ESPN analyst picks Washington to win softball title

ESPN softball analyst Stacey Nuveman, a past college player of the year as a catcher at UCLA and a gold medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, answers questions about the Women's College World Series that starts Thursday:

Q: Which team in the field of eight is your favorite?

A: I actually made the proclamation on ESPN Sunday night that I am picking the Huskies to go all the way. I like the way they are playing right now, with a lot of confidence and poise.

The UW offense is explosive and balanced throughout the lineup, which you have to have at this point in the season. I think Danielle Lawrie is the best pitcher in the country when she's on, and I expect her to lead Washington all the way.

Q: What makes Danielle Lawrie effective?

A: Danielle Lawrie has been a phenomenal pitcher since Day One in Seattle, but she seems to really have put it all together this year. I know coach [Heather] Tarr attributes a lot of that to her experience in Beijing and playing with the Canadian National Team.

Playing on the Olympic stage is the ultimate in sport, and to be able to handle that, learn from it, and grow from it, speaks to where Lawrie is at this point in time. She didn't achieve all she was hoping to in Beijing (1-1 record, 13 strikeouts in 12 innings), and coach Tarr believes that fueled her fire to come in this season and prove some things.

Physically, she possesses the total package: good velocity, great movement, and a devastating changeup. She has the ability to reinvent herself each and every inning, and game to game. If she had a weakness it's the tendency to lose a bit of control. But when she's on, she's lethal in the circle.

Q: How do you think Lawrie stacks up with great college pitchers of this decade such as Alicia Hollowell and Cat Osterman?

A: Lawrie has established herself as one of the best ever, but with a WCWS Championship ring she would be elevated even further. And one thing puts her in a very small sorority of players — championship pitchers who also stepped up to the plate and swung the bat. She's proved she's a very good hitter to boot.

Q: How important is a dominant pitcher when pursuing a WCWS title? Can a one-pitcher team such as UW endure a long stretch of tough competition?

A: It is true that having two [or more] dominant pitchers is crucial during the regular season, but that trend really is different when you look at the historical perspective of the WCWS. The bottom line is that the championship team rode one arm the whole way: Arizona State 2008, Katie Burkhart; Arizona 2007, Taryn Mowatt; Arizona 2006, Alicia Hollowell; Michigan 2005, Jennie Ritter; UCLA 2003, Keira Goerl.

So in theory having two pitchers is great; in practice, one thoroughbred usually carries the team all the way. Case in point: Danielle Lawrie has the skill and the will to carry this UW team to a WCWS championship.

Q: Third-seeded Washington (46-11) opens the Series on Thursday at 10 a.m. (PT; ESPN) against sixth-seeded Georgia (44-10). The teams split two games at a tournament in early March. It's UW's ninth trip to a World Series, Georgia's first. How good is Georgia?

A: Georgia is a very well-balanced team, with good offensive balance, speed and power, and great tenacity. In the super-regionals, Georgia had two come-from-behind victories over Ohio State — each time from four-run deficit — so really have a lot of fight in 'em.

Bulldogs coach Lu Harris-Champer has WCWS coaching experience even if the Bulldogs don't, so she'll be comfortable in the pressure-cooker that is the WCWS. I think Georgia will be well-prepared and loose.

Notes

• The WCWS format breaks the eight teams into two four-team brackets. Washington, at No. 3, is the highest-seeded team in its bracket, joined by No. 6 Georgia, No. 10 Arizona State (the 2008 NCAA champ) and unseeded Missouri (which last weekend upset No. 2 UCLA).

• If the Huskies win Thursday, they play the Arizona State-Missouri winner at 5 p.m. (PT) Friday. If they win that they would await the surviving team from their bracket in a 10 a.m. game Sunday. If they win Sunday they would advance to a best-of-three showdown against the winner of the opposing bracket (which includes No. 1 Florida) starting at 5 p.m. Monday. An interactive bracket can be found at NCAA.com.

• The Huskies occupy the easier bracket. Thursday's toughest first-round matchup pits Florida (with ace pitcher Stacey Nelson, 39-3 and a 0.41 ERA) against ninth-seeded Arizona (46-15), which boasts the best offense in the nation. The winner moves on to face either No. 4 Alabama (52-9) or No. 5 Michigan (46-10), with tough left-hander Nikki Nemitz (27-5, 0.89).

Year/seed/Finish/Coach

2009/3rd/ — /Heather Tarr

2007/6th/tie 3rd (2-2)/Heather Tarr

2004/8th/tie 7th (0-2)/Scott Centala-Steve Dailey

2003/5th/tie 5th (1-2)/Teresa Wilson

2000/1st/tie 5th (1-2)/Teresa Wilson

1999/3rd/2nd (3-1)/Teresa Wilson

1998/4th/3rd (3-2)/Teresa Wilson

1997/7th/tied 3rd (2-2)/Teresa Wilson

1996/8th/2nd (3-1)/Teresa Wilson

Note: UW coach Heather Tarr played third base for the Huskies in the 1996 and '97 World Series.