Huskies play Nebraska in Women’s College Series
Published 7:37 pm Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Three years ago, the Unnversity of Washington softball team powered into the Women’s College World Series as the known predator.
The Huskies were ranked No. 1 during much of the 2010 season. Pitcher Danielle Lawrie was a force. Washington was the defending national champion.
This year, the Huskies head to dusty middle America as an upstart. Eleventh-seeded Washington faces 14th-seeded Nebraska, at 9 a.m. today in Oklahoma City to start the double-elimination portion of the eight-team tournament. The Huskers are the only team in the field seeded lower than UW,
Washington’s upset of Missouri in the Super Regionals to advance to this year’s World Series brought memories of Lawrie, too. Back in 2007, the Huskies were led by pitchers Lawrie and Caitlin Noble during the most of the season. Washington was a bit of an underdog then.
This year, Washington has again used two pitchers — Kaitlin Inglesby and Bryana Walker — as opposed to the monarchal approach used by most teams. The Huskies also have been talked about less than other teams in the bracket since their season was supposed to end in Missouri.
That also provides them and Nebraska with a commonality. Washington beat Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year Chelsea Thomas on the road to advance. Nebraska beat Pacific-12 Conference pitcher of the year Jessica Moore in Eugene to move on.
The upsets leave each as underdogs in Oklahoma, where the home-state Sooners are the heavy favorite. The Sooners (52-4) lead the nation in scoring, have the best earned-run average and boast the national player of the year, Keilani Ricketts.
“It’s definitely different being here a little bit unexpectedly,” Washington head coach Heather Tarr said.
The most unexpected traveler on the trip is Washington second baseman Kelli Suguro from Kentridge High School. After trying to walk-on to the team as a freshman, Suguro was cut. She spent the eight months away embarrassing the unsuspecting in softball intramurals.
Injuries and happenstance brought Suguro another shot to be on the team. She made it, has become the starting second baseman because of her defense and is now heading to the World Series as a junior.
“I’d say it’s quite the transition, going from where I started to where I ended up,” Suguro said. “I just tried to be optimistic from the beginning.”
During the Super Regionals, Suguro made a diving stop and threw from her belly to first for an out. The play made SportsCenter’s Top 10 of the day and produced some screaming on the ride back to the team hotel as the some team members watched the highlight on a phone.
Suguro’s defense is the main reason she’s at second for the Huskies. Tarr said the diving stop wasn’t even Suguro’s best play of the season. It is, however, at the core of what Washington does. The Huskies are tied for first in fielding percentage in the country.
“I think it’s one of the best defensive teams we’ve ever had,” Tarr said.
Who the defense will stand behind this morning was still in question as of Wednesday. Tarr said Washington had not decided which pitcher to start when it attempts to continue this run.
Of note
Huskies junior Kaitlin Inglesby was named to the 2013 Division I NFCA All-American team Wednesday as a utility player/pitcher. She was one of 18 players named to the first team.
Inglesby, a second-team pick last season, is hitting .361 and leads the Huskies in home runs (11) and runs batted in (60). She also has 22 victories in the pitching circle. She ranks in the top 10 all-time at UW in career batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging and on base percentages, and saves.
