If You're Scared of Plants...

Game 4

[Posted on Sunday] Alabama defeated Louisiana Lafayette 3-1, to eliminate the Ragin' Cajuns. There was a long weather-related delay late Saturday night, during which I went to sleep. It's only from this article that I learned of the game's outcome. As it turned out, play didn't resume until after midnight local time.

Bama now goes against Arizona State. The undefeated Sun Devils need only win once to make the final championship series, whereas the Crimson Tide must beat ASU twice.

Game 3

Florida has eliminated UCLA, 2-0. This makes the SEC 2-for-2 in games today against the Pac 10 (see below for a summary of Alabama's win over Arizona).

Florida next will play Texas A&M on Sunday. The Aggies, undefeated in World Series play, only need a single win over the Gators to qualify for the final championship series. Florida, with one loss already, must beat A&M twice to make the finals.

Game 2

The Queen is dead! Long live the Queen!

We don't yet know who the new champion of college softball will be, but we know it will not be the 2006 and 2007 champion Arizona Wildcats. Thanks to a four-run explosion in the top of the sixth, the Alabama Crimson Tide has knocked off Arizona, 5-1. If I heard the ESPN announcers correctly, this is the first time Arizona has been eliminated in two games without a win, since 1990.

Bama will next face Louisiana Lafayette, in the second game of today's evening session (UCLA-Florida is first).

Game 1

Florida has just narrowly avoided the embarrassment of being both the first-seeded team in the tournament and the first team to go home. With Virginia Tech batting in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 0-0 game, the Hokies loaded the bases with none out. However, a ground-ball double-play (a force-out at home and then on to first base) and then a regular ground-out saved the Gators. In the top of the ninth, Florida then staged a two-out rally to score twice, and the 2-0 lead held up.

The Gators move on to face UCLA tonight, and the spectacular run of Angela Tincher and the Hokies comes to an end. The next game on tap features Arizona vs. Alabama.

Texas A&M captured tonight's opener, 2-1 over the University of Louisiana Lafayette (article). After the Ragin' Cajuns scored a run to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth, the Aggies responded with a tally in the top of the seventh that turned out to be the winning run. Given the Cajuns' tight games yesterday and today, I've made up an advertising slogan for them:

Never a (D)ULL Moment!

In the nightcap, Arizona State recorded the most decisive victory of the World Series thus far, blanking UCLA 4-0. It could have been considerably worse as, for example, the Sun Devils failed to score in a bases-loaded, none-out situation in the first.

Next up is "Survival Saturday," where the teams with one loss play each other. If you lose, you go home; but if you win, you get to keep playing. Action starts at noon Eastern, with Florida playing Virginia Tech; next is Alabama against Arizona. The losers of Friday night's games -- ULL and UCLA -- will then come onto the scene Saturday night, each being matched up against a winning team from Saturday's earlier games.

You're Really Going to Pay Money to See This Pile of Mess?

I can't handle it anymore. I am probably going to commit seppuku the next time someone mentions Sex and the City. I have never despised a TV show as much as I do that awful awful show. Seriously, the hatred and vitriol and bile starts to build up in the back crevasses of my throat with the mere mention of it. I usually get so flustered with my hatred of the show that I cannot articulate exactly why I think it's so awful. I'm hoping that blogging it out will help. I can't promise anything though.

Someone hand me a steel umbrella because I'm being bombarded in the skull with these heavy, leaden cliches Sex and the City keep dropping on me and it hurts - I find it funny when fans of the show (female ones) talk about how it's "empowering" for women. Really? Because the idea that four women have nothing better to talk about than shoes or doing it seems pretty insulting and simplistic to me. So let me get this straight: the show's protagonist is constantly fretting about never finding "Mr. Right" and never being able to get married and have tiny little spoiled fashionista children? And I'm supposed to root for her or at the least, feel empathy for her? Let me guess, I bet the women all love chocolate too! But they worry about it going straight to their thighs! Oh my god, I hope they don't get depressed and sit in their house eating ice cream in their pajamas! Now granted, those cliches offend me first off as a person who hates deserts, ice cream and chocolate. But also, I don't like the idea that the "empowered" woman's main focus is on such material or matrimonial pursuits. Each of the four characters on the show are just two-dimensional facades of characters. So simplistic that's it's wholly insulting.

Ohhhhhh, no she di'nt say that! OMG! LOL! So daring! - Quite possibly the only thing more insulting that the cardboard cutout characters on SATC is how the viewer is supposed to be shocked and surprised by how frankly and openly the women discuss even the most graphic of details when it comes to their sex lives. Really? Because it just makes me think the characters are either not too familiar with the human anatomy (yo, check it, everyone's got the same general layout you have! it's wild!). Even more irritating is the idea that women are supposed to think that the characters are being "naughty" and "irreverant" when they discuss other people's shortcomings. Sorry, if I were writing that for the Sex and the City audience I would have written it in the much more "clever" formula of:

the characters are being naughty and irreverent when discussing other people's, erhm......ummm..."shortcomings"

and then I would insert some winking emoticon and we would all clink our cosmos in our martini glasses together and chortle because me made a double entendre! Me funny and borderline dirty! I swear, the writing on that show is like if you bought every "dirty" birthday greeting card at Spencer's Gifts and taped them together in a long string like some sort of bad blue humor Christmas tree garland. Don't get me wrong. The beauty of a finely-honed and flawlessly executed abortion joke is something to rival that of a Botticelli. So let's play a game. Which of the lines below is from SATC and which is from a tacky greeting card?


“Men cheat for the same reason that dogs lick their balls... because they can.”

“I have low self-esteem, but I express it the healthy way... by eating a box of Double-Stuff Oreos.”

“I'm a trisexual. I'll try anything once.”

"If you're tired of New York you take a nap-a, you don't move to Napa"

(OMFG my brain just exploded that anyone allowed that sentence to escape from their brain and see the light of day)

Just kidding. They're all from SATC. Joke's on you! Well, I take that back. The joke's only on you if you actually see this ridiculous movie. Please make the hype die. Please make the skull-crushing PR go away. Go buy some shoes or something. Just don't give money to these awful writers and perpetuate this dumb stereotype.

PS - I meant to tell you that a Cosmo is not a martini at all. Because you see, a martini is a combination of gin/vodka and vermouth and sometimes olive juice while a Cosmo is just a fancy name and less white trash way of being able to order a Hand Grenade or Hurricane or Jolly Rancher-rita or Sex on the Bloomin' Onion Prep Station or whatever else comes in a souvenir glass you can take home with you when you eat a Red Lobster.

Sex and The City is Awful Part 2: When Friends Agree

And now I will present the chat that followed shortly after I posted this blog. The chat is between my friend Danny and I. And features the idea of feeding the entire cast of SATC into a wood chipper (amongst other ideas):

Old: wanna go see sex and the city with me tonight?

me: fuck you danny
fuck you hard
seriously i think my pulse is still elevated
btw, i added to it becacuse the first draft didn't allow me to fully express my anger

Old: seriously, you should go see it. if you do, i want to be there.

me: oh. my. god. i would totally live blog the shit out of that movie.

me: if you ever want to feel like taking a nap in the sweet embrace of the hereafter by your own hand, by all means go straight to sexandthecityquotes.com

Old: i wonder if samantha makes a penis joke in the movie...

me: OMG!
i'm crashing my ROFLcopter into a trade center as we speak

Old: someone needs to remind her that she was fucking "lassie" from porky's.

me: ummmmmm one better, she was the mannequin that got fed into a paper shredder in mannequin
which was my all time fave movie when i was 5
used to sing the starship "nothing's gonna stop us now" into a hairbrush daily

Old: if this films ends with her being fed into a wood chipper, it's worth it.

me: i want three sequels where each one ends with another one being put in the wood chipper until they are all just a pile of slut stew meat

Old: please add more to your blog. i'm grooving on the wood chipper theme....

me: i really think i should live blog it. go see it and be able to cite factual evidence.

Old: yep. just let me know.

me: also OMG at the inwood all the refreshements including the popcorn is going to be pink tonight!

Old: unless you need to be alone.

me: not kidding

Old: JESUS

Old: big buck hunter: sex and the city version.

me: oh my god. someone please make sure to scotchguard EVERYTHING in auditorium 1

Old: big cunt hunter.

me: like a pair of faded grey velvet drapes

Old: wow. you didn'
yes ...
you did...

me: just sort of ragged and in desperate need of hemming. just sort of frayed and worn thin but with an unmistakable chain smoker sort of smell

Old: you = #1

me: I WIN!
the world loses

Old: can you imagine the hen pen parties who are going attend this thing in droves? all dressed up and shit?

me: the gallo chardonnay will flow down the streets like the blood of a thousand saggy dead cougars

Old: gallo. lol.

me: i want to dress up as a suicide bomber and go see it

Old: i really want to do see it now...
go
people watching might be the allure

me: i'm going to wear a burqua and issue a fatwa against the movie then take out as many single moms as i can

Old: allright. what time am i picking you up?

Ferris’ season comes to an end

HOUSTON – The ending did was hardly the way Ferris State University would have written the script, but the Bulldogs’ Cinderella season finally came to an end.

In a battle of teams facing elimination, top-ranked Lock Haven scored once in the first, fifth and sixth innings to grab a 3-0 win against Ferris to end the Bulldogs’ season at the 2008 NCAA Division II Women’s Softball National Championships at Memorial Park on Friday afternoon. For a team not ranked nationally and just a No. 6 seed in its own region, entering NCAA Tournament play, the Bulldogs fell just a few wins shy of winning the sport’s ultimate prize – a national championship.

In spite of the loss, head coach Keri Becker was upbeat as she emphasized to her team the magnitude of its accomplishment this season – finishing fifth nationally.

“I’m extremely proud of the young ladies on this team. You hate to give a pep talk after a tough loss, like this one, but I wanted them to take the time to appreciate what they have accomplished this season,” said Becker, whose Bulldogs struggled against Lock Haven’s outstanding pitcher, Kristin Erb (seven innings, one hit and two walks). “They needed to take time to appreciate what they had accomplished and look toward the future and what they need to do to be able to get back to this point and maybe beyond this point.”

Offense, expected to be the team’s strength this year, was what let the Bulldogs down during nationals. Ferris managed just two runs (in a 2-0 win over Francis Marion in the opening round) in three games in Houston. Mathematically speaking, it’s challenging to win much scoring only two runs in three games.

“I really feel bad for three people,” said Becker, whose Bulldogs had their season end at the hands of the nation’s No. 1-ranked NCAA Division II team. “I feel bad for Katie (Kraai, Ferris’ lone senior) because we would have liked to have been able to do something to keep her season going for a little longer than we were able to. And, I also feel for our pitchers. I think Holly (Bruntjens) and Sarah (Mueller) have pitched well for us all season and they’ve kept us close in games and that’s all you can ask for from your pitchers. We just needed to give them some more runs for some more support.”

Still, it’s hard to feel too bad at the end of such a special season.

Lo/Cal's Hayes Wins WMHSH Blog Scholarship

In a race that was as tightly contested as last season's OK Conference championships, Lowell's Ken Hayes has earned the first annual West Michigan High School Hockey Blog Scholarship. Hayes, a forward for the Lowell-Caledonia co-op team that won OK Tier 3 last season, was one of 23 seniors from around West Michigan that applied for the $1,000 scholarship.It's kind of an understatement to say

END-OF-THE-DAY UPDATE

Day 1 of the NCAA Women's College World Series ended a short time ago, with UCLA edging Pac-10 rival Arizona, 1-0. Both teams started off a little shaky in the field, resulting in numerous baserunners for whomever was batting at the time. The Bruins got a key first-inning hit by Amanda Kamekona to drive in the game's only run. After a few innings, both starting pitchers -- UCLA's Anjelica "Jelly" Selden and U of A's Taryne Mowatt -- settled down, and there were few offensive threats by either team the rest of the way.

In the first game of the evening session, it looked like Alabama's strategy of pitching around Arizona State slugger Kaitlin Cochran was going to work, as the Tide took a 1-0 lead into the Sun Devils' at-bats in the top of the seventh. Other ASU players started getting key hits, however, and the result was a 3-1 Sun Devil win.

The two afternoon games took place while I was at the office, so I only obtained periodic score updates on the computer and did not follow the games closely. In these contests, unseeded Louisiana-Lafayette upset No. 1-seed Florida, 3-2, and Texas A&M pushed across a run in the sixth to get by Virginia Tech, 1-0.

An ESPN.com article summarizing all of the Opening Day games is available here. Also, you can visit the team-specific webpages via the links on the right, to get more information on the games of your favorite school.

Two games will be played on Friday, both in the evening, featuring today's winning teams. Texas A&M will take on Louisiana-Lafayette, followed by another all-Pac 10 match-up, between Arizona State and UCLA.

EARLY REPORT

The NCAA Women's College World Series will be getting underway momentarily (at 12:00 Central), with top-seeded Florida taking on Louisiana-Lafayette. This game will be followed, in order, by Texas A&M-Virginia Tech, Alabama-Arizona State, and UCLA-Arizona. These games will be televised on ESPN. The official NCAA bracket is available here.

ESPN.com's Graham Hays has an excellent team-by-team rundown of the series participants. As always, you can find additional information by looking at the individual teams' official websites via the links on the right-hand side of the present page.

Diablo Season in Review

Sarah Suerth took a bunch of pictures and made this kick-ass video.



Thanks Sarah.

Nelson went to Vegas

While the Diablo Hockey Club was gritting out a third place finish at the USA Hockey National Recreational Hockey Championships, Steve Nelson was scouting out possible team watering holes. He found a possible site in Vegas.







What a douchebag.

Pens Win Game Three 3-2

Sidney Crosby is the man. This was a spectacular game. It's what I'd hoped the series'd be like....and not just because Pittsburgh finally won!

Game Three

My stomach is in knots. If the Penguins don't win this one, it's all but over. But I'm keeping the faith.

LET'S GO PENS!

Muskegon High Schoolers Drafted by NAHL.

A couple of former high school players from the Muskegon area were selected in last week's North American Hockey League (NAHL) entry draft. Former Mona Shores forward Jeff Anonick, an all-stater who lead the Sailors in scoring in 2007, was picked by the Motor City Machine. And Reeths-Puffer hockey coach Eric Sikkenga sent me a quick note to alert me to the fact that former Rocket Josh Munford

Hickson Selected for National Selects

Big Rapids center Mike Hickson was selected at the regional, state, and now will attend the 2008 national Selects camp in New York this summer. The sophomore played mostly house hockey growing up, but has been on the Cardinals high school squad since his freshman year. He's reportedly been skating with the Little Caesar's Midget Major team this spring, and has also been skating with his

Below is my annual diagram to see, at a glance, how the teams in the upcoming NCAA Women's College World Series fared against each other during the regular season. Arizona State stands out for both the quantity and quality of its record against WCWS teams. As is characteristic of recent years, the SEC teams (in this case, Alabama and Florida) kept to themselves during the regular season.

New recruits, old faces returning create optimism

HOUSTON – A veteran group is expected to return next spring to the softball diamond for Ferris State University.

Ferris’ strong junior class is led by all-region players in first baseman Amanda Jager and pitcher/outfielder Sarah Mueller. In addition to Jager and Mueller, the Bulldogs’ veteran group includes 2008 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament Most Valuable Player Holly Bruntjens, a pitcher; and catcher Krystle Bailey. That quartet leads an experienced group of players head coach Keri Becker is expected to lean on next spring.

In addition to the veterans, Ferris (which finished its season 35-18) boasts a solid recruiting class for 2009. Big Rapids High School star Makenzi Peterson, a talented and competitive local product who plays shortstop for the Cardinals; Rockford High School’s Stephanie Dusendang, who is a catcher and outfielder and has prepped for former Bulldog softball star Casey Munger-Dunham; Jenison’s Chelsea Morris, a talented first baseman, third baseman and outfielder from Jenison; and Frankfort’s Allison Webber, who plays third and short, comprise the four signees Becker has commitments from.

“I am very encouraged by our recruiting class,” said Becker, whose team had its 2008 spring season end at the hands of top-ranked Lock Haven by a 3-0 score in an elimination game at the 2008 NCAA Division II Softball National Championships at Memorial Park in Houston on Friday afternoon. “We already have four players who are signed and we could be adding maybe another walk-on or two depending on how some things work out. I think we’re going to have a nice mix of experienced players returning with some good new players coming in.

“The loss of (senior third baseman) Katie (Kraai) is going to mean some big shoes for us to fill,” added Becker. “But, I think we have some good players on our team and some quality players coming in who will compete to try and help us fill in those big shoes.”

Becker: A challenge has been issued

HOUSTON – Minutes after Ferris State University’s season came to an end at the NCAA Division II Softball National Championships, head coach Keri Becker brought her team together out beyond the left field fence at Memorial Park.

In that setting, following a 3-0 defeat to Lock Haven that ended Ferris’ season with a fifth-place showing at nationals, Becker challenged her team to build on the successes of the 2008 campaign. The Bulldogs, who finished with a record of 35-18, graduate senior third baseman Katie Kraai, but expect to return the bulk of their team intact with some new additions that will be blended in through recruiting.

“I challenged them (the players) to make it a point to work hard between now and next season to put themselves in a position to be able to get back here,” said Becker, whose Bulldogs fell to a Lock Haven squad ranked No. 1 in the nation. “We know we have the players coming back to be able to put ourselves back in this position and our players know the things that they have to get better at between now and then to get back here and to try to move even beyond what we were able to accomplish this season.”

The 2008 spring campaign was highlighted by Ferris’ first trip to nationals since making back-to-back appearances in 1998 and 1999.

Becker focuses on positives with her shaken Bulldogs

HOUSTON – The season is not over yet, and Ferris State University’s softball team is out to prove it still has a little bite behind the bark.

The Bulldogs dropped to the loser’s bracket and will face Lock Haven at 12:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon. The winner plays at 5:30 p.m. while the loser’s season comes to an end. Ferris head softball coach Keri Becker, seeking to take a little bit of the pressure off her Bulldogs and remind them that softball is still fun, put a smile on her face. Becker’s reminder came in spite of the 1-0 loss to 22nd-ranked St. Edward’s in round two of the 2008 NCAA Division II Women’s Softball National Championships.

“I put a smile on my face and put my head high,” Becker said. “We have to start walking with a swagger, again, as if we’re winning and we have to come out and play with that kind of a high level of confidence. I asked (the players) if they were up to the challenge and I told them that if they believe in themselves they can still do this … they can still come back.”

Becker also reminded the team that it takes a total team effort to get it done. The offense dried up for Ferris and Becker knows her team needs to rediscover its strength at the plate to keep its season alive.

“I told them this is championship time and anything can happen,” she said. “We were living on borrowed time with all of these 1-0 games and eventually that’s going to come back to get you if you don’t produce more runs. Holly (Bruntjens, a junior who allowed only three hits and the one run) pitched a great game, but we can’t keep relying so much on our pitchers. Our offense has got to come back to life and give us some production.”

Even without the Giles’ home run, the Bulldogs could not have won without a score.

END-OF-THE-DAY UPDATE

I've so gotten into making the colorful charts (below) that I haven't written much text lately. The super-regionals are now over, five of them having been sweeps and the other three going the distance. At this stage, Texas A&M and Arizona State look like the strongest teams, to me.

Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher, who no-hit the U.S. national team in an exhibtion game during the season and shut down the high-powered Michigan offense this weekend, makes the Hokies a darkhouse pick, in my view.

Only three of last year's eight teams from the NCAA Women's College World Series -- Arizona, Arizona State, and Texas A&M -- are returning. The non-repeaters from last year are Baylor, DePaul, Northwestern, Tennessee, and Washington.



LATE-AFTERNOON UPDATE

END-OF-THE-DAY UPDATE

As shown in the following chart, a fifth team has now made it to Oklahoma City for the Women's College World Series, namely two-time defending champion Arizona. In the two series that opened this evening, UCLA and Texas A&M scored easy wins to take 1-0 leads over their respective opponents.



MID-DAY UPDATE

Four teams have "punched their ticket" for the NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, thus far today. These results can be seen at a glance in the chart below...


As I write, a decisive third game in the super-regional between Arizona and Oklahoma is going on. It's 2-1 Wildcats after four (with UA the visitors in this game, via coin flip).

Michigan took the opener of its series against Virginia Tech, with the next game (or two, if necessary) to be held tomorrow.

Finally, the UCLA-Georgia and Texas A&M-Stanford series begin tonight.

The first night of super-regional play is now in the books. Five of the eight series got underway. As shown in the chart below, four of tonight's opening games were captured by the higher-seeded team. These series follow a two-out-of-three format. Please see the official team-specific homepages in the links section to the right, for further details on these games.

Ferris Winning Streak Ends In Heartbreaking Fashion Against St. Edward's

HOUSTON – After causing so much heartache to so many teams, during the last couple of weeks, Ferris State University finally came up on the short end of one.

The Bulldogs had been the victor in a couple of nail-biting 1-0 games, but this time Ferris was pained by a hard-to-take 1-0 defeat to 22nd-ranked St. Edward’s (53-15) in the second round of the NCAA Division II Softball National Championships. The loss bumped Ferris from the winner’s bracket as Texas-based St. Edward’s took advantage of the home cooking at the neutral site. The Texas-based school enjoyed a large fan base and ultimately delighted its portion of the crowd with a big win at Memorial Park in Houston.

The Bulldogs’ loss, their first of the NCAA Tournament, drops the team into a 12:30 p.m. loser’s bracket contest against Lock Haven – an elimination game – Friday afternoon. That contest will mark the first time Ferris has faced elimination in the NCAA Tournament (including regional play). But, it is potentially a new beginning for the Bulldogs (who dropped to 35-17 with the loss), who were party crashers of sort coming into nationals after being a sixth seed in the regional tournament and as one of only two teams not nationally ranked in the NCAA Division II Softball National Championships (Francis Marion was the other).

In a game between two teams that appeared to be evenly matched, it was one swing of the bat that made the difference on the scoreboard as Ferris and St. Edward’s slugged it out. In the bottom of the sixth inning, SEU first baseman Stacy Giles spoiled a brilliant pitching performance from Ferris junior hurler Holly Bruntjens, who threw six strong innings, allowed only three hits, one run (earned) and struck out three. Giles drove a home-run shot –somewhere in the neighborhood of 215 feet – over the left field fence for a 1-0 lead and, ultimately, the win.

St. Edward’s pitching combination of starter Robin Becker and reliever Diana Cezeaux (who earned the win) held the Bulldogs scoreless on six hits to earn the victory. Ferris had chances to give Bruntjens a little offensive support, but could not produce. The Bulldogs stranded seven runners on base during the game – including the bases loaded in the top of the sixth.

The tournament is not over for the Bulldogs, however.

Ferris continues play in the double-elimination tournament as it faces Lock Haven at 12:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon. The winner moves on to a 5:30 p.m. contest later in the day against either Humboldt State or Emporia State.

Stanley Cup and Cheesecake - Finals Edition

Well, dear readers, the time is upon us. The Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Detroit Red Wings, for the right to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. And I'm like a little kid at Christmas. I've got a ton of random thoughts I need to get out of my head before I make my prediction, so if you'll indulge me...

• Last Sunday, the Penguins finished off the Flyers in five games, and won the Prince of Wales Trophy, which is given to the winner of the NHL's Eastern Conference. Tradition says it's bad luck to touch this trophy, since the only one you're really interested in is the Stanley Cup. Pens captain Sidney Crosby made sure to recognize this superstition, keeping a good foot or so away as his picture was taken with it. Another superstition among NHL players is not to touch the Stanley Cup either, until you've won the right to do so. Touch it without winning it, legend says, and you never will. My hockey skills being what they are, I chose to ignore this custom...but I do observe a similar respect in the presence of comicdom's Harvey Awards.
  
  
• Although they're not really one of my favorite teams (in fact, call it overexposure or whatever you want, but I really don't like them very much), I'm nonetheless pretty well versed in the history of the Red Wings, thanks to several biographies I read as research for my story about Red Wing goaltender Terry Sawchuk in Old-Timey Hockey Tales. If nothing else, they're a proud organization with a lot of colorful history, so at least I can say I respect them!
  
  
• This playoff run has really been the icing on the cake for what has been a really enjoyable season of Penguins hockey for me. I still haven't sprung for the Center Ice cable package so I can watch all the games on TV (seems kinda unfair to take over the big screen from my wife 82 nights a year, considering she's the one who bought it), but I did listen to the majority of them over the internet, all of them called by the incomparable Mike Lange. And, I actually got to see a Penguins game not only in person, but in obscene luxury, as my wife worked her job connections to score us seats in a luxury box at Verizon Center for the Pens 2-1 win over the Capitals last October. Amazing food, free drinks, and a dessert cart with the biggest slice of carrot cake you've ever seen...seriously, the way rich people live is on a whole other level.
  
  
• I have a bet going with indie cartoonist and Red Wings fan Jeffery Brownfor the series...we'll both be exhibiting on Indie Island at Heroes Con in Charlotte next month, and whoever's team loses has to wear the opposing team's jersey all day Saturday!
  
  
• It blows my mind that I did this cartoon just four years ago (trust me...the Penguins really were that bad), and that just over a year ago, there was a real question as to whether or not the Penguins were going to remain in Pittsburgh or move to Kansas City. Now, here they are playing for the best trophy in all of sports. Gotta love it.

Anyway, the pick: I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I'm taking Pittsburgh. True, it's pretty difficult for me to be objective about it, but I actually think they have a pretty good chance to pull it off. These are, without question, the two best teams in the NHL this season, and that makes it hard to gauge who has the upper hand...but I think in the end, the Penguins youth, speed and depth will enable them to get the job done. The only potential for disaster I see on the Pens side of the ledger is if goalie Marc-Andre Fleury completely loses his mojo and crumbles under the pressure...but I really can't see that happening. If anything, it'll be 103-year-old Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood who cracks. I expect "The Flower" will challenge Evgeni Malkin for the Conn-Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP!

So, here's how I see it breaking down: The Penguins gain a split in the first two games in Detroit, and head back to Pittsburgh tied (or DEADLOCKED, as Joe Beninati might say) at one. Then, they win games three and four on home ice, and head back to Motown one win away. The Wings make it interesting, winning away in Game Five...but the Penguins will not be denied, and celebrate a Stanley Cup victory in front of the home crowd in Game Six. So, mark it down...it's Penguins in six.

'Course, Penguins in four'd be fine with me too.

Bulldogs Showing How Much They Want Success At Nationals

HOUSTON – Who knows how long Ferris State University’s remarkable streak will continue in the NCAA Division II Softball Championships?

Currently, the streak is five games and 43 innings; and, most incredible of all, it has come in the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Tournament.

Wednesday, in its first competition at the NCAA Division II Softball National Championships since 1999, the Bulldogs kept their streak of shutouts alive. Since a disappointing 3-2 loss to Wayne State, in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament, Ferris has regained its focus. In the Great Lakes Regional Championship, in Edwardsville, Ill., the Bulldogs recorded a shutout of Saginaw Valley State, 1-0; another of Lewis, 1-0 in 15 innings; Wayne State, 4-0; and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 1-0, in the title-clinching victory. Then, on Wednesday at Memorial Park in Houston on day one of the national tournament, Ferris earned a 2-0 win over Francis Marion to keep that streak alive.

“I think we’ve just wanted it and I think that has been the big key to our success (since the GLIAC Tournament),” said Ferris junior pitcher Sarah Mueller, who picked up the win against Francis Marion and also had a couple of hits with a run scored as the Bulldogs improved to 35-16. “I think we’re all focused again and we all just want to win so bad right now so we can keep this season going.”

There also is another motivation for Mueller and so many of the other Bulldogs.

“We want to keep our season going for as long as possible … we just don’t want it to end,” said Mueller, who leads the Bulldogs into today’s (Thursday) second-round NCAA Division II National Softball Tournament against No. 22 St. Edward’s, a first-round winner over Barry. “We don’t want Katie (Kraai, the Bulldogs’ lone senior) to play in her last game. … We want her to play for as long as possible.”

Ferris Answers Its First Challenge At National Championships

HOUSTON – It’s only natural to feel some nerves in your first appearance in the NCAA Division II Softball National Championships.

The atmosphere, particularly with so much at stake, can be akin to overwhelming for a lot of first-time players. Ferris State University’s team, making its first appearance in the national tournament since 1999, had some players battling a powerful case of butterflies. Junior starting pitcher Sarah Mueller, who got the ball in the team’s first-round contest against Francis Marion (38-15), spoke of some nerves the team felt. But, any anxiety was quickly put to bed as game time neared.

“I think before the game there were some of us who were feeling some jitters with this being our first time playing in this kind of an atmosphere at nationals, but then once we got into our warm-ups we started to relax a little more,” said Mueller, who had a strong day at the plate with two hits in four trips with a run scored. “After that (warm-up), we were a lot more calm feeling and we were ready to just go out and play some good softball.”

The Bulldogs did indeed play some good softball against Francis Marion.

Mueller in particular had a day as she threw a complete seven innings, allowed four hits and stuck out four to lead Ferris to a 2-0 win over the Patriots at Memorial Park. The shutout means the Bulldogs, now 35-16, have held their opponent scoreless for five straight NCAA Tournament games – including the four in Edwardsville, Ill. that put the Bulldogs in the 2008 NCAA Division II National Championships.

Junior first baseman Amanda Jager had an RBI single in the third inning and junior outfielder Holly Bruntjens increased the lead to 2-0 with an RBI hit in the top of the fifth. Like Mueller, Jager had two hits in four trips and also scored a run with her RBI.

“I left the players to do warm-ups on their own to get into their own mood,” Ferris head coach Keri Becker said as her Bulldogs and Francis Marion were the only two teams that entered the national tournament unranked according to the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll. “The team had what I would call more of a calm confidence about them when they stepped on the field for the game. They weren’t overly excited, but they were ready to go. They came out relaxed and ready to play.”

Becker was pleased with the performance of Mueller.

“I went out before the game and told her that she needed to be ready to play in the first inning and not by the third inning … I told her we needed her right off the bat,” Becker said of Mueller, who credited a sharp curveball for her success against the Patriots. “I challenged her and I think she responded very well to being challenged like that. She pitched very well.”

Ferris advances to round two where it takes on No. 22 St. Edward’s (a 5-4 winner over Barry in the first round). The teams face each other at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Ferris State Shuts Out SIUE; Wins Regional Championship

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Winning has fast made true believers out of the Ferris State University softball players, coaches, families, fans and opponents.

Entering last week, the Bulldogs had a feeling all roads leading to the 2008 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Championship passed through defending regional and national champion Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville – literally and figuratively. With that in mind, Ferris proved dog tough with its pitching and defense, pushed just enough offense across the plate and earned the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Championship trophy with a 1-0 win over SIUE on its home turf, Cougar Field, Sunday afternoon.

To call it an emotional win would be an understatement.

“It means everything to me and it means everything to this team to be able to come here and win a regional championship against the great teams we had to beat to get this,” said junior Sarah Mueller, who was 1-for-3 with a run scored in the championship game. “This is something we wanted so badly and it feels so good to be able to do it the way we did it. … It’s truly what we wanted.”

Mueller’s statement was echoed by sophomore second baseman Amanda Harrington, “This is a big win for us and it puts us one step closer to achieving an even bigger goal.”

Ferris (34-16) got the job done sparked by junior pitcher Holly Bruntjens’ brilliant effort in the circle as she threw all seven innings, allowed just four hits, three walks and struck out six to improve her personal record to 15-8 this spring. Offensively, the Bulldogs claimed the lead right off the bat, in the first inning, as senior third baseman Katie Kraai’s sacrifice fly scored junior Sarah Mueller who reached on a single.

Facing one of the nation’s top pitchers, SIUE’s Kaitlin Colosimo, the Bulldogs figured runs would be difficult to come by and that certainly proved true. The ace of the Cougars’ staff allowed just five hits, one run (earned), three walks as she fanned five.

Unlike Colosimo, Bruntjens’ got just a little more help.

The combination of Bruntjens’ pitching and the Bulldogs’ defense shut down a potent SIUE lineup to turn back a couple of threats and preserve the team’s perfect streak of holding opponents scoreless in the regional through 36 innings. Ferris defeated Saginaw Valley State, 1-0; Lewis, 1-0 in 15 innings; Wayne State, 4-0; and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 1-0.

“It’s almost surreal to be in this position and I’m so very proud of these players for what they’ve been able to accomplish,” said Ferris head coach Keri Becker, who has led the program to three regional championships (1998, 1999 and 2008). “These players have played well throughout the week, they’ve battled weather elements and to be able to play at this kind of level throughout this tournament against this kind of competition says a lot about these players.”

Now, it’s onward to Houston, Texas where the Bulldogs begin competition in the NCAA Division II Softball National Championships. Ferris’ quest for a championship begins as it takes on Francis Marion in the first round of action on Wednesday.

“The great thing about being in this position is where seeing where our hard work has paid off and we want to keep it going,” said junior first baseman Amanda Jager.

As I wrote about in the previous days' entries, I attended this past weekend's UCLA regional. I took some pictures, which are shown immediately below (you can click on the images to enlarge them)...


Three teams -- Nevada, Purdue, and Cal State Fullerton -- came to Easton Stadium to challenge the national No. 2 seed Bruins. As can be seen both from the outside and from the inside (small inset), beach umbrellas lined the upper rim of the stadium to protect fans sitting high up from the intense sun. Temperatures were around the 90-degree mark, well above what's usual for this time of year.


In the first of Saturday's three games, UCLA and Nevada both scored early and often. Megan Langenfeld came on during the second inning for the Bruins, to replace Anjelica "Jelly" Selden.


This is my humorous attempt to display a panoramic view of the field from the left-field foul pole to the right-field one, by joining two separate photos. If the differences in color shade between the two pictures doesn't give it away, note that UCLA (in blue) is in the field in the left-hand photo, whereas Nevada (in white) is in the field in the right-hand photo.


Nevada's Sam Bias is only 5-foot-3. She also squats down heavily in her batting stance, as seen above. My best estimate is that she has a strike zone of what, a foot-and-a-half?


Nevada's Richelle "Chach" Villescas pitched admirably in long relief Saturday against UCLA, but once the Bruins got to her for some late runs, she gave way to Jordan McPherson (left). Having just lost to UCLA and thus facing a late-night game against the winner of the next game (between Cal State Fullerton and Purdue), the Wolfpack players visit with their fans on the concourse level of the stadium (right).


UCLA had perhaps only the third-best fan support, despite playing in its own stadium. In addition to Nevada's large and loud contingent, Fullerton had a well-organized family section (photographed from two different perspectives). Clad in the white shirts with orange sleeves, many Fullerton fans sported designations such as "TITAN MOM," "TITAN DAD," and "TITAN SIS."


Purdue, clad in black jerseys, knocked out Fullerton in Saturday's second game, then fell just short against Nevada in the day's third and final game (which went past midnight local time). If nothing else, Purdue would have a number of leading candidates for the All-Violent Name team, featuring Sarah Killer and Amy Butcher.


As detailed in some earlier postings, Nevada gave UCLA all it could handle, both on Saturday and in what turned out to be the final game on Sunday. Ultimately, however, the roar of the Bruin Bear could not be overcome (the bear statue is near the bookstore, athletic department offices, and Wooden Center recreational facility).

Ferris Inches One Step Closer To Regional Softball Championship

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Ferris State University senior third baseman Katie Kraai’s belief in her teammates has never wavered, but even she continues to be amazed by the toughness and resiliency of her Bulldogs through a season that has featured no shortage of ups and downs.

Kraai, a native of Zeeland, belted a huge 2-run homer to lead Ferris to a 4-0 victory over nationally-ranked Wayne State in the 2008 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Softball Tournament at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville’s Cougar Field. The win improves Ferris to 33-16 this spring, but more importantly pushes Kraai and her teammates a step closer to a regional championship – which would be the first for the school since 1999. Although there remains plenty of work still to be done, Ferris’ dreams now are tantalizingly close to becoming reality as the stage is set for Sunday’s championship round against the winner between Wayne and SIUE.

“I knew we could play the way we are playing, but it definitely takes a lot of work to get to this point and we have been working hard and we have really come together as a team to make this happen,” said Kraai, who batted 2-for-2 with the home run and the two RBI. “It feels great to be playing the way we are right now, but we still have some work to do here at the (regional tournament).”

Ferris junior pitcher Holly Bruntjens (14-8), who kept the Warriors’ hitters off balance all game in holding them to four hits, earned the victory as she tossed seven innings and struck out three.

Wayne State’s ace pitcher Molly Yetman – one of the nation’s premier hurlers – tossed the first 1.1 innings before she left the game with what appeared an injury she could no longer pitch through. The Warriors other pitcher, Nicole Abel, relieved her but gave up four runs on six hits (two earned) with two strikeouts.

“We have started to play more as a team and not getting too down with the lows and not getting too caught up in the highs,” Kraai said.

Ferris now is within one win of a regional championship as they await the rain-suspended game between Wayne and SIUE. The Cougars were leading the game 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning. That game is scheduled to resume at noon with the winner to face Ferris afterward. Game 15 of the tournament, if necessary, would be played afterward.

That's a onesie. For babies. With a wang joke on the front. Of a onesie. For an infant.

Dear Dallas,

We have been together for over twenty years now. Sure, we’ve taken a break from each other those times I moved to London and New York. But you have taken me back when I get sad and lonely and want to come back “home” to you. I appreciate that. I have defended you to the death in the face of the great criticism hurled your way by those who live in “cooler” cities. I defend your low cost of living. I defend you because you are where my friends live. I defend your artistic core that is hidden deep within a hard shell of suburbs and beltways and Hummers and straight ticket Republicans. The others say you’re bad and that you’re greedy and superficial and that you will give refuge to George W. Bush when he is finally relieved of his presidential duties. To them, I still defend you and claim that they don’t see what I see in you. That they don’t know the real you. That all that is just riff raff from outside the 635 loop tainting your image. Sure, I’ve got a permanent chip in my shin bone from when one of your city’s finest decided to haul me into jail for an expired registration sticker only to be kicked in the shin by a drunken lesbian in steel toed Doc Martens who swore I bore a striking resemblance to the girlfriend who had just broken up with her. But I chalked that whole thing up to a big misunderstanding and besides, the shin thing only bothers me in extremely cold weather.

Speaking of weather…..I know you didn’t ask to be settled and populated in the middle of tornado alley AND directly under the sun like a buffet spread under a warming lamp. But here’s the thing, I don’t wear tank tops. I don’t wear wife beaters. I don’t wear shirts without sleeves. Rarely do I enjoy wearing t-shirts without some sort of blazer or jacket over them. I enjoy wearing jeans and sleeves and maybe a light little jacket. Or a dress with tights. But I can’t do that. And furthermore, I have to deal with an insufferable barrage of questions when I refuse to wear seemingly mandatory weather-appropriate clothing. As if I walked into my local bar wearing diapers made of Laffy Taffy. Because of all of this, you make me lazy because I don’t like sweating so I just end up sitting around in air conditioning until the point in time where I have to bravely walk from my office to my car. Once in my car, I again pray to Air Conditioning Jesus to relieve me of my discomfort. Which makes me the lazy, fat American that everyone outside of Blue Collar Comedy fans love to ridicule. Now when I cheated on you with New York, I remember the horrors of trudging through the endless cold rain of October wearing an ill-advised “vintage” wool jacket (read: “wool jacket someone died in and then I subsequently bought second-hand and failed to have dry cleaned”) and thinking of how you were probably back home in Texas all temperate and affordable. But now I think back and other than the overwhelming smell of death that trailed behind me thanks to the secondhandedness of that coat, I do remember that jacket looking pretty nice. Let’s put it this way: you know me and you know I am not a summertime clothes sort of gal. I don’t like cutoff shorts and tank tops and shirts that desperately try to convey my love of surfing or something. I am not a very sporty girl. I like watching sports. At bars. Dark bars. With pints of beer in front of me. So stop trying to heat-stroke me into wearing all cotton and knit and being one of those people who wear flip flops to things other than pool parties and barbeques. It’s not going to work. I can’t move you further from the equator and you can’t make me enjoy tank tops.

Now that we’re on the topic of manner of dress, let me go ahead and delve into the truly irritating side of you. The biggest complaint about you that I hear is that you are a superficial and materialistic city that only values surgically-enhanced looks and working-for-daddy’s-law-firm money. I can’t rebuke that any longer because, well, it’s completely 100% true. You are basically a breeding ground for beauty pageant also-rans and liquor ambassadors. There’s a reason Tony Romo signed such a long contract. He must feel so comfortable in the Zoom Laser Whitened embrace of your unending quest to legally change your name to HottiezBurg. Your nightlife establishments are filled not with likeminded people looking to tie one on and talk trash about whatever current event really boils their blood. They instead are filled with men in expensive distressed denim all intellectually capable of nothing more than a few “hell yeah, bros!” desperately seeking to win the attentions (or drunken sexual favors) of a third year Marketing co-ed who earnestly talks about things like “visions” and “dreams” and “sincerity”. I wish you could just make them all go somewhere else where I don’t have to deal with them and their faux-machismo/earnest and humorless dance of retardation. I’m just trying to have a drink. Clear out.

Normally at this point in a scathing criticism like this one, I would offer some counterpoints about some of the good things you have to offer your citizens. But I’ve spent years doing that only to stop and ask myself if maybe I was wrong about you after all. You are cheap to live in because you insist on knocking down anything more than 40 years old like some sort of demented architectural Logan’s Run and building something cheap and trashy and consumer-driven in its’ place. Then in a final kick to the man vegetables, you intentionally make the new crappy building look old to diffuse the silliness of knocking down a perfectly good old building. You are cheap to live in because there’s always plenty of people who will work somewhere in your borders but choose to live in a town called Promise Ring or Chastity Cove somewhere 50 miles out of the city so that every day they will clog up the roads in their big Suburbans with their big tankards of coffee. All for the luxury of living near a Super Wal-Mart and not having to deal with brown people when not absolutely necessary.

In a horrific deluge of truth and facts and realizations, I have come to see that your sports franchises will never provide me, as a fan, the satisfaction of a championship title. So now on top of having to shield my passport and pretend to be Canadian when boarding an international flight, I now also have to distract the clerk when making a purchase with my Mavs check card. I have to try to muster the unconditional team love that it takes to root for a team featuring the World’s Douchiest Bimbo Afficianado (that’s you, Tones!) and a man whose outside interests include paralyzing fellow strip club patrons, humiliating women who are already so beaten down by life that they’ve taken to lapdancing and making light of all this behavior with self-aggrandizing appearances on World Wrestling showdowns. Neat! Your terrain is flat and ugly, your buildings and roads are wastefully built and horribly maintained, your weather is appalling. And you insist on putting cheese on or in all my food when I don’t want it and didn’t ask for it.

I’ve realized I don’t care to defend you anymore. I don’t care where Greggo is. I don’t care where you want to put a toll road. I don’t care about the super cell with hooked rotation that is bearing down on a town I have never heard of and never intend to visit but for some reason Pete Delkus thinks is more important than me seeing my stories. I don’t care to wade into the unending battle of Denton music scene v. Dallas music scene. Wake me when there’s a full-on Warriors-style battle in the Vista Ridge Mall parking lot. I don’t care enough to get up in arms about where you want to build a new condo. I don’t care about checking out yet another ridiculously pretentious restaurant that serves food on plates that could double as manhole covers where patrons can dine al fresco to better enjoy the breathtaking view of a bank drive through and the rear dumpster area of a 7-11.

You’re trying to be some sort of cultured international city with lofty aspirations of becoming a destination for something other than layovers and telecom conferences. But you should just be yourself. Throw on one of those hard hats that holds a beer can on each side and slip into that “No Fat Chicks” t-shirt and drop the act. No one’s buying it.

Hey, at least you still offer your citizens the exciting and unparalleled probability of being a victim of a violent crime. Keeps us on our toes. WE’RE NUMBER ONE!!! WE’RE NUMBER ONE!!!! CASTLE DOCTORINE FOR EVA!!!!!

Friends with benefits?

Love,
Amanda (von) Cobra

PS – Seriously? 95 degrees today? You're a dick.

Ferris' Sarah Mueller Named To 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-Region Team

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Ferris State University senior softball standout player Sarah Mueller earned some well-deserved post-season recognition from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as part of the 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-Region team.

Mueller, a junior pitcher and utility player, earned 2008 All-Great Lakes Region Second Team honors for her efforts on the diamond – for her combined body of work as a pitcher, outfielder and standout hitter. Mueller becomes the second Bulldog to receive all-region accolades as she joins junior first baseman Amanda Jager who was recognized as a second-team all-region pick by Daktronics earlier this week.

Mueller, who has elevated her play of late as a hitter especially, is coming off a 2007 campaign during which she was named an All-American. She entered the Lewis winner’s bracket game on Friday hitting .324 through 45 games with 47 hits, 10 doubles, six triples, three home runs and 29 runs batted in. As a pitcher, Mueller entered Friday 14-6 with a 2.06 earned run average and 56 strikeouts. In the 1-0 win in 15 innings, over Lewis at the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament in Edwardsville, Ill. Mueller, now 15-6, earned the victory as she threw all 15 innings, allowed six hits, one walk and struck out five.

Here are the match-ups for next weekend's super-regionals. Each team's NCAA tournament seed (if any) is shown, plus I've put in links to articles on each team's winning of its respective regional this weekend. The higher-seeded team will host each super-regional series, which follows a 2-out-of-3 format.

Florida (1) vs. Cal

UCLA (2) vs. Georgia (15)

Alabama (3) vs. Missouri

Michigan (4) vs. Virginia Tech

Texas A&M (5) vs. Stanford (12)

[As an aside, both Texas A&M's Megan Gibson and Stanford's Missy Penna pitched no-hitters in helping their teams advance.]

Arizona State (6) vs. Northwestern (11)

Arizona (7) vs. Oklahoma (10)

Houston (8) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

A bracket from the official NCAA softball page, listing the dates, times, and television information (if any) for each series, is available here.

As can be seen, all of the No. 1-through-8 seeded teams won their respective regionals. It wasn't always easy, though. No. 1 Florida dropped a game to Central Florida. No. 2 UCLA went undefeated in its regional, but twice Nevada gave the Bruins all they could handle.

New Atom-Bomb Bikini.net Stickers

I've got new stickers! They're 2.75" in diameter and based on the banner design for the blog. They're not for sale per se, but you get one free with any order from the shop!

And speaking of the shop, keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks for two new mini-comics: TEENY BIKINI #4 and CRUSTACEAN FRUSTRATION. They're slated to appear in time for Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC the weekend of June 20th, but should be on sale here shortly after Memorial Day!

Random Sketchiness

With your humble blogger in the house for the UCLA region, the national No. 2 seed Bruins by all rights should have been sent to the losers' bracket, by Nevada. The Wolfpack led 4-3 with two out for the Bruins in the top of the seventh (UCLA was officially the visitor). UCLA hit a grounder to the second-baseperson that should have ended the game, but the throw pulled the first-baseperson off the bag. The Bruins then rallied for the tying run and ultimately won 6-4 in nine innings (for fans new to softball, seven innings is the regulation length). Below, I've highlighted some key plays in bold from an online play-by-play sheet:

UCLA 7th - Camuso struck out swinging. Harrison singled to left field, advanced to second on a fielding error by lf. Schroeder, J flied out to cf. Herrera reached on a throwing error by 2b; Harrison advanced to third. Schroeder, K singled through the right side, RBI; Herrera advanced to second; Harrison scored, unearned. Colburn flied out to rf. 1 run, 2 hits, 2 errors, 2 LOB.

Neither starter -- Katie Holverson for Nevada, Anjelica "Jelly" Selden for UCLA -- got out of the second inning. However, the pitchers brought in for long relief -- Richelle "Chach" Villescas for Nevada, Megan Langenfeld for UCLA -- acquitted themselves well. Nevada also flashed the leather in the field, recording three double-plays.

As I write, Nevada is getting ready to take on Purdue in some late-night action. The winner will play UCLA tomorrow; the Bruins will need to win once to advance to the super-regionals, whereas their opponent will need to win twice.

***

Two teams have already earned their way into the super-regionals, No. 3 seed Alabama and No. 15 Georgia.

One seeded team has already been eliminated, No. 14 Long Beach State. Two others, No. 9 LSU and No. 16 Fresno State, each have absorbed a single loss thus far, to Louisiana-Lafayette and Cal, respectively.

Ferris Survives A Marathon; Records A Big Win

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – It was a marathon, but Ferris State University finally had the answer ... deep into the 15th inning in a game that evolved into a test of wills perhaps even more so than a test of skills.

Junior catcher Krystle Bailey – standing at the plate with the bases loaded – was the last of many heroes in truly a team-oriented victory in a winner’s bracket game of the 2008 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Bailey, composed and disciplined, drew a walk with the bases loaded to earn the Bulldogs (32-15) a huge 1-0 win, in 15 innings, over Lewis University to remain unbeaten and in the winner’s bracket of the regional tournament.

“It’s a real big deal for us to be able to get this win and to stay in the winner’s bracket … It was a great team win and we really came out pumped up and ready to go,” said Bailey, who batted 1-for-5 with the all-important RBI in the 15th inning. “It was nice for us to be able to come out the way we did because we had to sit out all day Thursday (due to rain and games that had to be made up) and not have the chance to play. Even with the weather and everything we all stayed pumped up.”

After 14 and a half scoreless innings, Ferris finally benefited from a golden opportunity as Lewis committed two costly errors – on Bulldog bunts – to set the stage for Ferris’ win. After sophomore second baseman Amanda Harrington dropped a sacrifice bunt moved the runners and opened up first base, the Flyers chose to use a little strategy to try and cut down a runner at the plate. With two runners already on base, Lewis pulled its outfield in and elected to intentionally walk junior pitcher Sarah Mueller, to put Bailey in the position to make the play.

Ferris’ starting catcher worked the count and drew a walk on a pitch that was called a little high to leave the Bulldogs exhilarated and Lewis angry and frustrated at the close of a grueling contest.

“I knew I had to look for a good pitch, be patient and lay off of the high stuff,” Bailey said. “When the (home plate) umpire said “ball four” I was excited and the only thing I was thinking was to make sure I touched first since I knew we had it. This is just a huge win for us to keep this going.”

The Bulldogs face Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Wayne State which remained alive in the winner’s bracket with a 2-1 win over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville late on Friday.

Through nearly all of today's action (and the little that took place yesterday), the NCAA tournament games are going largely according to expectation.

One team whose season has ended in what many observers would consider a premature fashion is the University of North Carolina. Though not one of the 16 teams nationally to receive a seed (the University of Georgia got the nod, at No. 15, within UNC's region), the Tar Heels had been ranked as high as No. 13 in the national polls toward the end of the season. In addition to (probably) being one of the top teams outside the 16 NCAA seeds, UNC got to host the regional in Chapel Hill, suggesting that the Tar Heels might be able to give Georgia a run for its money. It was not to be, however, as UNC was eliminated via losses to BYU and Campbell.

National No. 4 seed Michigan looked to be in some danger, trailing 4-0 against Wright State. However, the Wolverines accomplished the unusual feat of hitting two grand-slam homers in the same inning, en route to a 13-5 run-rule victory.

Bargain Bin

Skipping around Amazon.com recently, I discovered that the entire series of five "Little Scientist" children's books that I illustrated in 1999 (and which I blogged about a little over a year ago) can be had for $1.24!

Yikes! That'll humble you.

USA Out at the World Championships

In what could be called "Deja Vu all over again", the young USA hockey squad lost in the quarterfinals of the IIHF World Championships for the fourth straight year last night in a 3-2 overtime loss to Finland.

The team's average age was around 23 or 24, but they played fairly well during the qualifying rounds - they never got beat by more than one. Last night, they were down 2-0 with six minutes to play in the third but cracked two past Nick Backstrom within a minute. I normally like it when he keeps goals out. USA had a chance to finish it in overtime when Bloomington, MN native Zach Parise got the puck on his tape at point blank but his wrister went inches wide. Finland scored about a minute later and it's tee time for our boys.

The final four teams will play on Friday in Quebec City - Canada vs. Sweden & Russia vs. Finland. More info can be found at iihf.com or usahockey.com.

Ferris gets one on Daktronics All-Region team

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Ferris State is in the midst of another great season, built on a solid all-around team, and one member of that team was recognized on the 2008 Daktronics, Inc. All-Great Lakes Region Softball Team.

Junior first baseman Amanda Jager was the lone Bulldog to earn all-region recognition as she was a second-team selection. Jager has been a key part of the team’s success in her first full season at first base. She is batting a team-leading .373 this spring, entering Friday, with 47 hits, 13 doubles, seven home runs and 30 runs batted in. Jager’s power and consistency swinging the bat have helped the Bulldogs emerge as one of the better hitting squads around.

Disappointing was not seeing the Bulldogs get just one all-region selection considering 2007 All-American Sarah Mueller is in the midst of another stellar season hitting .324 with 47 hits, 10 doubles, six triples and three home runs with 29 RBIs. Also, sophomore second baseman Amanda Harrington is having a career year batting .341 with 45 hits, 12 doubles, two triples and two home runs with 18 RBIs.

But, then again, not every player can make this particular all-region team.

Among the familiar faces on the Daktronics all-region teams are Wayne State pitcher Molly Yetman (a first-team pick as a pitcher), Saginaw Valley State pitcher Stacy Kraatz (a second-team choice) and Grand Valley State players Elizabeth Smith and Kristin Moleski (both second-team all-region selections).

Yetman was the 2008 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and Kraatz was the 2008 GLIAC Player of the Year.

The team was picked by a vote of the region’s sports information directors. All first-team all-region choices advance to the national ballot which is scheduled to be released soon.

Wade emerges after redshirt season for Bulldogs

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Sitting on the sidelines, as a team member while not able to actually play in games, is hardly the easiest thing for a first-year college student-athlete.

Ferris State University redshirt freshman softball player Rachel Wade had to learn to master the physical and mental aspects of softball – at the college level – to be effective in her first true college season. No one promised it would be easy, but time has proven an effective teacher for Wade, who has paid dividends this spring for the Bulldogs. The Canton native has played in 36 of 47 games this season and started 32 times for Ferris.

“It feels nice to be able to come in and contribute to help the team in whatever way I can,” said Wade, who has helped the Bulldogs to a record of 31-16 overall after a 1-0 first-round 2008 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament win over Saginaw Valley State in Edwardsville, Ill. “I was a little nervous in some of those earlier games of the season (in Florida) and as I had a chance to get out there a little bit more I started to feel a lot more relaxed and a lot more comfortable.”

The 5-foot-2 Wade and her teammates were triumphant in their opening-round game at the regional tournament before rain and thunderstorms began to wreak havoc at the event being hosted at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in Edwardsville, Ill. Although rain has wreaked havoc on the tournament, with play suspended on Wednesday due to heavy rain and then delayed on Thursday with more rain, softball once again is being played. Like fans, players, coaches and NCAA officials at the regional, Wade has come to understand and appreciate the value of patience.

“During the time I was sitting out, I learned a lot about softball and I learned a lot about what it takes to be successful from watching the team, the coaches, and just from watching and being around my teammates,” said Wade, who is batting .270 this spring with 20 hits, three doubles, two triples, 12 runs batted in and a home run. “It was tough to sit out, but I feel like I learned a lot and it has helped to make me a better softball player right now.”

Ferris head softball coach Keri Becker has watched and enjoyed Wade’s progress from the time she arrived in Big Rapids until now.

“Rachel provides some sneaky power and defense-busting capabilities from the left side of the plate,” Becker said in the preseason of Wade, who was an all-state second baseman during her junior year of high school before she batted .448 as a prep senior at Canton High School. “She will also shrink the Bulldog outfield with her ability to get a good jump off the bat and cover some ground in the grass.”

The Bulldogs, seeded sixth in the region, sprung a mild upset of No. 3 Saginaw Valley State 1-0 in the opening round. Weather permitting Friday morning, Ferris is scheduled to take on No. 2 Lewis, which defeated West Virginia Wesleyan 4-3 in eight innings of a rain-suspended contest at Cougar Field.