McPherson ready for NCAA tournament
Nevada softball pitcher Jordan McPherson said she was worried she had to throw a shutout every time she pitched in 2006—but not this season.
“I don’t have to go out there and be perfect because my girls are going to go out there and score runs,” said McPherson, who was a first-team All-Western Athletic Conference selection as a senior this year.
The Wolf Pack lost in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Softball Championships, but it hopes the same thing won’t happen this year. This is Nevada’s second trip to the Softball Championships in school history. The Wolf Pack will play Purdue (34-21) in the first round of the championship on Friday. The game will be televised on ESPNU at 2:30.
“It’s not going to be easy because we didn’t see them play this season,” Nevada coach Michelle Gardner said. “We are going to prepare for them just like we’ve prepared for every other game.”
The No. 17 Wolf Pack (42-15, 17-2) will travel to Los Angeles to play in the UCLA bracket.
The No. 3 Bruins got a home series this weekend because they were ranked in the top 16 nationally.
Nevada played UCLA earlier this season and lost 10-1.
“It’s not about revenge,” McPherson said. “We want to get back in that game so we can prove to the nation and UCLA that we can play with anyone in the country.”
The UCLA loss was the worst outing on the season for McPherson. She pitched 3.1 innings in the start and allowed five earned runs.
“We have to worry about Purdue before we can worry about UCLA,” she said.
UCLA will play Cal-State Fullerton in the first round of the tournament immediately following Nevada’s game on Friday.
Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno State received at-large bids to the NCAA tournament for the WAC. Louisiana Tech received an automatic bid because it won the WAC tournament.
The Wolf Pack won its first ever WAC regular season championship this season, but lost to the Lady Techsters 2-1 in the WAC tournament championship game.
“I just think La. Tech was on a mission,” McPherson said. “They played good. They deserved it.
“We’re prepared now. We needed that.”
McPherson said the loss gave the Wolf Pack a wake-up call.
“The tournament is meant for teams like La. Tech,” McPherson said. “It gives them a chance to sneak into the NCAA tournament.
“It really means a lot for the WAC to get four teams in the NCAA tournament.”
McPherson said it’s been rough to go through final exam week, while playing in the WAC tournament last week and preparing for the NCAA tournament next week.
“I’m just happy I’m done,” McPherson said. “It’s the greatest feeling ever.
“We know that when we sign up as Division I athletes that this is something we are going to have to deal with.”
McPherson took her last exam yesterday and will graduate this year with a degree in general studies with an emphasis on psychology and human and family studies.
“It’s been a great senior year,” McPherson said.
McPherson was 15-9 on the season with a 2.61 earned run average.
McPherson said she wants to be a pre-school teacher when she is finished with college.
“It’s not going to be the same without her next season,” Gardner said. “It’s going to be really different when I come back next year and Jordan is not here.”
Gardner has yet to specify who will pitch for Nevada in the first round.
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