Memorial Day -- College Softball World Series-- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

MEMORIAL DAY

....In remembrance....

I decided to see what people thought this holiday was for, in addition to cookouts and picnics...so I asked three people I happened to talk to on Sunday and see what their answers would be. Not many I know of these days can get the answer correct.

The first person I asked (male, middle aged) told me it was the yearly time for the Indianapolis 500 and a weekend to remember people who had died.

The second person I spoke with (female, 30's)  was pretty sure it was a day to remember those who had served in the armed forces and had passed away and that it was the beginning of summer. . 

The final person I queried on this (male, retirement age) indicated that it was a day to remember and honor those who had died. 

Somewhere, in those answers is part of what Congress intended the holiday to represent. It was designed to be a day of reflection and remembrance of those who died while serving in the U.S. Military. 

The question posed to me was...if a sailor has a massive heart attack while leaving a U.S. Naval ship to go on shore leave...is he or (she) to be just as honored as the 19-year old guy who got shot down by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam war? 

Tradition tells us that the correct way to observe the holiday is to pause for a moment of silence at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day to honor those who died serving the U.S. 

I was indoctrinated into the meaning of the day very early in life. An uncle I never met, on my mom's side, was killed in WWII when his destroyer was attacked and sank by the Japanese Navy. My mom told me about it very early in my life. Then, later on, two guys in my neighborhood, older than me, were killed in combat in the Vietnam War. 

So, as you read this today, on Memorial Day, maybe take a little time at 3 p.m. to honor those who died while serving our nation in the Armed Forces

EIGHT ADVANCE TO SOFTBALL'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

Eight DI softball programs have advanced to the 2023 College Softball World Series.  

-- From the Pac 12, Stanford, Washington and Utah are headed to Oklahoma City, 

-- The Big 12 has two schools headed to the College World Series (Oklahoma and Oklahoma State), 

-- Two SEC schools are among the final eight also, in Alabama and Tennessee. 

-- The final school is Florida State, from the ACC. 

So, how many of these "great eight" did the Louisville Cardinals face in the 2023 season? The answer is two...Florida State, who faced the Cards in a three game series to end both squads ACC regular season conference play. The Cards dropped all three contests in Tallahassee to the 'Noles' 4-6, 4-6 and 1-2. And Oklahoma is the second, who downed the Cards 10-1 on April 15th at the Miami (OH)University ballpark.

The Cards have face Tennessee six times, in the history of Louisville Softball, and are 0-6. Five of the matchups were in Knoxville and one in Clearwater, FL. The Cards are 0-8 lifetime against Alabama...six of the matchups in Tuscaloosa and two in Minneapolis. 

Against Oklahoma State, Louisville is 0-4 over the years, with three losses in Stillwater and once in Honolulu. The Cards are 0-1 vs, Stanford lifetime, and are 0-1 versus Utah. The Cards are 0-3 against Washington overall, all at neutral locations. 

Will we ever see Louisville in the College World Series? The first step is getting to a Super Regional, where you have a 50/50 chance of advancing to the College World Series. Winning games after the conference schedule is finished. 

Maybe 2024 will be that year...

paulie