How Special Was That Early Softball Win Over ULL?

[FirefightnRick]

Just to follow up on what I posted HERE  2 1/2 month’s ago about our win over ULL and Trautwein outdueling their local phenom pitcher Summer Ellyson.

Ellyson finished the regular season as the nation’s win leader with a record of 34-4.

 She pitched 228.2 innings and ranked 5th overal in era with an Earned Run Average of .98. THATS POINT NINE EIGHT!!!

 Her 228 innings pitched far exceeds the other four ranked ahead of her in era.

With an overall record of 46-4 Softball America has the Cajuns ranked 5th overall.  

So as I claimed then and still claim now....she is THE top pitcher in the nation and that remains one of our best wins in program history.  I’m proud that North Texas was one of only four programs to beat her this year, plating four runs against her in four innings.

If we could get back that kind of groove in the post conference tourney we could be in for a nice run.

 

Rick

Edited May 7, 2019 by FirefightnRick

[gangrene]

Not to take anything away from UNT, Ellyson, ULL's impressive 46-4 record or your post, but....I'm not all that impressed with their resume. They have a pair of wins over Baylor and beat La. Tech, while getting run ruled by OU. We lost to Baylor but beat Texas A & M and also got run-ruled by OU. We lost to Kent State 6-0, while ULL beat them 21-5. They also had a win against a ranked Oregon State team.

I'm being a little tongue in cheek, but their schedule isn't exactly full of wins over ranked opponents. They did make the most of it with a 46-4 record.

ULL should get to host a regional and I would love for UNT to win the CUSA automatic bid and play in Lafayette. 

[Salsa_Verde]

Louisiana is a good program every year. They get recruits that end up being All-Americans, they make deep runs in the tournament every year. It’s a quality win. The Sun Belt boasts a slightly better softball conference overall. I do not want the softball team to be served up as a sacrificial lamb in Lafayette. It would be the worst matchup. 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Salsa_Verde

[FirefightnRick]

11 hours ago, gangrene said:

Not to take anything away from UNT, Ellyson, ULL's impressive 46-4 record or your post, but....I'm not all that impressed with their resume. They have a pair of wins over Baylor and beat La. Tech, while getting run ruled by OU. We lost to Baylor but beat Texas A & M and also got run-ruled by OU. We lost to Kent State 6-0, while ULL beat them 21-5. They also had a win against a ranked Oregon State team.

I'm being a little tongue in cheek, but their schedule isn't exactly full of wins over ranked opponents. They did make the most of it with a 46-4 record.

ULL should get to host a regional and I would love for UNT to win the CUSA automatic bid and play in Lafayette. 

 

I hear what your saying but I’ll counter a little with this.

ULL easily swept Cal early in the season.    Cal isn’t dominant in the PAC 12 right now but they were in nearly every conference game this season, a conference packed full of mega power programs you’ll see on ESPN all across the tournament very soon..

The OU loss came the same day and followed ULL’s run-rule win over a ranked #23 Oregon State team in which Ellyson pitched a 5-inning one hitter.  Then,....she was asked to turn around the same day and pitch against probably the greatest softball team in the world,...on a field where OU hasn’t lost in over two years I think?  Ellyson pitched one inning that game giving up 3 runs and was pulled.  Two other pitchers gave up the other 6 runs to OU that day.

Then ULL went on to beat La Tech fairly easy and sweep their conference, including easily brushing aside UTA in three straight, the same UTA team that beat us 2 out of three games this season.

And speaking of the Sunbelt, yeah, it’s not the PAC 12, Big 12 or SEC.  But consider that in our 10 year run in the Sunbelt we managed to eek out a winning conference record in only 3 of those 10 seasons. ULL has dominated that conference for many years including this year as well. 

Through it all in 228 innings in 38 games Ellyson managed below a 1 era.  

I guess it’s just me but holding 38 teams below a 1 era seems near impossible to accomplish, ....yet we beat her and are one of only 4 teams to do so.

 

Rick

Edited May 7, 2019 by FirefightnRick

[UNTLifer]

ULL, for whatever reason (coaching I believe), has been a national power in softball for a number of years.  It was/is a quality win.

[gangrene]

8 hours ago, FirefightnRick said:

 

I hear what your saying but I’ll counter a little with this.

ULL easily swept Cal early in the season.    Cal isn’t dominant in the PAC 12 right now but they were in nearly every conference game this season, a conference packed full of mega power programs you’ll see on ESPN all across the tournament very soon..

The OU loss came the same day and followed ULL’s run-rule win over a ranked #23 Oregon State team in which Ellyson pitched a 5-inning one hitter.  Then,....she was asked to turn around the same day and pitch against probably the greatest softball team in the world,...on a field where OU hasn’t lost in over two years I think?  Ellyson pitched one inning that game giving up 3 runs and was pulled.  Two other pitchers gave up the other 6 runs to OU that day.

Then ULL went on to beat La Tech fairly easy and sweep their conference, including easily brushing aside UTA in three straight, the same UTA team that beat us 2 out of three games this season.

And speaking of the Sunbelt, yeah, it’s not the PAC 12, Big 12 or SEC.  But consider that in our 10 year run in the Sunbelt we managed to eek out a winning conference record in only 3 of those 10 seasons. ULL has dominated that conference for many years including this year as well. 

Through it all in 228 innings in 38 games Ellyson managed below a 1 era.  

I guess it’s just me but holding 38 teams below a 1 era seems near impossible to accomplish, ....yet we beat her and are one of only 4 teams to do so.

 

Rick

 

I’m not going to fight you a whole lot on this, ULL has a great team and an elite pitcher, there’s no debating that.  And I didn’t completely dismiss their wins over a good UTA club either.  UTA lost to #1 UCLA 2-1, swept a 2-game series over Baylor and beat #13 Arkansas and #13 Okie State.  They also had 1-run loses to Texas and Texas A&M (both unranked at the time).  If UTA had a 46-4 record, I’d be much more impressed.  I wouldn’t be terribly shocked if UTA won the SBC tournament.

Still, if ULL takes care of business and wins the SBC tournament they deserve and should get awarded a regional.  That is certainly no guarantee (last year’s hosts were all major schools (9 SEC, 5 PAC 12, 1 ACC and 1 Big 12).  I stand firm in that I would rather go to a regional where we’ve already beaten the top seed than one with a top seed we haven’t even played this season.  So, great win?  Definitely, and the team knows they can beat them because they’ve already done it once.

But, I’m getting way ahead of myself and don’t want to jinx things.  We still need to win the CUSA tournament to even discuss potential regional host sites.   I’m not at all confident in our chances of getting an at-large bid, although I do believe the team has earned one.

 

[Mean Green Matt]

9 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

ULL, for whatever reason (coaching I believe), has been a national power in softball for a number of years.  It was/is a quality win.

It’s more than coaching. Good players want to play there. The most recent attendance figures I could find quickly is 2017. ULL was 5th nationally with nearly 2,000 per game.

They are relevant because fan support makes them relevant. It’s the same thing we could be doing for all of our teams but our fan base, in general, chooses not to. 

[Mean Green Matt]

5 hours ago, gangrene said:

I’m not at all confident in our chances of getting an at-large bid, although I do believe the team has earned one.

I actually disagree. We had a great year but not quite at large worthy. RPI in mid 50s is too low. The mid week losses to Southland teams hurt badly. 

Edit: corrected to RPI too low to get an at large. Not too high. 

Edited May 8, 2019 by Mean Green Matt