22T17:12:03.642-08:00

Eighth in an 8-part series of WAC team previews.Fresno State Bulldogs2011 overall record: 35-192011 WAC record: 15-6 (second place)Returning starters: 5It can accurately be billed as an attempt at one last great run to a Western Athletic Conference championship.The WAC's most storied softball program -- Fresno State -- heads into its final season in the conference looking for an unprecedented

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-44855787779652012232012-01-21T11:01:00.000-08:002012-01-22T12:16:22.689-08:00

Seventh in an 8-part series of WAC team previews.New Mexico State Aggies2011 overall record: 44-172011 WAC record: 17-4 (first place)Returning starters: 5We said it in our 2011 preview: If New Mexico State was ever going to win that elusive first Western Athletic Conference softball title, it had to be last season.The Aggies were a senior-dominated team in 2011 and had a slew of 4-year

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-92090205854012696392012-01-20T18:16:00.000-08:002012-01-21T07:49:26.861-08:00

Fresno State is ranked No. 22 in the nation by the web site CollegeSportsMadness.com, which also predicts the Bulldogs to win the Western Athletic Conference title in their final season in the league.Coach Margie Wright's Bulldogs lead an impressive list of four WAC teams ranked among the Top 44 teams in the country by the web site.In its final season as a WAC member before moving to the Mountain

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-12794856058424099132012-01-20T14:19:00.000-08:002012-01-20T16:21:36.962-08:00

Sixth in an 8-part series of WAC team previews.Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine2011 overall record: 37-182011 WAC record: 14-7 (fourth place)Returning starters: 6Never in school history had Hawai'i entered a softball season with higher hopes than it did in 2011.The Rainbow Wahine began the season ranked in the nation's Top 10 and were coming off their first appearance at the Women's College World Series

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-81132648705286286652012-01-20T07:57:00.000-08:002012-01-20T16:32:08.967-08:00

Fifth in an 8-part series of WAC team previews.Brigham Young Cougars2011 overall record: 40-182011 MWC record: 11-2 (first place)Returning starters: 6It was almost exactly a year ago -- on January 27, 2011 -- that the Western Athletic Conference announced it was inviting Brigham Young to become an affiliate league member in the sport of softball.At the time, it appeared to be a knee-jerk

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-19189823580122686722012-01-18T16:37:00.001-08:002012-01-19T17:18:14.909-08:00

Fourth in an 8-part series of WAC team previews.Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters2011 overall record: 17-392011 WAC record: 6-15 (sixth place)Returning starters: 7It's not often that a team with seven returning starters heads into a rebuilding season. But that could be the case for Louisiana Tech in 2012. Seven starters from Tech's final game a year ago will be back.Coach Sarah Dawson returns

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-39960315433529909842012-01-17T13:09:00.000-08:002012-01-18T17:16:04.673-08:00

Third in an 8-part series of WAC team previews.Utah State Aggies2011 overall record: 15-422011 WAC record: 8-13 (fifth place)Returning starters: 4Multiple storylines played out last season in Logan when a disastrous start was eased somewhat by a run to the WAC postseason tournament.Utah State's 2011 campaign was well chronicled here. The Aggies set a dubious program and WAC softball record

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-24956235333273290712012-01-17T12:05:00.000-08:002012-01-17T12:29:07.123-08:00

Fresno State head coach Margie Wright announced today the addition of left-handed pitcher Kiley Shae Aldridge for the 2012 season.Aldridge spent last semester at the University of Arizona, participating in practice and playing Fall Ball with the Wildcats under coach Mike Candrea. She was an all-conference and all-area player at Cabrillo High School (Lompoc, CA), where she graduated in 2011.

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-67975495497659568972012-01-16T11:29:00.000-08:002012-01-16T18:26:03.605-08:00

Second in an 8-part series of WAC team previews.San Jose State Spartans2011 overall record: 19-352011 WAC record: 5-16 (seventh place)Returning starters: 9There may not be a more veteran Division I softball team in the nation this season than San Jose State, which returns 19 players that have started games at one time or another in their Spartan careers.San Jose State heads into the 2012

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-78928816877756996412012-01-13T10:41:00.000-08:002012-01-23T14:20:13.725-08:00

First in an 8-part series of WAC team previews.Nevada Wolf Pack2011 overall record: 13-342011 WAC record: 4-17 (eighth place)Returning starters: 7There's no denying that Nevada's softball fortunes have taken a drastic turn over the past two years.The Wolf Pack reached four consecutive WAC Tournament championship games from 2006 to 2009, advancing to the NCAA Tournament three times in the

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-62222340410027869342012-01-12T12:39:00.000-08:002012-01-12T14:43:55.476-08:00

Analyzing a team's NCAA Division I softball schedule is hardly an exact science but we took our best shot and came out with some surprising -- and not so surprising -- findings.It's no coincidence that the two strongest schedules this season will be again played by perennial powers Fresno State and BYU. The Bulldogs, riding a national-record 30 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and the

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-90308031931631191682012-01-11T13:21:00.000-08:002012-01-11T15:36:56.173-08:00

With Western Athletic Conference softball teams continuing to play some of the best opponents in the nation, it's getting more difficult each year to come up with a list of our Top 20 non-conference games.But, we've narrowed down a list of at least 40 outstanding non-conference games and here we unveil 20 of the most anticipated games of the 2012 season:1. Fresno State vs. Arizona State, March

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-45723897067090700472012-01-09T09:46:00.000-08:002012-01-09T10:58:29.826-08:00

Here we go.Spring practice is set to begin this week at NCAA Division I schools around the country, and the 2012 college softball season begins a month from today.On February 9, four WAC schools will be playing in their season openers. A day later, all eight softball teams will be in action and we'll be completely underway.For Fresno State, Hawai'i and Nevada, the 2012 season will be their last

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-48541565477341280792012-01-01T10:59:00.000-08:002012-01-01T15:42:16.185-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!At midnight, the new year officially arrived and now we can say that the 2012 college softball season begins next month.Let's take a look back at the Top 10 storylines of the 2011 calendar year in Western Athletic Conference softball:1. Fresno State reaches 30th straight NCAA Tournament The Bulldogs spent several weeks in the nation's Top 25 national polls, as well as

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-1369824756199232632011-12-11T12:03:00.000-08:002011-12-11T13:06:45.430-08:00

The season is almost here, WAC softball fans! Sixty days from today -- on Thursday, February 9 -- the 2012 college softball season begins.On the opening day of the 2012 season, four WAC teams will be in action. Fresno State, Hawai'i, San Jose State and BYU will all begin play February 9. A day later, the remaining four WAC teams -- Louisiana Tech, Nevada, New Mexico State and Utah State --

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-53515169187866774002011-12-06T19:00:00.001-08:002011-12-07T14:14:23.590-08:00

Rumors are running rampant again in the latest conference realignment moves.If all goes as expected, Boise State will announce it is departing the Mountain West Conference in the sport of football tomorrow. And with that move, the Broncos are expected to return some, if not all, of their other sports to the Western Athletic Conference, where Boise State grad Karl Benson serves as the league's

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-43256473891316215822011-11-23T17:43:00.000-08:002011-12-06T10:43:17.650-08:00

Several Western Athletic Conference softball programs have announced their 2012-13 signing classes this month, and there are several standouts included in the lists.Of course for some of these new signees, they will never play a WAC softball game. Fresno State, Hawai'i, Nevada and Brigham Young will all be gone from the world of WAC softball following the upcoming season.Fresno State and Nevada

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-78509353801263110962011-11-11T21:56:00.001-08:002011-11-11T22:11:17.724-08:00

The scheduling puzzle in the Western Athletic Conference is now complete.  Nevada became the final WAC school to release its softball schedule for 2012, which will be the Wolf Pack's final season in the conference. Nevada, along with Fresno State, will join the Mountain West Conference in softball after this coming season.  Additionally, Hawai'i and BYU will be gone from the WAC in softball as

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-1548571457735925132011-11-05T11:22:00.000-07:002011-11-05T11:22:58.724-07:00

When the always-tough Judi Garman Classic unfolds in March, another top group of opponents will face perennial national power Fresno State and WAC newcomer Brigham Young. The Bulldogs, who've won the prestigious Garman Classic championship twice, and BYU, a WAC affiliate softball member this season, will represent the conference in what is regarded as one of the premier tournaments in the

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-51487885273944799592011-11-03T12:03:00.000-07:002011-11-03T14:44:34.795-07:00

The ever-changing landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, and we may be close to a move that could forever change the future of the Western Athletic Conference. A bombshell of sorts could come as soon as today or tomorrow involving former WAC member Boise State.  The State Board of Education in Idaho is meeting today with a topic of discussion being the Broncos' likely move to the

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-70886569224804932042011-10-27T13:50:00.000-07:002011-10-27T13:54:06.895-07:00

We're just over three months away from the beginning of the 2012 college softball season and it's already looking like this could be the strongest season in the history of Western Athletic Conference softball. And given the changes that will take place in the league following this season, it could be the last time in a long while we'll be saying that. Sure, Fresno State won a national

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-84043011643050044462011-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:002011-10-26T11:05:50.442-07:00

Hawai'i has released its softball schedule for the 2012 season, its last as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The slate is another home-heavy slate.  The Rainbow Wahine will open the year with 26 of their first 32 games coming at home in Honolulu. On the second weekend of the season, Hawai'i will play in Las Vegas at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic.  That will be the Wahine's

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-36915164823592648172011-10-19T15:02:00.000-07:002011-10-19T15:11:58.287-07:00

Field assignments, designated home teams, and game times have now been determined and the complete 2012 Cathedral City Classic schedule is officially set. The nation's most prestigious in-season tournament will feature a record 35 teams, including Fresno State, New Mexico State and Brigham Young of the Western Athletic Conference.  The Bulldogs will be making their seventh consecutive

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-90616831207423098462011-10-15T07:49:00.000-07:002011-10-15T07:50:00.461-07:00

New Mexico State, fresh off its first Western Athletic Conference title, is set to tackle the toughest softball schedule in program history in 2012. Coach Kathy Rodolph and company just revealed the Aggies' 2012 slate, which features several marquee opponents and a dramatic increase in the number of away and neutral-site games.  In years past, New Mexico State has suffered from relatively weak

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-78122219342591259442011-10-13T14:37:00.000-07:002011-10-14T12:29:32.536-07:00

Louisiana Tech has unveiled its 2012 softball schedule, which will see the Lady Techsters open the season at tournaments hosted by in-state rivals and national powers LSU and Louisiana-Lafayette. Tech begins play on February 10 against defending Big Ten Conference champion Michigan in Baton Rouge.  On the opening weekend of the 2012 season, the Lady Techsters will also face Penn State and LSU,

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-246992180840245572011-09-06T14:05:00.000-07:002011-09-19T21:56:35.056-07:00

Fresno State has published its 2012 softball schedule, which features a dramatic increase in the number of home games compared to the 2011 season, and 18 games against teams that reached last year's NCAA Tournament. Coach Margie Wright's Bulldogs, who had just 12 home dates a season ago, will play a whopping 35 home games in 2012. The 12 home dates and 18 home games last season were the second

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-18725461505230429952011-08-11T19:47:00.000-07:002011-08-14T11:56:08.027-07:00

The Western Athletic Conference postseason softball tournament will be held in Las Cruces next May as New Mexico State will host the tourney for the second time in three seasons. With Fresno State, Hawai'i, Nevada and Brigham Young all leaving WAC softball after this coming season, the odds of any of those schools being awarded the host slot were slim to none. The field for the 2012 Bayer

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-52593097227666896592011-08-01T09:37:00.000-07:002011-08-01T09:49:09.323-07:00

Workers have been busy at Louisiana Tech's softball facility this summer, helping renovate the 29-year-old Lady Techster Softball Complex in a variety of ways.Among the upgrades: The installation of a new sub-surface drainage system, installation of a new irrigation system and the removal of the wooden outfield fence. A new chain link outfield fence, with padding, is replacing the wooden fence

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-71844780149467790412011-07-24T11:40:00.000-07:002011-07-24T12:21:51.011-07:00

The wacky world of Western Athletic Conference softball got even a bit wilder this month with the revelation that Brigham Young will only last one season in the league.With much fanfare several months ago, the WAC announced that BYU would become an affiliate member in the sport of softball beginning in the 2012 season. At that time, the Cougars softball program was needed to offset the pending

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-1318049928738681542011-07-14T10:00:00.000-07:002011-07-24T12:28:38.386-07:00

The Western Athletic Conference announced today that the University of Texas-Arlington Mavericks will be joining the league beginning in 2012 following the departures of Fresno State, Hawai'i and Nevada.UT-Arlington, which does not have a football program, will join the WAC on July 1, 2012, meaning its first season of WAC softball begins with the 2013 season.The WAC's top two softball programs --

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-40099374384081334722011-07-08T11:36:00.001-07:002011-07-08T11:53:04.436-07:00

A lot of attention is paid to college softball players (and college athletes in general) who win postseason honors for their athletic achievements.But far too often, we forget these are student-athletes with an emphasis on the student aspect. So let's set aside a moment to celebrate those Western Athletic Conference softball players who combined the two, by excelling not only on the field in

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-58878595431871748062011-07-07T12:37:00.000-07:002011-07-07T12:51:57.621-07:00

If you're following us on Twitter (and if you're not, why aren't you?), you will already know about these updates... but here are some quick bits of info on 2012 WAC schedules.Appearing in the annual Bayer CropScience Classic at Fresno State next March are a pair of high profile teams. The Oregon Ducks, who finished ranked in the Top 15 of the major polls last season and coming off back to back

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-33920821886285628122011-06-23T18:31:00.000-07:002011-06-23T18:48:53.252-07:00

The 33-team field for the 2012 Cathedral City Classic is now known and it includes both Western Athletic Conference teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament this season.The Cathedral City Classic has become the nation's most prestigious in-season college softball tournament, and the 2012 version appears to be no exception. Next year's Classic is loaded with national softball powers, including

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-61174988975507818692011-06-22T15:03:00.000-07:002011-06-22T15:11:20.945-07:00

This month, the NCAA Softball Rules Committee recommended implementing several rules changes for the 2012 season, including a “delayed dead ball” in cases when a runner leaves a base early.Other new proposed rules changes include one that could have a significant impact. Batters will no longer be required, under the proposed rule, to attempt to get out of the way when hit by a pitch.For the

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-28219453257094758112011-06-14T11:32:00.000-07:002011-06-14T13:22:20.868-07:00

The Western Athletic Conference has announced that Seattle University will be joining the league in the 2012-13 school year.An announcement came this afternoon that Seattle will be joining the WAC on July 1, 2012. That is the same day that Fresno State, Hawai'i and Nevada are all leaving the WAC. Fresno State and Nevada are joining the Mountain West Conference in all sports, while Hawai'i will

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-11741129141918912872011-06-09T11:18:00.000-07:002011-06-09T12:45:44.652-07:00

For the 19th consecutive season, Fresno State led all Western Athletic Conference softball teams in attendance this year. The school, which enters its final year in the WAC in 2012, has led the league in softball attendance all 19 years it's been a member of the conference. The Bulldogs drew an average of 1,351 fans per game during the regular season and accounted for the top 11 paid,

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-53736935018764031392011-06-08T07:41:00.000-07:002011-06-08T07:48:35.807-07:00

2011Arizona St.(60-6) 2010UCLA(50-11) 2009Washington(50-12) 2008Arizona St.(66-5) 2007Arizona(50-14-1) 2006Arizona(54-11) 2005Michigan(65-7) 2004UCLA(47-9) 2003UCLA(54-7) 2002California(56-19) 2001Arizona(65-4) 2000Oklahoma(66-8) 1999UCLA(63-6) 1998Fresno State(52-11) 1997Arizona(61-5) 1996Arizona(58-9) 1995*vacated(50-6) 1994Arizona(64-3) 1993Arizona(44-8)

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-16074993328799974972011-06-07T19:40:00.000-07:002011-06-07T19:45:23.113-07:00

Dallas Escobedo became the first freshman pitcher in two decades to power her team to the NCAA softball championship Tuesday, tossing a 4-hitter as Arizona State defeated Florida 7-2 in Oklahoma City.Escobedo pitched every inning of every game as Arizona State went 5-0 in the Women's College World Series to capture its second NCAA softball title in school history. It was the 23rd time in 30

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-60895328192727431502011-06-07T13:20:00.000-07:002011-06-09T10:40:04.658-07:00

Hawai'i infielder Jessica Iwata, Fresno State pitcher/infielder Michelle Moses, and Hawai'i pitcher Stephanie Ricketts earned All-American honors today when Easton announced its 2011 national selections.Iwata, recognized by the league coaches as WAC player of the year for a second straight season, is a second-team All-American honoree. Iwata led the Rainbow Wahine with a .355 batting average and

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-29117088766272040102011-06-06T19:45:00.000-07:002011-06-06T19:48:51.885-07:00

Top-seeded Arizona State remained unbeaten in the NCAA Tournament with a commanding, 14-4 win over Florida in game one of the best-of-3 championship series tonight in Oklahoma City.Freshman Dallas Escobedo went the distance, allowing only five hits to the Gators. Arizona State is just one win away from its second NCAA softball title. Florida fell behind 14-0 after five innings Monday, just a

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-9889738991845627522011-06-06T12:08:00.001-07:002011-06-06T19:45:19.650-07:00

The Mountain West Conference unveiled its new logo today as the league moves forward with a new identity in adding teams from the Western Athletic Conference.Boise State moves from the WAC to the Mountain West at the end of this month. Fresno State and Nevada will depart the WAC for the Mountain West next year in all sports, while Hawai'i is leaving the WAC in all sports next year, but will join

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-56844298857121903872011-06-05T21:06:00.000-07:002011-06-05T21:14:40.386-07:00

Top-ranked Arizona State and 4th-seeded Florida will meet for the 2011 NCAA softball title when the best-of-3 championship series begins Monday in Oklahoma City.The Sun Devils remained perfect in NCAA tournament play this season, shutting out Baylor 4-0 Sunday to advance to the championship. The Gators, meanwhile, did it the hard way, but made it look easy with two surprising routs of No. 2 seed

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-41520793119263935432011-06-05T07:00:00.000-07:002011-06-05T07:22:24.328-07:00

There was a lot of drama and some great games on Elimination Saturday at the Women's College World Series, but, in the end, the story remained the same.Dominant pitching has been the theme of this Series so far, and it was on display again in a game that began Saturday evening and extended into the wee hours of Sunday morning in Oklahoma City.In a 13-inning thriller, Baylor's Whitney Canion

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-84005375681295266272011-06-03T08:45:00.000-07:002011-06-03T08:58:14.191-07:00

Based on seeding, all four favored teams won their opening-round games at the Women's College World Series Thursday, and it was pitchers who ruled the day.Alabama nipped Cal 1-0 as Kelsi Dunne and Jackie Traina tossed a combined 1-hitter to get things started. It was the Crimson Tide's first opening day win ever in the WCWS. Game two featured another 1-0 pitcher's duel as Baylor and Whitney

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-37141694878176969122011-06-02T07:14:00.000-07:002011-06-02T07:40:26.881-07:00

The Women's College World Series gets underway today in Oklahoma City with four games that feature some intriguing storylines.For the first time in history, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State advanced to the 8-team field, giving the WCWS not one, but two, home teams this year. And conspicuously absent are both UCLA and Arizona. The Bruins and Wildcats have combined to win 21 of the 29 all-time NCAA

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-8420151466545277402011-05-30T12:42:00.000-07:002011-05-30T13:11:25.342-07:00

Few NCAA Division I conferences see their league softball tournaments outdraw their baseball tourneys, but the Western Athletic Conference is one.The WAC softball tournament in Fresno this year was a smashing success and the second-best attended tourney in conference history. But the WAC baseball tournament last week in Mesa, Arizona, was another huge disappointment.Held in the cavernous, 12,500

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-36405882086461235552011-05-29T18:32:00.000-07:002011-05-29T18:58:21.106-07:00

The final three tickets for Oklahoma City were punched today, and not surprisingly, all three were opponents this season on Fresno State's difficult schedule.The Missouri Tigers joined the Bears of Cal and Baylor in the Women's College World Series with Super Regional triumphs Sunday.In the Columbia Super Regional, Mizzou thumped Washington 6-3 to win the series two games to none. In the Athens

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-89400398078511623512011-05-27T22:27:00.000-07:002011-05-28T17:28:38.317-07:00

In our preview of the Tucson regional last week, we wrote that this just might be the year you actually want your team to face the Arizona Wildcats.Arizona pinned an 8-0 loss on New Mexico State a week ago in regional play, but the Super Regionals weren't nearly as kind. The Wildcats lost both of their Super Regional games in Tucson against Oklahoma this weekend, falling 6-0 Friday and 5-2

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-20923770046465528102011-05-26T19:27:00.000-07:002011-05-27T23:06:02.368-07:00

Stanford, which defeated Fresno State last week on its way to a regional championship, scored one of the biggest upsets of the NCAA Tournament Thursday, taking down No. 2 overall seed Alabama 5-2 in game one of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional.But then when it needed to win just once Friday to advance to the Women's College World Series, Stanford lost to the host Crimson Tide twice and saw its

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-58450336309586652122011-05-23T09:52:00.000-07:002011-05-23T10:20:02.296-07:00

The final numbers came in last week and it's now official: Attendance for the 2011 Western Athletic Conference softball tournament in Fresno more than doubled the crowd count of the 2010 tourney held in Las Cruces.The four-day event this year in Fresno drew 3,352 fans compared to a 4-day total last year in Las Cruces of 1,673 fans. Making the figures even more impressive this season is the fact

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-3868465477299978382011-05-22T18:20:00.000-07:002011-05-22T19:36:47.285-07:00

There won't be a whole lot of variety when the NCAA Super Regionals in softball take place later in the week.Just four conferences will be represented among the 16 teams that advanced to Super Regional play. There will be six teams from the Pac-10, five from the Big XII Conference and four from the Southeastern Conference. Representing the "little guys," is just one team -- Houston from

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-81544299791917232662011-05-22T08:59:00.000-07:002011-05-22T12:20:05.309-07:00

New Mexico State and Fresno State had identical NCAA Tournament runs this season. Each beat a Big XII opponent in game one, lost to a Pac-10 team in game two and then were eliminated by the same Big XII team they beat earlier in the tourney ... The Fresno State-Stanford winner's bracket game on Saturday was the only game of the more than 100 NCAA Tournament games this weekend without online

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-36807646911909190212011-05-21T21:14:00.000-07:002011-05-22T00:13:11.640-07:00

Texas Tech had lost eight of its past nine games entering Saturday at the Tucson regional, but the Red Raiders wouldn't be denied.The Big XII Conference entrant rebounded from a 9-0 loss to New Mexico State Friday to defeat the Aggies 6-4 tonight, bringing to an end the Aggies' season.Texas Tech did something it hadn't done in more than two months: win two games in one day. Not since March 19

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-65347278960419053162011-05-21T19:45:00.001-07:002011-05-21T20:22:20.427-07:00

The number of Fresno State wins over Top 25-ranked opponents this season will have to stay at seven.After knocking off the 16th-ranked Huskers Friday in an NCAA Tournament opener, Fresno State couldn't match that effort Saturday, falling to Nebraska 5-0 in semifinal action at the Stanford regional.The loss ended the Bulldogs' season with a 35-19 overall record. Seven of those wins came against

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-75263578102540404812011-05-21T16:15:00.000-07:002011-05-21T16:48:16.649-07:00

Sophomore pitcher Kenzie Fowler struck out 15 as the 10th-ranked Arizona Wildcats overpowered New Mexico State 8-0 in the Tucson NCAA regional.With the win, Arizona advances unbeaten to Sunday's regional championship game. The Aggies must come back later tonight against the winner of the upcoming Texas Tech-Harvard game to advance to Sunday's action.The win by Fowler and the Wildcats snapped New

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-90881624256372919222011-05-21T13:55:00.001-07:002011-05-21T16:47:32.554-07:00

Pitcher Teagan Gerhart tossed a 3-hitter as the 11th-ranked Stanford Cardinal advanced to the championship game of their own regional with a 3-1 win over Fresno State Saturday in Palo Alto.Gerhart (23-11, 1.78 ERA) needed just 89 pitches against a Bulldogs team that repeatedly swung early in the count and had little to show for it. The All Pac-10 and all-region pitcher retired Fresno State on 10

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-11754819507964823712011-05-21T06:57:00.000-07:002011-05-22T12:41:42.046-07:00

Stanford NCAA regionalFresno State (35-17) vs. Stanford (39-15)Time: Noon Pacific timeGametracker: Click hereLocal Fresno radio: KFPT-AM 790Live online audio/video: None.Tucson NCAA regionalNew Mexico St. (44-15) vs. Arizona (41-16)Time: 2 p.m. Pacific timeGametracker: Click hereLocal Las Cruces radio: KSNM-AM 570Live online video: ArizonaAfter taking care of business against a pair of Big

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-28657270032011894332011-05-20T21:22:00.001-07:002011-05-20T21:40:21.533-07:00

After Fresno State finished off 16th-ranked Nebraska today, and New Mexico State run-ruled Texas Tech, the Western Athletic Conference continued its softball mastery of the highly respected Big XII Conference this season.The WAC now has seven wins vs. the Big XII this season after sweeping two in NCAA Tournament play Friday. And these aren't just run of the mill type victories against

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-22235481065508950842011-05-20T18:35:00.000-07:002011-05-20T19:49:58.831-07:00

In a pitcher's duel of epic proportions, it was Fresno State's all-WAC pitcher (Michelle Moses) who came out on top against Nebraska's all-Big 12 pitcher (Ashley Hagemann) Friday in the NCAA Stanford regional.Moses struck out 10, scattered seven hits and worked out of tight spots throughout a tense game as Fresno State outlasted 16th-ranked Nebraska 1-0 in 10 innings Friday on day one of the 2011

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-12851315791767112482011-05-20T18:19:00.000-07:002011-05-20T20:55:23.166-07:00

Sophomore pitcher Alex Newman tossed a 5-inning no-hitter in New Mexico State's first NCAA Tournament game in history as the Aggies overpowered reeling Texas Tech 9-0 in five innings at the Tucson regional Friday.Newman struck out two and walked two, but was never in serious trouble against Texas Tech, which lost for the eighth time in its last nine games. New Mexico State took command early in

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-42237344676243825362011-05-20T17:49:00.000-07:002011-05-20T18:00:42.827-07:00

In two of the most stunning games of the NCAA Tournament, it was the Western Athletic Conference that came out on top in both against teams from the Big 12 Conference.New Mexico State's Alex Newman pitched a five inning, no-hitter as the Aggies steamrolled past reeling Texas Tech 9-0 in run-rule fashion in the Tucson regional.And Fresno State got a stunning, complete game pitching performance

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-88180200766541554982011-05-20T07:19:00.001-07:002011-05-20T07:45:43.047-07:00

Stanford NCAA regionalFresno State (34-17) vs. Nebraska (39-12)Time: 3 p.m. Pacific timeGametracker: Click hereLocal Fresno radio: KFPT-AM 790Live online audio: Fresno StateLive online audio: NebraskaTucson NCAA regionalNew Mexico St. (43-15) vs. Texas Tech (40-14)Time: 4 p.m. Pacific timeGametracker: Click hereLocal Las Cruces radio: KSNM-AM 570Live online video: Arizona

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-76030629275141840442011-05-20T06:37:00.000-07:002011-05-20T07:07:23.417-07:00

Two days after breaking the California state high school record for runs scored in a career, Fresno State-bound softball player Brenna Moss broke the all-time state record for hits as well.Moss had three hits in four at-bats for North Bakersfield High Thursday to become the state of California's all-time leader in career hits with 244. Moss singled in the first inning to break the record she

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-58208077724896526202011-05-19T09:37:00.000-07:002011-05-20T08:15:06.136-07:00

Seven Western Athletic Conference softball players earned all-region honors as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association named its regional honorees Thursday.New Mexico State's Hoku Nohara was the only first team honoree in the West Region.Earning second team all-region honors are the following players:Michelle Moses, Fresno State, Pitcher (West Region)Stephanie Ricketts, Hawai'i, Pitcher (West

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-56976221358926136212011-05-19T08:30:00.001-07:002011-05-19T08:52:41.558-07:00

Fresno State is the nation's only program to be invited to all 30 NCAA Division I softball tournaments is history. The Bulldogs have earned an automatic bid or been selected at-large every year since the NCAA began sponsoring the sport in 1982, and the past 26 NCAA bids have all come under legendary head coach Margie Wright.It's probably no surprise that the three schools ranking behind Fresno

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-74499689097536618392011-05-19T06:57:00.001-07:002011-05-19T17:28:59.916-07:00

Mountain West Conference champion Brigham Young will play the first game of the 2011 NCAA softball tournament this afternoon.BYU will meet Auburn, an at-large pick out of the Southeastern Conference, at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time at the Seattle regional. Host Washington meets Portland State at 6 p.m. in the other game at the 4-team regional.The Cougars will be an affiliate member of the WAC in

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-70318708402420488662011-05-18T14:13:00.000-07:002011-05-18T21:50:43.347-07:00

One of the more highly-touted recruits in WAC softball history made a name for herself in the California state record books Tuesday afternoon.Brenna Moss, the highly sought-after, Fresno State-bound recruit from North Bakersfield High, scored four runs in a CIF Central Section playoff win over Sanger yesterday to break the all-time California state mark for runs scored.Moss had three hits, an RBI

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-41119925645270691332011-05-18T10:50:00.000-07:002011-05-18T23:30:43.096-07:00

UCLA. UCLA. Cal. Stanford. Stanford. Cal. Stanford. UCLA. Cal. UCLA. Cal. Stanford. Cal. Cal. Cal. Cal.At least the NCAA selection committee has been consistent.Those are Fresno State's NCAA Tournament regional opponents over the last 16 years as the Bulldogs have been paired with a Pac-10 juggernaut year after year after year ... after year. For those counting, that's four Stanfords, four UCLAs

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-3778637262838545372011-05-18T08:24:00.000-07:002011-05-28T17:30:42.884-07:00

If ever there was a year to be sent to the Tucson regional, this is the year. And for a first-time NCAA entrant, New Mexico State has to be thrilled with its draw and may owe a bit of thanks to the 10-member NCAA selection committee that included its own senior women's administrator.The Aggies opening NCAA Tournament play with Texas Tech is one of the greatest gifts ever afforded a first-time

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-84264956787617757192011-05-17T10:52:00.001-07:002011-05-17T13:55:13.933-07:00

We just completed our RPI analysis of each regional... and then... bam! The NCAA released a new set of RPI numbers more than 24 hours ahead of schedule.The numbers look pretty similar to what they were before, with some exceptions.Fresno State's NCAA opener against Nebraska will now be against the No. 1 team in the Stanford regional, according to the RPI. The Huskers passed host Stanford in the

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-25419867157947341992011-05-17T08:11:00.000-07:002011-05-17T10:30:53.877-07:00

Fresno State is no stranger to tough NCAA softball regionals, and the 2011 season is no different.Partly because of geography, the Bulldogs are continually placed in one of the most difficult softball regionals year after year. Last season, Fresno State was sent to face eventual national champion UCLA in the opening round for a second straight season.Based on the latest RPI numbers, the Bulldogs

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-55775226433674867912011-05-17T04:22:00.000-07:002011-05-17T13:53:34.909-07:00

The All-Western Athletic Conference softball teams were announced today and they contain some of the more surprising results in league history.In voting by the conference coaches, fourth-place Hawai'i captured both of the top awards. The league's Player and Pitcher of the Year honors went to Jessica Iwata and Stephanie Ricketts, respectively, for the second straight year. It is the first time

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-62698732427627213912011-05-16T17:10:00.001-07:002011-05-16T18:50:04.924-07:00

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-44176245994284593562011-05-16T11:06:00.001-07:002011-05-16T15:48:00.339-07:00

(click to enlarge photo)The Western Athletic Conference still hasn't released official attendance numbers for Saturday's tournament championship game, but hopefully it will happen soon.By most accounts, the title game drew the largest crowd in WAC softball championship game history at Bulldog Diamond (3,288-seat capacity). After attendance took a significant drop last year when the tournament

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-55014592254493726412011-05-15T20:30:00.000-07:002011-05-15T22:40:44.711-07:00

Fresno State extended one of the most stunning streaks in collegiate athletics Sunday night, when the Bulldogs earned a record 30th consecutive bid to the NCAA softball tournament.Coach Margie Wright's squad is the only team of the nation's 289 schools that sponsor the sport to have been invited to all 30 NCAA softball tournaments ever held. Arizona hasn't done it. UCLA hasn't done it. No one,

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-91272396422379892582011-05-15T20:04:00.000-07:002011-05-15T22:44:43.469-07:00

New Mexico State's first-ever trip to the NCAA softball tournament will take the Aggies to a familiar locale.It's off to Tucson for Coach Kathy Rodolph's squad, which will open up with a first-round game at 4 p.m. PT on Friday against Texas Tech. The other two teams in the Tucson regional are host and 10th-ranked Arizona, along with Harvard of the Ivy League.Taking a look at the other brackets

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-22211609148816886752011-05-15T18:37:00.000-07:002011-05-15T19:39:46.214-07:00

The NCAA has just announced the pairings for the 2011 NCAA Softball Tournament.New Mexico State will face Texas Tech in the Tucson regional. The other teams in that 4-team regional are host Arizona and Harvard.Fresno State is in the NCAA Tournament for a 30th straight season. The Bulldogs will face Nebraska in the Stanford regional. The other teams are host Stanford and Pacific.We are going to

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-87837616701960562002011-05-15T07:01:00.000-07:002011-05-15T13:46:34.371-07:00

It's one of the most exciting days of the year for college softball fans around the country. Selection Sunday is here, and ESPN.com women's sports expert Graham Hays has his final 64-team projection out this morning.Hays' final bracket has both New Mexico State and Fresno State in the field. The Bulldogs are considered solidly in the field by Hays, who includes a possible projection with Margie

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-87715599693964240082011-05-14T16:07:00.000-07:002011-05-15T09:42:53.869-07:00

Alex Newman picked the perfect time to throw her best game of the season.The sophomore right-hander tossed a 4-hit shutout as New Mexico State captured its first WAC title and secured its first NCAA Tournament berth with a 5-0 win over Fresno State in the conference tournament championship game Saturday.The Aggies came out strong against a Bulldogs team that had to fight its way through the

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-77974454265243005162011-05-13T21:10:00.000-07:002011-05-14T00:33:40.204-07:00

Mackenzie Oakes and Haley Gilleland don't need any awards to tell them they're two of the best players in the Western Athletic Conference.They merely prove it on the field.Oakes, the Fresno State junior pitcher, picked up back to back wins in a pair of elimination game thrillers Friday to power the Bulldogs to the WAC championship softball game for a third consecutive season. And Gilleland, the

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-49895610351265432212011-05-13T18:17:00.001-07:002011-05-13T18:41:05.296-07:00

Mackenzie Oakes won her 17th game of the season with an impressive shutout performance as Fresno State eliminated Louisiana Tech from the WAC Tournament with a 1-0 victory Friday at Bulldog Diamond.Oakes scattered six hits and ended up beating Lady Techsters All-WAC pitcher Meghan Kreig for the third time in head to head meetings this season. In 23 innings against Louisiana Tech this season,

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-82393249927975251272011-05-13T16:11:00.000-07:002011-05-13T16:29:37.425-07:00

New Mexico State hit two home runs and got a fine pitching performance from Celisha Walker to dispatch of Boise State 7-0 Friday afternoon in the WAC Tournament at Bulldog Diamond.As a result, the Aggies (42-15) advanced to the first softball championship game in school history. Saturday at 2 p.m. PT, New Mexico State will have the chance to play for its first NCAA Tournament appearance against

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-72420495757640319802011-05-13T10:16:00.000-07:002011-05-13T12:24:09.134-07:00

With Blogger down and out of service Thursday, we obviously couldn't provide crucial updates of a wild day at the 2011 Western Athletic Conference softball tournament.Hopefully you are following us on Twitter for live updates as they happen from Fresno this weekend. Just in case an outage happens again, follow us there for in-game results as they occur.To sum up Thursday, it was a wild day full

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-89022267415260481752011-05-13T09:55:00.000-07:002011-05-17T13:55:50.791-07:00

Wednesday, May 11Game 1 - Hawai'i 6, Utah State 1 Game 2 - Louisiana Tech 2, Fresno State 0Thursday, May 12 Game 3 - New Mexico State 5, Hawai'i 4 Game 4 - Boise State 3, Louisiana Tech 2 (13 innings) Game 5 - Fresno State 2, Hawai'i 1, Hawai'i eliminated Game 6 - Louisiana Tech 4, Utah State 1, Utah St. eliminatedFriday, May 13 Game 7 - New Mexico State 7, Boise State 0 Game 8 - Fresno State

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-65603771906096519392011-05-13T09:48:00.000-07:002011-05-13T10:15:53.068-07:00

The Blogger service that we use from Google was down all day Thursday, and it also erased several important posts, unfortunately.Sorry about that. All posts related to the All-WAC teams, latest RPI numbers and the day one action in tournament play are gone. Blogger is attempting to revive the posts, but with literally millions of online blogs that they handle, it could take awhile. If they can

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The WAC is hoping for multiple bids to the NCAA softball tournament for a sixth straight season, but other conference tournaments around the country bear watching this week.In order for the WAC to get two, and potentially three, NCAA bids, we've got to keep an eye on several other leagues and root for the favorites to win. At this point, at-large bids are at a premium, so it's important that

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-15463201379098378372011-05-11T20:54:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:35:31.151-07:00

Check out ESPN.com women's sports expert Graham Hays' blog that features some news on WAC softball and how Fresno State stacks up.Hays, who certainly knows his stuff, has Fresno State as an NCAA at-large lock. The RPI of 35 bears it out, along with several marquee wins. Hays believes the WAC will get just one bid if the Bulldogs win the WAC Tournament, but two bids if a team other than Fresno

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-36287479220847081592011-05-11T07:16:00.003-07:002011-05-11T08:40:52.957-07:00

The 2011 Western Athletic Conference postseason softball tournament gets underway today at Bulldog Diamond in Fresno with two games.Defending WAC champion Hawai'i gets things started with a 4:30 p.m. game against Utah State. The Aggies qualified for the tournament for the first time since the 2007 season and are the fifth seed, their highest ever. The Rainbow Wahine come in as the No. 4 seed a

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-47524572061899997542011-05-10T08:43:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:10:22.948-07:00

Today, ESPN.com women's sports expert Graham Hays included a look at this week's WAC postseason softball tournament in his weekly update.It contains what many already believed. "Only Fresno State is likely to make the NCAA tournament without an automatic bid," from the WAC, Hays wrote. He also writes that Hawai'i isn't completely, "out of the running" for an at-large bid.What does it all mean

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-83736133649697994112011-05-09T11:16:00.000-07:002011-05-09T11:55:46.058-07:00

With the NCAA Softball Selection Show only six days away, let's take a look at the 10 individuals responsible for making the all-important decisions regarding the selections, seedings and pairings.The members of the NCAA Division I Softball Selection Committee includes a Western Athletic Conference representative again this year in New Mexico State's Senior Women's Administrator and Assistant

College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-30159309853865396092011-05-09T09:03:00.000-07:002011-05-09T17:19:37.275-07:00

The WAC named its Hitter and Pitcher of the Week and they are Valerie Swedberg of New Mexico State and Stephanie Ricketts of Hawai'i. Swedberg hit .700 with a home run and two doubles for the Aggies last week, while Ricketts went 2-0 with a 0.58 ERA and 13 strikeouts ... Fresno State freshman Brooke Ortiz hit a WAC-best .778 last week in the Bulldogs' series win over Nevada ... Christina

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College Softball Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116578561907488044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1244003420004884709.post-48204136537510610542011-05-07T22:07:00.000-07:002011-05-07T22:15:19.629-07:00

Don't forget you can watch the entire WAC Tournament online. That's 10 games (and possibly 11), all live, all over four days, with on-demand viewing for every game the next day as well.Order your package now for $14.95 by clicking here. Select the "Sign up now," button and follow the instructions to purchase.

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It's a question we've examined every season. Does a conference tournament help or hurt your league? There's no consensus for sure and each season is different. But let's take a look at the past and the present.In 2008, there was clearly no way Louisiana Tech was going to get an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. But the Lady Techsters, who finished with an RPI of 93 that season, won the

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The field is now complete for the 2011 Western Athletic Conference softball tournament that runs May 11-14 at Bulldog Diamond in Fresno.Following today's action, the WAC Tournament matchups and game times have been set and are official.New Mexico State has garnered the top seed and will be on the same side of the bracket as No. 4 seed Hawai'i, the team that swept the Aggies just a week ago.Fresno

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New Mexico State made an emphatic statement Saturday, pounding Boise State 16-3 in a 5-inning rout in Las Cruces to clinch a piece of the WAC regular-season title.That win also secured the number one seed for the Aggies in next week's WAC Tournament at Bulldog Diamond. And in game two, New Mexico State completed the sweep with a 7-6 victory and Boise State finished in a tie with Fresno State for

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