Fall Softball

[flyingMoose]

The Web site reports win of 5-1 and 5-2 over Eastern Oklahoma. I could only drop by for a very short period of time as I wandered from Point A to Point B. Anybody see any of this?

[Quick Pitch]

Looking at the schedule for this fall, I don't think we will be able to really see where we are as far as the progress Coach B has made. There doesn't seem to be anybody that will challenge our team. Cowley county has been pretty weak the last few years and it looks like Butler lost their entire starting lineup from last year.
I wish we could scrimmage another D1 or at least a good D2. Hopefully the Alumni game will bring us a good challenge.

[1972Shocker]

I did catch the Newman game this afternoon, then walked over to the Eck and watched the last 6.5 innings of the Baseball FWS. When I left the Eck the Ladies were still playing in 2nd game of the day against Seminole State so I caught the last 2 innings of that game.

As QP previously posted it is a little hard to tell too much from these fall games but I do think that the new coaching staff has brought a more positive vibe to the progam.

As we pretty much knew the Shocks will not blow anyone away with their ptich-to-contact staff. Sloan Anderson started the Newman game and gave up a solid single and 2-run homer in the 1st inning. She did settle down and managed to get through the 5th allowing only more hits and no runs. Katie Armagost pitched 2 scoreless innings in relief to close out a 7-2 win.

After the men's game I returned to Wilkins Stadium with the Shocks leading Seminole State 9-7. Apparently Katherine Johnson started and struggled in the first couple of innings giving up 6 runs with 2 of those being unearned.

The Shocks trailing 6-1 going into the bottom of the 3rd put up 4 runs in both the 3rd and 4th to take a 9-6 lead. Katie pitched the final 4 innings giving up 1 unearned run to close out a 9-7 win.

I think this pitching staff is going to have a fairly high WHIP so it will be very important for the Shocks to play solid defense and not give away extra outs. Unfortunately, they committed 3 errors in each of today's games.

In game one the 3 errors were really made on routine plays. In my mind there was a 4th error but it came on the back end of a double play and wasn't scored an error because you can't assume the double play.

Didn't see anything that changes my initial assesment that this first year will be a challenging one for Coach B. I think the focus this year should be player development and steady improvement as a team as the season progresses.

PS: Laura Vickers who will probably be our starting SS was not available to play today.

[flyingMoose]

As we pretty much knew the Shocks will not blow anyone away with their pitch-to-contact staff. ... Apparently Katherine Johnson started and struggled in the first couple of innings giving up 6 runs with 2 of those being unearned.

I was able to see most of the WSU games. Katherine is a right-handed Sloan as we suspected, being available so late. She tries to change speeds and pitch to spots, but she didn't appear to have the ball movement that Sloan has. She gave up five hits in the first inning and laid end-to-end, they had to be less than 300' total, maybe 250'. Only one went out of the infield (barely), and there were some well-executed slap hits and some balls off the tips of gloves for hits. She did finally give up a bases-loaded-clearing rope to right-center in the second for the only hard-hit ball that I recall. She gave up two, four and zero runs in the three innings she pitched.

Coach B was in the Shocks grill some for lack of energy at the beginning of this game.

[Hovpen]

Butler: 5pm Wednesday but this is not last year's Butler team. Griz pitcher might be worth looking at.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks swept Butler 5-4 and 8-0 (5 innings).

http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205315470&DB_OEM_ID=7500

The Shocks had to score two in the bottom of the 7th to win Game 1 on a double by Melaine Jaegers, an RBI single by Rachel Milnark and a walk-off RBI double by Laura Vickers (redemption for Laura who comitted 2 errors in the game).

Katie Armagost pitched 6.2 innings of game one giving up 4 runs on 6 hits. However, only 1 of those runs was earned as the Shocks committed 3 errors behind Katie. Katherine Johnson got the final out in the 7th.

Sydney Stuever, Rachel Milnark and Laura Vickers each contributed 2 RBI in the Game 2 win behind solid 1-hit pitching by Sloan Anderson.

[1972Shocker]

As Quick Pitch stated in an earlier post you are not going be able to tell a whole lot from these fall games.

Nevertheless, a few observations:

As I previously stated that Shocker's pitchers are pitch-to-contact types. Accordingly, the Shocks will need to play solid defense. The Shocks were error-free in 3 of the 8 games but committed 12 errors in the other 5 games. Playing a lot of people and moving people around can contribute to this and hopeully that will get better once the lineup is stabilized.

The Shocks hit 4 home runs in the 8 games. 2 each by Jr. Sammie Shook and So. Laura Vickers. I look for Laura to be the starting shortstop. I think Sammie will see most of her time at 1B and DH this year. In any case, we probably need both of their bats in the lineup.

So. Rachel Milnark will move from 2B to CF. She was 15-24 (.625) during the fall.

The Shocks had 10 stolen bases. 7 by Freshmen led by Layne Greenlee (3) and Kaitlyn Carey (2).

The Freshmen class will be competing for playing time:

Melaine Jaegers was 6-13 (.461) and may very well win the starting catching position. Sr. Holly Eckert was only 1-12 in the fall.

Sydney Stuever played mostly in LF and was 8-16 (.500) and has very good speed. Sr. Brittney Osborn started in LF last year. However, she only played in the first 2 fall games going 2-5 (.400). I do not know if Brittney was injured or what the reason was that she played on only the 1st two games.

Layne Greenlee could be in the running for the starting 2B job with Rachel Milnark moving to CF. Jr. Hayley Temple might see some time at 2B also, although my guess at this point is that Hayley will play mostly at 3B.

Jr. Danika Miller played most of the fall innings in RF and seems to have the inside track for that position, but Kaitlyn Carey could see some time there.

How the Freshman will fare against D-1 pitching, of course, remains to be seen.

While the Shocks did go 8-0 in the fall they did not exactly dominate the mostly JUCO competititon (7 games) and the one D-II opponent (Newman) with the average score at around 6-3.

[WuDrWu]

Is not 8-0 a better result than last year's fall schedule?

[Hovpen]

Look at it this way, the Shockers will not face a better pitcher in the Valley than they did in Millspaugh last night.

I'm not sure I would have given a Rachel an error for not hanging on to that home run ball. Yes, she got a glove on it, but it was well hit and it wasn't that much glove.

Both teams had rally killing line drive double plays with runners in scoring position

Shockers did a good job of responding in the bottom of the seventh.

Did anyone see Vickers HR come down? Well hit, not only over the scoreboard, but the tree behind as well.

Pitchers need to work on those spots but in fairness to both Katie and McKenzzie I though they both got squeezed a little in the first game. Neither adjusted very well.

Wish I could get to a couple spring games now. Several Rivals.com All-State players will be in the WSU lineup.

[1972Shocker]

Is not 8-0 a better result than last year's fall schedule?

Not sure what our overall record was in last year's fall game but we did lose both ends of a DH to Butler County last year 7-2 and 6-1.

But as Hovpen pointed out, this is not last year's Butler team.

[Quick Pitch]

From what I saw, our players look a lot stronger than last year, especially Shook and Milnark. I know that Butler had several starters out of the lineup due to injury, but I like their shortstop.
The thing that stood out the most to me this fall is a change in the overall attitude and energy level of our players. They look like they want to be there!
We just need more pitching.

[flyingMoose]

Look at it this way, the Shockers will not face a better pitcher in the Valley than they did in Millspaugh last night.

Sorry, but assuming Danielle Glosson, the 2011 Valley Pitcher-of-the-Year, is returning to Southern Illinois for her senior year, this is false on the face of it.

[1972Shocker]

Sorry, but assuming Danielle Glosson, the 2011 Valley Pitcher-of-the-Year, is returning to Southern Illinois for her senior year, this is false on the face of it.

'Moose, I believe Danielle Glosson was a Senior this past spring. Also Drake's Jenna DeLong (also a Sr) was the MVC Pitcher of the Year for 2011. Non-Seniors on last springs All-Conference team included 1st Team selections Jamie Fisher Fr UNI and Natalie Rose Jr MSU and 2nd Team Selections Becca Changstrom Fr CU, Megan Warner Jr ILS and Jordan Birch Jr ILS.

http://www.mvc-sports.com/softball/news/2010-11/5307/valley-announces-softball-all-conference-awards/

Glosson was Pitcher of the Year in her Junior year in 2010.

[Hovpen]

Sorry, but assuming Danielle Glosson, the 2011 Valley Pitcher-of-the-Year, is returning to Southern Illinois for her senior year, this is false on the face of it.

Nothing to be sorry about. I would have that opinion even if both pitchers were returning. U seem to have a much higher opinion of Missouri Valley softball than I do to make a statement like that.

[SBFan]

I have to agree with Hovpen about Mac Millspaugh. She recieved D1 offers, but chose to stay with her twin sister, Alex, rather than divide the family on game day. We are also hitting much better than last year, thanks to Coach B and Coach Ricketts.

The Butler SS is Ashley Malone, an overlooked player from Wichita East. Thank goodness she played for Shockwave and Renegades to grab Doug's attention.