(04-16-2018 09:13 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Just a program note...both games of the DH at Marshall on Wednesday (G1 at 2pm) will be streamed live via ESPN-3.

Also, side note, the WLAX match at UVA later that day (7pm scheduled start, weather looks good) will be streamed live via ACC Network Extra.

Tickets are like $4. I'm planning to be there to support them as it's a fairly short drive from the Richmond west end. YOU GUYS SHOULD COME TOO.

Dukes have improved in the RPI over the last couple of weeks. The Good Gals now stand at #29 for games played thru April 15th.

Link: https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d...ftball-rpi

Certainly, the best scenario is for the Dukes to win the CAAT at home in a few weeks and cash the auto berth ticket to the NCAAT taking away any anxiety and tournament bubbly"ness". You'd think top 30 in the RPI if the Dukes can finish there even without a CAA title (pity the thought) would/should be good enough for an at-large bid. But, you never know.

Hofstra is at #26 in the RPI. Will the CAA warrant an at large bid to get a 2nd team in?

Obviously, the team needs to keep winning at a 75%+ clip. Winning the series over Hofstra coming up would help the RPI considerably. Need to avoid the upsets (though CoC is top 100 at #78 this week). Upcoming games against lowly UVA (RPI #225) and Drexel (RPI #253) will not help the SOS nor RPI.

We won't be hosting a regional this year, but I didn't realistically think that was a likely goal this season anyway. Just making the NCAAT and preferably via winning the CAAT would be a good season. Winning a regional would be gravy. If Good comes back 100%, making the 2019 WCWS will be tough, but is achievable.

(04-17-2018 08:18 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Hofstra is at #26 in the RPI. Will the CAA warrant an at large bid to get a 2nd team in?

Depends on if those at large bids are actually open to all, or if they are reserved for more than half the PAC 12 and all SEC schools not named Ole Miss (RPI 35). I understand that those schools have a lot of talent, but there are other conferences that play good softball deserving of an at large shot.

(04-17-2018 08:34 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 08:18 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Hofstra is at #26 in the RPI. Will the CAA warrant an at large bid to get a 2nd team in?

Depends on if those at large bids are actually open to all, or if they are reserved for more than half the PAC 12 and all SEC schools not named Ole Miss (RPI 35). I understand that those schools have a lot of talent, but there are other conferences that play good softball deserving of an at large shot.

Yep. Last year, the SEC performed as follows in the NCAAT...

-8 schools hosted regionals...all 8 of them won those regionals. So, half of the Super Regionals were from the SEC.

-Of the other 5 (the rest of the SEC, Vandy doesn't field softball program) who had to go on the road for regionals...
*Georgia lost at FSU in regional finals
*South Carolina lost at Arizona in regional finals
*Mizzou was 2-and-out at Oregon Regional
*Miss State was 2-and-gone at Utah Regional
*Arkansas was 2-and-out at Oklahoma Regional

Maybe they will not invite the entire band of 13 this year. Side note, eventual WCWS champion, Oklahoma, lost its opening game in its home regional to...

...our "friends" in Fargo, the Bizon of NDSU.

The overall #10 seed Sooners swept 2 at Auburn in the Supers to get to Oklahoma City before defeating Baylor (who eliminated JMU), Washington, and Oregon before sweeping 2 over #1 seed Florida. So, the Sooners' lone NCAAT loss was to the Bizon before ripping off 10 straight to the title.

Hofstra and JMU have both gotten in during past seasons, most recently in 2015 when we hosted a Regional and lost to Fordham.

Was watching the UNC vs NC State game last night, the announcer was talking about anyone below 35 in the RPI had no shot. Of course the entire SEC qualifies, and since they play each other the RPI doesn't go down. What's really ridiculous is the advantage the warm weather teams from Arizona, Georgia and Florida get, playing just a handful of away or neutral site games and over 1/2 of their games at home. Georgia has played 31 of 43 at home, while we've played 11 of 39.

And it isn't just the SEC. The PAC 12 is also very strong and I think they have the top 4 teams in RPI. Maybe we should just schedule a bunch of games against SEC and PAC opponents, or go to the same tournaments they are in each year. That seems to be the only way to get a measure of respect from the RPI system or commentators.

(04-17-2018 12:53 PM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  And it isn't just the SEC. The PAC 12 is also very strong and I think they have the top 4 teams in RPI. Maybe we should just schedule a bunch of games against SEC and PAC opponents, or go to the same tournaments they are in each year. That seems to be the only way to get a measure of respect from the RPI system or commentators.

Wasn’t that sort of MD’s scheduling philosophy? Seem to remember quite a few OOC games against SEC, ACC, PAC schools, combined with games against other teams that typically make the tourney.

When you are in the CAA, it does require a tough OOC to get noticed.

(04-17-2018 04:03 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 12:53 PM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  And it isn't just the SEC. The PAC 12 is also very strong and I think they have the top 4 teams in RPI. Maybe we should just schedule a bunch of games against SEC and PAC opponents, or go to the same tournaments they are in each year. That seems to be the only way to get a measure of respect from the RPI system or commentators.

Wasn’t that sort of MD’s scheduling philosophy? Seem to remember quite a few OOC games against SEC, ACC, PAC schools, combined with games against other teams that typically make the tourney.

When you are in the CAA, it does require a tough OOC to get noticed.

Yes, and we have zero chance of achieving a top 16 to host otherwise. The problem now is what incentive do those teams have to play us anymore? Why risk their status in the Top 16 by losing to a mid-major? It's like everything else has become in the NCAA.

(04-18-2018 05:57 AM)JMUSteeler Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 04:03 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 12:53 PM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  And it isn't just the SEC. The PAC 12 is also very strong and I think they have the top 4 teams in RPI. Maybe we should just schedule a bunch of games against SEC and PAC opponents, or go to the same tournaments they are in each year. That seems to be the only way to get a measure of respect from the RPI system or commentators.

Wasn’t that sort of MD’s scheduling philosophy? Seem to remember quite a few OOC games against SEC, ACC, PAC schools, combined with games against other teams that typically make the tourney.

When you are in the CAA, it does require a tough OOC to get noticed.

Yes, and we have zero chance of achieving a top 16 to host otherwise. The problem now is what incentive do those teams have to play us anymore? Why risk their status in the Top 16 by losing to a mid-major? It's like everything else has become in the NCAA.

The key is to get some of those games against Pac12 & SEC schools in early season tournaments. Some of that I am sure is a guessing game. JMU also tends to schedule a couple of ACC schools in UNC/UVA/VaTech....granted UNC is the only one of those that is regularly good. Always good to schedule Longwood as they are usually good.

I hope in the future Mickey Dean will be open to playing us (at his place in Auburn) as he understands our position as a mid-major.

They have cut the DH to a single game today starting at 4pm. Seems like a long midweek trip for just 1 game. Oh well.

(04-18-2018 09:42 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  They have cut the DH to a single game today starting at 4pm. Seems like a long midweek trip for just 1 game. Oh well.

And I thought the Tarheels coming to us last week for only one game was odd. We're traveling farther.

NOT a good day for the ladies.....down 7-0 in the bottom of the 4th inning.....:-(.

(04-18-2018 04:02 PM)LovethoseDukes Wrote:  NOT a good day for the ladies.....down 7-0 in the bottom of the 4th inning.....:-(.

Final score

(04-18-2018 04:49 PM)GoJMUDukes Wrote:  

(04-18-2018 04:02 PM)LovethoseDukes Wrote:  NOT a good day for the ladies.....down 7-0 in the bottom of the 4th inning.....:-(.

Final score

Looks like all runs came in the 2nd. That's tough to overcome mentally.

A couple errors in the 2nd allowed the inning to get out of hand. But the lack of bats is the most disappointing aspect of this game for me. Can't even scrape a run or two to make the game look somewhat respectable?

I like the way the weather was listed in the official box score...

... https://jmusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=1...h=softball

Well done.

Dukes shutout Elon in G1 of today's DH, 7-0. Alexander and Buresch split the pitching duties giving up 4 hits combined.

Dukes flexing their offensive muscles early in G2 of the DH at Elon. Now up 5-0 heading to the btm of the 2nd. Morgan Tolle with a 3-run dinger in the top 2nd. That's her 2nd of the game as she led off the game with a solo shot.

Dukes win the nightcap 5-2. Got a bit hairy in the bottom of the 7th. Elon loaded the bases with 1 out but Payton threw a ground ball double play to end the inning.

Go for the sweep tomorrow!!

Brian

Hofstra swept their DH at home over Drexel in easy fashion today (9-0 & 11-2, both in 5 innings). Setting up to be a big weekend series at JMU in a week.