Wednesday, May 16: We arrived at our rooms last night to a note on the floor stating there would be no water from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day because of renovations to the hotel. We were awakened at 6:30 today to what sounded like a small jack hammer above our rooms. Renovating, I guess, proved to be more than a simple "water shut off."

Despite the situations, the girls woke up surprisingly well. We walked a couple of blocks to a Denny's restaurant. Two hours later, we were at Loyola Marymount, where we stretched before Coach Bob had us mimic the one-hour practice we will be given tomorrow at UCLA.

Each team in the regional gets one hour to practice on the game field before competition on Friday. Coach wanted to make sure we had a prepared "plan of action" for tomorrow. While we went over it today, a very energetic team surfaced. The infield and outfield drills were done with such fervor. The girls were constantly chattering, cheering each other on, and making crisp plays. The hitting looked great. Two people had to be assigned behind the outfield fences as ball after ball flew over. We ate dinner at California Pizza Kitchen.

The day started off with a bang, literally, and ended with one — a good practice and great food. Tomorrow we will step on the UCLA field for the first time. One more day before the show. Taking a shower before 11 p.m. ...