Super Softball

It's not basketball, but it is a women's sport played by a very good Stanford team.

The Stanford Softball Team has advanced to the third round of the NCAA playoffs — the Super Regional, which is softball's Sweet Sixteen. Each pair of teams plays at a different location this week in a best-of-three series.

Stanford plays Arizona at the Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium, which is between Maples and El Camino Real, just south of the Sunken Diamond. The first game is on Thursday at 6:30, the second on Friday at 5:30, and the third (if required) at 8:30. The winner advances to the Softball World Series in Oklahoma City next week.

Unless this post generates way more interest than I expect, you'll be able to buy tickets at the stadium. You can also buy tickets on-line, but the added charges make that considerably more expensive.

Stanford and Arizona are closely-matched rivals. They've played three times this season, Stanford has won twice. Stanford is #4 in the Pac-10, Arizona #3. Stanford's NCAA RPI is #10, Arizona's is #7. Each team has four players that earned All-West Region honors this season.

Three of Stanford's outstanding players are:

• Senior pitcher Missy Penna ranks among the top 10 pitchers in the nation. She pitched her 1200th career strikeout two weeks ago — the first active pitcher in the nation to do that. She pitched her 50th career shutout last week — the most in Stanford history. She was a 2008 All-American.
• Junior outfielder Alissa Haber leads Stanford in nearly every offensive category for the third year in a row. She is hitting .439 with 79 hits, 21 doubles (third-best in the nation), 54 runs, a .722 slugging percentage, a .500 on-base percentage and 18 stolen bases. She was an All-American in 2007 and 2008.
• Freshman shortstop Ashley Hansen is hitting .397 with 19 doubles, five triples and four home runs. She is the Pac-10 Freshman Player of the Year.

So: Smith Stadium at 6:30 on Thursday and 5:30 on Friday — it's a lovely way to spend a Spring evening!