University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Ready For Regionals
May 18, 2007 | Softball
May 18, 2007
AMHERST - First things first.
Before the University of Massachusetts (37-12-1) softball team can think about top-seeded Oklahoma (52-6) at this weekend's NCAA regional tournament, it must first take on Northeast Conference winner Long Island (33-20) today at 4:30 p.m. in its opener of the double-elimination tourney.
Although seeded third overall for the national tournament, Oklahoma is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the latest top 25 poll. The Sooners will meet Patriot League champion Colgate (25-22) in the first game today at 2 p.m. If UMass and Oklahoma win, they will meet tomorrow at noon.
The winner of the Amherst regional will advance to a best-of-three super regional to play the survivor of the regional hosted by Southern Illinois, where No. 14 DePaul is the top seed.
The Minutewomen have won 26 straight games overall and their last 32 at home, the nation's longest current winning streaks in both categories.
UMass is hosting its second consecutive NCAA regional and 10th overall. Last year, the Minutewomen defeated Albany and then Lehigh twice before bowing at the super regional at Northwestern.
"I think it adds a little bit of comfort," said UMass junior designated player Amanda Acampora of having gone through the process last year. "We've been here before, we just had A-10's here, and I think the girls are used to having a championship setting at home. Being at home is always an advantage."
Acampora, a .294 hitter, is at the top of her game with a .375 average and a .719 slugging percentage over the last 13 games.
Diminutive senior center fielder Candice Molinari, who rides an 18-game hitting streak and a .401 season batting average into the weekend, identified the keys to success for the Minutewomen.
"Always moving runners when we can, and playing great defense," Molinari said. "The team that plays the best defense is the team that's going to win."
UMass coach Elaine Sortino said that the setting may be the same, but the situation is different.
"There's nothing really the same about it at all other than that we're here, we're playing three different teams. It's just totally different. I think to make it the same, you make a mistake."
For example, Sortino stressed that sophomore pitcher Brandice Balschmiter is not the same pitcher as she was a year ago.
"I think her ability to move the ball around is a lot better," Sortino said. "I think she sees things in hitters that she couldn't see as a young player a year ago."
Balschmiter is 27-8 with a 1.31 earned run average and 246 strikeouts.
Long Island is in the NCAA tournament for the second straight time and sixth in school history. The Minutewomen are 5-0 against Long Island all-time, including two wins at the 1999 regional hosted by UMass.
Fourth-seeded Colgate is trying to duplicate the upset that league partner Lehigh pulled off against Texas A&M in the regional last year. Colgate coach Vickie Sax pointed to this year's schedule as reason for optimism.
"I think one thing that's neat looking at this year's schedule is that Texas Tech beat Oklahoma, and Lehigh has beaten Texas Tech, and Colgate has beaten Lehigh," Sax said, realizing the comparisons were a bit of a stretch.
"Any way you look at it we're going at Oklahoma."
The Raiders took the Patriot League crown by downing Lehigh 2-0 and 1-0 on the road behind the pitching of senior Kesley Nordstrom. The double shutout was impressive as Lehigh hadn't been blanked in 21 straight games. Nordstrom has been recruited by a team in Germany to pitch after her collegiate career ends.
Colgate had been previously crushed 14-1 in the first game of a doubleheader loss at Lehigh April 29. But the games were originally scheduled to be played at Colgate. However, the Colgate field was unplayable, and the games were switched to Lehigh at the last minute. The Raiders don't benefit from many home games anyway because of the snow in Hamilton, N.Y.
Oklahoma has pounded out 68 homers this season, 27 more than the second highest in the regional (Long Island, 41). UMass has 35. The Sooners have a .334 batting average with the Minutewomen next best at .307. UMass has held opponents to the lowest batting average of any team in the regional at .196.