Teams are now in the very heart of the regular season, just past the halfway point in the year, and a number of conferences boast of top-level matchups headlining their league play this week. Underscoring the sport’s popularity, an ESPN release earlier this week noted that more than 160 games will be available via the Worldwide Leader’s various media platforms this week alone.
Catching 160 games in the span of just one weekend might be tough, and would even leave out some of the nation’s best teams who might be appearing on other networks or without a major set of cameras in tow. Never fear; we’ve got you covered on some big teams, players, and matchups to watch in week eight.
Kentucky vs. Arkansas
>>> We’ll start with a matchup down in SEC country, between two teams that have recorded wishy-washy seasons to date. Kentucky started slowly and looked to be on the upswing at the beginning of conference play, but a sweep at the hands of Missouri last week stunted that progress and led into an upset loss against Western Kentucky in a midweek matchup. The Razorbacks have carved a similar path over the last few weeks, winning just one of their three conference series’ and splitting a doubleheader against UT-Arlington in midweek play. A series win for either of these teams would be most welcome, with the hopes that it might restart winning ways that have been rarer in recent memory.
Oregon vs. Stanford
>>> A pair of reversed fortunes from a year ago underscore this series. The Cardinal still have yet to play a full conference series, after starting their league slate a week late and seeing a game three-rainout against Cal last week. The Cardinal have looked good early, in sharp contrast to their 2018 campaign; illustrating that point, it was May 1st before Stanford recorded their 23rd win of the season. Jessica Allister’s club currently sit at 23-4 this year. In the dugout across the diamond are the Oregon Ducks, 0-6 in PAC-12 play a year removed from winning the conference championship and the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. The Ducks haven’t been able to identify a sturdy #2 pitcher, and have gotten some spottiness from de facto ace Jordan Dail.
Ball State vs. Kent State
>>> Kent State has played a particularly grueling pre-conference schedule, resulting in a deceiving 12-17 overall record. The Golden Flashes started their MAC slate positively, with a series win over Toledo, and now host the Cardinals in the start to a power-filled homestand. Kent State owns a pair of wins over Baylor on the season and boast a team batting average of .279. Andrea Scali has been even sensational at times in the circle for the Golden Flashes, and will face a Ball State offense that has seen thirteen batters record at least one home run thus-far this season. The Cardinals have their own ace in freshman Sarah Venker, who sports a 1.98 ERA on the season.
Texas vs. Oklahoma State
>>> The upstart Longhorns have delivered largely as expected in Mike White’s first year, with dynamite pitching, big wins, and a lot of quality hitting. White’s former Oregon transfers have meshed well since donning the burnt orange and white, and the Horns are comfortably in position to host a postseason regional, at the very least. Oklahoma State has had something of a tumultuous year, highlighted by performances like a three-game series sweep at Oregon, but also including a pair of losses to Ole Miss and defeats at the hands of Baylor and Tulsa since. The Cowgirls will have something to prove, while wins would be just more feathers in the Longhorns’ caps.
Florida vs. Ole Miss
>>> “When was the last time that Florida had a conference record below .500?” The answer is March 23, 2015, but it is a question that no one thought would be even remotely relevant coming into the season. Back-to-back series losses to Tennessee and LSU to open conference play make the weekend’s series in Oxford a surprising must-win for the Gators. Ole Miss has enjoyed something of a surprising start to their own conference slate, with series wins over Arkansas and a two-game split against South Carolina. The Gators will look to right their ship, while Ole Miss will look to pull off another upset and show themselves as true contenders for a title.
Mia Davidson vs. Montana Fouts
>>> The Alabama/Mississippi State series has no shortage of storylines surrounding it, but perhaps the most intriguing entry on that list will be when the hard-hitting Mississippi State catcher steps into the box against the Crimson Tide’s freshman sensation. Davidson leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally with a .494 batting average, while Fouts boasts a 1.05 ERA on the year and ranks second in the SEC, just 0.01 behind the conference leader (Molly Jacobsen from Ole Miss). Davidson’s at-bats against Fouts will be must-see TV.
