New NCAA softball playoff format in 2005.

[PhiI C]

As I understand it, the playoffs will be similar to baseball now. There will still be 64 teams chosen for the playoffs and they will meet at 16 sites of 4 teams each. The teams will play double elimination with the 16 winners advancing to a super regional which will be at 8 sites with 2 teams each. These teams will play the best two out of three games. The final 8 teams advance to the finals and will be divided into 2 brackets of 4 teams each. The brackets will play double elimination with the 2 survivors meeting for a championship series which will be decided by the best two out of three games.

The team with several good pitchers may have an advantage even though I am not sure it is as big the advantage as baseball.

[sahen]

maybe this year my lady bears can get past the 1st round....they got beat out by the LSU girls last year in extra innings in the finals of the 1st round.....of course LSU went on to loose in the championship game...

[texasjeremy]

Originally posted by sahen
maybe this year my lady bears can get past the 1st round....they got beat out by the LSU girls last year in extra innings in the finals of the 1st round.....of course LSU went on to loose in the championship game...

Well, not quite, Sahan. We hosted a regional last year and beat North Carolina and Illinois, before losing to LSU and Illinois. Illinois is actually the team that knocked us out.

[texasjeremy]

WACO, Texas --Returning seven starters and two pitchers, the Baylor softball team has earned a pair of high preseason rankings in polls released Thursday. In a vote by league coaches, the Lady Bears have been tabbed to finish fourth in the Big 12 Conference the conference office announced. In addition, Baylor has been ranked No. 17 in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25.

Texas is the Big 12 softball coaches' preseason favorite to win the league title this season. The Longhorns, with 77 points, received six of the possible 10 first-place votes to edge out Oklahoma, which tallied four first-place votes and 75 points. Texas A&M (61 pts.) ranked third followed by Baylor (fourth - 58 pts.), Nebraska (fifth - 48 pts.), Missouri (sixth - 43 pts.), Oklahoma State (seventh - 32 pts.), Kansas (eighth - 24 pts.), Texas Tech (ninth - 20 pts.) and Iowa State (10th -12 pts).

It is the highest Baylor has been picked in the preseason poll since 2002, when the Lady Bears were picked to finish fourth in the conference. The fourth-place preseason selection ties the 2002 squad for the highest predicted league finish in school history.





Baylor's No. 17 preseason ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 is the highest ranking for the Lady Bears in school history, surpassing the No. 18 ranking the Lady Bears currently hold in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll.

California, which only lost one player from last year's national runner-up team, is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 poll released by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Oklahoma (No. 4), Texas (No. 15) and Nebraska (No. 18) join the Lady Bears in the rankings as Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Kansas also earned preseason top 25 votes.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll is voted on by 30 NCAA Division I coaches, representing each conference. The first regular season poll will be released on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

Baylor returns seven starters, including all-conference selections Carrie Leerberg, Kelly Osburn and Harmony Schwethelm, as well as both pitchers, Lisa Ferguson and Cristin Vitek, from last year's squad that became the first in school history to qualify for the NCAA Softball Championships.

Baylor opens the season when the Lady Bears host Louisiana-Monroe on Friday, Feb. 4, at 2:30 p.m. to open the Getterman Classic. Illinois, ranked No. 22 in the preseason poll, and Centenary round out the four-team field for the fourth annual Getterman Classic.

2005 Big 12 Conference Softball Preseason Coaches Poll


Team (first-place votes)
1. Texas (6) 77
2. Oklahoma (4) 75
3. Texas A&M 61
4. Baylor 58
5. Nebraska 48
6. Missouri 43
7. Oklahoma State 32
8. Kansas 24
9. Texas Tech 20
10. Iowa State 12


**Points were awarded nine for first, eight for second, etc.**

USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll


1. California (14)
2. UCLA (12)
3. Arizona (4)
4. Oklahoma
5. LSU
6. Stanford
7. Georgia
8. Michigan
9. Louisiana-Lafayette
10. Florida State
11. Washington
12. Alabama
13. Oregon
14. Tennessee
15. Texas
16. Oregon State
17. Baylor
18. Nebraska
19. Fresno State
20. Long Beach State
21. South Florida
22. Illinois
23. Georgia Tech
24. Southern Illinois
25. Hofstra

[sahen]

yah i forgot that...i always looked at it like LSU knocked us out because after that game went into extras we lost our pitching...due to all the extra inning games played earlier in the regional....

and do you find it funny that A&M and OU r picked to finish above both baylor and nebraska in teh big 12 yet they are not inthe top 25 while baylor and nebraska are....i love preseason polls...lol

[Astrosdawg07]

GO LADY HORNS

[Old Cardinal]

I guess every one can make a poll---I would put Louisiana Lafayette as #1 nationwide. Down on the coast they are affectionately called " LA-LA". They have the talent to win it all for the next two years.

[sahen]

Originally posted by Old Cardinal
I guess every one can make a poll---I would put Louisiana Lafayette as #1 nationwide. Down on the coast they are affectionately called " LA-LA". They have the talent to win it all for the next two years.
i seriously doubt the rajun cajuns will take out the west coast powers....don't get me wrong i hope some one does, LSU had a great chance last year but came up short, but until they do i dont think anyone really deserves to be ranked above their softball teams...