New softball coach?

[flyingMoose]

Ashley Lynn ... pretty good player that Judy Favor left ...

Yes, Ashley was recruited by Favor and played three years for Walton and one for Pooch as Favor was gone by the time she got to campus. Ashley was a terrific hitter that never found a defensive position that she couldn't mangle.

From what I understand Kansas jucos cant even pay room and board

NJCAA softball programs can offer twenty-four scholarships, D-I programs being able to offer full rides and D-II programs, tuition, books and fees. In the KJCAA, only Butler, Seward, Garden and Colby are D-I programs. I don't know that any offer full rides. (I too suspect they don't.) The three westernmost schools may be D-I for travel purposes and Butler for recruiting purposes. Butler's recruiting pitch (and track record, sorta) is "We can get you to a NCAA D-I school" and that sells better if you are playing in the NJCAA D-I tournament against better competition than would be at the D-II tournament.

I am not sure if Bredbenner signed the All American 3b (Campbell) at Emporia State, or if she was a holdover ...

I suspect the former since Coach B was at Emporia for six years.

[flyingMoose]

The official announcement:

http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/071311aaa.html

[wushock]

Does anyone know if any of the recruits will not be coming and has she added anyone since getting the job

[1972Shocker]

Does anyone know if any of the recruits will not be coming and has she added anyone since getting the job

Don't know but Coach B will be holding open tryouts.

http://www.goshockers.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7500&SPID=2845&SPSID=61321&KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=7500&DB_LANG=C&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT=

None of our 6 incoming recruits have been added to the roster yet but no announcement on any LOI releases either.

However, holding open tryouts can not be a good sign, can it?

[flyingMoose]

Does anyone know if any of the recruits will not be coming and has she added anyone since getting the job

Don't know but Coach B will be holding open tryouts.

http://www.goshockers.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7500&SPID=2845&SPSID=61321&KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=7500&DB_LANG=C&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT=

None of our 6 incoming recruits have been added to the roster yet but no announcement on any LOI releases either.

However, holding open tryouts can not be a good sign, can it?

Under Coach Perniciaro, there were some falls where students asked to participate (tryout?) during fall ball. I recall perhaps one of those being around in the spring. Although tryouts can't hurt and upgrades are needed, I wouldn't expect too much.

With the freshmen not on campus yet, can they even be added to the roster, possibly due to some NCAA rule? The VBers and WBBers *are* on campus and participating in practices, so their rosters reflect the incoming freshmen.

[1972Shocker]

[With the freshmen not on campus yet, can they even be added to the roster, possibly due to some NCAA rule? The VBers and WBBers *are* on campus and participating in practices, so their rosters reflect the incoming freshmen.

I suppose that is a possibility. We will find out eventually one way or the other.

[flyingMoose]

From the Sports in Brief of the morning paper-

In addition to info about Samantha Ricketts and the tryouts, we have:

Outfielder Jessica Viramontez, from Maize High, has signed with Wichita State. She hit .405 with six home runs and 44 RBIs for Paris (Texas) Junior College as a sophomore and was named team co-MVP.

[1972Shocker]

Outfielder Jessica Viramontez, from Maize High, has signed with Wichita State. She hit .405 with six home runs and 44 RBIs for Paris (Texas) Junior College as a sophomore and was named team co-MVP.

That doesn't sound like a too bad of a commit for this late in the game. Although you wonder why Jessica is still avialable this late in the game.

[1972Shocker]

The softball roster has been updated and in addition to the newly added Jessca Viramontez it does list all 6 of our incoming freshman recruiting class.

http://www.goshockers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=2845&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=7500&SPSID=61324

Looks like we added another transfer to the roster also. Sophomore Laura Vickers out of Olathe East HS by way of KU.

Welcome to Shocker Nation Ladies.

:goshocks:

[1972Shocker]

Here is some background information on Laura Vickers:

http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/vickers_laura00.html

Laura played in 42 games for KU last year starting 29 games.
She hit 0.231 (21/91) with 4 HR's, 11 BB 20 RBI and 1 SB in her only attempt. She had a 0.977 fielding percentage.

[flyingMoose]

Looks like we added another transfer to the roster also. Sophomore Laura Vickers out of Olathe East HS by way of KU.

She played for the Peppers Gold out of KC, so she is probably a former teammate of Rachel Milnark. Hovpen would know.

[Hovpen]

^^^^ True, and I expect her to step right in and contribute. Not sure why she left KU but she was a shortstop in HS and wasn't the starter there or at second for KU.

This team will be improved on last year, but still struggle on the mound. Improvement there and the Ladies could be in the top 3 in the Valley

Also remember that she has experience hitting against four World Series opponents from last season out of the Big 12 as well as several other top pitchers and teams such as Nebraska, etc.

Don't harm the messenger, but there is going to be a ton of talent at the Mustang's Thanksgiving Indoor Tournament this year.

[1972Shocker]

Brittney Osborn seems to have a pretty positive early impression of Coach B.

http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205267307&DB_OEM_ID=7500

:goshocks:

[1972Shocker]

Well on paper it sounds like a good approach.

http://www.kansas.com/2011/09/07/2004883/finding-a-good-base.html

We will see whether or not it pays dividends once the games begin next spring. But so far I like what I am hearing.

I still think Coach B will need a couple of decent recruiting classes to really get us going in an upward trajectory (especially in the pitching department).

However, what she can do with this group of inherited players will tell us a lot about how well she can do at coaching the young ladies up.

[flyingMoose]

http://www.kansas.com/2011/09/07/2004883/finding-a-good-base.html

I find it pretty amazing that the article exists at all, that a minor sport got that kind of off-season coverage.

It sounded like one infielder was moving to the outfield ("We might be moving a starter from the infield to outfield this year.") That has to be Sammie to center field, since we graduated Kiersten and the returning corner outfielders don't seem to have CF speed. Freshman Sydney Steuver did play the position at Andale, but is she recovered from her surgery that caused her to miss her senior season? Hovpen would know.

I still think Coach B will need a couple of decent recruiting classes to really get us going in an upward trajectory (especially in the pitching department).

Maybe the pitching drills Sloan described will toughen the staff mentally and yield an improvement in the ERA by themselves. We can hope.