RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
The When
February 17-20, Clearwater, Florida
The What
The Invitational makes its return to the college softball slate after a one-year hiatus in 2021. This is just the third edition of the tournament after its debut in 2019. The tournament is put on by ESPN’s Events arm, and every game from the tournament is broadcast or streamed on one of the ESPN Family of Networks, including the ESPN Plus subscription site.
The Who
- Auburn
- Clemson
- Florida State
- LSU
- Michigan
- Northwestern
- Notre Dame
- Oklahoma State
- South Florida
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Texas Tech
- UCF
- UCLA
- Washington
- Wisconsin
A Blurb
The St. Pete/Clearwater tournament will feature some of the top non-conference matchups in the country this season. That’s become the hallmark of this tournament and it continues in 2022. UCLA was a late addition to the tournament field. In total, the tournament field includes three teams each from the SEC, ACC, Big 10, and Big 12 and two teams each from the PAC-12 and the American Athletic Conference.
A Hidden Gem
Sarah Willis, Washington — The Huskies utilized Willis’ skills both in the circle and at the plate during their season-opening week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Willis saw 4.1 innings of work in the circle, striking out three and allowing three runs while earning a win, but she really impressed at the plate. Willis sits third on the Husky roster with a .556 batting average in nine plate appearances, with a home run, five RBIs, and three runs scored to her credit.
A Breakout Star
Auburn pitcher Shelby Lowe — Lowe burst onto the scene last season and continued those same heroics for the Tigers to open the 2022 campaign. Lowe didn’t give up a run in three starts on opening weekend, collecting 13 innings of work as her team started the season 5-0 with four run-rule wins. She struck out 23 batters, gave up just one unearned run, and allowed no walks.
A Team to Watch
Florida State — The Seminoles used four pitchers on opening weekend and none of the four allowed an earned run. Danielle Watson, Kathryn Sandercock, and Emma Wilson all got some solid work in the season’s first four games and all four earned their first wins of the year. Illinois State transfer Mack Leonard leads the team with a .700 batting average, is tied for the team lead with five RBIs, and was one of six home run hitters for the ‘Noles on opening week.
A Storyline
Past editions of this tournament have shown that there is a widely-level playing field in Clearwater. Some teams may enter as favorites and others as underdogs, but only twice has a team run the gauntlet and emerged undefeated from the Clearwater tournament.
Marquee Matchups
Notre Dame vs. Tennessee, Thursday, 2/17 @ 10 am ET
Tennessee vs. Florida State, Thursday 2/17 @ 4 pm ET
Michigan vs. Oklahoma State, Friday 2/18 @ 10 am ET
UCLA vs. Northwestern, Friday 2/18 @ 1 pm ET
Texas vs. Florida State, Friday 2/18 @ 1 pm ET
LSU vs. Oklahoma State, Friday 2/18 @ 4 pm ET
Tennessee vs. Clemson, Friday 2/18 @ 6 pm ET
Washington vs. LSU, Friday 2/18 @ 7 pm ET
Northwestern vs. Clemson, Saturday 2/19 @ 11 am ET
Michigan vs. Florida State, Saturday 2/19 @ 1 pm ET
Texas vs. UCLA, Saturday 2/19 @ 4 pm ET
Washington vs. Oklahoma State, Saturday 2/19 @ 6 pm ET
Northwestern vs. Oklahoma State, Sunday 2/20 @ 9:30 am ET
UCLA vs. Florida State, Sunday 2/20 @ 7 pm ET
Players to Watch
Carson Armijo, Texas Tech – Armijo leads the Red Raider lineup with a .417 batting average, five hits, and two home runs after week one. Two of those hits secured wins for her team, while a third secured a run-rule victory. Armijo’s 7th-inning home run against UTSA gave the Red Raiders a 6-5 victory, while her sixth-inning RBI single provided the game’s only offense in a win against Houston.
Taylor Pleasants, LSUÂ – Tied for the team lead in strikeouts and a virtual non-factor in her team’s opening weekend is unfamiliar territory for Pleasants. She had just two hits in eighteen at-bats for the Tigers, had one extra base hit and two RBIs. The Tiger offense looked good to start the year, then sputtered – if the Bayou Bengals are able to rejuvenate heading into Clearwater, Pleasants breaking out of her early funk will be a crucial piece of that puzzle.
Alex Storako, Michigan – Storako earned the lion’s share of innings on opening week for her Wolverines, throwing 19.2 of her team’s 34 innings in the circle. She made three starts on opening week and ended the week 2-0, allowing four earned runs along the way. She remains a strikeout machine, with 40 Ks through those three games, and owns a 1.42 ERA after week one.
Abby Sweet, Notre Dame – Through the first five games of the season, Sweet has picked up right where she left off a year ago. She leads the Fighting Irish with a .688 batting average this year, with eleven hits, eight runs scored, and five extra base hits to her credit through one week of play. She hit a pair of home runs and added three doubles as her team romped to a 5-0 start to the season.
Hailey Dolcini, Texas – After one week, Dolcini already looks like the ace of the Longhorn pitching staff. She led the team with 13 innings of work on opening week and earned a pair of starts in the circle. She notched 16 strikeouts and allowed two runs in her appearances. The Longhorns spread the love in the circle to start the year, but they’ll need a reliable arm like Dolcini’s to successfully run the gamut in Clearwater.
Lauren Dvorak, Northwestern – Dvorak had a solid opening weekend in Florida, despite taking her team’s only loss. She posted a 1.54 ERA to open the year, striking out seven in 13.2 innings of work. The Cats will benefit from a sturdy #2 pitcher and if Dvorak can fill that role effectively, her squad will be in good shape in Clearwater – and beyond.