RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
The When
February 11-13, Irvine, California
The What
This tournament makes its debut in 2022 and is named after former club and high school coach Mark Campbell, who passed away in 2019. Campbell was the co-owner of the OC Batbusters and a highly-successful coach prior to his passing three years ago, in 2019. The tournament field includes three California-based teams, as well as defending national champion Oklahoma and Mississippi State out of the SEC.
The Who
- Oklahoma
- UCLA
- Mississippi State
- Loyola Marymount
- UC San Diego
A Blurb
Saturday’s Oklahoma vs. UCLA matchup is the only face-off between consensus top-4 teams in opening weekend. The Sooners enter the weekend 1-0 after beginning their season with a perfect game over UC Santa Barbara. UCLA begins the year with the same record after recording a no-hitter in their season opener against CSUN.
A Hidden Gem
Mississippi State pitcher Annie Willis — Willis is at the top of the pecking order in the circle for the Bulldogs this year, and her arm will be a valuable commodity for her club. The 2018 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year while at Troy, Willis owns a 2.35 ERA and 26 wins since she got to Starkville beginning with the 2020 season. Opposing batters hit just .169 against her during the shortened 2020 campaign and batted a respectable .246 against her last season.
A Breakout Star
UCLA pitcher Holly Azevedo — Azevedo’s no-no on Thursday night makes this one easy. She’s been the oft-forgotten member of the Bruin pitching staff for virtually her entire career, but is now in a position where Thursday’s impressive performance could be the start of something impressive for the finale of her career. The Bruins need a reliable second arm in the circle, and while Thursday night to open the season comes with a lot of qualifiers, her performance was impressive.
A Team to Watch
Oklahoma — It’s Oklahoma; need we say more? The Sooners slaughtered UC Santa Barbara in their season opener, and the Sooner offense was still clicking on all cylinders. It almost seemed like the squad simply didn’t miss a beat after last season’s national championship. Jocelyn Alo is also now just six home runs away from tying Lauren Chamberlain’s all-time NCAA record.
A Storyline
The matchup of Oklahoma vs. UCLA will dominate the conversation this weekend and after the game is played. Top-4 matchups don’t come around every day, and it’s a rare, early challenge for both teams.
Marquee Matchups
Mississippi State vs. Oklahoma, Friday, 2/11 @ 6:30 pm PT
Mississippi State vs. UCLA, Saturday, 2/12 @ 1:00 pm PT
UCLA vs. Oklahoma, Saturday, 2/12 @ 4:00 pm PT
Players to Watch
Mia Davidson, Mississippi State – Davidson’s career at HailState has been one of the best in program history – and she’s still going. The SEC Freshman of the Year in 2018, she earned All-American honors in 2019 and has been named an all-region player in each year of her career that the award was presented. For her career, she owns a .348 batting average with 69 home runs and 175 RBIs.
Morgan DeBord, Loyola Marymount – As a true freshman in 2021, DeBord led the squad with a .345 batting average and finished in the top three on the roster with 16 RBIs, eight stolen bases, and 19 runs scored.
Bobbi Aguirre, UC San Diego – Infielder Aguirre led the Tritons last season with a .371 batting average and finished second on the squad with three home runs. She scored fifteen runs, recorded 20 RBIs, and posted four stolen bases last season.
Kinzie Hansen, Oklahoma – Hansen led the Sooners with three hits on Thursday night in a .750 performance at the plate. She scored three runs, hit a home run and a pair of doubles, and scored that one run.
Megan Faraimo, UCLAÂ – Faraimo will make her season debut this weekend in Irvine, and is a likely bet to get the ball against Oklahoma as well. She’s the unquestioned Bruin staff ace this year, and a lot of eyes will be on her in her first time in the circle since last season’s Super Regional round.