FirefightnRick

Oh FFS!!!!! I wonder sometimes if some of the folks on this site who keep clamoring for a baseball team, which we currently cannot successfully fund and would easily play third fiddle to TCU and DBU in the metroplex, could handle how a season of baseball goes? I doubt it. Like baseball, softball is a potential 60+ game season and it’s mandatory early and throughout to find out WTF you have in the ranks, most importantly your pitching against good teams so you find out who your battle-hardened core is for conference and tournament time. McNeese Softball is a solid team. Last year McNeese won 40 games and went 15-3 in conference. Along the way they beat us, Houston, Baylor, Memphis #19 ULL and beat #18 Notre Dame twice to eliminate them from the NCAA tournament. “GASP”………McNeese was in the NCAA TOURNAMENT last year???? WHAT???? Like all early games…a February tournament loss to McNeese is simply a valuable measuring stick DeLong will use to prepare for May and June. That’s how baseball…….AND softball goes. Rick

Awesome! Rick

Good question, and I’m no softball expert but I’ll try to answer as best I can. NCAA encompasses/recognizes 5 different ranking systems but keeps their own RPI ranking active up front on their Softball link. And I’m guessing since the season is so early there’s not been enough games yet to rank by RPI so last year’s season (as I type this) is still available. Here are the five ranking systems. ESPN.com/USA Softball D1softball.com USA Today/NFCA Coaches Softball America NCAA Women's Softball RPI Since softball overall as a sport is year round and not just played during the NCAA’s designated period of the spring the NCAA defer’s to an organization that dedicates to rear round following, that being D1Softball.com for their preseason ranking,…and that’s who had us at #24 for the preseason. Here’s the NCAA’s own link to that preseason ranking. https://www.ncaa.com/news/softball/article/2023-01-17/2023-college-softball-rankings-preseason-top-25-d1-softball As of yesterday D1 now has us ranked at #22.. No idea when the first RPI poll will begin but I’m sure it’s gonna be soon. ESPN and USA Today/Coaches polls currently have us as the third team in “Others Receiving Votes” after the first week of competition. Softball America does not have us ranked yet. Either way I hope we keep DeLong here for a great duration of his career because like McCasland the man is a very special talent and has placed us on an athletic map the majority of the country can only dream of. He’s done extraordinary things so far and the sky is the limit. Rick

Financially successful AND Regionally Unique, giving us that one sport we have an advantage in since there is only one other D1 Softball program in the DFW Metroplex…(#138th UTA),…who we regularly dominate against in competition and in recruiting. Rick

…and swept their tournament in Atlanta. Buy Tickets and attend when you can. Like basketball, this program is built to win, paving a way for football to follow. Rick

Phenomenal job by Peters to pitch out of a jam in the bottom of the 6th. To the 7th we go leading 3-1. Rick

This team is looking very strong so far. Rick

Unbelievable game! Our guys never quit despite being so exhausted. Scott, Huntsberry and Perry refused to back down. It’s quite something to watch your team take a breath and bare down like that. Every shot contested, every rebound with a hand on it, every loose ball with someone diving for it. That’s Mac and Hodge ball right there. And I loved seeing Super Pit staff having to hold their ears from the noise at the end. And I agree this was the best reffed game of the year. Had we had this crew against FAU we win easily. BTW…I went up on campus before the game and saw the Talons cruise by in the Green Machine Model A towing an NT Battle Flag and screaming through a bull horn reminding those walking through campus to get to the Pit. Great move on their part. Rick

From last week against UTEP. Maybe I’ll bring it again toright?

I’m guessing this is smu’s end around to get into the big 12? They have the money to blow on travel so no problem there, and it’s no loss to their fans regarding travel since they don’t travel anyways. Sad for their players and their parents though because they definitely will want to, but will rarely be able to. It’s a gamble that may pay off? But I promise their invite back to Texas won’t include a helping hand from TCU with the way things currently are now. As per a surprising conversation I had with one of their top donors last week, Donati is getting increasing pressure for TCU to end their biannual trip to Ford over several negative issues that watching a game there presents. The Big West was horrible and why I never wanted inclusion to the WAC or the MWC once we eventually got out of it. Our great supportive fanbase couldn’t travel whenever they chose, neither could the parents. The games were always late and by the time the 10:20 pm local sports shows came on our games were hardly half over, so you only got an update. Plus, those schools rarely if ever have a traveling fan base either for obvious reasons. A two time zone western conference, where your closest opponent would be in Boulder, Colorado is just plain terrible. Fans and officials at North Texas, TCU and La Tech all couldn’t wait for their time in their similar situations to end. I enjoyed the Belt and C-USA and I’m so thankful we are remaining in a home proximity conference for the time being. Rick

Thank you @greenminer for keeping our history straight and how Joe was never referred to as “Mean” Joe Greene until after a Pittsburgh sports writer would call him that a season or two later. To Steeler fans he was entirely unknown. Here’s two articles from the Pittsburgh press clippings after the 1969 draft in which disgruntled fans expressed their negative opinions about Knole’s pick of the unheard of D lineman from an unheard of school, one quoted with “it’s a typical Steeler pick”. Rick

Exactly, and why I pay ZERO attention to the rankings services. Considering the circumstances I am excited for what Morris has done and can only imagine how little I would give a $hit if Littrell was still here. Rick

Great job. Harry’s “Mean Green Report” has come a long way. Rick

I saw Jake knock Weatherford out of the playoffs in ‘21. Best QB I’ve seen play in Roo Stadium since Lamar’s Shane Buechele. Rick

Great job @jtm0097 Rick

@emmitt01 and I saw Jayven play in the past two state championships. This will be a phenomenal get for us if he signs. Rick

Incredible testament to Rodney DeLong and his staff. Very proud of this team! Rick

I think the Frogs just got the deer-in-the-headlights syndrome going from the hype and pressure and it got out of hand. They played much more loose last week. Some teams simply are a horrible matchup vs others. Still a phenomenal season to be proud of. I’d take 13-2, a huge win in the Semi’s over the Big 10 Champion Michigan and a 2nd overall finish any time. Rick

I don’t blame him for leaving. Last year Wazzu only threw .04% of the time to its tightends. Baylor threw to them 22% of the time. Rick

We don’t light the tower for away game wins any more, remember? Rick

Did you know there are 12 brass screws (5 in each skid plate, 1 in each pick hanger)… fitted into Boomer’s trail support specifically to honor #12 himself? Rick

How bout lighting the tower for away game wins? That would be cool. Rick

The new name will involve Ryan. Rick

How bout 10-3 Air Force, who’s defense held Baylor, the previous Big12 Champion to 15 points in a rout week before last. Rick