D 3 softball

[deiscanton]

Justafan 12-- Not bad.  You got 4 Pool C picks right.

Missed out on Southern Maine and Christopher Newport.   

I really didn't think that anyone would have gotten all 6 correct this year.

ECSUAlum-- We meet again!  Brandeis vs Eastern Connecticut in the tourney-- first time since 2010.  But way up at the Husson campus in Bangor, Maine?  Never saw that site coming.  Looking forward to the matchup of the ace pitchers Carley Stoker vs Sydney Goldman to open things up.

[WLCALUM83]

justafan12 you did much better than I did with your projections, the only ones you missed on were Whitewater and Trine. I missed on Wartburg, Mt. Union, Rowan, and Transylvania (I originally had Christopher Newport, now I'm wishing I hadn't made a change--) Oh, well--

[WLCALUM83]

Justafan 12-- Not bad.  You got 4 Pool C picks right.

Missed out on Southern Maine and Christopher Newport.   

I really didn't think that anyone would have gotten all 6 correct this year.

ECSUAlum-- We meet again!  Brandeis vs Eastern Connecticut in the tourney-- first time since 2010.  But way up at the Husson campus in Bangor, Maine?  Never saw that site coming.  Looking forward to the matchup of the ace pitchers Carly Stoker vs Sydney Goldman to open things up.

Roger Miller's classic destination-- to watch softball Queens of the Road go at it.

[deiscanton]

Thanks for the +k guys; given that there are 41 AQ and you missed only 1 I will return the +k.  You guys have been amazing at the amount of info that you have supplied here. 

So the 8 regional sites are already determined, I missed that.  Not sure why ETBU gets the regional over TLU to host.  Never been to Seguin but I know Marshall is a dump; most teams that travel to play ETBU stay in Longview 20 miles away.  Both locations now have turf so that's not it.  Airport distance is about the same although San Antonio airport is bigger than Shreveport.  I am sure the ETBU being on all the committees helps.

Well, you spoke too soon.  They just delayed announcing the other 6 sites publicly until the bracket was revealed.

The other 6 regional sites announced at 1 PM Eastern were Bangor, Maine (Husson); Seguin, TX (TLU); Erie, PA (Penn State Behrend); Eau Claire, WI; Virginia Beach, VA (Virginia Wesleyan); and Waverly, Iowa. 

[deiscanton]

Justafan 12-- Not bad.  You got 4 Pool C picks right.

Missed out on Southern Maine and Christopher Newport.   

I really didn't think that anyone would have gotten all 6 correct this year.

ECSUAlum-- We meet again!  Brandeis vs Eastern Connecticut in the tourney-- first time since 2010.  But way up at the Husson campus in Bangor, Maine?  Never saw that site coming.  Looking forward to the matchup of the ace pitchers Carly Stoker vs Sydney Goldman to open things up.

Roger Miller's classic destination-- to watch softball Queens of the Road go at it.

With of course, Eastern Connecticut's official softball warmup song (At least it was their warmup song in the  2010 season, and when it played back then, you knew that Molly Rathbun was probably going to take the mound--):_--

"The Warrior" by Scandal ft. Patty Smyth.

Of note-- Husson University in Bangor, Maine got word that they got picked as one of the 8 predetermined sites just last week.  They made the announcement on their website last Thursday, May 13.  Back in 2010, when Wellesley College and Rhode Island College got picked as predetermined sites, I found out the news a few weeks before the softball regionals started.

[WLCALUM83]

Games I will follow closely:

Waverly, IA  MSOE/Coe:  This one could go either way, if Raiders' Pondo brings her "A" pitching game, the better MSOE's chances, although they're playing the closest thing to a regional host squad right away.

St. Olaf/UW-Superior:  If the WI squad's Kraemer pitcher tosses a game like the St. Thomas pitcher did yesterday. this will be interesting.

Eau Claire:  UW-Oshkosh/IL College:  Titans have a more of a post-season history. Oshkosh's Maddie Fink has a 14-4 record as a starter going in to this one, same story for her as I noted for Kraemer above.

[TheChucker]

Interesting that the NCAA broke up the juggernaut West Region teams. I think the only West matchup is Redlands at ETBU. TX Lutheran is hosting with no other West teams. Linfield travels to Eau Claire and will be the highest NFCA ranked team there. Belhaven travels to Decatur and is in the opposite bracket of DePauw. That will be fun to track.

[Caz Bombers]

For a tournament designed to save on travel, there sure is a lot of unnecessary travel.

[justafan12]

I am shocked that TLU and ETBU get to host. 

How did Southern Maine (#7 New England) jump Eastern Connecticut (#5 New England)?
CNU 28-12 has a .601 SOS but is 8-10 vs. ROR and 4-10 vs. +.750 teams.  That is better than Trine and WW?  Don't see that one. 

NCAA appears to be opening up the pocket book with travel dollars.  Sending Belhaven off to Illinois while sending Ohio Northern and Eastern Naz. to Texas.  Belhaven is probably a 5 hr drive from Marshall.  Heck Birmingham Southern will drive by Belhaven (Jackson, MS) to get to Marshall regional.

[deiscanton]

I am shocked that TLU and ETBU get to host. 

How did Southern Maine (#7 New England) jump Eastern Connecticut (#5 New England)?
CNU 28-12 has a .601 SOS but is 8-10 vs. ROR and 4-10 vs. +.750 teams.  That is better than Trine and WW?  Don't see that one. 

NCAA appears to be opening up the pocket book with travel dollars.  Sending Belhaven off to Illinois while sending Ohio Northern and Eastern Naz. to Texas.  Belhaven is probably a 5 hr drive from Marshall.  Heck Birmingham Southern will drive by Belhaven (Jackson, MS) to get to Marshall regional.

How about flying 3 Massachusetts AQs to Texas?  (Emmanuel, Eastern Nazarene, and Bridgewater State).

Emmanuel and Bridgewater State got sent to the Texas Lutheran regional, while Eastern Nazarene got sent to ETBU.

As well as Bangor, Maine being picked as a predetermined NCAA DIII Regional softball site?

Only in the era of COVID-19.

[justafan12]

justafan12 you did much better than I did with your projections, the only ones you missed on were Whitewater and Trine. I missed on Wartburg, Mt. Union, Rowan, and Transylvania (I originally had Christopher Newport, now I'm wishing I hadn't made a change--) Oh, well--

Well I did waste a lot of work time this morning looking at the Pool C teams.

[deiscanton]

For a tournament designed to save on travel, there sure is a lot of unnecessary travel.

I thought that the motto of COVID-19 when it came to travel was :"Is this trip really necessary?"

Note:  That was a sign used by Bugs Bunny in the cartoon "Baseball Bugs"-- the slogan originally referred to World War II gas rationing.

[WLCALUM83]

For a tournament designed to save on travel, there sure is a lot of unnecessary travel.

I thought that the motto of COVID-19 when it came to travel was :"Is this trip really necessary?"

Note:  That was a sign used by Bugs Bunny in the cartoon "Baseball Bugs"-- the slogan originally referred to World War II gas rationing.

The same Bugs Bunny who once played all nine defensive baseball positions at the same time in a cartoon--and pulled it off perfectly.

("The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" playing. . . . )

[ECSUalum]

Justafan 12-- Not bad.  You got 4 Pool C picks right.

Missed out on Southern Maine and Christopher Newport.   

I really didn't think that anyone would have gotten all 6 correct this year.

ECSUAlum-- We meet again!  Brandeis vs Eastern Connecticut in the tourney-- first time since 2010.  But way up at the Husson campus in Bangor, Maine?  Never saw that site coming.  Looking forward to the matchup of the ace pitchers Carley Stoker vs Sydney Goldman to open things up.

deiscnton
How did NCAA pick regional sites?  Husson Me not really on the radar, but must have a nice facility or something!  So Maine out to WI to ply!!!!
ECSU vs Brandeis should be a great game!  Hopefully the Warriors have the pitching to get through all these great teams. Morgan Bolduk lost her Sr yr last year and did not come back!  If we had her on the pitching roster, ECSU would be hard to beat considering their hitting/defense this year!

[justafan12]

My thoughts on each bracket and projected winners (rankings refer to NCAA regional rankings):

Decatur - Pretty touch regional based on NCAA rankings. Picking Depauw but watch out for Belhaven.  They have a pretty good pitcher and some good sticks.
Marshall - Three good teams a #11 seed and 2 unranked.   Toss up between Salisbury, BSU and ETBU; I'll pick Salisbury.
Bangor - I'll have to pick the 1 seed in Husson.  Note: this is the first time I ever remember the NCAA putting all teams from one region (New England) in a regional.
Eau Claire - The team ranked #1 in this regional is a 5 seed in the Great Lakes region; go figure.  Have to go with Linfield to win this one.
Seguin - TLU looks pretty good in this regional although the lack of competition could show some weakness (they did not play anyone with a W/L percentage greater than .750).
Erie - three unranked teams; wow. SJF should take this one.  NOTE: How is 6th ranked team in the NE region the #2 seed and the #3 ranked team in the NE region the #3 seed?
Waverly - St. Olaf should win this one just based on the rankings.  Two 4 ranked teams, a 5 ranked and 2 unranked. 
Virginia Beach - NCAA moved #2 and #3 ranked Atlantic teams away from overall #1 VW but then moves in two #1s in TCNJ and Farmingdale.  I'll go with VWU in this one.

Other comments:
Why are D2 and D3 having only 48 teams in their tournament while D1 gets the full 64?  Does Covid only effect the smaller schools?  Maybe in D3 they are making up for it with all the unnecessary travel.
If you have never experienced a 6 team bracket the NCAA way, have fun.