Who will get the start today for Mizzou?

Who: No. 6 Georgia (44-11) vs. Missouri (50-11) @ 11:00 a.m. (CST)
Where: ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma City, OK

TV: ESPN
Online: ESPN360
How We Got Here: Bracket 
Weather: Hour-by-Hour Forecast
SB Nation Partner: Dawg Sports (UGA)
Previews: Know Your (Potential) WCWS Opponent - Georgia

Thursday certainly did not go as planned, and the ladies now have their backs to the wall and are playing for their season this morning against a Georgia team in the same situation.  Which team will keep their WCWS hopes alive and get to play Michigan later this evening (since I am not sure anyone is aware the bracket seems to cross over at this point, which I find strage)

Make Rock M Nation your base of operations this weekend and weigh in with your predictions, questions, worries, bold statements and observations by signing up for a free account. Oklahoma City has been good to Mizzou so far in 2009. Both Softball and Baseball threads will be active today, but the games are not likely to overlap.  Hang around all day long to catch all the action.

 
.....when last we saw our Tigers

   Who: No. 3 Washington (46-11) vs. No. 6 Georgia (44-10) @ 12:00 p.m. (CST)
No. 10 Arizona State (46-17) vs. Missouri (50-10) @ 2:00 p.m. (CST) {edit - It may closer to 3:00 p.m.}
Where: ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma City, OK

TV: ESPN
Online: ESPN360
How We Got Here: Bracket 
Weather: Hour-by-Hour Forecast
SB Nation Partners: House of Sparky, UW Dawg Sports, Dawg Sports (UGA)
Previews: Know Your WCWS Opponent - Arizona State, Know Your (Potential) WCWS Opponent - Washington, Know Your (Potential) WCWS Opponent - Georgia

Mizzou is back at the Women's College World Series for the first time since 1994.  All eight teams are in action today, but Bracket 1 will get their work done in the early afternoon.  UW/UGA kick off the day's action, with the Tigers and Sun Devils set to start around 2:00 p.m. central.

Make Rock M Nation your base of operations this week and weigh in with your predictions, questions, worries, bold statements and observations by signing up for a free account. Oklahoma City has been good to Mizzou so far in 2009. Can Mizzou Softball take the first step towards winning the ultimate prize?

We are just hours away from the first pitch of the WCWS and this is the team Mizzou will be taking on in Game 2 this afternoon.  We have already covered the two teams could play depending on the outcome today in Georgia and Washington.  Let's finally get to the real good stuff here and look at the #10 Arizona State Sun Devils

Season:

Overall, ASU finished the regular season at 40-16 with a 10-11 record in the Pac-10 conference, which was good enough for sixth place overall (behind UCLA, Washington, Arizona, Stanford and Cal).  They went a ridiculous 30-6 at home (plus going another 6-1 in the NCAA's for a total of 43 home games), 4-6 on the road and 6-4 at neutral sites.  Their RPI is 11th per Warren Nolan RPI .(which has been updated to include all the action of the tournament it appears)  They run-ruled 16 opponents on the season, were run-ruled three times themselves and played in one extra inning game (the first of the season), which they won.

Common Opponents:

• Oklahoma - ASU lost 8-6, Mizzou won 1 (5-0) and lost 2 (6-2 and 4-2)
  
• Texas - ASU won 12-4 in 5 innings, Mizzou split (lost 6-2, won 11-6)
• Depaul - ASU won 4-0, Mizzou won 1-0
• Nebraska - ASU won 11-6, Mizzou split (losing 6-1, winning 5-0)
• San Diego State - ASU won 5-0, Mizzou lost 4-2 in 8 innings
• UCLA - ASU lost 2 (9-1 in 5, 10-4) and won 1 (5-0),Mizzou split FOUR games (winning 2-1 and 9-1, losing 2-1 and 5-2)

ASU in the Tournament Thus Far:

The Sun Devils got to host their own regional as the #10 seed, but all did not start too well for them.  After an initial win 5-0 over San Diego State, they got run-ruled by LSU and had to work from the loser's bracket.  They took down Fullerton 7-0 before having to beat LSU in two games, which they did by the scores of 6-4 and then 5-0.  Moving on to the Super Regional, ASU benefitted from Oklahoma being absolutely awful and North Dakota State moving on.  ASU took them down with ease at 3-0 and then 11-0 in only 5 innings.  All of these games were at home in Tempe.

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We are going to do the best we can here at RMN to preview all the possible opponents for the softball team this week and weekend.  We have spent yesterday and today previewing the two teams who the Tigers might play...but might not.  Yesterday it was #6 Georgia.  Tomorrow, we will finish with the only team we know Mizzou WILL play in #10 Arizona State.  In the meantime, let's get back to the previewin' by taking a look at the #3 seed Washington Huskies from the Pac-10 Conference.

Season:

Overall, UW finished the regular season at 41-10 with a 14-7 record in the Pac-10 conference, which was good enough for second place overall (behind UCLA).  They went 15-1 at home, 8-8 on the road (but another 4-1 in the NCAA's) and 19-1 at neutral sites (plus another win in the NCAA's).  Their RPI is 3rd per Warren Nolan RPI .(which has been updated to include all the action of the tournament it appears)  They run-ruled 12 opponents on the season, were run-ruled twice themselves and played in nine extra inning games, going 7-2.

Common Opponents:

• San Diego State - UW  won 5-0, Mizzou lost 4-2 in 8 innings
• Nebraska - UW won 6-0, Mizzou split (losing 6-1, winning 5-0)
• Baylor - UW won 1-0 in 8, Mizzou swept (winning 2-1, 7-1 and 1-0)
• UCLA - UW lost two of three (lost 2-0 in 11 and 10-0 in 5 at UCLA, won 3-0 at home), Mizzou split FOUR games (winning 2-1 and 9-1, losing 2-1 and 5-2)

UW in the Tournament Thus Far:

The Huskies have been the road warriors so far in the tournament, as they have not played a game at home.  They travelled across the country to Amherst, MA to win the Regional in exciting fashion, which included a 6-1 final game which took 15 innings to complete.  That had come after they fell to host UMASS 3-1 to force the deciding game.  In Super Regional play, the team headed south to Atlanta to take on #14 Ga Tech, and dispatched them quickly, winning 7-1 and 7-0 in the last game to now have the right to travel to OKC for the WCWS.  Hey, at least they are getting closer to home step by step (2,978 miles to 2,693 miles to 1,997 miles)

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We are going to do the best we can here at RMN to preview all the possible opponents for the softball team this week and weekend.  We will start off by previewing one of two teams who the Tigers might play...but might not.  We will hit #3 UW tomorrow before finishing with the only team we know Mizzou WILL play in #10 Arizona State.  In the meantime, let's get the ball rolling by taking a look at the #6 seed Georgia Bulldogs from the SEC

Season:

Overall, UGA finished the regular season at 39-10 with a 16-7 record in the SEC conference, which was good enough for third place overall (behind Florida in their own division and Alabama in the other).  They went 25-2 at home (plus 2 more wins in the NCAA's), 10-5 on the road and 7-3 at neutral sites.  Their RPI is 5th per Warren Nolan RPI .(which has been updated to include all the action of the tournament it appears)  They run-ruled 18 opponents on the season, were run-ruled twice themselves and played in three extra-inning games, going 1-2.

Common Opponents:

• Baylor - UGA swept (winning 6-2 in 9 innings and 4-3), Mizzou swept (2-1, 7-1 and 1-0)
• Arkansas - UGA swept (8-0 in 5 innings and 8-2 in rain-shortened 5 innings), Mizzou won 8-0 in 6 innings
• North Carolina - UGA swept (6-0 and 4-2), Mizzou swept (9-6 and 8-0 in 5 innings)

UGA in the Tournament Thus Far:

The Bulldogs have yet to drop a game, but have not been terribly dominant at the same time.  Strapped with having to play a road regional in Chapel Hill, UGA did dispatch Radford 3-1 before taking both games from UNC for the Regional title.  This moved them to a matchup with Ohio State, but back home in Athens where they are just about unbeatable.  The Buckeyes would get out early on UGA in BOTH games, leading 4-0 after 5 in the first and 6-1 after 3 in the second.  However, UGA would rally in both, closing out 6-4 and 7-6 wins for the Super Regional title.  Neither starter in the Super Regional made it out of the first inning.

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Baseball at the Big 12 Championship Final:

Who: No. 3 Missouri vs No. 1 Texas
2009 Series: UT def. MU (2-1)
When: 1:00 p.m. CDT
Where: AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Radio: ESPN 1580 AM (KTGR.com)
TV (Online):  Fox Sports Midwest
Tournament Online: Big12Sports.com
Weather: Current Hour-by-Hour Forecast
Around SBN:  Burnt Orange Nation, Big 12 Hardball

Softball at the Los Angeles Super Regional:

Who: Missouri vs. No. 2 UCLA
Series: Missouri leads best-of-3, 1-0
When: 2:30 p.m. CDT
Where: Easton Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.

TV: ESPNU
Online: ESPN360
Weather: Hour-by-Hour Forecast
Around SBN: Bruins Nation
Preview: Know Your Super Regional Opponent - UCLA

Who: Mizzou at #2 UCLA, Game 1 (Best of 3)
When: 8:30pm (CST)
Where: Easton Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

TV: ESPNU
Online: ESPN360
Weather: Hour-by-Hour Forecast
SB Nation Partner: Bruins Nation
Preview: Know Your Super Regional Opponent - UCLA

Mizzou is two wins away from their first Women's College World Series of the decade.  Tune in to ESPNU/ESPN360 and comment away here!

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