Photoessay #1251 - Return to softball

The Oregon Ducks played their season series in Seattle this year. I could wax sentimentally for the OLD Pac 10 schedule when the teams traveled in pairs and you would play 2 games against one team and then 1 game against other. Made a more complex satisfying schedule. And you always played home and away against each conference member. Who knows how the schedule will be next year when Utah is added to the Pac 12.

Now they schedule the games against each opponent in one weekend. Three games in three days. In the old schedule, the Ducks would ALWAYS come to Seattle; now they come every other year. Last year, they didn't come at all.

OK, I know that since USC and WSU don't have teams, Washington and UCLA were paired which made an insane trip for the other teams because they had to play in Seattle and Los Angeles the same weekend.

Enough time has passed so that I really don't know the players, coaches or parents any more.

I attended two of the three games this weekend; the first game of the doubleheader yesterday (because of rain on Friday night) and the final game on Sunday afternoon. The UW Huskies (#6 in country) won both games yesterday but the games were close. The Oregon Ducks (#14 in country) won today's game, by a mercy score of 8-0 in six innings.

The Ducks have not won too many Pac 10 games in recent years so you have to appreciate all of them. I did see Krista Coburn (played for UCLA) who passed on the sad news that her dad had died. I remember one time when UCLA played Oregon in Eugene. Her dad and mom were in one of the parking spaces right next to the stands. Krista's dad was sitting in the car using an oxygen tube. Krista came up to say hi and her dad quick quick pushed the oxygen tube aside. So clear to me that he did not want Krista to see it.....

I also saw Kristi Leiter (a former player) and Becky Sisley (the former coach and softball supporter). I kind of hung out with the dads who stood in back of the stands. All teams have dads who do that. Needless to say, there weren't too many UO fans. I was all decked out in my green and yellow.

Shot from this afternoon of the left field stands and the husky dugout (and flag) from my perch in the right field stands. Wonderful softball stadium, a great facility. You can see Lake Washington in the background.

Go Ducks!