2018 Seattle Regional Preview
Seattle Regional
Washington will play host to Minnesota (39-15), Texas (32-24), and Boise State (40-14) in the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. Washington will face off with Boise State first, with Minnesota and Texas playing. The Regional games will begin on Friday, May 18, with games between Washington and Boise State at 8:30 pm PST and Minnesota and Texas at 6:00 pm PST. There will be three games on Saturday, with the Regional championship determined on Sunday. Find all the info here.
Top Seed
Washington was named the nation’s five seed after finishing the year 44-8. The Huskie offense finished the regular season with a .317 batting average. Leading the team is sophomore Sis Bates with a .400 average, 66 hits, 47 runs scored, 32 RBI, and a .606 slugging percentage. The Huskies have seven hitters in their lineup who have maintained above a .300 average in 2018. Washington has relied on the arms of junior Taran Alvelo and freshman Gabbie Plain for the majority of the season. Alvelo is 21-4 heading into the Regional with a 1.41 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 165.1 innings pitched. Plain (16-4) holds a 1.11 ERA of her own and has fanned 145 batters in 120 innings pitched. Collectively the Huskie pitching staff holds a 1.15 team ERA.
Best Shot at the Upset
Minnesota enters the Regional coming off its third Big Ten Tournament Championship Title in a row. In their last 20 games, the Gophers own a 19-1 record, have outscored the opposition 154-20, and the pitching staff has collected 10 shutouts in 20 performances. On the road, this season, Minnesota has posted a 28-14 record, including 14 true road victories. The offense has maintained a .291 batting average and is led by freshman Ellee Jensen’s .411 average. Amber Fiser has been the anchor in the circle for the Gophers this season. The sophomore has tossed 228.1 innings and holds a 1.59 ERA along with 230 strikeouts.
Players to Watch
Minnesota pitcher Sydney Smith is someone to watch for this upcoming weekend. Smith brings Regional, Super Regional, and World Series experience after completing her first two collegiate seasons at LSU. Smith was the heroine in the final two games of the Big Ten Tournament last weekend, pitching the Gophers out of jams and recording the final two out of three wins.
Texas freshman Janae Jefferson is batting an impressive .404 on the season and has been a driving force for the Longhorn offense. Jefferson has recorded 72 hits in the regular season, 11 of those hits being doubles, and has tallied 30 runs and 24 RBI.
Prediction
We predict this Regional will come down to the matchup of Washington vs. Minnesota. This is the third year in a row that the Huskies have hosted a regional. They also finished the season with a 15-3 at home record. Both teams have the offensive talent and numbers to put up runs. We give Washington the offensive edge as they have seen stronger pitching over the course of the season with a very challenging Pac-12 conference schedule. Does Minnesota have the pitching depth to defeat the Huskies twice? This is where the importance of Sydney Smith and her experience comes into play. We can expect both of these teams to battle it out in this Regional, but if we have to choose, we predict Washington will advance to the Super Regional.
