Manatee Squeeze Run Rule Fast Pitch U -- Jo Anne P sez "No longer me' -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

9-1 WIN KEEPS SQUEEZE IN SECOND PLACE

There are a couple of things we've learned about this Manatee Squeeze in the FGCL Softball season. 

First, when they're "on" and hitting the ball, a multitude of runs are going to cross the plate. Secondly, when pitcher Jenna Greene (Presbyterian College) takes the circle, opposing teams are going to share in the slug-fest. Greene is now 5-0 in the circle for Manatee, leads the league in strikeouts delivered with 46 and has a very impressive 1.12 ERA. 

Greene held Fast Pitch U to just two hots and delivered 11 strikeouts in Manatee's run-rule five-inning win yesterday. This one was over, honestly, after the first inning -- as the Squeeze plated six runs. Stepping up huge for the Squeeze at the plate were Jordyn Kadiub (USF) who drove in four runs and hit a home run and Stormy Kotzelnick (Washington) who went 1-2 at the plate and also homered....batting lead-off in the lineup, she started the game with a four-baser to center.

The Squeeze sent ten batters to the plate in the six-run first inning.


Cardinal softball right fielder Jordyn Wolfe started, was hit by a pitch in one of her three at bat appearances and scored a run. Paige Schindler entered the game in the fourth inning and played left field. She did not get a plate appearance. 

The Squeeze (8-3) have a firm hold on second place in the league and are 2-1/2 games behind the Myakka City River Mocs (11-1) who defeated the Bradenton Slice last night 7-1. 

Tonight's action puts Manatee against the SUA Pioneers, who are 4-9 in league play. A 7:30 p.m. start for this one. 


DUKE WBB COACH JOANNE P. MCCAULEY RESIGNATION

Long-time Duke WBB head coach Joanne P. McCauley announced yesterday that she was leaving the Blue Devils as their skipper.

The reason she gave was because of a salary dispute on a potential extended contract deal. 

"I am choosing to step away as head coach at Duke," McCallie said. "As a coach in the final year of my contact, uncertainty is natural and it takes away from confidence and fun. I am pretty sure there is a level of uncertainty among the Duke family."

The resignation isn't that surprising.

McCauley hasn't done much for the Blue Devils since  the days of Rebecca Greenwell and Lexie Brown. I don't blame the Duke athletic director at all for not feeling confident about jumping into that uncertain water again. She never quite matched the success of former Duke Gail Goestenkors and there were internal "rumors"abut her, also. 

This is a prime job, though, in women's college basketball and Blue Devil Athletics shouldn't have any trouble finding a quality replacement. 

I have no "inside scoop" on this but I'll toss three names out there that might be a good fit.

1) Michelle Clark-Heard (Cincinnati).  Clark-Heard has done well wherever she's coached. 154-57 at WKU in six years. 32-15 at UC in two years. She also knows the ACC quite well, from her years as Jeff Walz's assistant. 


2) Lindsay Gottlieb (Cleveland Cavaliers).  She was a powerhouse coach at California before deciding to take a year to explore the NBA.

Is she thinking it's time to get back in the college dance with a team in a Power 5 conference? She sent a lot of Bears to the WNBA in her Cal days and could that could be a recruiting plus for Duke. 


3) Gail Goestenkors. You remember Gail, right? She was the architect for success at Durham before she left for Texas in 2007 and McCauley replaced her. She didn't get it done in five years with the Longhorns, but...at 57... says she's "re-charged, revitalized and ready to go" if a coaching job she had interest in should develop. Duke fans would probably welcome her back. She's been out a coaching, though since 2012...

Maybe Fred Flintstone could take the vacant Duke job and
install a new cheer..."Yabba Dabba Duke!" 

Or...do the Blue Devils emulate UNC and go after a young and upcoming coach who has done well at a lesser power?  Maybe they hand the reigns to former all-world great Alana Beard, now retired from the WNBA...who played for both Gail and McCauley at Duke? 

I'm not trying to "start" something here, just having a little open speculation on who will be the next coach to sit on the bench inside Cameron? 

Let's just hope some sub-human doesn't fall out of his/her tree and start pushing the worn-out, idiotic "Jeff Walz to..." boulder uphill again. I wonder if a certain moronic "journalist" from rural Mississippi is still around, making up lies and running around with a Confederate flag serving as a diaper? 


We shall see....


FINALLY...

Have a safe, enjoyable and responsible fourth of July!

paulie
xxxxx





  

Durr-Able -- Tuesday Cardinal Couple

FRESHMAN'S INPUT HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL DURING CARDS WIN STREAK. 

Prior to the Louisville WBB nine-game win streak, highly heraled freshman Asia Durr was averaging a little over 10 points per game in the five contests she played in. Beginning with the 12/13/15 win over IUPUI, Durr has scored 78 points in the nine games (8.6 ppg) in roughly 20 minutes a game. Fourth leading scorer on a squad that currently has three players averaging close to fourteen points a game or better. 

Contributions cannot always be measured in terms of points scored, however, and a confident Asia Durr is one of the key reasons that the Cards have jumped into a top-25 ranking and are undefeated in ACC play. 

Ask Duke head coach Joanne P. McCauley after Duke's loss to Louisville:

"I thought 25 [Durr] did a great job for them. Durr...she's a terrific player and showed great poise as a freshman...to do what she did....they didn't have Durr early...Durr's a big difference for them...she might be the best player on their team and she's a terrific basketball player. She has the right kind of poise. She doesn't get rattled." 

That from a coach who was in the mix for the Douglasville, GA player...along with Maryland, Baylor, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Louisville. Against the Blue Devils, Durr delivered 15 points...her second-highest output of the season...on 6-17 shooting...three threes, two assists, two steals and just one turnover and foul in 28 solid minutes...her longest playing time of the season.

Durr is averaging 11.25 ppg in the four ACC games she and her teammates have played in and has eight steals. She's also had just two turnovers. With her and Briahanna Jackson....Louisville has dual threats at the shooting guard positions, opponents have to be prepared for different styles and multiple skills when either is in the contest. 

When a foe has the ball, the clear and present danger is that the Louisville defense has not allowed anyone to score 70 points since early December....and held ACC foes to an average of 56.5 points per game. 

Playing through the pain has been a big part of her success. Hampered by a groin injury since the summer of 2015, there was concern about further injury...but test results from the doctors indicated that the injury was healing well and there was no chance of aggravating the groin, just the pain of healing. The words were a catalyst in her performance. Dealing with pain management is a lot easier than dealing with the psychological worry of further injury. 

The dictionary describes durable as: "able to withstand wear, pressure or damage". Perhaps there should be a picture of Asia Durr next to the description. 

Louisville has the steady scoring of Myisha Hines-Allen and Mariya Moore. Walz knows he's going to get 100% + effort out of Jackson anytime she is on the court. He has said that Cortnee Walton is the best rebounder he has seen in his twenty years of coaching. 

With Arica Carter and Taja Cole giving the Cards steady minutes at the point...Durr's emergence as that fourth threat to put up huge offensive numbers is another headache for ACC coaches as the season continues and gives Louisville seven players that Walz can confidently insert in tight situations. Erin DeGrate's stock is rising rapidly in the paint and gives the Cards that much needed third option to control the boards if Walton or Hines-Allen have to ride the pines because of fouls. If the Cards can maintain a solid nucleus of 8-9 players that can give Louisville the consistency and dependability each night...this team is a legitimate and dangerous threat for the post-season.  

"COACH WALZ IS COMING TO SEE ME? LOVE IT! "

There are tests ahead for this Louisville squad. A three-game road trip that culminates with very dangerous Syracuse. Heading to North Carolina and then hosting Notre Dame in a three-day span. No one in the ACC can be over-looked or considered an automatic win. From here on out...each game is critical, all opponents just as dangerous as each other.  

Four down and 12 to go in conference play. Did you predict the Cards to be 4-0 at this point of the ACC? Did you see Louisville at 12-5 overall? And how will the Cards fare in the final 13 games before they enter ACC Tournament play? 

The redemption train gets back on the tracks for stops in Virginia, North Carolina and New York. The wheels are rolling smoothly, the bumps have been few lately and the tracks are clear ahead. Open the throttle and full speed ahead! 

paulie
xxxxx

Thursday Cardinal Couple -- ACC women's sports preview: DUKE

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- ACC women's sports preview: Duke





We've been doing a weekly preview of the ACC women's sports teams and schools Louisville will face in the 2014-15 seasons over the last couple of weeks. Next up...the Duke Blue Devils. 

Duke University, founded in 1838, is located in Durham, NC. They joined the ACC as an original member in 1953 and enrollment was recently listed as 6247 students. 

Their nickname is The Blue Devils and colors are Duke Blue and White. Their mascot is....wait for it....a Blue Devil.


What exactly does Duke have to do with Devils? And why Blue Devils? Aren't devils supposed to be red? Well, according to their official web site, the Blue Devil name was inspired by French soldiers in World World I, nicknamed "Les Diables Bleus" (French for Blue Devils if you didn't catch that.) These guys were strong, specially trained, fierce fighters dressed in blue capes. When the U.S. became involved in WW I, Les Diables Bleus toured the U.S. to gain support and money for the War and left a lasting impression among Americans.

Duke competes in 12 women's sports...Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Field Hockey, Golf, Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, Swim/Dive, Tennis, Track and Field and Volleyball. 

Duke will be adding Softball as a varsity conference sport in 2018.

We'll look at eight of the squads that the Cards will probably face them in: 

Basketball.  Duke finished the season 28-7 and went 12-4 in the ACC. They were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by DePaul in the second round.

Joanne P. McCallie "Coach P" heads up the Blue Devils and she's starting her seventh season as head coach. She returns eight players from last season...notables are Elizabeth Williams, Alexis Jones and Owensboro's Rebecca Greenwell. Coach P recruited well within the class of 2014...bringing in three freshman and receiving a #3 in nation ranking from ESPN HoopGurlz.   

Cross Country.   The Duke distance runners finished 4th out of 33 teams in the NCAA Southeastern Regional. They were 5th out of 15 teams in the ACC Tournament and had the top place finisher in senior Julie Bottorff. 

Field Hockey.  Former UofL head field hockey coach Pam Bustin led Duke to the NCAA Championship finals, where they lost 2-0 to Maryland. They posted a 12-7 record and went 3-3 in the toughest field hockey conference in women's college athletics. 

Golf. Duke's women's golf team won the NCAA Championship in 2014. They also took the ACC Championship and four other matches during the season. They won the Bryan National Tournament by 18 strokes...a tournament where Louisville was also a participant and finished in 6th place...49 strokes back.

Lacrosse. The Duke Lax squad was 11-8 overall and 3-4 in ACC play. They made it to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, winning three games before falling to Maryland 15-8. They met Louisville early in the season, earning a hard fought 14-11 win over Louisville LAX. 

Rowing. Duke rowing faced a competitive schedule and finished fifth in the ACC Championships. They did not receive an NCAA bid. 

Soccer. The Blue Devils went 10-9-6 overall and 5-5-3 in the ACC. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament and three games before getting eliminated by Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals.

Volleyball. A program that won the ACC Tournament while posting a 28-5 overall record and 18-2 ACC mark. They surprisingly lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Durham to American in straight sets. 

Analysis:

They'll be one of the toughest foes Louisville will face in ACC play. Louisville will have their work cut out for them in hoops against McCallie's superb front line and Duke Volleyball looks to be returning a very strong squad. The lacrosse and field hockey squads will most likely handle the Cards and Duke women's golf...well, they were the national champs...you surmise the rest. Rowing and cross country probably won't hook up until the conference tournament...but both squads look comparable to Louisville's on a talent basis. 

Paulie's Favorite Duke memory:

It would have to go back to the summer of 2003...when Sonja and I visited relatives in Burlington and Haw River...a mere 15 miles from the Duke campus. We spent a day checking out the Duke Gardens and Forest, plus the beautiful Duke Chapel and campus architecture. We eventually hit Cameron Indoor Stadium and found it wide open. We walked the bleachers where the Cameron Crazies hang out and also got down on the court.

There were a couple of basketballs in a corner, so we saw no harm in hoisting a few shots. An elderly custodian came out and approached us with a disapproving look. I quickly explained our visit and it turned out he had relatives in Bowling Green. He smiled and his first question was...'Louisville or Kentucky fan?' I guess I answered correctly because he advised me I could take a few more shots if I wanted...my final shot was a "three" from the baseline in front of the bench that was 'nuthin but net'. 

I figured it was a good stopping point. 

My imagination had me with the ball, two seconds left and Laettner and Hill rushing out to block the potential go-ahead goal for the Cards. Minor, Rozier (and Sonja) crash the boards as I launch the pass from LeGree...and Coach Crum jumps to his feet as the shot goes through the net at the buzzer....Denny tossing his rolled-up program into the air. Jerry Jones shaking his head in disbelief as Coach K scowls and slowly walks toward the visitor bench.

Paul Rogers yells over the airwaves "GOT IT!!!!" and a stunned Cameron Indoor Stadium watches the wild celebration...

I know...but...sometimes it's fun to pretend.

paulie
...
..
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Friday Cardinal Couple -- Women's Tennis advnaces in BIG EAST Tournament

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Women's Tennis defeats Seton Hall in first-round BIG EAST Tennis Championships

-Track and Field today at Cardinal Park

-Rowing to compete in Clemson Invitational

-David Watson on Cardinal WBB

The University of Louisville women's tennis team advanced out of first round play against Seton Hall with a 4-0 win. They actually played (and won) nine matches (three doubles and six singles). I have yet to figure out tennis scoring.

The Cards are a #3 seed and will move on to play #6 seed Rutgers today beginning at noon. The Louisville players won all nine matches they participated in against Seton Hall. Top doubles team Julia Fellerhoff and Rebecca Shine and #2 team Becky Bodine and Stefanie Villajean won in games that actually counted. In singles, Shine and Fellerhoff took victories as well.

With fifteen teams competing, the overall #1 seed Notre Dame got a bye in first round action. The games are being played in Tampa, Fl. on the USF campus.

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Louisville Track and Field hosts the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational starting today at Cardinal Park. Other teams participating are Southeast Missouri, Central Michigan and East Tennessee State.

Throwing begins at 10:30 a.m. and Amashi Kendall, who is #17 nationally in the shot put and #20 in the discus heads a strong field of tossers.

Michelle Kinsella will try to better her season best mark of 6'075" in the high jump...fifth best in the nation this year.

Margret Harris broke a Cardinal 400m record in the Border Battle and will try to best her 53.93 mark.

And, there will be a Kiyohara running in the 3000m. Not UofL softball's Hannah, but her younger sister Leah. Leah has had a great season and joins distance runners Kelsey Cramsey and Benadate Cheruiyot as Cardinals who should do well today.



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Louisville Rowing is headed to take part in the Clemson Regatta beginning Saturday. A number of nationally ranked teams will vie for top honors in the event, including the #17 ranked Cardinal squad.

Louisville was scheduled to compete in a four-way event against Iowa, #14 Wisconsin and #20 Minnesota in the Iowa Regatta last Saturday, but high winds on Lake McBride forced cancellation of the event.

-Paulie

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(David Watson sends us this observation on UofL women's basketball)

It is widely reported that Louisville head WBB Coach Jeff Walz and Connecticut skipper Geno Auriemma are good friends.

I'm glad for that. Can you imagine how badly the Huskies might have defeated the Cards in the NCAA Championship if they were enemies?

Aureimma has also indicated that Walz would have no shot at being a lead waiter in his restaurant. Something to do with clothing attire. Geno feels Walz would be better suited as a busboy and back door trash taker-out guy.

Geno's gals certainly trashed the Lady Cards in the title game.

Speaking of trashing, how about the latest antics of Duke head WBB coach Joanne P. McCauley? A freshman on her team -- Sierra Moore -- is unhappy there and wants to leave. She'd been recruited by former Duke and current Louisville assistant Samantha Williams. Sierra wouldn't have minded coming to the Cards. Coach McCauley blocked that possible transfer. Then, Coach McCauley gets on Twitter and allegedly trashes Coach Williams for trying to manipulate Sierra improperly during the season.

Some soap opera, right?

McCauley is a different bird. Ever seen her discuss a Duke loss? She takes no responsibility for it. It's always "this or that" player's fault. A real stand-up and shoulder responsibility type -- that Joanne is.

I look forward to the Cards going to the ACC. Especially the first time Duke and Louisville meet in women's basketball. Who throws the first punch. Williams or McCauley?

Finally, I'm going to miss Mo and Shelby. What two great spokeswomen and examples they were for college basketball.

Little Shelby, pressed into a starting role during that tragic 2009-10 season and then accepting a lesser, backup role her final three seasons. A player with less integrity and team commitment probably would have bolted elsewhere for more playing time. Always giving her best -- did Ms. Harper.
And, such a fan favorite!

Mo. The closest thing to a guaranteed two points you'll ever get every time she got the ball under the basket. A fantastic start to her career, amazing sophomore year and then injuries robbed her of what might have been. A tragic turn of events, indeed, but redemption -- of sorts -- when she hits the winning free throws against Baylor. A game that Louisville WBB fans will remember the rest of their lives.

Thank you, ladies, for being what you were at Louisville and I know we'll be hearing much more from you as you continue your journeys and chosen paths in life after basketball and college.

Winners.

-David Watson

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