2023-24 Shocker Softball Offseason, Fall Season and Pre-Season

[1972Shocker]

Caroline Talent playing for the Nashiville Flames in the Music City Collegiate Leatgue. Really gets into one.

Good to see more and more opportunities arising for collegiate players to play during the summer.

[mjbaker84]

Coaching Scoop: Courtney Oliver is headed to Wichita, expected to be named @GoShockersSB's new pitching coach.

[ShockTalk]

Coaching Scoop: Courtney Oliver is headed to Wichita, expected to be named @GoShockersSB's new pitching coach.

Wichita State Hiring Courtney Oliver as Pitching Coach - Extra Inning Softball

[SubGod22]

Sounds like a solid hire

[1972Shocker]

Sounds like a solid hire

Maybe, but it has an odd feel to me. So she was the head coach at ECU from 2016-21. Then was hired to become Associate Head Coach at Houston where she spent the last two seasons. Now with Houston leaving the AAC for the greener pastures of the Big 12 she is moving to the Shockers as a pitching coach? Her career path appears to be moving in reverse. Although that could be by choice I suppose.

Anyone know the story behind Presley Bell's departure?

[Shockm]

Maybe, but it has an odd feel to me. So she was the head coach at ECU from 2016-21. Then was hired to become Associate Head Coach at Houston where she spent the last two seasons. Now with Houston leaving the AAC for the greener pastures of the Big 12 she is moving to the Shockers as a pitching coach? Her career path appears to be moving in reverse. Although that could be by choice I suppose.

Anyone know the story behind Presley Bell's departure?

This is who Houston named as their new pitching coach.

https://auprosports.com/softball/athletes/nadia-taylor/

Their pitching last year was Lacey Waldrop, and she wasn't hired back either.

https://uhcougars.com/sports/softbal...ey-waldrop/995

[shoxlax]

Maybe, but it has an odd feel to me. So she was the head coach at ECU from 2016-21. Then was hired to become Associate Head Coach at Houston where she spent the last two seasons. Now with Houston leaving the AAC for the greener pastures of the Big 12 she is moving to the Shockers as a pitching coach? Her career path appears to be moving in reverse. Although that could be by choice I suppose.

Anyone know the story behind Presley Bell's departure?

No, I find it a bit strange myself.

[1972Shocker]

[SubGod22]

[1972Shocker]

It will be very interesting to see what Addie does next year with her shoulder repaired. I wonder if she will participate in fall ball or will still be rehabbing that shoulder?

[Veritas]

Sports Daily with HCKB

https://www.audacy.com/podcast/sports-daily-9b546?action=AUTOPLAY_FULL&actionContentId=201-4ed6fdc8-c034-4d19-b471-117b3562fdd1

[1972Shocker]

HCKB did delve into the change in pitching coach. She said that Pressley Bell did a good job, but was very young, and she had gotten the Shocker pitchers about as far as she could. What the Shocks needed to take them to the next level was a pitching coach with more experience.

HCKB said that Courtney Oliver's niche was working with pitchers and that she expressed a desire to focus on working with pitchers. HCKB says Coach Oliver has a more holistic approach as opposed to focusing simply on fundamentals. While Houston had a pitching coach on their staff, Coach Oliver, the associate head coach, was tasked with working with one pitcher. That was Kenna Wilkey who was Houston's ace last year and who shut-out the Shocks in Wichita this past season while the pitching coach handled the rest of the staff. Of course, Wilkey pitched 56% of the inning for Houston last year so arguably she was half the pitching staff.

HCKB mentioned they had 2 incoming freshman pitchers that she says have sky high potential. She said that scared her a bit because this day and age kids who get a lot better often fly the coop.

My reading between the lines is that Presley perhaps did not leave the program voluntarily, although it's possible she did but as far as I can tell she has not found another coaching position at this point. It sounds like the HCKB believed she need to upgrade that position to try to get her pitching staff to a higher level. Not only does that include the current staff but the 2 incoming pitchers that HCKB seems to be very high on. I think HCKB not only wants to maximize the development of those 2 young pitchers but she wants to do everything she can to makes sure they hang around throughout their college careers. I may be totally off the mark with that assessment but this is the vibe I got from HCKB's comments in this interview.

[SubGod22]

[shoxlax]

Kelly Maxwell of OSU in portal. Wonder why?

[ShockTalk]

Kelly Maxwell of OSU in portal. Wonder why?

Oklahoma State softball's Kenny Gajewski reacts to Kelly Maxwell move (oklahoman.com)