On April 23, I said something dumb.
I’ve made other less-than-intelligent statements since, but this proclamation turned out to be particularly lousy. I typically try to avoid mentioning when I’m wrong (I let my Twitter followers handle that responsibility), but an apology is in line.
On that Saturday afternoon, I was at a softball doubleheader: Reed at Reno.
I tweeted that the Raiders and Huskies were “probably the two best squads in the DI North.”
Big time softball DH at Reno today. Reed (20-1-1) and Reno (12-5, 10-3).
Probably two best squads in DI North.
— Nathan Shoup (@Trib_Shoup) April 23, 2016
I doubled down a couple weeks later on my radio show (Thursdays at 1 p.m. on 94.5 FM), announcing that I believed Reed and Reno would be the DI North’s two representatives at the DI state tournament.
Spanish Springs upended my prediction in DI North regional tournament, earning the region’s second state berth behind Reed. Then the Cougars rubbed it in on Saturday, finishing an improbable run to the DI state title.
To the Spanish Springs softball team, I apologize.
You might not have been the most gifted group in the state, but you proved to be the best collective team. You saved your best softball for last. You earned it.
You didn’t get any help either. You had to beat all three teams in the field (Shadow Ridge, defending champion Reed and Rancho). You hid from no one.
Considering where you started, with more questions than answers, and where you ended, with a trophy in your hands and tears in yours, you just completed a run that few outside your dugout can say they foresaw.
You are the best DI softball team in Nevada.
Now seven years clear of high school (ugh), I can tell you there are plenty ‘good ol’ days’ to be had once your time at Spanish Springs High concludes. But you will always remember what you did on Saturday.
Nobody can take that from you.
I was wrong on April 23. But I’m glad I was.
There is no debate, Spanish Springs’ Ozoude is fastest in the state
There is no argument for another runner in the Nevada. Spanish Springs junior Jessica Ozoude has claimed the unofficial title of ‘the state’s fastest.’
Ozoude won DI state titles in the 100 meters, 200m and 400m on Saturday in Carson. The triple crown.
It’s not the first time she’s had success at the state’s highest level either. As a sophomore, she won the 200m state title and finished fourth in the 400m. As a freshman, she took second in the 100m and third in the 200m.
She said in March her goal is to break the 200m state record of 23.99 seconds that’s stood since 1984. She shaved .11 seconds of her state championship time from last year on Saturday, setting a stadium record with a time of 24.29 seconds.
She’ll have to trim .31 seconds off that time to set the record next year. But if there is one runner in the Silver State who’s poised to do it, it’s Ozoude.
After all, she is the fastest within its borders.
Nevada baseball on to Mountain West Tourney
The Wolf Pack enters this week’s Mountain West Tournament in Albuquerque as the No. 3 seed.
It’s official! The #MWBSB16 Championship seeds are set! Details coming soon at https://t.co/lxz73ICrh9! pic.twitter.com/t0A7LGlmEC
— Mountain West (@MW_OlySports) May 21, 2016
That in itself is an accomplishment. Nevada entered the season with little expectations after a coaching change (T.J. Bruce took over for Jay Johnson, who took the head gig at Arizona) and a number of new faces in the lineup.
Nevada (33-22, 22-10) was picked to finish sixth out of seven teams in the conference, started 0-4 in conference play, and still finished just one game behind Fresno State for a share of what would’ve been the program’s second straight Mountain West regular season title.
A 7-1 home loss to UNLV in the first contest of a three-game set on Thursday prevented a share of the conference title. Nevada won the final two games of the regular season, 8-1 and 9-7.
Needing a tournament title to earn an NCAA berth, Nevada opens on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the winner of No. 6 San Diego State and No. 7 San Jose State.
With a loss in the first game, the Pack would have to rattle off six-straight games to win the tournament title.
The Pack has won 16 of its last 18.
Nathan can also be reached via email at nshoup@dailysparkstribune.com
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