All eight Pac-10 conference softball teams have now qualified
for the NCAA regionals, which begin on May 15.
Oregon State was the last to clinch a winning record with a 4-2
win at Washington.
“Finally,” Oregon State coach Kirk Walker said.
“Thursday’s loss to Portland State was pretty tough.
Friday was doubly exciting since it was at Husky
Stadium.”
To make it to the NCAA regionals, a team has to have a winning
record. Aside from that, the NCAA Selection Committee looks at
strength of schedule, something that will help all of the Pac-10
schools.
Every team in the Pac-10 is ranked in both top 25 polls except
for the Beavers, who were ranked for most of this season and still
receive votes.
“I’d rather take on the Texases and
Oklahomas,” Oregon coach Kathy Arendsen told the Daily
Emerald. “As good as they are, I’d rather go take on
those than (Pac-10 teams) any day.”
The conference features four teams in the top eight nationally,
and as a whole has compiled an .812 non-conference winning
percentage.
All those wins weren’t against creampuffs either, with the
Pac-10 compiling a 27-21 record against non Pac-10 top 25
teams.
“There’s no easy weekend, or even an easy game in
the Pac-10,” Walker said. “Most of the country goes
into their conference play as the easier time of the year. For the
Pac-10, it’s the opposite, it’s by far the most
difficult time of the year.”
Due to their rankings, strength of schedule and the NCAA
expanding the number of teams to go to the NCAA regionals from 48
to 64, all eight teams will likely qualify.
However, only one of the eight schools, No. 1 Arizona, was
selected to host an NCAA regional. Regional sites were given based
on the quality of the facilities, not quality of play as done
before 2002.
“I’m shocked,” Arizona coach Mike Candrea
said. “I expected more than one Pac-10 school to host a
regional.”
Arizona clinches the conference title with one win this weekend.
The Wildcats play No. 2 UCLA on Friday and a doubleheader against
Washington on Saturday.
The Bruins, two games behind Arizona, would need to sweep and
hope Arizona gets swept to win the Pac-10.
UCLA won the Pac-10 last season.