Weathers: SEC tourney bringing quality to Tiger Park
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You’re not going to find any detractors lining up to take umbrage with Mississippi State softball coach Jay Miller suggesting the Southeastern Conference’s softball tournament, which starts today at LSU’s Tiger Park, will surpass that in quality of any NCAA regional played next week. He went as far as to say that it could potentially rival that of the Women’s College World Series.
There’s no debating when the SEC’s top eight teams meet during the next three days in a single-elimination format to determine the league’s automatic postseason representative, this will be the best collection of teams and players to play in the 12-year history of Tiger Park.
For the fifth time, the SEC tournament is making its way to an on-campus site — an option that could soon change with talks of the league permanently moving to a new venue in Orange Beach, Ala.
Since the tournament’s debut in Tuscaloosa, where the sport is received with tremendous fanfare, support of the event hasn’t matched the high level of the competition. Perhaps it hasn’t helped the home school has yet to win the championship, much less advance to the title game.
Whether LSU, the tournament’s reigning champion and five-time winner of the event, can alter that trend remains to be seen.
What would be a fitting tribute for all the student-athletes would be plenty of passionate, knowledgeable softball fans to support the one-time showing in Baton Rouge, creating a prism of team colors within Tiger Park like never before.
There are plenty of headline teams and marquee players to enjoy and applaud.
For the second consecutive year, the nation’s No. 1 team will visit Tiger Park with top-seeded Florida in the midst of its greatest season ever.
The Gators (59-2) have reeled off an astounding 32 straight victories and feature one of the nation’s top pitchers in Stacey Nelson (38-2).
Former No. 1 Alabama (49-5) slipped to No. 3 this week, but the second-seeded Crimson Tide has arguably the nation’s toughest offensive lineup and one of the best traveling shows around in 5-foot junior third baseman Kelley Montalvo.
Third-seeded and No. 15 LSU (41-15) has a seven-member senior class that could take its final bow at home with the Tigers set to move into their new stadium next season.
Fourth-seeded Tennessee and No. 14 (46-13) came within an eyelash of becoming the first school from the SEC to win a national championship a year ago and the exploits of senior power hitter Tonya Callahan make the Lady Vols a force to be reckoned with again, while Mississippi State catcher Chelsea Bramlett and shortstop Laura Grill of Ole Miss are worth the price of admission.
For the next three days, starting at 11 today, come see for yourself.
There’s no debating when the SEC’s top eight teams meet during the next three days in a single-elimination format to determine the league’s automatic postseason representative, this will be the best collection of teams and players to play in the 12-year history of Tiger Park.
For the fifth time, the SEC tournament is making its way to an on-campus site — an option that could soon change with talks of the league permanently moving to a new venue in Orange Beach, Ala.
Since the tournament’s debut in Tuscaloosa, where the sport is received with tremendous fanfare, support of the event hasn’t matched the high level of the competition. Perhaps it hasn’t helped the home school has yet to win the championship, much less advance to the title game.
Whether LSU, the tournament’s reigning champion and five-time winner of the event, can alter that trend remains to be seen.
What would be a fitting tribute for all the student-athletes would be plenty of passionate, knowledgeable softball fans to support the one-time showing in Baton Rouge, creating a prism of team colors within Tiger Park like never before.
There are plenty of headline teams and marquee players to enjoy and applaud.
For the second consecutive year, the nation’s No. 1 team will visit Tiger Park with top-seeded Florida in the midst of its greatest season ever.
The Gators (59-2) have reeled off an astounding 32 straight victories and feature one of the nation’s top pitchers in Stacey Nelson (38-2).
Former No. 1 Alabama (49-5) slipped to No. 3 this week, but the second-seeded Crimson Tide has arguably the nation’s toughest offensive lineup and one of the best traveling shows around in 5-foot junior third baseman Kelley Montalvo.
Third-seeded and No. 15 LSU (41-15) has a seven-member senior class that could take its final bow at home with the Tigers set to move into their new stadium next season.
Fourth-seeded Tennessee and No. 14 (46-13) came within an eyelash of becoming the first school from the SEC to win a national championship a year ago and the exploits of senior power hitter Tonya Callahan make the Lady Vols a force to be reckoned with again, while Mississippi State catcher Chelsea Bramlett and shortstop Laura Grill of Ole Miss are worth the price of admission.
For the next three days, starting at 11 today, come see for yourself.
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