(SB) Ongoing UF Softball Commentary

Maybe we should start a Go Fund Me for MCB51.

 

For the past few years ESPN+ has carried all postseason games in all sports. If you don't have one of the main channels you can see it on ESPN+ if you have it.

 

I think we are “griffin lucky!”

 

You are so stubborn; you wouldn't watch it if we bought it.

 

Yea.. ESPN+. it only buffers 15-20 times per game. And yes gators have been one the + several times, No, it is not my att&t internet.

 

You and mcb could split costs. One of you would just have to mail the other a two dollar check, lol.

I didn’t buy it before and don’t think I would buy it yet either. Luckily my bro doesn’t have a package with espn/sec/etc, but does have espn+ so we just traded passwords. I don’t know what the screen limit is, but we don’t watch the same stuff so hardly ever a conflict that prevents one of us from watching what we want.

 

Softball America Regional rankings in toughness:
The 2025 NCAA Division I College Softball Tournament is here. Brady Vernon ranks all 16 regionals from hardest to easiest. What hosts will need to earn their way to a Super Regional?

1. Baton Rouge
(10) LSU
Nebraska
UConn
Southeastern Louisiana

We knew that whatever host that got Jordy Bahl and Nebraska was going to be given a tough draw, but the Tigers have one of the toughest regionals in recent memory. Bahl is a problem in herself. UConn, the Big East champ, can swing with the best of them. Grace Jenkins has hit 19 doubles and 21 home runs. Southeastern Louisiana arguably gets underseeded as a four-seed because of being within 400 miles of LSU. The Southland champion gave the Tigers a hard time back in February when LSU had a walk-off win.

2. Tuscaloosa
(15) Alabama
Virginia Tech
Belmont
Jackson State

The Tide certainly got a regional to match the 15 seed. Alabama and Virginia Tech split their matchups early in the season. However, Cori McMillan and her nation-leading 30 home runs shouldn’t be on anyone’s wishlist. Neither is Maya Johnson, the Belmont ace, who leads the country with 343 strikeouts. Alabama has played better in the second half of the season, but still has a couple of strong teams.

3. Columbia
(8) South Carolina
Virginia
North Florida
Elon

South Carolina and Virginia had a pair of battles to open the season. Virginia is a scrappy team with a red-hot Jade Hylton at the plate. The Hoos have a much deeper lineup this season and have a fun bullpen using Eden Bigham as a closer at times. North Florida has their own full bullpen led by Allison Benning, who also leads the team

4. Durham
(14) Duke
Georgia
Coastal Carolina
Howard

The Blue Devils were likely to have another date with the Bulldogs, a regional pairing we’ve seen before. Georgia isn’t as strong as past years, but has won plenty of games against top-tier SEC opponents and have a strong offense, especially against what might be a shorthanded Duke pitching staff. Speaking of big bats, Coastal Carolina’s Georgia Hood, Keirstin Roose and Delaney Keith have all hit 15 or more home runs this season.

5. Los Angeles
(9) UCLA
Arizona State
San Diego State
UC Santa Barbara

The Bruins welcome familiar faces to Los Angeles. Arizona State did not play its former Pac-12 foe this season, but reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Megan Bartlett. Kenzie Brown is every offense’s worst nightmare this season. San Diego State has had a bit of a rollercoaster season after a great Clearwater event and odd regular season in the Mountain West, nevertheless, they’re the same Aztecs culture that won the Los Angeles regional a few years ago.

6. Tucson
(13) Arizona
Ole Miss
GCU
Santa Clara

Ole Miss finds itself out west again, which happens when you don’t have many drivable campuses within a 400-mile radius. Anyway, the Rebels have figured things out in the circle, relying on Bri Lopez and her changeup. GCU has a strong pitching staff including Meghan Golden, Taryn Batterton and Maggie Place as well. If those arms can hold Arizona bats in check, then this could be a fun regional.

7. Knoxville
(7) Tennessee
Ohio State
North Carolina
Miami

The Lady Vols might need to use Karlyn Pickens more than they had hoped to in the regionals. Ohio State, of course, leads the nation in home runs – 34 more than anyone else – under Kirin Kumar. Her former school, Miami, still has plenty of power, such as Jenna Golembiewski. North Carolina has its own great offense as Kat Rodriguez leads the nation with 83 RBIs. Can they produce against Pickens? That’s another story.

8. Fayetteville
(4) Arkansas
Oklahoma State
Indiana
Saint Louis

Could Oklahoma State finally turn it on? Sure but the offense has struggled all season long against quality pitching. Whether it be Robyn Herron or Payton Burnham, it’s hard to believe in the Cowgirl bats even if Ruby Meylan is in the circle. Indiana has swung the bat well, especially with Taylor Minnick leading the way, but Indiana is pitching to the Arkansas lineup at Bogle Park, which sounds like a nightmare.

9. Lubbock
(12) Texas Tech
Mississippi State
Washington
Brown

Mississippi State beat Texas Tech back in opening week with Raelin Chaffin outlasting NiJaree Canady. However, Chaffin isn’t in the same form that she was in back in February and she likely has to throw the first game against Washington. The Huskies have had a better season than we thought, but struggled against better competition.


10. Austin
(6) Texas
UCF
Michigan
Eastern Illinois

UCF and Michigan have similarities. The Knights and Wolverines have offenses that go hot and cold. Meanwhile, their respective pitching combinations of Isabella Vega and Kaitlyn Felton, Lauren Derkowski and Erin Hoehn can find fire as the Michigan duo did during the Big Ten Tournament. However, the Texas lineup has had to face plenty of aces in the SEC. The Longhorns would be in more trouble against a scarier offense.

11. Gainesville
(3) Florida
FAU
Georgia Tech
Mercer

Similar to Texas, if there were a better offense in this regional, it’d be higher. FAU has the pitching staff to compete against the Gators, but it’s not the Florida bats that should be concerning. Georgia Tech started the season off strong, but has not found consistency in the circle, making it tough to see them pulling off an upset here.

12. Tallahassee
(5) Florida State
Auburn
USF
Robert Morris

The Noles should be fine in this regional. Auburn has had too many pitching woes this season for the Florida State offense not to find success. USF has a fun group, but Florida State has been one of the best teams all season long.

13. Norman
(2) Oklahoma
Cal
Omaha
Boston U.

Oklahoma basically gets the matchup LSU had last season with Cal and Maddia Groff, who was at SIU and now leading her hometown Omaha team. The Sooners have had their share of secondary pitching struggles, but the bats should be able to handle Cal’s pitching staff. Even if they face Groff, it’d likely be a second straight day with Sam Landry in the circle.

14. Clemson
(11) Clemson
Kentucky
Northwestern
USC Upstate

Clemson hosts two teams that were part of the last group in the field. Kentucky has struggled the second half of the season, and if the Wildcats weren’t an SEC team, they probably wouldn’t be in the tournament. Northwestern is the lowest RPI at-large to make the field in the past four tournaments. The Wildcats just won a series at UCLA but also fell to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament. The youthful Tigers still need to prove themselves, but they are playing well enough to breeze by this group.

15. Eugene
(16) Oregon
Stanford
Binghamton
Weber State

The Ducks were a surprise host based on the metrics. However, Oregon’s regional might be even more shocking. Stanford has been a solid team, flipping the script this season, led by an explosive offense with Taryn Kern and Jade Berry. Meanwhile, Binghamton has had a strong season but generally we see Power Four three seeds for the last slotted host.

16. College Station
(1) Texas A&M
Liberty
Marist
Saint Francis

The Aggies got a regional that a top overall seed should probably get. Liberty is a good team but has struggled against ranked Power Four teams this season. The Flames are a suitable two-seed. Marist has had a great season and has a strong offense led by Miah McDonald and Maddie Pleasants, who have each hit 20-plus home runs.

 

We have been on ESPN+ many times but ONLY when playing away from KSP at a non-SEC school.

 

Someone please explain to me why USF, UCF, and North Florida were sent to regionals farther away than Gainesville. Is it because they played the Gators in the regular season?

 

I feel like the last couple of regionals we've had at home, some of the games were on ESPN+

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

Going to give you more of my useless information. Gators have played this year against 17 teams that have made the NCAA tournament with a winning record of 24 & 14. Go Gators.

 

Last few years baseball and softball tourney’s seemed to put pretty much everything that wasn’t on normal tv on espn+. Some of the sec games were on sec+ and espn+.

 

USF went to Tally, about the same. FAU and UCF are both 2 seeds, we got the lesser 2 as we should have. UNF could have been our 3 seed but sending them to Columba makes sense too

 

Just for the heck of it, here are the channel lineups for SEC teams on Friday. SEC Network: A&M, Tennessee, LSU. ESPN2: Mississippi State. ESPNU: Oklahoma, Auburn, Ole Miss. ESPN+: UF, Arky, Texas, USC, UK, UGA, and Bama.

 

NCAA Softball video review of the tournament brackets.