Howard surprises, Charlotte Shocks, UCLA has Questions.

Softball Recap 2/8-2/11

Each week, on either Monday or Tuesday I’ll try and get out a brief recap of the weekend that was for national college softball, covering the biggest upsets from one off games and series. Opening weekend certainly did not disappoint in terms of things to highlight. Let’s get into it. 

Howard has 2 statement wins. 

With most people penning North Carolina Central as favorites to win the MEAC, Howard certainly made a statement this weekend. Knocking off Big East champion Connecticut and gaining their first run rule victory in school history over Seattle, the Bison put the MEAC on notice that they should not be taken lightly and that they perhaps should have gotten more preseason consideration. 

ECU goes 6-0

Any time you can rack up wins, no matter the competition, that’s a good thing, and that’s exactly what ECU did, while looking dominant in some games. It will be interesting to see how this translates moving forward for the Pirates as their schedule gets tougher. 

Texas is Legit

The Longhorns had an incredibly impressive weekend, beating UCLA twice, one of which was a 16-1 thrashing. If Texas can stay healthy, both them and Oklahoma State look once again to be real challengers to Oklahoma in this last iteration of the Big 12.

Charlotte Stuns FSU on Thursday

In one of, if not the best game of the weekend, Charlotte stunned Florida State 6-5 in extras for the programs first top 5 win in its history. They also picked up a Power 5 win against a stringy Texas Tech team and while they also lost to these teams this weekend, the 49ers proved they are a team no one wants to see on their schedule, let alone in the postseason. 

UCLA Reels

UCLA rarely loses at home, let alone gets run ruled. This happened twice as the Bruins lost to ranked Texas twice, one by run rule, and was also run ruled by ranked Oklahoma State. I’ll never count out UCLA, but they have to be asking questions moving forward and have to be looking to make massive improvements. 

Florida State Games Entertain Neutrals

After losing their opener to Charlotte, a classic in its own right, FSU bounced back to run rule the 49ers the following day, and played another nail biter against Texas Tech that weekend, which they won. Young players showed promise and if you are a softball neutral, the games in Tallahassee were phenomenal. If you’re a Seminoles fan? You may want more run rule games.

Sun Belt Flexes

Each of the Sun Belt teams expecting postseason play, Louisiana, Texas State, James Madison, South Alabama, and Troy went 4-1 this weekend with the exception being Troy that went 4-2. Georgia Southern also went 4-1 along with Coastal Carolina going 4-0, pleasant surprises for the conference. With a smattering of P5 victories as well, the Sun Belt bolstered its resume as a conference deserving of multiple bids, much like their baseball counterparts.

Oklahoma Extends Streak

Oklahoma extended their record winning streak with the stiffest competition coming from Washington and Duke down in Mexico. Each team kept it close, and the Huskies looked like they may upend the Sooners, but championship DNA came through again. Honestly, is anyone surprised?

SEC Looks as Strong as Ever

The SEC up and down had a banner weekend dominating the tournaments they either attended or hosted. Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Missouri, and South Carolina all went 5-0 along with a smattering of undefeated teams and those with only one loss also sprinkled through the conference. They need to get it all in now, before they cannibalize one another in conference play. 

I’m going to try and keep these recaps as positive as possible unless something big happens. I think we all know about Jordy Bahl’s injury, and hope she returns to the field as soon as possible in great shape. That’s all I have for now and look for a preview of this upcoming weekend’s games later this week!