Three Thoughts on Big 12 Softball Tournament Championship Game

If the Big 12 softball tournament was supposed to be Texas Tech’s coronation, someone forgot to tell the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The Sun Devils left Oklahoma City with the Big 12 Tournament title on Saturday, beating the No. 1 seeded Red Raiders, 4-0. Arizona State, ranked No. 24 in the country, beat the top three seeds in the tournament on their way to their first Big 12 Tournament title since joining the league.

The pitcher in the game that wasn’t selected Big 12 co-pitcher of the year was Arizona State’s Kenzie Brown and she allowed two hits to one of the most potent lineups in softball.

Here are three thoughts on the semifinals.

How Texas Tech Lost

Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady — who got a day’s rest from the circle — had a solid game on paper. She allowed five hits over 6.1 innings and gave up just one run. She struck out nine and walked two. But the third inning was a disaster for Tech.

In the third, Canady gave up a one-out solo home run to Arizona State’s Tanya Windle. After that, head coach Gerry Glasco flipped Canady out of the circle for Kaitlyn Terry. She allowed things to go off the rails. Emily Schepp hit a two-run home run and Katie Chester hit a solo shot. That, as it turned out was the ball game.

In the fourth inning, Glasco brought Canady back to the circle and from there she kept the Sun Devils off the board. But that third inning decision by Glasco is going to be replayed for quite some time. It prevented Texas Tech from claiming back-to-back Big 12 Tournament titles.

How Arizona State Won

Aside from the offense, Brown — who was not among the Big 12 co-pitchers of the year — was excellent. She threw a complete game two-hitter, giving up three walks and striking out nine batters.

Tech had baserunners in each of the first four innings and twice runners got to second base. But Brown and her defense stranded them. She was perfect in the fifth and sixth innings and only allowed a Logan Helleman infield single in the seventh before retiring the final two hitters and triggering a celebration for the Sun Devils.

ASU has won two national titles in its history and is one of the sport’s top programs. Winning a Big 12 Tournament title isn’t a huge surprise. But beating the top three seeds to do it is a reminder to the entire field that you overlook the Sun Devils at your own peril.

Looking Ahead to NCAAs

Based solely on RPI, the Big 12 should have at least six representatives in the NCAA Tournament when the field is released on Sunday evening. Here was the RPI ratings for those six teams going into Saturday’s action.

Texas Tech: 13

Oklahoma State: 15

Arizona: 20

UCF: 22

Arizona State: 23

Kansas: 38

Arizona State probably helped itself by a seed line with its run through the Big 12 Tournament, beating Arizona, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. That may not be enough to host a regional, but it should cement them as a No. 2 seed in a regional.

The Red Raiders and the Cowgirls are probably going to host a regional, but their losses put their chances to host a super-regional on thinner ice than either would like.

The big question going into Sunday is whether any other Big 12 team has a chance of selection. Baylor has an RPI of 41 but failed to win 30 games this year. Iowa State has an RPI of 59 but failed to make the Big 12 Tournament. Utah went 35-20 but has an RIPI of 65. That puts the Utes right on the bubble.