In Reply to: Did I say Oklahoma State? posted by lafong on May 31, 2024 at 04:34:47
wasn't Tinsley's absence due to her tendonitis? I thought it was. She missed two weeks, then appeared to shut down opponents in the final inning of two games in the conference tournament. And she's done well - albeit with a few troubling moments tossed in, being human - since.
Recalling Maya Brady's comments, the team seems to think of Terry and Tinsley as a tag team pair - both effective and each there for the other as needed. I was thinking that if Terry started game one then Tinsley would go in game two HOWEVER Tinsley pitched extensively in relief in game one so once again I'd go with you and guess that Terry starts again - but - as said - could easily be the other way around.
Maybe will depend on how they do in practice and how they are feeling tomorrow morning.
General wisdom would indeed have OK State up there in the top four but Florida and Oklahoma State seem very close in my eyes. Oklahoma and then Texas for sure. Recall a pre-series analysis on college sports (Serius radio) in which their guest expert listed them that way - on top Oklahoma, a step down to Texas, a couple steps down below that to four teams which included UCLA, Oklahoma State, Florida and I think his fourth was Tennessee - which lost to Alabama in an incredible Super Regional. He thought those four were very, very close to one another.
We may well be the top of those four now but (A) it's very close and (B) Oklahoma and Texas are very, very scary and certainly operating at a different level than everyone else.
Oklahoma's pitching is not up to what it has been the last three years but their hitting is amazing. And Texas in my opinion is close to them - would be dominant were Oklahoma not there. Those two teams - and especially Oklahoma - feel like a barrage of home runs just waiting to fall on each opponent. We seem like SOME big hits just waiting to happen but three or four runs whereas Texas seems like 7 and Oklahoma 9....
Agree totally - great year for the Bruins. IMO pitching is building and by next year will be as good as any in the country - with an added year behind Tinsley and Terry and the addition of next year's star freshman pitcher. Hitting - Brady and Palacios are best of the best but Grant and Woolery are a year away. Just slightly mis-matched there - give Brady and Palacios one more year and we're pre-season #1 or 2 imo. But that's not how it works. A couple transfer hitters and we'll be terrific next year.
As it is, we have a shot. By Coach Wooden's standards, this team has been enormously successful - it has achieved its potential and is prepared to give its best when its best is required. As in now. Oklahoma and Texas may be a step beyond what is possible for us - but they're going to have to prove it. And at our best...