Beaubien Top-10 Finalist for National Freshman & National Player of the Year

Submitted by South Bend Wolverine on

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association released the lists of the top-10 finalists for the National Freshman of the Year award and the National Player of the Year award.  Fresh off taking down the Big 10 Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year titles, Meghan Beaubien continues her assault on the trophy case.

Beaubien is one of only 3 freshmen to make it onto both lists, indicating that she has a legitimate shot at the Freshman of the Year award.  She'll probably have to wait a year or two before making a serious run at National POY, but you never know.  The top 3 for both of these awards will be released on May 23, and the awards presented at a banquet before the WCWS on May 29.

Beaubien is the first Wolverine to be in the top-10 as a freshman since Sierra Romero.  I'll just leave that fact out there for you to ponder.

Links (sorry, I'm a luddite & still don't know how to hyperlink):

https://nfca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7829:schu…

https://nfca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7828:top-…

Team 101

May 10th, 2018 at 10:34 PM ^

Big Upset tonight in the B1G softball tournament.  #12 Iowa eliminates #5 Thee Ohio State University 5-1.  Most of the Iowa runs came in on passed balls and wild ptiches.

 

We play Staee tomorrow at 5:30 Eastern time

Solecismic

May 11th, 2018 at 12:08 AM ^

Well deserved honors for Meghan. And some motivation for what's hopefully a very long weekend for her ahead.

First, vanquish the Spartans. Unlike the well documented issues with the Dantizzo crew, they've got a good group of student athletes. Both center fielder Lea Foerster (their leadoff hitter and toughest out) and pitcher Kristina Zalewski were named academic All-District. Zalewski missed last week's game with Michigan with an injury, but looked OK today. She does seem to have the Wolverines' number. Can't forget what happened in the tournament last year.

I felt bad for Ohio State (not really) tonight. Two horrendous calls on the basepaths in the seventh inning - they entered it tied at 1. One led to all Iowa's runs. The other helped prevent Ohio State from scoring. Allison Doocy, who shut down Michigan in a game earlier this season, struck out 15 for Iowa.

Strangest thing, though. Up four with two on and one out in bottom of the seventh, Iowa semi-intentionally walked Lilli Piper. The announcers were going on like this was some credible strategy Iowa came up with. Um... Piper could, yes, hit another home run. And OSU would still trail by a run with the tying run coming to the plate. Or Piper could walk on four pitches and load the bases with the tying run coming to the plate. As it turned out Doocy struck out the next two batters anyway.

RoseInBlue

May 11th, 2018 at 6:55 AM ^

Why do you feel walking Piper there was not a credible strategy?  Piper was 2-2 on the day with the rest of the team having only 2 hits on the game (1 of which had just happened).  I fully expected them to walk her whether intentionally or semi-intentionally.  It was probably the right call considering the numbers against Doocy for Piper vs. the rest of the team.

Alton

May 11th, 2018 at 1:09 PM ^

You're up 4 with 2 runners on.  In the last inning, the team with the lead has 2 basic responsibilities on defense:  keep the tying run from advancing, and keep the winning run from advancing.  

If you pitch to her, there is about a 40 percent chance that the tying run comes to the plate (assuming her OBP = .400).  If you pitch around her, there is a 100 percent chance that the tying run comes to the plate.

 

Solecismic

May 11th, 2018 at 3:36 PM ^

RoseInBlue, I think the example is easier if you look at this way:

Let's say you're up two and Piper leads off. Does it matter whether she hits a home run or walks?

Even if her expected OBP against Doocy is .750, it's better to give it your best shot.

The interesting thing is that while the announcer was saying the botched call at second base opened up the intentional walk strategy because it left a base open for Piper (he didn't fully understand that concept, either), it did the opposite. If the call were correctly made, it would have loaded the bases for Piper with none out. Given that Piper had already hit a home run and the next two hitters were 0-for-6 with six strikeouts, I think you have to consider walking Piper even though it brings the winning run to the plate.

I remember at the height of his late-career renaissance, teams considered walking Barry Bonds with the bases loaded - he was that much better than the rest of the league. Piper is certainly in that category.

tlo2485

May 11th, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^

12:00 #2 Minnesota vs #7 Wisconsin

vs

2:30 #3 Indiana vs #6 Illinois

 

4:30 #1 Michigan vs #8 Michigan State

vs

8:00 #4 Northwestern vs #12 Iowa

 

The Iowa-OSU game was crazy. It looks like our RPI will get no help, though. I was reading on another forum, most people believe that Michigan will be treated as one of the top #2 seeds by the committee no matter what happens here on out (A few still believe if Michigan wins the B1G Tournament, the committee would consider them for the 16 seed). They have done it in the past with teams that are known to be extremely dangerous with their ace pitcher but have a lower RPI.

I have a strong feeling we will get paired with a 3-seeded Notre Dame (The RPI match up almost perfectly for this) and go to whichever team is in the 10-16 range of #1 seeds close by. This sets up a Kentucky-Michigan-Notre Dame regional, which the committee has booked a million times.

Alton

May 11th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^

Michigan's game is at 5:30 EDT.  The other games in your post have the EDT times listed correctly.

I don't get the logic of M being treated as a high 2.  Michigan will be a low 2--one of the lowest.  They have given the committee zero reason to elevate them above where their RPI puts them.  If they lose to MSU, they might end up as a very high 3-seed instead.

Also, the west coast has such a deficit of 2-seeds that I think the most logical trip for Michigan is to a Pac-12 team.  That's almost always what happens when Michigan is a 2.  Look for UCLA or Washington as their regional host.

I'm going to stand by my prediction of last week:  UCLA v Fullerton, Michigan v Mississippi.

Solecismic

May 11th, 2018 at 9:41 PM ^

After a lot of rain, they should resume with the first inning of today's first game at about 6:00 our time. Not much chance Michigan/Michigan State plays today. The weather doesn't great tomorrow, so perhaps the second semi and the final will both be on Sunday.

EDIT: Apparently, only the fourth quarter will move to tomorrow, so UM/MSU will start around 11:00 tonight. That will be very rough on Iowa, should they get past Northwestern.

After last year, with the NCAA gambling and sending #1 Minnesota on the road for a regional, there's no mistaking how they feel about the Big Ten. Minnesota lost, too. So I'm just hoping they hold on to a 2-seed.