Although I have used this space to bemoan the demise of sports now that football season is over, this is turning into one of the best times of the year for Stanford athletics.
Women’s basketball continues to pile it on against seemingly every Pac-10 foe. A 10th consecutive conference title hardly seems like an accomplishment for a team whose only real competition comes in the form of the UConn Huskies. The women have played their final regular season home games of the season, but we can all expect to be seeing much more of them in the NCAA Tournament in a few weeks. A deep run in March Madness seems likely, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that women’s basketball could bring Stanford its first championship of the 2009-2010 season.
Even men’s basketball has shown some signs of life in this rebuilding year. The men got the road monkey off their backs with a somewhat surprising road sweep of the Oregon schools. And while no one is comparing the Ducks and Beavers to Kansas or Kentucky, or even Cornell, a road sweep is a big step forward for a program like Stanford. With three conference games left in the wide, wide open Pac-10, the Cardinal could finish anywhere from tied for first to last, so these couple of weeks will be very interesting, not to mention the season finale against archrival Cal. And when the Pac-10 Tournament rolls around, anything can happen, so Stanford might have a better chance of making the field of 65 than defending champion North Carolina.
Both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have been impressive of late as well. Each defeated Cal in the respective Big Swims to close out the season, and the men and women enter the Pac-10s as the No. 2 and No. 1 teams in the nation, respectively. With Olympic-caliber talent on each team, both teams are making strong runs toward possible national championships.
As these teams (and more) wind down their seasons and enter the postseason, several Cardinal teams are beginning their 2010 campaigns, and thus far, the results have been very positive.
I got to witness firsthand as the Stanford baseball team opened its 2010 season against Rice this weekend. The Owls made it to the Super Regionals last year and were expected to be even better this year with a No. 5 preseason ranking. The Cardinal, on the other hand, came off a poor season by its high standards, going 30-25 in 2009 and missing the playoffs. Despite these struggles and a number of top players leaving for the major leagues (or the NFL in Toby Gerhart’s case), Stanford started the season off with a bang, sweeping Rice in three games. The young players in particular gave reason for hope, as Stanford’s three starting pitchers were sophomores, and its starting lineup included three freshmen. Although this team is young, the future is certainly bright for Stanford baseball.
Across the way, the Stanford softball team doesn’t need to rebuild. The Cardinal has been dominant over the years in softball, and that success seems to be continuing this year as Stanford has won eight of its first nine games. A number of freshmen, including Toby’s sister Teagan Gerhart as a starting pitcher, have stepped up already to support proven players like All-American Alissa Haber. This 2010 season could very well be the year Stanford softball breaks through to win a national title.
The men’s volleyball team, coming off a split in southern California, remains the No. 2 team in the nation. Stanford has proven to be capable of defeating any team in the nation on any given day, especially at home. And luckily enough, the 2010 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship is taking place right here on the Farm. With strength in the middle in the form of Gus Ellis and Garrett Werner, great defense from libero Erik Shoji, a top setter in All-American Kawika Shoji and a plethora of hitters led by Evan Romero, Brad Lawson and Spencer McLachlin, the team has plenty of reason to be optimistic.
Stanford sports are so strong right now that I really don’t have enough space to do every sport justice. Women’s water polo is No. 1 in the nation and has won its first nine games of the season. Track and field is expected to do a lot of damage in MPSFs and nationals and could do even better in the outdoor season. Both men’s and women’s golf have started off the season strong and are ranked highly. The gymnastics teams are both top-five in the nation and will each challenge for national titles this year. Men’s and women’s tennis are also dominating early, combining for a 13-2 record with plenty of matches ahead.
I could just go on and on, because every sport on campus is giving us reasons to cheer. So when you’re bored of watching ice dancing, check out some real sports right here at Stanford.