St pete Clearwater softball tournament 2022 results

The 3rd St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational is officially in the books, with the weekend’s final game – a 4-3 walk-off win for Florida State over UCLA – serving as a fitting finale to a weekend filled with softball. Some observations from the week that was in Clearwater…

*****

1. Washington is the team to beat in the PAC-12

The Huskies established themselves as the team to beat in the Pac-12 with a quality performance in Clearwater. Going into the tournament, we knew that the Huskies boasted the best pitcher in the PAC-12 and one of the best in the country in Gabbie Plain, and she proved that once again this weekend. What we did not know prior to Clearwater was how good the Husky offense would be. Youth amongst their position players and new coaching staff members around Heather Tarr made for a lot of turnover prior to this season; a solid opening week was in the bag, but what the offense would look like beyond the first games of the season was a vast unknown.

So far, so good.

Washington picked up dominant wins over Tennessee and LSU, as well as a come-from-behind win over Oklahoma State on Saturday night. The Huskies scored 28 runs on the weekend, and their solid weekend performance came in addition to a pair of wins over Arkansas in Mexico on opening weekend. Washington was the most impressive PAC-12 team in the Clearwater field, showing out on a higher level than even defending conference champion UCLA.

2. The Big Ten sent a strong message: They are back

Michigan, Northwestern, and Wisconsin proved to be quality representatives of the Big 10 in Clearwater, posting a combined record of 8-6 but enjoying some marquee wins and quality performances along the way.

Michigan was 2-2 on the weekend, including wins over LSU and UCF. Head coach Carol Hutchins recorded win #1674, which vaulted her into a tie for first place all-time in the NCAA. The bigger story within the conference, though, was Northwestern, who knocked off UCLA in a 6-4 final score in 8 innings on Friday and followed up that performance with a 7-0 shutout of the Clemson Tigers.

Northwestern leaves Clearwater as the biggest threat to Michigan inside the Big 10.

Kayla Konwent and Wisconsin look to return to the level of being an NCAA tournament-caliber team, and their wins over Clemson, Notre Dame, and UCF will go a long way toward accomplishing that goal. The Badgers played well even in losses.

3. Texas has… issues

The Longhorns went 0-5 in Clearwater, failing to win a game and struggling in every facet of the game along the way. The Horns gave up 32 runs in the first four losses of the weekend before allowing a 9-spot to Notre Dame on Sunday in their final loss of the weekend. The Horns committed a dozen errors, more than half of them coming in a slopfest of a loss to UCF on Saturday night. The Longhorn pitching staff is in turmoil and is struggling to find any level of consistency – initially intended as a role player and situational pitcher, former NC State transfer Estelle Czech has been the best pitcher for the Horns to this point.

More than just pitching, Texas’ biggest stars are struggling in uncharacteristic ways; little things are giving the Horns big issues. For instance, against Notre Dame on Sunday, something as simple as a routine pop-up behind second base landed between three fielders, two late-inning defensive replacements and veteran outfielder Lauren Burke, whose lack of effort on the play and as a whole is as indicative of Texas’ current state as anything else.

4. Florida State’s offense is a strength

The Seminoles offense is in good position early in the year, and they’ve seen breakout performances already from multiple members of their batting order. Former Illinois State transfer Mack Leonard had a dynamite week at the plate in Clearwater, while players like Michaela Edenfield and Kalei Harding stepped up in clutch situations. The Noles are best known every year for their prowess in the pitching circle, but the FSU offense looks really solid – and that’s good news for a club that has another national title run in their sights.

5. The American is a stronger league than advertised

South Florida and UCF were the two AAC teams in Clearwater this week, and both programs represented their league well with impressive showings in the tournament. Both teams entered the tournament in unique position, and both showed out along the way. South Florida earned hard-fought wins over Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, and Wisconsin; we knew what the Bulls have in the circle thanks to Georgina Corrick, who was and remains one of the best players in the country, but the real surprise is the run support that she is getting. The Bulls scored a lot this weekend, including seven runs in each game against Notre Dame and OSU. Don’t forget that this is the same Bulls team that also beat Michigan on opening week at home.

UCF took a win over Texas late Saturday evening in a truly wacky game, a 15-10 final score, and however it happened, that win is the 2nd top-25 victory of the season for UCF and Cindy Ball-Malone, joining their victory over Georgia to open the season. The American looks to be in good position to be a factor yet again this season through the early going.

6. Notre Dame proves to be a dangerous team when they’re “on”

To start the week, Notre Dame looked like a team in trouble. To close the week, they looked like world-beaters. The Fighting Irish almost looked like two different teams at points during the weekend, but the team that earned wins over LSU and Texas to close the weekend is a dangerous and potent one. Payton Tidd looked really solid across the weekend, and the Irish got standout performances from the likes of Brooke Marquez, who was one hit away from the cycle against Texas on Sunday.

Despite ending the weekend 2-3 in Clearwater, Notre Dame showed that they remain a team to be reckoned with.

7. ESPN’s stable of broadcasters sees breakout stars

Danielle Lawrie returned to ESPN this week, paired up with longtime play-by-play broadcaster Mark Neely, and the duo were solid through the task of calling eleven games in four days. Neely and Lawrie have good chemistry and should be a frequent pairing for ESPN’s airwaves. Lawrie did not seem to miss a beat in her return to the broadcast booth after a year away from the microphone while she prepared for and took part in the Tokyo Olympics for Team Canada.

Both Jenny Dalton-Hill and Madison Shipman did excellent jobs in their respective roles this week, with Dalton-Hill deserving of high praise for her work with a play-by-play partner making his softball debut and Shipman’s star continuing to rise on the ESPN depth chart.

Shipman continues to shine each time she is on the air; paired with play-by-play partner Tiffany Greene in Clearwater, Shipman had great command of the airwaves and was on top of every team and game situation, providing quality analysis, great observations, and carrying the broadcast at times with her efforts.

Who won St Pete Clearwater softball?

Who won the St Pete Clearwater Invitational?

What teams are in the Clearwater softball tournament?

Where is the Clearwater softball tournament played?