2017 Waco Regional Preview
Baylor (43-12) is hosting a NCAA regional for the second time in four years and the fourth time overall, in addition to hosting Super Regionals in 2005 and ’07. The other three teams are Kent State (32-26), James Madison (50-6) and Oregon State (28-25).
Top Seed
Baylor get’s the top nod, at least from a seeding perspective, in this regional. The Bears went 2-1 in the Big 12 tournament this past week. Overall the finished second behind Oklahoma in the conference during the regular season. Offensively they team brings a .325 team batting average and they have two hitters above the .400 mark in Lindsey Cargill (.461) and Kyla Walker (.412). The team is not a power hitting team with only 34 home runs on the season. They do get on base and they do score a lot of runs (490). In the circle, they rely on two pitchers Kelsee Selman (22-8) and Gia Rodoni (15-2). Selman boasts a 1.44 ERA with 177 strikeouts over 194 innings of work. Rodoni comes in with a 1.75 ERA and 129 strikeouts over 124 innings. They have the offense and pitching to carry them, but at times have struggled at the plate.
Best Shot at the Upset
This is a pretty easy pick, James Madison. Another team that appeared to be snubbed by the NCAA selection committee. The Dukes put together a 50 win season and are led by All-American pitcher Megan Good (36-1). Good not only leads the team from the circle she also has the best batting average (.399) and leads the team in home runs (12) and RBIs (57). She has been very tough to hit and score on all season posting a 0.48 ERA with 255 strikeouts in 219.2 innings. The Dukes have outscored their opponents this season 395-85. They can score and they are hard to score on, making them a great upset candidate.
Players to Watch
We already named a few of them but you should also keep an eye on Kent State’s Maddy Grimm. Grimm is having a strong season at the plate with a slash of .340/.507/.813. She also has 19 home runs and leads the team in RBIs (55). Oregon State DP/1B Alysha Everett is another to watch. The junior is batting .316 and leading the team in doubles (11), home runs (8) and RBI (45).
Prediction
Baylor and James Madison are expected to battle this one out. If Good is at the top of her game the Bears may have a hard time plating runs on her. Look for James Madison to get the upset and advance.
