Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSB | Syracuse hopes 0-13 start adds experience for Big East competition
By Didier Morais
Posted: 3/6/08, 1:06 AM EST Section: Sports
It's awfully difficult to be optimistic with a 0-13 record. But Syracuse softball head coach Leigh Ross knows playing nationally ranked schools will ultimately enhance their preparation against the Big East.
"I think with the strength of schedule you can gain a lot of experience from that," Ross said. "This isn't really counting against us right now; it's only making us better for the Big East. I just want our kids to think of themselves at that level and to think of our program at that level. So we try to schedule those (top) teams so we can see what that level looks like."
The Orange heads to sunny Clearwater, Fla., Friday until Sunday to play in the USF Under Armour Invitational, its fourth tournament of the season. It features 24 teams, hosted by South Florida. Seeded in the "B" pool, SU will open the tournament against Sam Houston at 9:30 a.m. and Kennesaw at noon Friday. On day two, the Orange will play a tripleheader Saturday against Indiana at 9:30 a.m., Quinnipiac at noon and Fairfield at 5 p.m. The single-elimination portion of the tournament will begin Sunday.
Coming into the USF Invitational, the Orange is still searching for its first win of the season. In the 13 losses, SU is batting a paltry .174 and is scoring 1.3 runs per game. Syracuse has also committed 30 errors that led to 35 unearned runs.
"You only see the bottom line record of 0-13," Ross said. "But there were a few games where if one thing would have gone our way, if one mistake would not have happened, we would have been right in those ball games. We're one big play away, one big hit away from playing with those (top) teams."
Of the teams SU has faced, two are currently ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 national poll. No. 13 Baylor, a team the Orange has faced twice this season, is a perennial contender. Last year, the Lady Bears claimed the Super Regional title and advanced to the 2007 Women's College World Series. And during the NFCA Leadoff, SU battled against No. 19 Mississippi State, and lost 8-2.
"I think with the strength of schedule you can gain a lot of experience from that," Ross said. "This isn't really counting against us right now; it's only making us better for the Big East. I just want our kids to think of themselves at that level and to think of our program at that level. So we try to schedule those (top) teams so we can see what that level looks like."
The Orange heads to sunny Clearwater, Fla., Friday until Sunday to play in the USF Under Armour Invitational, its fourth tournament of the season. It features 24 teams, hosted by South Florida. Seeded in the "B" pool, SU will open the tournament against Sam Houston at 9:30 a.m. and Kennesaw at noon Friday. On day two, the Orange will play a tripleheader Saturday against Indiana at 9:30 a.m., Quinnipiac at noon and Fairfield at 5 p.m. The single-elimination portion of the tournament will begin Sunday.
Coming into the USF Invitational, the Orange is still searching for its first win of the season. In the 13 losses, SU is batting a paltry .174 and is scoring 1.3 runs per game. Syracuse has also committed 30 errors that led to 35 unearned runs.
"You only see the bottom line record of 0-13," Ross said. "But there were a few games where if one thing would have gone our way, if one mistake would not have happened, we would have been right in those ball games. We're one big play away, one big hit away from playing with those (top) teams."
Of the teams SU has faced, two are currently ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 national poll. No. 13 Baylor, a team the Orange has faced twice this season, is a perennial contender. Last year, the Lady Bears claimed the Super Regional title and advanced to the 2007 Women's College World Series. And during the NFCA Leadoff, SU battled against No. 19 Mississippi State, and lost 8-2.
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Lisa
posted 3/08/08 @ 3:00 PM EST
Great job. Again! And I don't even really care for sports. I think the old fashioned notion of, get the tough work out of the way first, is a good one and you really highlited it as a sound strategy for this team. (Continued…)
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