Fansided

2021 NCAA Softball Tournament Seattle Regional preview, players to watch, predictions and more

By Ethan Lee

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: The University of Washington Huskies dugout celebrates a single RBI by Sarah Willis #66 to score Megan Vandegrift #2 of the UW Huskies during their game against the UCLA Bruins at Easton Stadium on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: The University of Washington Huskies dugout celebrates a single RBI by Sarah Willis #66 to score Megan Vandegrift #2 of the UW Huskies during their game against the UCLA Bruins at Easton Stadium on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. /
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DURHAM, NC – FEBRUARY 29: An NCAA softball amid a collection of softball bats during a game between Notre Dame and Duke at Duke Softball Stadium on February 29, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC – FEBRUARY 29: An NCAA softball amid a collection of softball bats during a game between Notre Dame and Duke at Duke Softball Stadium on February 29, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /

Seattle University is looking to make its name known as it gets set to go in a regional taking place in its own town.

The Seattle University Redhawks aren’t the most well-known team from Seattle, Washington, but unlike the University of Washington, Seattle U was able to come out on top of their conference (that said, the Pac-12 is a significantly more rigorous conference to compete in). So, the Redhawks are looking at gaining some notoriety. If they can contend in (or even maybe win) the Seattle Regional, they’ll do just that.

Season overview

The Redhawks played solid softball throughout the year. They weren’t particularly great during certain stretches, but they went and won seven consecutive series and would go on to win the WAC softball tournament. Going 29-19 is respectable. Having an 11-5 conference record is also pretty solid.

Best wins

Seattle U’s best wins came early in the year, but they weren’t over particularly great teams. The Redhawks were able to take care of business against the Oregon State Beavers and Colorado State. But, they got two solid wins against non-conference foes while playing away from home.

  • February 27 vs. Oregon State in Tucson – 2-1
  • February 26 vs. Colorado State in Tucson – 5-3

Worst losses

Earlier this season, Seattle U had the chance to face off against the Washington Huskies, the host of the Seattle Regional. While the Redhawks lost to other teams by larger margins, the fact that Seattle U was defeated twice by the Huskies doesn’t seem to bode well for their chances to get through this regional.

  • March 12 at Washington – 0-5
  • March 13 at Washington – 1-4

Players to watch

  • Bailey Thompson – There aren’t many power hitters on the Redhawks’ roster, but Thompson does have the ability to hit the ball out of the park. She has a .333 batting average and has hit 9 home runs on the season.
  • Shi Smith is Seattle U’s strikeout leader. She has a 3.17 ERA and has struck out 113 batters this year.
  • Cherise Silvan – Nobody on the Redhawks’ roster has stolen more bases than Silvan. Along with a .344 batting average, Silvan has also stolen 14 bases on 17 attempts.

Final thoughts

Seattle U has an opportunity to make things interesting, but the Redhawks can’t afford to make any mistakes. Seattle U must also take advantage of every mistake its opponents make. There’s a sizable talent differential between the Redhawks and the other teams present. To overcome that, they must execute perfectly.