The Atlantic Coast Conference won the 2020 softball edition of the ACC/B1G Ten Challenge, edging out their competing conference 25-19. The ACC/B1G Challenge, which stretches across various sports, pits schools from the respective conferences against one another at a specific point in the season and at pre-selected venues. For softball, a select number of schools host weekend tournaments that include another member of their own conference and two members of the opposite league. Clemson; Duke; Georgia Tech; North Carolina; and North Carolina State played host for the ACC this year. Two ACC teams – Florida State and Virginia Tech -…
Author: jmcleod
Bruins stay hot After an offensive slugfest on opening weekend, the Bruins’ first real tests of the season came in Clearwater, where they faced off against a quintet of top-level opponents. The Bruins made quick work of preseason SEC favorites Alabama, shutting out the Crimson Tide in a 7-0 win. Impressive wins over Georgia and Florida State, the latter a come-from-behind affair, highlighted the week two slate. The Bruins seem to be clicking on all cylinders early, and have gotten production from all parts of their lineup; Briana Perez and Aaliyah Jordan have stepped into leadership roles when called upon,…
UCLA standout Briana Perez has been named the JWOS Player of the Week. Perez was one of two Bruin players to get a hit in each of the team’s five games over the weekend, ending the weekend going 9-17 with four walks. She helped lead her team to a 5-0 record at the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational. In her team’s opening matchup against Alabama, Perez was a perfect 1-1 at the plate, recording three walks, with a solo home run as her only hit. She also stole a base in the game and scored a pair of runs. She recorded…
Francis Marion has been named the JWOS D2 Team of the Week after a stellar week three performance that continued their red-hot start to the 2020 season. The Patriots went 5-0 in week three, including three run-rule victories at their own hosted tournament. The team outscored their opponents 47-11, while the pitching staff recorded a pair of shutouts. Patriots junior Ashtyn Patterson was named the Peach Belt Conference’s Player of the Week after assembling a .750 batting average thanks to a 9-12 showing at the plate, and added six runs scored, three doubles, and seven RBIs. She is in her…
I spent most of Saturday out at Madeira Beach, taking in the second day of the inaugural Division I offering under THE Spring Games’ label and tournament branding. With more to follow on my day at the Beach – if only that were a literal statement… – here were some of my immediate takeaways from the action: 1. The venue is gorgeous This was my first time visiting Madeira Beach, and I was blown away by the views and skylines from nearly every part of the complex. There’s a beautiful body of water just beyond some of the outfield fences,…
North Carolina head coach Donna Papa recorded her 1,300th career win on Saturday. Papa recorded the milestone victory with a 4-3 win over Wisconsin during the teams’ matchup as part of the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. The win was North Carolina’s fifth this season, and put the Tar Heels over the .500 mark at 5-4 on the year. “I was more concerned about winning the game,” Papa said in a school statement, “but if 1300 wins what the byproduct is, that’s great. I’m thankful for all the players and assistant coaches who’ve helped get me to this point. It’s more about…
Baylor’s Glenn Moore recorded the 900th win of his career on Friday night as his team swept a doubleheader at home in Waco. With victories over Prairie View A&M and Grand Canyon to open the Getterman Classic, Moore recorded career wins #899 and #900, reaching the milestone in his 24th season as a collegiate head coach and his 20th year at Baylor. Moore is the winningest coach in Baylor athletics history, in any sport, with more than 750 victories in his two decades leading the Bears’ softball program. He has helmed the Bears to the Women’s College World Series four…
Florida A&M head coach Veronica Wiggins will retire at the conclusion of the 2020 season, according to a school announcement earlier this week. Wiggins was honored during opening weekend of the D1 season, when her team visited LSU and the hosting Tigers highlighted her career prior to the game between the two teams. A victor of more than 700 games during her career at Florida A&M, Wiggins has led the Rattlers to twelve conference championships and nine NCAA tournament appearances. She reached the 700-win milestone in 2017, becoming the first HBCU coach to hit that benchmark, and could hit the…
Dot Richardson had been part of games like this before. Then, she was taking ground balls. This time, though, she took her place in the coach’s box. Richardson’s Liberty Flames went head-to-head with Team USA on Wednesday night as part of the Stand Beside Her tour. The national team took home the 18-0 victory, running their undefeated streak to eight games to begin the pre-Olympic tour. Team USA has had higher-profile opponents to begin this tour – they beat two-time national champions Florida 5-3 on Tuesday night in Gainesville – but not yet has this iteration of the national squad directly taken…
Alabama senior outfielder Elissa Brown underwent surgery for a broken hand earlier this week, the school announced on Thursday morning. “Alabama senior outfielder Elissa Brown underwent successful surgery this week for a broken hand. She is out indefinitely but is expected to make a full recovery and return later this season,” read a social media post from the Crimson Tide. Brown led the team with a .444 batting average on opening weekend, collecting four hits in nine at-bats. She scored four runs and collected one RBI in the set of games that saw the Crimson Tide begin the season 1-3.…