Media: College Softball Back in a Big Way on ESPN Starting Today (Kind of)… & Don’t Forget the “Black Athletes Through the Decades in Softball” Webinar Also!
By
@BruntjensElla
February 11, 2021
The University of Texas 2021 softball season will be delayed at least a day, but in the long run the Longhorns will be seen a LOT on the ESPN networks this year! Photo: Texas Athletics.
After what seems like a decade without college softball due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the on-field action tonight was scheduled to begin in a big way with a match-up of two Top 10 teams, Arizona vs. Texas, but that game will have to wait a bit as it was postponed due to inclement weather in in Texas. There is still another Top 10 team in action as of now: LSU (see schedule below).
However, if you can’t watch that game on the SEC Network, there is another great softball-related alternative for free: the Black Athletes Through the Decades in Softball webinar that begins tonight at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT (to register CLICK HERE)
Mother Nature permitting, it’s still an exciting weekend and not just because of Valentine’s Day: ESPN and it’s multiple channels has over 100 games scheduled for broadcast this weekend alone!
It’s going to be a busy couple of days for Duke’s Marissa Young who will be a panelist on the Webinar tonight and lead her Blue Devils against LSU tomorrow!
Many may not know it, but I worked at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn. for nearly three years ago and had access to some eye-opening data which reveals why the Worldwide Network is so high on college softball.
When I was working for ESPN (no, John Kennedy wasn’t the president then; it was a few years later!), the Women’s College World Series (softball) outdrew the College Baseball World Series by more than 30% — I want to say it 300,000 viewers more!
And, if memory serves me right, the WCWS was the third biggest college property for ESPN at that time behind only the NCAA football bowl games and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (March Madness).
So it’s no surprise that the “Worldwide Leader of Sports” is so bullish on softball: it draws very, very well!
College softball is fast, both in speed of game and time of play compared to baseball, and what I love best is that the athletes are smiling and are really enjoying their time on the field!
Kudos, then, to ESPN for getting college softball back on our screens in a big way and, hopefully, this is the start of a complete season.
And be sure to check out the Webinar also!
Yay, softball, at least on the collegiate level, is BACK!
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
*****
ESPN College Softball Schedule February 11-14, 2021
Here is the complete schedule for the 100+ college games being televised this weekend on the ESPN networks:
Date
Time (ET)
Game
Network
Thu, Feb 11
7 p.m.
No. 3 Arizona vs. No. 7 Texas *** POSTPONED*** Alex Loeb, Michele Smith
Longhorn Network
6 p.m.
McNeese State at No. 5 LSU
SEC Network+
Fri, Feb 12
10 a.m.
Omaha at Butler
ESPN+
11:30 a.m.
Colorado State vs. Alabama Tyler Denning, Amanda Scarborough
Longhorn Network
12:15 p.m.
Iowa State at South Dakota State
ESPN+
1 p.m.
Boise State at Georgia Tech
ACC Network Extra
1 p.m.
Dayton at USC Upstate
ESPN+
2 p.m.
Colorado State vs. Sam Houston State Tyler Denning, Amanda Scarborough
Longhorn Network
2:30 p.m.
Butler at Northern Iowa
ESPN+
2:30 p.m.
Tennessee at Coastal Carolina
ESPN+
3 p.m.
Lamar at Houston
ESPN+
3 p.m.
Southeast Missouri State at Auburn
SEC Network+
3 p.m.
Memphis at No. 12 Florida State
ACC Network Extra
3 p.m.
South Alabama at Georgia
SEC Network+
4 p.m.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Texas A&M
SEC Network+
4 p.m.
Boise State at Georgia Tech
ACC Network Extra
4:30 p.m.
No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 7 Texas Alex Loeb, Michele Smith
Longhorn Network
4:45 p.m.
Iowa State at Northern Iowa
ESPN+
4:45 p.m.
Akron at Coastal Carolina
ESPN+
5 p.m.
South Alabama at Georgia
SEC Network+
UNC at South Carolina
SEC Network+
5 p.m.
Western Kentucky at Georgia Southern
ESPN+
5:30 p.m.
St. Francis at Furman
ESPN+
5:30 p.m.
Lamar at Houston
ESPN+
5:30 p.m.
Duke at No. 5 LSU
SEC Network+
6 p.m.
No. 13 Kentucky at Samford
ESPN+
6 p.m.
SIU Edwardsville at SE Louisiana
ESPN+
6:30 p.m.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Texas A&M
SEC Network+
7 p.m.
Sam Houston State vs. No. 3 Arizona Alex Loeb, Michele Smith
Longhorn Network
7 p.m.
South Dakota State at Drake
ESPN+
8 p.m.
Central Arkansas at No. 5 LSU
SEC Network+
Sat, Feb 13
9 a.m.
Butler at Iowa State
ESPN+
11 a.m.
South Alabama at Georgia
SEC Network+
11:15 a .m.
Butler at Drake
ESPN3
11:30 a.m.
Sam Houston State vs. Colorado State Tyler Denning, Michele Smith
Longhorn Network
noon
Villanova at George Washington
ESPN+
Noon
Norfolk State at George Mason
ESPN+
1 p.m.
Miami (OH) at No. 22 Mississippi State
SEC Network+
1 p.m.
Southeast Missouri State at Auburn
SEC Network+
1 p.m.
Radford at Georgia Tech
ACC Network Extra
1 p.m.
No. 13 Kentucky at Samford
ESPN+
1 p.m.
No. 6 Florida at South Florida
ESPN+
1:30
Louisville at No. 19 South Carolina
SEC Network+
1:30 p.m.
Omaha at Iowa State
ESPN+
1:30 p.m.
Western Kentucky at Georgia Southern
ESPN+
1:30 p.m.
Missouri State at No. 9 Louisiana
ESPN+
2 p.m.
Villanova at George Washington
ESPN+
2 p.m.
Texas Southern at Houston
ESPN+
2:15 p.m.
Virginia at No. 14 Georgia
SEC Network+
2:30 p.m.
Ohio at Coastal Carolina
ESPN+
3 p.m.
No. 24 Missouri at No. 12 Florida State
ACC Network Extra
3 p.m.
Longwood at NC State
ACC Network Extra
3 p.m.
North Carolina Central at USC Upstate
ESPN+
3 p.m.
Norfolk State at George Mason
ESPN+
3:15 p.m.
No. 6 Florida at South Florida
ESPN+
3:30 p.m.
Miami (OH) at No. 22 Mississippi State
SEC Network+
3:30 p.m.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Texas A&M
SEC Network+
3:30 p.m.
Southeast Missouri State
SEC Network+
3:30 p.m.
No. 13 Kentucky at Samford
ESPN+
3:45 p.m.
Drake at South Dakota State
ESPN3
4 p.m.
UNC at No. 19 South Carolina
SEC Network+
4 p.m.
Radford at Georgia Tech
ACC Network Extra
4 p.m.
No. 18 Baylor at No. 9 Louisiana
ESPN+
4:30 p.m.
Colorado State vs. No. 7 Texas Tyler Denning, Amanda Scarborough
Longhorn Network
4:45 p.m.
UConn at Coastal Carolina
ESPN+
5 p.m.
East Carolina at Furman
ESPN+
5 p.m.
UNC-Wilmington at Georgia Southern
ESPN+
5:30 p.m.
College of Charleston at USC Upstate
ESPN+
6 p.m.
Stephen F Austin at Texas A&M
SEC Network+
6 p.m.
South Dakota State at Northern Iowa
ESPN3
6:30 p.m.
Kansas at No. 5 LSU
SEC Network+
7 p.m.
No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 7 Texas Alex Loeb, Michelle Smith
Longhorn Network
8:15 p.m.
Omaha at Northern Iowa
ESPN3
9:30 p.m.
No. 3 Arizona vs. No. 8 Alabama Alex Loeb, Michele Smith
Longhorn Network
11:30 p.m.
Sam Houston State vs. No. 3 Arizona**
Longhorn Network
Sun, Feb 14
11 a.m.
Sam Houston State vs. No. 7 Texas Alex Loeb, Amanda Scarborough
Longhorn Network
11 a.m.
East Carolina at Furman
ESPN+
11:45 p.m.
Akron at Coastal Carolina
ESPN+
noon
Stephen F Austin at Texas A&M
SEC Network+
noon
Longwood at NC State
ACC Network Extra
noon
North Carolina Central at USC Upstate
ESPN+
Noon
Norfolk State at George Mason
ESPN+
12:30 p.m.
Miami (OH) at No. 22 Mississippi State
SEC Network+
1 p.m.
Texas Tech at Texas State
ESPN+
1 p.m.
UT San Antonio at Houston
ESPN+
1 p.m.
No. 6 Florida at South Florida
ESPN+
1:15 p.m.
Virginia at No. 14 Georgia
SEC Network+
1:30 p.m.
Colorado State vs. No. 8 Alabama Alex Loeb, Amanda Scarborough
Longhorn Network
1:30 p.m.
Central Arkansas at No. 5 LSU
SEC Network+
1:30 p.m.
East Carolina at Furman
ESPN+
1:30 p.m.
UNC-Wilmington at Georgia Southern
ESPN+
2:15 p.m.
Ohio at Coastal Carolina
ESPN+
2:30 p.m.
Longwood at NC State
ACC Network Extra
2:30 p.m.
College of Charleston at USC Upstate
ESPN+
3 p.m.
North Texas at SE Louisiana
ESPN+
3 p.m.
Norfolk State at George Mason
ESPN+
3:30 p.m.
UT San Antonio at Houston
ESPN+
4 p.m.
Georgia State at Georgia Tech
ACC Network Extra
4:45 p.m.
Omaha at Northern Iowa
ESPN+
*****
History Webinar: Black Athletes Through the Decades in Softball (Thurs, Feb. 11 @ 7 pm EST)
Originally published Tues., Feb. 9, 2021 on Extra Inning Softball
Featured on the panel are over six decades of Olympians, All-Americans, National Champions, a Gold Glove winner, and overall trail blazers.
AJ Andrews, the first woman to receive a Rawlings Gold Glove, will moderate a powerful conversation around black softball athletes and their experiences through the decades.
The panelists include:
Billie Harris, (1960s Women’s Majors)
Gillian Boxx (Cal, 1995 and the first black softball Olympian)
Natasha Watley (UCLA, 2003 and two-time Olympic medalist)
Marissa Young (Michigan, 2003 and current Duke Head Coach)
Peaches James (Nebraska, 2004)
Jazz Jackson Vesely (LSU, 2010 and President & Program Director with Impact Gold Fastpitch)
*****
Two of the panelists for Thursday’s webinar express their gratitude for this forum to inform and educate young players today and their parents and coaches.
“It means the world to me to see an event like this highlighting diversity and representation, take place on the main stage thru Alliance Fastpitch,” says former Michigan All-American Marissa Young, now the Head Coach at Duke. “There are so many players and parents out there that need access to and visibility of Black women who have excelled in the game of softball.”
Jazz Jackson Vesely, like Marissa Young, was a collegiate All-American.
“We didn’t have the opportunity to look up or follow our favorite players on social media growing up, so the only black players I knew about were the limited number I had the opportunity of playing with or against. So it’s incredibly special for me to join two of my former teammates on this panel.”
Jazz Jackson Veseley, who was a two-time All-American at LSU (2007, 2009) and is now involved running the Impact Gold Fastpitch club organization, sees this panel as a way to inspire young players today who can learn from those who’ve gone before.
“I am so excited to be a part of the panel,” she told Extra Inning Softball earlier today. “Representation is so important. I don’t know if I’m here without players looking like me and showing me I could do it. I hope the next generation sees themselves in this panel and it helps them take the next step to reach their dream.”
*****
We caught up with Jami Lobpries, the Executive Director of The Alliance Fastpitch, to learn about the genesis of this historic panel… here are her thoughts:
A conversation between Natasha Watley (pictured) and Jami Lobpries got the ball rolling for the webinar’s title and framework.Jami Lobpries
How did this webinar idea first start and become reality?
The conversation about preserving the history and legends of our game first started with Natasha. We have this youth audience—how do we educate them on those that paved the way in the game?
Coming out of our Winter Meetings, we wanted to create a schedule for our members so they knew when to expect things and this thought of a ‘virtual history series’ came out of that planning recognizing that February is Black History Month and March is Women’s History Month (we have a fun one planned for next month!).
I simply called Natasha and asked her thoughts on this first webinar. We identified the title and the framework of who we wanted on the panel, and probably most important was getting AJ to moderate.
How did you decide on the structure of the event and who would speak?
I reached out to Carol Bruggeman (NFCA) about co-hosting a virtual history series. This is our first edition. It’ll be a panel format with AJ Andrews moderating the conversation.
We identified athletes from various decades and who brought diversity in things like what college they played at, what position, what they’re doing now and how that affects our youth.
This is a great way to start the history series… what excites you about this initial presentation?
I think honoring the history and the trail blazers of our game is important in general. This topic in particular is important for all races and all backgrounds to understand, to listen and hopefully to continue to pave the way for more black athletes in our game.
Our panelists paved the way on the field but they’re also continuing to blaze trails off the field and inspire young girls to play softball. I’m excited to listen and to learn from these women and see how we can help open doors and break down any barriers that still exist.
*****
Meet one of the panelists, Billie Harris, who is considered as the “Jackie Robinson” of Softball:
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