Wednesday May 7th
Game # 1: # 6 Western Oregon 9,# 3 Cal State Monterey Bay 1 (5 innings, mercy rule)
Game # 2: # 2 Cal State Stanislaus 4, # 7 Seattle 0
Game # 3: # 5 Cal State Dominguez Hills 6, # 4 UC San Diego 4
Game # 4: # 8 Cal State San Bernardino 10, # 1 Humboldt State 1 (6 innings, mercy rule)

Thursday May 8th
Game # 5: # 7 Seattle 4, # 3 Cal State Monterey Bay 2 (Cal State Monterey Bay eliminated)
Game # 6: # 1 Humboldt State 3, # 4 UC San Diego 1 (UC San Diego eliminated)
Game # 7: # 6 Western Oregon 4, # 2 Cal State Stanislaus 0
Game # 8: # 5 Cal State Dominguez Hills 4, # 8 Cal State San Bernardino 2

Friday May 9th
Game # 9: # 1 Humboldt State 9, # 2 Cal State Stanislaus 2 (8 innings) (Cal State Stanislaus eliminated)
Game # 10: # 8 Cal State San Bernardino 10, # 7 Seattle 8 (Seattle eliminated)
Game # 11: # 6 Western Oregon 7, # 5 Cal State Dominguez Hills 0
Game # 12: # 1 Humboldt State 5, # 8 Cal State San Bernardino 1 (Cal State San Bernardino eliminated)

Saturday May 10th
Game # 13: # 1 Humboldt State 8, # 5 Cal State Dominguez Hills 1 (Cal State Dominguez Hills eliminated)
Game # 14: # 1 Humboldt State 1, # 6 Western Oregon 0 (Both teams now with one loss each.)

Sunday May 11th
Game # 15: # 1 Humboldt State 9, # 6 Western Oregon 0 (6 innings, mercy rule (Championship Game) (Humboldt State advances to the National Tournament in Houston, Texas)

Game # 15 will be played if both teams after Game # 14 have one loss in the tournament.

Discussion is now open in regards to this topic.

[ May 11, 2008 05:18 PM: Message edited by: Humboldt Super Fan ]

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Go Jacks!!!

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Grand Canyon's coach Scott Mossman on Humboldt hosting the regional: “We’ve been treated like kings the whole time we’ve been here. Everywhere we went it was like a first-class operation. I wish the tournament was here every year. This is a college basketball atmosphere.”

"Its cute how they have Pack the Gym night. Up here, we just call that Saturday." - PosseBoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocV5bGHdYag

I'll say this bluntly. This team was mentally beat in the fifth inning. It was 3-1 San Bernardino at the time. Then, a base hit made it 5-1 and the beat down was on at that time.

Let's be serious right now. The Lady Jacks better kick it into a higher gear quickly or you could see me looking for a tee time at either Beau Pre or Eureka Muni on Friday. That was one of the worst games I've ever seen or heard in my lifetime. Right now, they are playing not to lose. When a team does that, guess what, you lose.

Right now, here are the keys to the game for the game against Cal State Stanislaus.

Heading into the next round of the West Regional Championships, the Humboldt State softball will take on Cal State Stanislaus in the first game of the day. Before the tournament started, it looked like these two teams would be on a collision course that would have ended in the championship game. Now, the top two seeds coming into the West Regional are facing off a day earlier in an elimination game. On paper, the series has been one sided since 2005 as Humboldt State is 15-2 against Cal State Stanislaus which includes a 12 game winning streak by the Lady Jacks in the series. The last win that the Warriors have over the Lady Jacks was in the Best of the West Tournament back in February 2007 when Cal State Stanislaus beat Humboldt State 3-0.

Let’s look at some important players to watch for Cal State Stanislaus. The leading hitter on the team is Meghan Franksen, who is hitting at a .327 average with 6 home runs and 23 runs batted in. Franksen is the co-leader on the team in home runs with Casey Stephenson. Looking at action from yesterday’s game, it could look like that Jessica Gaumnitz will be the starter in this game against the Lady Jacks. Gaumnitz is the ace of the staff with an 18-9 record, 119 strikeouts and 1.79 ERA this season. Opponents have gotten some hits against the Warrior’ ace as they have a batting average of .209 this season. This has the making of a great game.

Now it’s time for the keys to the game.

1. It’s time for the offense to shine. In four postseason games, the Lady Jacks have scored ten runs in those games. The Lady Jacks need to break out of this offense rut at some point. Caitlin Klug and Natalie Gallety each got a hit in the win over UC San Diego, but I think it’s time for both of them to get some clutch hits in this game. The Lady Jacks need an offensive outburst from both Klug and Gallety if they are to make a deep run in the regional. I think it could start in this game. If it does, the Lady Jacks will have a great shot to win this game.

2. Defense, defense, defense. There have been some mental lapses on the defensive end by the Lady Jacks in the last couple of weeks. That needs to stop at some point. Another footnote to add on this point, Cal State Stanislaus had a rough game in the field against Western Oregon as the Warriors committed three errors in the loss yesterday. So, anything can happen in the field. Whoever plays the best defense, that team will win and advance in the tournament.

3. Don’t take Stanislaus lightly. I did mention that Humboldt is 17-2 in the last 19 games against Cal State Stanislaus. However, there are two more nuggets to add to this point. First, Cal State Stanislaus is the defending regional champion. They will go down fighting to the end. Lastly, the Lady Jacks need to remember that despite having a great record against this team in the last four years, all the Warriors need is one win to ruin the Lady Jacks shot at a regional title. That did occur once before back in 2000 when Cal State Stanislaus ended Humboldt’s shot at back to back national championship with a 2-1 win in the second regional semifinal game that was played at the Arcata Sports Complex. Humboldt needs to play hard from the first pitch of the game to the final out of the game.

Then, in the nightcap, Humboldt State was able to capitalize on six errors committed by Cal State San Bernardino as the Lady Jacks won that game 5-1 to advance to today's game against Cal State Dominguez Hills at 11:00 AM. If they win that game, they will play Western Oregon at 1:30 PM in the first championship game. If Western Oregon wins that game, they will win the West Regional championship for the first time in the program's history. If the Wolves lose that game, then it will be a winner take all game on Sunday at a time to be announced later today.

In the first game, the Lady Jacks scored five runs in the seventh to break open a close game in route to an 8-1 win. Ashley Oltjenbruns delivered the big hit in the seventh with a three run homer to left center on the first pitch of her bat. Lizzy Prescott continues to carry the Lady Jacks on the mound with 7 strikeout performance and holding the Toros to 2 hits in the win.

Then, in the second game, it was Humboldt State prevail in a pitching duel 1-0 over Western Oregon. Again, it was Oltjenbruns driving in the only run of the game in this contest. Prescott was dominant in the circle in this game holding the Wolves, who outscored their three prior opponents 20-1, to just four hits in the game while striking out nine in the win.

Again, tomorrow will be the championship game between Western Oregon and Humboldt State. The winner advances to the Division II Softball World Series in Houston, Texas. First pitch is set for 11:00 AM. The pregame show will be on ESPN Radio 1340 AM at 10:45 AM and broadcasted on the Internet at www.hsujacks.com .

Looking ahead to the West Regional Championship Game, these are games that define a player for years to come. Some players step up and make a name for themselves, while other players don’t and they think about what might it been if they did this or if they did that. Well, in a two and a half hour period of time on Sunday, Humboldt State and Western Oregon will compete in the 2008 West Regional Championship Game with the winner advancing to the Division II Softball National Championships in Houston, Texas. That tournament starts on Wednesday.

We talked about the style of play that Western Oregon uses. We talked about the key players on the Wolves. In this installment, let’s look at possible adjustments that both teams could make in this title game.

For Western Oregon, they need to relax. The Wolves looked like a team that was in the championship game for the first time. Their first three hitters in the game were nervous and amp up. I saw Coach Pam Knox trying to tell her players to relax at the plate in the first inning. That is when I thought Humboldt State was going to win that game. I think Western Oregon treated the game on Saturday as if it was a game that would define the program in the years to come. I guarantee that Coach Knox is telling her players to relax and get ready for the next game.

For Humboldt State, they need to find a way to get the hits they need to break the game open. The Lady Jacks did a great job in the first inning to put some pressure on Katie Fleer. The tall Western Oregon pitcher was on the defensive in the first inning, but she kept her team in the game. The Lady Jacks could not string two to three hits in a row in order to generate runs across the plate. I think that could be a result of being a little impatience at the plate. If the Lady Jacks could find a way to look for their pitch to hit, I think the Wolves could be in trouble.

Now for the keys to the Championship Game:

1. Look for the Unsung Hero. In a lot of championship game, typically the hero is someone we have heard a lot from either in the tournament or during the season. I know this is in a different sport, but when Warren Morris hit that home run to give LSU the national championship over Miami (FL) in the College World Series, he became a household name. When Taiisha Pleasant hit that home run in the 1999 West Regional Championship Game, she became a Humboldt State legend as that home run won the West Region that year and led the Lady Jacks to their only national championship in the program’s history. The Lady Jacks need to find that unsung hero in this game if they want to win their fifth regional championship.

I think Caitlin Klug could be the unsung hero in this game. Klug is 3 for 20 in the West Regional with 1 run scored and 1 stolen base. She has zero RBIs in the tournament. During the season, Klug has 6 home runs and 36 runs batted in. If she gets the bat going in this game, Caitlin could be a part of HSU softball lore for years to come.

2. Strong defense. As we have seen or heard in Humboldt’s battle through the loser bracket, the Lady Jacks’ opponents were the team that struggle defensive. The end result was the same in each instance as the Lady Jacks advanced and their opponent went home. Even though there was an error in the fifth by the Lady Jacks, Lizzy Prescott was able to bail out the defense with a big strikeout in the fifth. It’s part of that bend but don’t break approach that has worked for Humboldt in their quest to reach the title game. If Humboldt’s defense plays well, they will win.

3. Avoid the low pitch and figure out the strike zone. In Saturday’s game, Katie Fleer was throwing a lot of low pitches in order to get the Lady Jacks to chase. Humboldt needs to lay off those pitches and make Katie Fleer to throw the pitch a little bit higher where it could be hit. Also, the Lady Jacks need to figure strike zone in this game. It’s been a little unpredictable in the tournament. There could be a possibility of a wide strike zone tomorrow as it depends on who is at home plate. When they figure out the zone, it’s important to adjust quickly. The team that can figure out the strike zone, that team will be going to Houston this week.

Prediction: When I look at this game, I think a lot people who could be listening to this game in this country will be pulling for Western Oregon, due to the national exposure that they have gotten the last couple of weeks. Humboldt State needs to just focus on the nine players in the field. Those are players that matter in this game. Overall, these are the two best teams in the West this year and I’m not surprised that it’s coming down to one game to decide the championship. As I make this pick, I want to make this point. Typically these championship games are decided based on the experience of being in the situation before. For Western Oregon, this is their first trip to the championship game. For Humboldt State, Coach Frank Cheek have been there, done that. That experience gives Humboldt the slight edge in this game. Based on that, I’m picking Humboldt State to win their fifth regional championship over Western Oregon 3-2.

Footnote to Mention on the Game: I need to add a couple of nuggets for this game. If Lizzy Prescott gets the win in this game, she will tie the school record for wins in a career at 128 which is held by Jessame Kendall. That mark is second all time for wins in Division II softball history.

With six more strikeouts, Prescott would become the eighth Division II pitcher to record 400 strikeouts in a season. Lizzy Prescott could have company in the 400 strikeout club this year. Marjorie Johnson from Southeastern Oklahoma State is at 383 strikeouts this year heading into her next game against St. Edward’s which will be for the South Central Regional title on Sunday. Kristin Erb from Lock Haven is at 379 strikeouts on the season as her team will be in the finals in the Mid Atlantic Region on Sunday. Based on those numbers, Prescott has a shot to be the eighth pitcher to 400 strikeouts in a season.

Now it's off to Houston to play Lock Haven, a team w/ freakish stats. We're used to Humboldt having video game like stats, but Lock Haven puts HSU away. Compare the two...

Lock Haven Softball stats

Humboldt State stats

They're both impressive. What's amazing is the # of shutouts Lock Haven has thrown. Either they're incredibly good or their conference and region sucks. I'm guessing it's a combination of both. I'm sure my man Super Fan will do some research to confirm my theory.

2008 NCAA Softball Championship (All Times are PDT)
Wednesday May 14th
Game # 1: Barry (44-6) vs. St. Edward's (51-14) 8:00 AM
Game # 2: Ferris State (34-16) vs. Francis Marion (38-14) 10:30 AM
Game # 3: Humboldt State (53-18) vs. Lock Haven (47-6) 1:00 PM
Game # 4: C.W. Post (48-14) vs. Emporia State (44-15) 3:30 PM

Thursday May 15th
Game # 5: Loser of Game # 1 vs. Loser of Game # 2 8:00 AM (Loser Eliminated)
Game # 6: Loser of Game # 3 vs. Loser of Game # 4 10:30 AM (Loser Eliminated)
Game # 7: Winner of Game # 1 vs. Winner of Game # 2 1:00 PM
Game # 8: Winner of Game # 3 vs. Winner of Game # 4 3:30 PM

Friday May 16th
Game # 9: Winner of Game # 5 vs. Loser of Game # 8 8:00 AM (Loser eliminated)
Game # 10: Winner of Game # 6 vs. Loser of Game # 7 10:30 AM (Loser eliminated)
Game # 11: Winner of Game # 7 vs. Winner of Game # 9 1:00 PM
Game # 12: Winner of Game # 8 vs. Winner of Game # 10 3:30 PM

Lock Haven got a pitcher who could set a lot of Division II career records when her career ends next year. Kristin Erb is 41-6 on the season with a 0.24 ERA and 386 strikeouts. Erb has pitched 315.1 innings and have allowed 139 hits and 17 walks this year. Opponents have hit at .129 average this year against Erb. She is most likely the best pitcher in Division II softball today.

Offensively, this team sort of reminds me of Cal State San Bernardino in many ways. Lock Haven has 70 doubles and 58 home runs as a team. The top hitters to watch are Sarah Norris (.359 average, 16 HR, and 41 RBI) and Amanda Roosa (.355 average, 13 HR, and 59 RBI). Based on this information, I think it was beneficial that Humboldt State played against a team like San Bernardino. I really feel those games could help develop a game plan to use against Lock Haven.

I've been watching the HSU softball team for three years now, and only 12 hours before her final appearance on the Humboldt State softball diamond, did I actually realize how amazing Lizzy Prescott is.

Don't get me wrong. I knew she was special from the start. But after I got an e-mail Saturday night from Gary “Superfan” Batini that mentioned a couple of pretty impressive numbers, I got bit by the stat bug and began doing some research.

There were two stats that Batini alerted me to. With her 128th career win on Sunday, Prescott tied Jessame Kendall for the most in Humboldt State's illustrious history and the second most in Division II history. The second was that going into Sunday, Prescott was six strikeouts away from becoming just the eighth pitcher in Division II history to record 400 strikeouts in a season.

She recorded exactly six strikeouts on Sunday.

But I wanted to know where Prescott ranked in other stats, and I was blown away by what I learned. Prescott ranks in the top 10 in Division II history in at least nine single-season and career pitching categories.

Prescott leads the nation in wins (45), appearances (59), starts (52), innings pitched (369) and strikeouts (400) this season, and each of those numbers is amongst the top eight all-time for a single season. Her career numbers in all those categories except for starts are also in the top 10 all-time.

Now, after one of the greatest single-season performances of all-time, she and her team are headed to Houston to play for the national championship.
”It's a great opportunity,” she said. “My goal for the past three years was to go to nationals and win nationals, but this year, I just took it one game at a time -- win this doubleheader, win this doubleheader, win regionals. And now we're going to nationals.”

In a year like this, Prescott couldn't have looked at it any other way, lest she get overwhelmed. As the number of innings she threw skyrocketed, many observers, myself included, wondered if she would run out of gas. And in the CCAA Tournament and the first game of the Regional, it appeared maybe she had.

But those thoughts have been completely erased. Prescott got stronger the further the Jacks went into the tournament. She allowed just three earned runs in their six wins, and after shutting out Western Oregon twice as the Jacks claimed their first West Region championship since 2001, she hasn't allowed an earned run in 22 innings.

”I rode Kendall into the ground and she's better for it,” said head coach Frank Cheek. “I rode Lizzy into the ground and I think she's better for it. And I knew this moment would come.

”But you know what, the players have to buy into it. Sometimes the parents don't understand it ... but Lizzy bought into it this year, and did everything we asked of her. She's a warrior.”

And she's a warrior that thrives on competition.

”I think she likes being in the moment, the competition of the moment, and when the moment's over, she's on to other things,” said her father, Tony Prescott. “I don't know how else to say it. She loves the individual battles that she has from the pitching circle. And she always has.”

Said third baseman Francesca West, her roommate for three years: “She just goes up there and gives it her all. She presents herself with such ease and such poise that it just comes natural to her.”

Watching her for possibly the last time on Sunday, that was more than evident, as Prescott kept the same composed demeanor no matter what the situation. Even when she seemed to lose command of the strike zone briefly in the fifth and sixth innings, throwing several pitches way high and walking three batters, she never panicked. After her third walk in two innings, Prescott came back like a true warrior to ring up her counterpart, Katie Fleer, for that 400th strikeout.

It was an amazing thing to watch, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to be around such a great player and a great team this season.