Softball heads to NCAA Tournament

For its inaugural appearance in the NCAA softball tournament, Dartmouth (31-17, 18-2) travels to Arizona to compete in the Tempe Regional tournament hosted by No. 4 Arizona State University. The Sun Devils (44-10-1) drew the No. 9 overall seed in the tournament. The University of Michigan and San Diego State University round out the regional competition. The four teams will compete in a double-elimination tournament to advance to the Super Regional round, hosted on the campus of the highest-ranked team to advance from each regional.“We just have to go in there and do what we know how to do,” outfielder Brianna Lohmann ’16 said. “It’ll be tough but it’ll be fun.”Head coach Rachel Hanson said that the high temperatures will present a challenge Dartmouth hasn’t faced this year, but she believes her team can overcome the heat so long as it properly hydrates. The weekend forecast for Tempe, Arizona, predicts temperatures over 100 degrees, with a high of 104 degrees on Saturday. While the team has played games on the West Coast this year, it has not competed outside the Northeast since March 23.“I think our biggest concern will be getting the players prepared for the Arizona heat,” assistant coach Dorian Shaw said.The Sun Devils are one of the most prestigious programs in the nation, especially as of late. The team has been ranked in the weekly NFCA Coaches Poll since the second week of the 2006 season, with 127 of the 138 placing ASU in the top 10.Dartmouth’s batting order will face a stiff challenge from ASU’s pitching staff, which is led by senior Dallas Escobedo. Escobedo owns a dominating 22-7 record with 310 strikeouts and 26 complete games. The senior has a superb season 1.85 ERA.“She throws the ball hard and goes up and down in the zone so I know that’s something we’re going to have to prepare for,” Shaw said. “We haven’t had to face that kind of velocity yet this year but I think the kids will be able to catch up with a couple days of practice.”There is very little drop-off with the number two pitcher on the staff, senior Mackenzie Popescue. Popescue has pitched 16 complete games on her way to building a 20-3 record with 76 strikeouts and a 2.15 ERA.Dartmouth’s trio of power hitters — Morgan McCalmon ’16, Katie McEachern ’16 and Karen Chaw ’17 — will need to be at the top of their game. All three hitters have the power and capability to break the game wide open, especially in the later innings.Kristen Rumley ’15 and McCalmon will also have to be strong in the circle to keep a potent Sun Devils’ offense at bay. ASU is batting .327 as a team this year, pounding out 468 hits for 343 runs and 67 home runs this season.“We can win,” outfielder Alyssa Loyless ’17 said. “We need to play smart, capitalize on all of our scoring opportunities and avoid small mental mistakes.”Michigan (42-12) and San Diego State (39-17) are no strangers to the postseason either. The Wolverines are playing in their 20th consecutive tournament, while the Aztecs are making their seventh-straight postseason appearance.Like ASU, Michigan has two strong pitching options in junior Haylie Wagner and freshman Megan Betsa. Both pitchers boast sub-2.00 ERAs with Wagner on the low end with a 1.55 mark. Wagner has a 21-3 record, but Betsa has pitched more strikeouts, 131 to Wagner’s 111.Both Wagner and Betsa are statistically matched, which means neither pitcher will shoulder a disproportionate workload. If the Tempe Regional extends into a game seven, the fact that both pitchers are more rested than Rumley, Escobedo or San Diego State’s Danielle O’Toole may become a deciding factor.Michigan bats .343 as a team and has scored 361 runs with 53 home runs this season. Sophomore shortstop Sierra Romero has been a force at the plate this year with a .510 average, 16 home runs and 62 RBI.San Diego State has ridden the arm of sophomore O’Toole to the NCAA tournament. O’Toole owns a 30-8 record with 184 strikeouts and a 1.66 ERA. Two other pitchers have seen the mound for San Diego State, but if O’Toole can pitch, she’ll be on the mound, as the remaining two pitchers have ERAs of 4.27 and 3.04.Redshirt senior Patrice Jackson is the Aztecs’ most dangerous hitter with 16 homers and 48 RBIs. Nine other hitters have combined for San Diego State’s remaining 22 home runs.Of its three possible opponents, Dartmouth has never played ASU or Michigan, and has played San Diego State twice, both losses, in 2004.Earlier this week, McCalmon was named Ivy League Softball Player of the Year, while teammate Rumley earned Ivy League Pitcher of the Year honors for the second straight season.The competition will begin Friday at 3:30 p.m. with Michigan versus San Diego State. Immediately after the conclusion of the game, Dartmouth and ASU will play, slated to start at 6 p.m.