This semester I was challenged to share my experience and thoughts on a subject that is very important to me and that has had a major impact on my life. Growing up, I was involved in more sporting events than you could count with your two hands. Sports has developed who I am today and has paved a successful path for myself for the present and for my future. The purpose of this blog (besides to get a grade for class J) was to communicate and create a useful page to share my opinions and thoughts on what interests me to others also intrigued in sports. I was trying to connect with others on a level I have never experienced before. While blogging this semester I have learned new levels of research, interests in my childhood obsession, building an online resource from scratch, and developing relationship with others while strictly using a computer. Blogging is much different from any other social media platform I have used in the past. It has been an experience I can use in the future when I want to share my website for my company or business to expand content for my customers or I could use blogging for a hobby to spark interest in others. I enjoyed my time blogging while participating in my MGT 345 course and I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a hobby, looking to expand and grow their business, or to anyone wanting to learn more about online marketing.

If you asked a sports connoisseur what their favorite sporting event of the year was I guarantee a majority of those votes would go to the annual professional football championship game, or better known as the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is played every year around mid-January to early February between the top two teams in the NFL (National Football League). According to USA Today, “the Super Bowl is the biggest spectacle in sports, from the pre-game hype to the parties to the annual traditions that fans have around it to the halftime show to the game itself.” There are 13 fun facts that many don’t know about this legendary game coming from USA Today, the first includes the game has only gone into overtime once. This was Super Bowl LI, better known as the championship game in which the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead to the Patriots. Number two is the AFC-NFC title game, the Super Bowl, got its name from the Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt daughter and son. They played with a toy called the super ball, giving the name the Super Bowl to the football tradition. Number three is that a total of 12 teams have NEVER won a Super Bowl. These teams are the Browns, Jaguars, Texans, Chargers, Titans, Cardinals, Panthers, Falcons, Bengals, Bills, and the Vikings. Of that group, the Browns, Jaguars, and Texans have never made it to the big game in their existence. I know for myself; it would be a very long and difficult season to sit through if the chances of a championship were slim to none. Number four is that there is only one starting quarterback who has won a Super Bowl title with two different teams. This quarterback is better known as the only and only Peyton Manning. He won the two titles with the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos. Fun fact number five is there is only one man who has been named MVP for the losing team. His name is Chuck Howley with the Dallas Cowboys who lost to Baltimore in Super Bowl V. Howley had two interceptions voting him on the MVP list. Number six is that the AFC team and the NFC team takes turns being the home team in the Super bowl despite the fact that it is played at a neutral site. Number seven is that the New England Patriots have appeared in the most Super Bowls. As of the 2019 season they have 11, three more than the Steelers, Cowboys, and the Broncos. Number eight accompanies number seven being that the Patriots also have the most Super Bowl losses along with the Broncos at five each. Number nine is that the reason behind using roman numerals for the Super Bowl is because of Lamar Hunt adopted them to remove any confusion in future NFL championship games. The roman numerals are to keep the games in chronological order for each season. Fact number ten is that Super Bowl 50 used numbers and not an “L” for the roman numeral count. Number eleven is that Super Bowl LIII was the lowest scoring Super Bowl game in all history. The score was 13-3, the Patriots beating the Rams. Number 12 is that this championship game has been played in a total of 10 different states. The states include Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Texas. The thirteenth and final fun fact is that Vince Lombardi Trophy is a football “mounted in a kicking position.” That is according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which tells this great story about then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reaching out to tiffany and Co. to make the trophy. The chief of design for Tiffany knew nothing about football so he watched, learned, and constructed this trophy for the NFL. Overall, the NFL Super Bowl is one of the most celebrated sporting events in all of history and it will continue to be played and celebrated by fans all over the world.

Today on my sports blog I am going to highlight and write about the one and only WSF or better known as the Women’s Sports Foundation. According to Dr. Deborah Antoine, WSF CEO, “We believe that sports are a birthright and we use our powerful voice to advocate for equality in sports for every girl and woman. We speak out for safe, equal playing fields for school-aged and elite athletes around the world and promote female leadership in all areas of sports.” The Woman’s Sports Foundation exist to unlock the possibilities in every girl and woman through the power of sports. The mission for WSF revolves around this quote, “We are the ally, advocate and catalyst for tomorrow’s leaders. We exist to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sports and life.” A little background on the Women’s Sports Foundation, they were established in 1974 to advance the lives of women and girls through sports and physical activity. They want to enable all girls and women to reach their full potential in sports as well as in life. They provide financial fuel to aspiring champion athletes. They fund groundbreaking research, they educate, they advocate, and they help communities get girls and women active. They refuse to stop their hard work and research until all things in female sports are equal. Their new research is “Chasing Equity,” painting a picture of the sports landscape for girls and women and sets the stage for The Equity Project, springing into action very soon. Research for the WSF is the foundation for everything they do, and it helps identify needs that all of the programs offered to fulfill. The WSF is partnered with over 1,000 champion athletes across the country. They cover sports ranging from auto racing, billiards, basketball, fencing to sports like ice hockey, rugby, volleyball, softball, and wrestling. Some top partnerships include Lauryn Williams (Track and Field, Bobsled), Sasha DiGiulian (Climbing), Jessica Long (Swimming), Laila Ali (Boxing), and Alana Nichols (Multi-sport) who is the president of WSF. WSF seeks involvement that is critical to growth and success. They want people who believe that having equal opportunity to be active is the only way to find our full potential as women, girls and people. The WSF advocates for equality, constructing programs dealing with Title 9, Title 9 Compliance, participation, abuse and harassment, leadership and coaching, LGBTQ+, Elite Athletes, and health. They serve millions of girls and women across the nation every year and they aim to increase female athletic participation, teach the benefits of sport and ultimately, create long-lasting impact far beyond the playing field. Being a female athlete, this foundation hits very close to home and I can see how much of an impact they have had on all female athletics. They teach how things should be done the right way on behalf of female athletes. Women deserve equal rights, coverage, pay, and respect in sports no matter how high up you are. Women have just as much talent and athletic ability to hang with the highest paid male athletes playing today. You can find more information about the Women’s Sports Foundation by visiting their site, womenssportsfoundation.org. They offer many different ways to get involved and you can find ways to help, donate, and support female athletes all over the world. They are sponsored and work alongside ESPNW, Gatorade, and NBC Sports Group. I 100% support this strong, confident group of females and will continue to fight for what we believe in to develop all things in women sports. Females deserve better and the foundation will find success. Female power all day, every day!! #keepplaying

I may be biased but I think the South Alabama Jaguars are the best school and group of teams in the Sunbelt conference. With me being the Jags #1 player, fan, and sports enthusiast and considering the University of South Alabama is in the Sunbelt on conference, this week’s blog will be all about the Sunbelt. Giving you an inside scoop on what the conference is about, what they stand for and some other fun facts about the Sunbelt Conference. According to Sunbelt.org, the Sunbelt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA’s Division 1 since August 4^th, 1976. It has Division 1 programs located all throughout the region of the southern United States. The headquarters for the Sunbelt Conference is located in New Orleans Louisiana.  Commissioner for the Sunbelt is Keith Gill, working for the Sunbelt since 2019. The Sunbelt is within the subdivision FBS. There are 12 members of the Sunbelt that is broken down into 18 sporting events, 9 men and 9 women teams. The 12 members include the University of South Alabama Jaguars (Mobile Alabama), Texas State University Bobcats (San Marcos Texas), University of Texas Arlington Mavericks (Arlington Texas), Troy University Trojans (Troy Alabama),  Appalachian State University Mountaineers (Boone North Carolina), Arkansas State University Red Wolves (Jonesboro Arkansas), Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers (Conway South Carolina), Georgia Southern University Eagles (Statesboro Georgia), University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans (Little Rock Arkansas), Georgia State University Panthers (Atlanta Georgia), University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (Lafayette Louisiana), and University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawks (Monroe Louisiana). The 9 men’s sporting events includes baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. The 9 women’s sporting events includes basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball. These totaled 18 sporting events make up the wide range of teams the sunbelt has to offer. App State joined the Sunbelt in 2014, have 19,280 students, and rep the colors black and yellow. Arkansas State joined in 1991, have 13,891 students enrolled to the university, and colors are red and black. Coastal Carolina joined the Sunbelt in 2016, have 10,894 students attending the university, and have the colors teal, bronze, and black. Georgia Southern joined the program in 2014, hold 26,054 students, and have rep the colors navy blue and white. Georgia State joined the Sunbelt in 1976 and again in 2013, housing 53,619 students, and hold the colors royal blue and white. UA at Little Rock joined in 1991, with 9,579 students enrolled, and have the colors maroon, silver, and white. UL at Lafayette joined in 1991, with 19,403 students, and have the colors red and white. UL at Monroe joined the Sunbelt in 2006, having 8,489 students attend the university, and rep the colors maroon and gold. USA joined in 1976 which is the only school currently in the Sunbelt who has been a part of the conference since the beginning, enrolling 14,667 students, wearing the colors red, white, and navy blue. Texas State joined in 2013, with 38,231 students and they rep the colors maroon and gold. UT Arlington joined in 2013, having 42,863 students go to school at this university, and have the colors blue, orange, white, and black. Lastly, Troy joined the Sunbelt Conference in 2005, the university has 17,494 students enrolled, and wear the colors cardinal red, silver, and black. Unfortunately, no current Sunbelt member has won an NCAA Division 1 team championship while a member of the conference. Four current members have won NCAA Division 1 team championships prior to joining the conference (Georgia Southern Football, Appalachian State Football, UL at Monroe Football, and Coastal Carolina Baseball). Overall, the Sunbelt is a well respected and very competitive conference in all of the  sports they offer.

The game of softball is back and better than ever!! It is official, back in 2016 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted unanimously to get the game of softball back into the summer Olympics. The game of softball had been fighting for a countless number of years trying to build up the popularity of the game to have the sport implanted back into the Summer Olympics Games. When the day finally arrived, the softball fan base across the world exploded with excitement. The growing sport is finally getting the chance to shine again on the highest stage imaginable. According to nfca.org, “The organizing committee for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics proposed the new sports in 2015 in response to the new flexibility provided by Olympic agenda 2020, the ICO’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic movement, to encourage innovation in the Olympic program. Olympic Agenda 2020 gives host cities the option to suggesting new sports and events for inclusion in their edition of the games.” The edition of softball to the Summer Olympic Games will boost popularity significantly in Japan and will help promote gender equality equaling male and female sports. Although the Summer Olympic Games were supposed to be help this summer, with the recent worldwide outbreak of the COVID-19 or better known as the corona virus, many sporting events and teams have been postponed or cancelled for the remainder of the year. One team in particular who was greatly affected by this event is the United States of America (USA) Olympic softball team. The USA softball roster consist of 15 players and 3 replacement players. They are coached by head coach, Ken Eriksen. The 2020 Summer Olympics Games were supposed to be played in Tokyo this year, held on July 24 through August 9. The USA softball team has had a lasting impact in the Olympics. According to nfca.org, “In four Olympic Games appearances, the USA Softball Women’s National Team claimed three gold medals (1996,2000,2004) and one runner-up finish to Japan in 2008, while setting numerous international records and are one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals.” In the 2004 Summer Olympics Games USA broke 16 records, including 8 of their own records previously set according to nfca.org. On the current roster for the USA softball team include two remaining Olympians, Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott, the other 13 are first time Olympian contestants. With that being said, the USA softball team along with all other countries participating in the Summer Olympics Games will get the chance to play. Officials from NBCSports.com have stated that they moved the games back and set the new date for the Summer Olympic Games to be held on July 23 through August 8, 2021. The countries that will be competing for softball at the 2021 games include the United States of America (5^th appearance), Japan (5^th appearance), Italy (3^rd appearance), Mexico (1^st appearance), Canada (5^th appearance), and Australia (5^th appearance). The USA qualified at the 2018 WBSC Softball World Championship, Japan was automatically qualified since they are the host nation of the Olympics, Italy won the WBSC Softball Europe/Africa Qualification Championship, Mexico won the WBSC Softball Americas Qualification Championship, Canada won the WBSC Softball Americas Qualification, and Australia won the WBSC Softball Asia/Oceanic Qualification. Going into the 2021 Summer Olympic Games rankings include USA at No. 1, Japan at No. 2, Canada coming in at No. 3, Mexico No. 5, Australia No. 7, and Italy No. 9. All six countries will be traveling to Tokyo to fight, compete, and all efforts to try and win the gold medal for their country.

Sports! Sports! Sports! Clearly, sports have a HUGE impact on my life. Not to be biased but softball is the best sport to watch and play. Today’s blog I am going to reflect and talk about the start of my college softball career leading up to where I am today. I am currently a junior at the University of South Alabama where I participate in NCAA division 1 softball. My freshman season (2018) I started 54 of the 55 games that I appeared in, making starts at designated player (26), first base (20) and catcher (8). I was 42-for-159 at the plate for a .264 batting average. I had 13 extra-base hits and scored 14 runs, while driving in 27 which was fourth-most on the club that year. My 13 extra-base hits were tied for second most on the roster and recorded a team-best 23 walks and had a .447 slugging percentage. I was tied for top honors on the roster with eight home runs, which were tied for ninth in the Sun Belt Conference. Seven of my eight home runs came during league play with 14 of my 27 RBI also coming during that time. I hit .315 against SBC competition and had 10 multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games for the 2018 season. My first collegiate hit was an RBI double against Providence (2/10) at the Friends of Jaclyn Invitational. Two games later, I posted her first multi-hit performance with a 2-for-4 performance against Butler (2/11). I reached base all three of my plate appearances against nationally ranked Minnesota (2/23) at the Diamond 9 Citrus I Classic in Kissimmee, Fla., as I was 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. My first career home run was a seventh inning, walk-off of game two against UTA (3/10) to lead the inning off. I led the Jaguars with five game-winning RBI and drove in a then season-best three runs on two hits against Western Kentucky (3/14). I was a perfect 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI in game two of the Sun Belt series against Georgia State (3/24) as I made her first start at first base. I also had a home run and a pair of RBIs in the series finale a day later against Ga. State. In the three-game set against the Panthers, I was 7-for-8 (.875) with three extra-base hits, four RBI and a 1.500 slugging percentage. I was 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and a season-best four RBI against Southern Mississippi (4/3) as I had a three-run home run against the Golden Eagles, my first multi-run homer of the season. I became the first player in program history to hit three home runs in the same game as I did so in game two of an SBC road series at Coastal Carolina (4/28). I was 3-for-4 in that outing and tied a season high with four RBI. Hitting solo home runs in the second and fourth innings and then recorded a two-run blast in the sixth to help lead South to a 10-4 win and a five-home run performance on the day. I was 2-for-2 with a double, a walk and an RBI in game one of a doubleheader against Troy (5/6) on the final day of the regular season. Going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI against Georgia State (5/9) in the Sun Belt Conference Championship. I was named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List and selected as an Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete. Following my freshman debut was my sophomore season (2019) as a jag. I started 46 of the 49 games in which I played, making my first 23 starts at third for the Jaguars before starting once at catcher and 22 times as the designated player. I ranked third on the team with a .325 batting average, while my 49 hits were second-most on the club. I recorded 14 extra-base hits, including six doubles and eight home runs, while also tallying 79 total bases. Scoring 20 runs and drove in 28 on the season. I had a .523 slugging percentage, walked 13 times, and was hit by pitch on three occasions. My 12 multi-hit games were third-most on the team, while my nine multi-RBI games were second most on the team. Of my 12 multi-hit games, half came against Sun Belt competition, while five of my multi-RBI outings also came in league play. Nine of my 14 extra-base hits came in SBC play. I set new highs for both hit streak (10) and reached base safely streak (12) and recorded at least one hit in seven of her first nine games to start the 2019 season. I went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI against Mercer (2/16) in a 12-8 victory over the Bears and also posted three-hit performances against Savannah State (3/2), at UT Arlington (3/9), at Georgia State (4/12) and versus McNeese State (3/24). I went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, three RBI and two home runs against Savannah State at the Diamond 9 Citrus II Classic. I am one of four players in program history to have multiple games of two home runs or more, joining former Jags Kaitlyn Griffith, Christin Crocker and Brittany Fowler. During my 10-game hit streak (3/2 – 3/19), I recorded 18 hits, had four multi-hit efforts and drove in nine runs. I tied a career high in hits during that same span as I was a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs driven in against Bradley (3/2). I also had an eight-game stretch (4/12 – 4/26) later in the season in which I was a combined 15-for-29 (.517) with nine RBI, six runs scored, three home runs and a pair of doubles. I homered in three-straight contests – the series final at Georgia State and the first two games of the ULM series, which tied for third-longest in program history. Overall, my first two seasons as a jag were full of memories and successes. Stay tuned for my junior and senior seasons stats. As always… GO JAGS!!

This week on my sports blog I will be blasting to the past to give you guys an inside scoop on my exciting high school softball journey and give inside look on some of my biggest accomplishments and favorite memories. I attended Columbia High School in Lake City Florida and participated on the varsity softball team my freshman through senior years, 2013-2017. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to start all four years of high school, playing and competing against some of the best teams in the state. My freshman year wasn’t the easiest, I was the only freshman on the varsity team and was going against seniors to earn a starting position on the field and within the batting line up. My original two positions, catcher and first base, were taken both by three year starting seniors so I had to go digging around to find another position to play at. I got moved around a lot but found myself at second base. At second I had two other players fighting for that spot, one senior and one sophomore. Countless hours practicing learning the new position and perfecting it to the best of my ability, I found myself starting there the first game of the season and the first game of my high school career. Overall, I had a very successful freshman debut and ranked  at the top for batting average and fielding percentage for the team. Continuing on to my sophomore, junior, and senior seasons at Columbia High School I became the starting catcher and batted third in the line-up for the remainder of my time playing. I was blessed with the ability to play softball and was honored with many awards and accomplishments while playing for Columbia. I lettered five seasons at Columbia High School in Lake City Florida and was a three-time Florida Class 7A first-team all-state honoree. I was named the 2017 Gainesville Sun “Big School” Player of the Year according to MaxPreps.com. Over the course of my career I have batted .412, recorded 119 hits, 81 RBI and a .525 on-base percentage. Of my 119 hits, 49 have been for extra bases – 20 home runs and 29 doubles. I batted a prep career-best .565 in my 25 games as a senior and was 39-for-69 at the plate. Scoring 32 runs and drove in 30 runs of my own. I walked 20 times and striking out just once in 90 plate appearances my senior season at Columbia. I had 15 doubles and eight home runs as a senior and posted a 1.130 slugging percentage and was named the MaxPrep / NFCA National Player of the Week during my final prep season. I went 4-for-4 at the plate twice during my senior season and drove in a season-best four runs on four occasions. I also got selected as the Florida 7A Defensive Player of the Year and named to the PGF High School All-American team in 2017. I batted .321 as a junior in 78 at-bats, registering 25 hits, 20 runs, six doubles and two home runs and earned first-team Class 7A Miracle Sports all-state honors my junior season as well. Batting .406 to go along with seven home runs and 22 RBI during my sophomore season. Also, during my junior campaign, I threw out 17 of the 20 runners who attempted to steal on me and had a 1.000 fielding percentage which was the best on the team. For my play that season, I was named the Lake City Reporter’s Player of the Year, as well as a Class 6A Miracle Sports all-state first-team selection. I ended my senior season with a bang, winning the district championship against Gainesville High School. Hitting a three-run home run this game to aid the win. We continued on and made it to the semi-finals for the state. Columbia High School softball was easily one of the best experiences I have ever been able to experience in my life and I wouldn’t change anything that happened. It gave me the opportunity to get better at the sport I love, gave me the chance to meet life-long friends, and helped me get a college softball scholarship.

This past week, March 9 through March 15, has been life changing for the sports industry all around the world and heartbreaking news has been released for myself and the rest of my softball team at the University of South Alabama. A recent arise of a disease has but a halt on all things sports varying from softball, baseball, basketball, tennis, cross country, and many other spring sporting events. We all have been recently impacted by this disease, better known as the corona virus, that started in China, working its way to the Italians, and now spreading rapidly throughout the United States. The corona virus is any group of RNA viruses that cause a variety of diseases in humans and some animals. It creates cough, fever, tiredness, and difficulty breathing. It is spread through face-to-face contact, through the air, and by touching things that infected people have also touched. As for sporting events and competition, NCAA along with all sporting conferences (Sunbelt for my softball team) has made the decision to cancel all games, practices, lifts and any other correlating events relating to social sporting activities. As a participant on the University of South Alabama softball team, this was heart breaking news. Our season was completely removed leaving us with nothing for the remainder of the year. A quote from NCAA states “The NCAA continues to closely monitor COVID-19 and is taking proactive measures to mitigate the potential impact of the virus. When it comes to decision-making, our commitment is this: protect the health and safety of college athletes. All remaining winter and spring NCAA championships and related events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, have been canceled. While we understand how disappointing this is for everyone, our decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States.” Another statement regarding the corona virus released by the Sunbelt stated “NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference has announced that the league is canceling all organized athletics-related activities, including regular-season competitions, conference championships and practices, through the remainder of the academic year. This decision was made in consultation with the league’s Presidents, Chancellors and Directors of Athletics to address growing concerns surrounding the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).” Lastly is a statement from head softball coach at the University of South Alabama, Becky Clark, regarding myself and my team, “My immediate response was that this would be a temporary inconvenience and that we may have to make some changes to our daily routine and travel but that season would go on and our players would get to finish what they started. It has been a bit surreal as the truth has set in that our original plans will not happen. The amazing things about our sport is that it encourages tough, independent, and strong young women. At some point we will return to normalcy and be able to play and coach the game we love… until then GO JAGS!!” I am sure it was a difficult decision made by both parties, looking out for the health and safety of all sport participants, coaches, sporting staff, and fans attending the games and events. As for the seniors and all athletes losing a year of playing time, the NCAA has promised to give an extra year of eligibility to all players who wish to take it. The trending hashtag for this is #coronaredshirtyear. This means that all student athletes are given a fifth year to attend college and play one last season for their university of choice. I know for myself along with my 20 teammates this was not how we expected our 2020 season to go but it motivates us to work harder and to get better for the next year/season to come. Everything happens for a reason and I am excited to see what next year has instore for our team. Go Jags!!

UPSET ALERT!!!!! Four weeks in on NCAA division 1 college softball has truly been one of the most exciting, thrilling, and shocking starts to a softball season in the history of softball. Average teams and teams most people have never even heard of have truly came to the top and performing amazingly well, making a name for themselves and their school. The current NCAA USA today and NFCA Coaches top 25 rankings and team records are:

1. UCLA (19-1)                                                             16. Michigan (12-6)

2. Washington (19-2)                                                  17. Arizona State (16-6)

3. Texas (20-3)                                                            18. Minnesota (12-7)

4. Arizona (17-3)                                                         19. Virginia Tech (16-4)

5. LSU (16-3)                                                               20. Arkansas (16-4)

6. Oklahoma (15-4)                                                     21. Baylor (17-4)

7. Florida (17-4)                                                          22. UCF (16-2)

8. Louisiana (14-5)                                                      23. Missouri (15-6)

9. Alabama (12-7)                                                       24. Mississippi State (18-2)

10. Kentucky (17-3)                                                     25. Fresno State (16-4)

11. Oregon (17-2)

12. Florida State (10-6)

13. Georgia (20-4)

14. Oklahoma State (13-5)

15. South Carolina (14-4)

The rankings are based on team performance, difficulty of schedule, votes by coaches within college softball, and situational deciding factors throughout the softball season. Though these rankings don’t mean much, they are roughly a guesstimate on who people think will have a high-performance season and who have the greatest chance to go to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City towards the end of May. A large number of top 25 teams have been beaten in multiple games by teams who aren’t in the top 25. Most of these defeats are shocking and come out of nowhere, surprising the whole softball nation. One upset in the 2020 softball season is Loyola Marymount upsets Number 5 ranked LSU on February 27 at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton California. This was Loyola Marymount’s highest ranked win in their program history. The last time Loyola Marymount beat a top 25 ranked opponent was in 2002 against number 10 ranked Fresno State according to ncaa.com. Some other upsets came from number 3 ranked Texas. Texas faced number 1 ranked UCLA and number 2 ranked Washington, defeating both teams. Texas gave UCLA their first loss of the season in Los Angeles California at Easton Stadium on February 28, surprising Bruin nation in the 8 inning match up. Texas also defeats number 2 ranked Washington in the Judi Garman Classic at Anderson Family Field in Fullerton California according to ncaa.com. Texas softball was predicted to be good this season, but not this good. The top 25 ranked team drops the top 2 rankings, boosting their record and their votes. The longhorns successfully managed victories over the top two teams in the country in consecutive games for the first time in their program history says ncaa.com. Another recent upset for the college softball world was when East Tennessee takes down the University of Tennessee for the first time ever in program history at the Buccaneer Classic in Johnson City Tennessee. At the time of this upset UT was ranked number 20 but recently dropped in the polls kicking them out of the top 25 rankings.  East Tennessee ended UT’s 100 game winning streak against in-state opponents and a 19-game losing streak against UT according to ncaa.com. The final upset that came from recent college softball came when number 23 ranked Missouri run-ruled number 21 ranked Baylor and defeated number 18 ranked Minnesota in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater Florida. Missouri beat Baylor in 5 innings and beat Minnesota in a thrilling extra inning game, running a total of 8 innings. Ncaa.com states that this was a big turning point for the Missouri Tigers carrying them into the rest of the season. Overall, college softball has been super exciting to watch and keep up with the last 4 weeks. No-name teams are making a comeback and making this thrilling sport come up on top headlines. The rest of the 2020 softball season will definitely be shocking, stay tuned for more updates on all of the upsets!

This past weekend, February 28 through March 1, the South Alabama Jaguars hit the road again for another away tournament in Madeira Beach Florida. The tournament was called The Spring Games, Division 1 softball, located at ROC Softball Complex in the city of Madeira Beach Florida. The South Alabama Jaguars flew down on Thursday, February 27, and had the chance to practice on the playing fields to get a feel for the playing surface. We got to throw, take ground balls, hit, do pitching and catching drills, and have a small live session during the evening practice for batters to see live pitching, fielders to read bat angle, and pitchers to get live batters swinging. The following three days the Jags participated in a total of five games competing against teams from across the country. From the previous blog post you read that the Jags had a struggling and rough opening tournament down in Clearwater Florida. This tournament wasn’t perfect for the Jags, but it was an improvement and a step in the right directions for me and the team. The teams that the Jags faced were Seaton Hall, Middle Tennessee, Iowa, Miami Ohio, and Florida Atlantic. The first set of games for the Jags was on Friday, February 28, against Seaton Hall and Middle Tennessee. Seaton Hall University is located in South Orange New Jersey, is in the Big East conference, and has a mascot of a pirate. The game against Seaton Hall was a very high scoring competition for both teams. Each going back in forth with the score for the complete 7 innings. The pirates came out on top in the 7 innings with the final score being 9 to 7, Jags fall the first game of the tournament. Game two of Friday was against Middle Tennessee. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro Tennessee, is in the USA conference, and has a blue raider for a mascot. Compared to the first game of the day for the jaguars, this one was not as high scoring. The final for game two was 3 to 0 with another fall for the Jags and a win for the blue raiders. Heading into day two of The Spring Games tournament, February 29, the South Alabama Jaguars are set up to play another pair of games. The match ups were against Iowa and Miami Ohio. First pitch of Game one of the days was for Iowa. The University of Iowa is located in Iowa City Iowa, is in the Big 10 Conference, and has a hawk as the mascot. This was by far the best team at the tournament and the Jags finally broke their losing streak and got a solid team win. The final score was 3 to 2, a walk off base hit scored the winning run in the 7 inning to win the game for the Jags. On to game two of the Saturday pair of games for the Jags was against Miami Ohio. Miami University (Ohio)  is located in Oxford Ohio, is in the Mid-American conference, and has a swooping Redhawk as their mascot. The thrill of the big win did not last long for the Jags, they fell to the RedHawks 3 to 2 in the final game on Saturday. For the last game of The Spring Games tournament, on Sunday, March 1, the Jags were set to play Florida Atlantic. Florida Atlantic University is located in Boca Raton Florida, is in the USA conference, and has a mascot of an owl. This was another great team win for the South Alabama Jaguars as they defeat the owls 3 to 2 in a total of 9 innings. The extra inning game was a thriller as the Jags had to fight and pull out their second win of the tournament. Overall, the South Alabama Jags were 2-3 on the weekend. They didn’t do has great as they hoped, but it was a solid weekend for the girls to get better and move forward into this coming up weekend starting their first conference play against App State. Stay tuned for more updates on the softball season and as always, GO JAGS!!!