Hello TideSports.com fans,

Tommy Deas and Co. will be filling you in all weekend long from the UA softball complex during the 2008 NCAA Tuscaloosa Regionals. Check back to get details and chime in on the conversation.

Hello, I'm here at the Alabama Softball Complex. Start time is at 5:06 p.m. for Florida State against Jacksonville State in the opening game of the regional.

There's free video of all regional action up through the semifinals (not counting Saturday's championship round, which is on ESPN2) available. Go to rolltide.com, hit TideTV and register.

Under NCAA rules I will be able to post only once per inning once the action starts. I can make unlimited posts before first pitch and between games.

Field looks great. You would never know it even rained except for a little wet dirt close to the backstop. Probably a little wet and slick in the outfield, but this field drains as well as any I've ever seen.

Few fans here yet, but I just saw Florida State team arriving and heading down toward the dugout.

I tried to register, but it says I have to pay. Is there some trick I don't know about?

FSU on the field (actually the edge of the outfield) doing their official pregame warmups.

quote:

Originally posted by pcfltide:
I tried to register, but it says I have to pay. Is there some trick I don't know about?

Go to live events, click on the game, it will tell you if you haven't registered before you have to register. Click register now, it will ask for you name and password and whether you want to receive CSTV e-mails (your choice). That should get you in for free. Guy here just did it and it worked.

Bat fans: Jax State using Mikken bats. FSU is an Easton team.

Umpires:

Chad Stears, the Punch Out King, on first base.
Sally Walker on third.
Diane Beasley behind the plate.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy Deas:
Under NCAA rules I will be able to post only once per inning once the action starts. I can make unlimited posts before first pitch and between games.

What is the rule on posting in between innings?

Lineups:

Jax State
cf Chrissy O'Neal
lf Rachel Fleming
1b Nikkie Prier
2b Courtney Underwood
c Allie Barker
3b Whitney Elder
rf Jackie Jarman
dh Kayla Collins (more on her later)
ss Mary Beth Ledbetter

RHP Ashley Eliasson (14-3, 2.17 ERA) will start.

FSU
cf Carly Wynn
lf Whitney Buckmon
dh Robin Ahrberg
1b Brittany Osmon
c Jessica Gilmore
ss Ashley Stager
rf Monia Montez
3b Michelle Snyder
wb Kristie McConn

RHP Tiffany McDonald (17-11, 1.63 ERA) will start.

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJag:

What is the rule on posting in between innings?[/QUOTE]

Very simple. One post per inning. I'll be making it at the end of each inning. The span for posts stretches from first pitch of the inning to the last out, so posting between innings counts as the post.

Worst that can happen is The Tuscaloosa News can lose its credentials if the policy is violated. It's happened before at the NCAA basketball tournament. Not going to happen to us. We will play by the rules.

This is an open forum, obviously, so if lakemann or somebody else wants to jump in there and update batter by batter, please feel free.

Promised more on JSU's Kayla Collins:

She has a sister, Allison, a backup freshman catcher, playing for Florida State.

Both wear No. 77.

Why? Their dad, Doug, was a lineman at the University of Alabama on the football team in the early 1970s, playing for Bear Bryant. He lettered twice. That was his jersey number.

John (Johnny Softball) Hayden is the official scorekeeper for this regional.

John was a standout sports information officer for Alabama softball for several years. Now he's the man at Kentucky doing media relations for Wildcats basketball.

First pitch coming up soon.

FLorida State had Terese Gober, RHP, warming up alongside McDonald, so we know Plan B.

McDonald looked sharp in the bullpen. Her drop curve was really biting, crossing plate in the strike zone and dropping into the dirt. I think we'll see that pitch a lot.

JSU wearing kind of a scarlet red tops with black numbers outlined in white, black pants and red sox. Pretty spiffy.

FSU wearning white tops with garnet numbers, garnet pants with gold stripe, white sox and black shoes. Think I saw Nike swooshes, but I couldn't swear to it.

Florida State will be the home team as the No. 2 seed at the regional. RPI was around 32.

Jax State is the No. 3 seed at the regional

National anthem done. First pitch coming up. I'll post again after the first inning with an update.