Fall Softball

[Hovpen]

Seriously, with Sammi, Rachel, Laura and Syd even with no new pitching this team would have contended for the top half of the league. Any of the four could change the game with one swing. But thats not going to happen now.

Just my opinion, but Butler would contend for the Mo Valley Title or at least a top three this year. Two pitchers over 66mph and one at 63 along with a fourth who could be 62 or better by spring. Plus, they have several girls who will move on to Division I schools. Bottom line is that HCKB is not going to pick up a pitcher out of high school who can get the Shocks to where they want to be. They are not there. Every top pitcher in HS down to the sophomore level is committed or close to it and thats not just in Kansas, its a national issue. Shocks are going to have to go the JUCO route and either Grizzly who started both games could do the job or at least help. If the Shocks want Berlin, they are going to have to get to work soon as she is on the "hot list" I believe the other girl has an "official" this weekend at a Big 12 school. HCKB has players on the way, but finding a pitcher is going to take some special recruiting. I thought Katie threw well and looked to get better as the game went on. Keep in mind this Butler team played Arkansas a 2-1 game also out of the SEC. When they put the top nine on the field, it should get better. Right now, coaches are just looking to figure out what they have and merge into a team concept.

Let the coaches coach and see if the players improve. They made some mental mistakes (both teams) that they shouldn't make in the spring like trying to get a lead runner instead of the sure out, overthrowing cutoffs etc. Butler has several players who could help WSU out in the future. Also, didn't a JUCO pitcher from Illinois or somewhere around there bail on them?

Also, looks like the Shocks are taking in the OK State tournament this weekend and looking. These coaches aren't just going to sit around and do nothing.

Oh, I did expect before the game to see Butler sweep based on the talent level so there was a positive for the Shocks.

[Hovpen]

Yes. However, WSU is a D-1 program and has 18 D-1 players v Butler.

There are over 300 D-1 softball programs and Butler could beat 3/4 of them.

[1972Shocker]

Also, didn't a JUCO pitcher from Illinois or somewhere around there bail on them?

Yes. Tanna Hinthorne out of Lake Land College in Illinois had given a verbal commitment to the Shockers but apparently she decided to give up softball altogether and was a no show.

Not sure what the story was with Tanna but she did get roughed up pretty good in the National Juco Tournament at the end of last year after committing to the Shocks. That may have contributed to her decision to hang it up.

[flyingMoose]

Hovpen, check your PMs. (Apologies, rest of you - trying to work out a PM issue.)

[Hovpen]

Hovpen, check your PMs. (Apologies, rest of you - trying to work out a PM issue.)

K, got it changed, send me one to see if it works.
Butler played OU 7-3 on Wed. and gave them three of their runs on five outs in one inning. It was 4-3 after four so they were competitive. The Wolken girl at third was 3-5 against OU, same as she was against WSU and also had a double at Creighton. There are some good players at Butler well worth looking at. I think OU offered the other pitcher (one who threw the first game against WSU) but not sure. Still got Berlin uncommitted.

Might have spoke too soon on Berlin. Heard tonight she has two very good offers.

[URKidng]

Heard the starter (pitcher)for BCCC may be going to Tulsa. I think Berlin wants to stay close to home, not sure who offered her what. Spring schedule looks soooo tough. With the performances in the fall, it may be a long spring. I guess the idea of getting ready for the valley by playing tough teams is on the agenda; best of luck ladies.

[Quick Pitch]

I heard that Berlin has an offer from Arkansas and Maggie Ham has offers from Oklahoma and Tulsa.
It would be nice to pick one of those two up but it doesn't look like that is going to happen at this point.
With that said, I think Brooks will help in the circle next year. She comes from the top high school program (Olathe East) and the top Gold program (Peppers) in the state. She has pitched in big games her entire life.

[Hovpen]

Results from last night? Anyone?

[Quick Pitch]

Heard the starter (pitcher)for BCCC may be going to Tulsa. I think Berlin wants to stay close to home, not sure who offered her what. Spring schedule looks soooo tough. With the performances in the fall, it may be a long spring. I guess the idea of getting ready for the valley by playing tough teams is on the agenda; best of luck ladies.

Are you being sarcastic? Other than Alabama we don't play any good teams in our first 19 games. I expect this team to be at least 16-3 before we play OU on March 6.

[1972Shocker]

Are you being sarcastic? Other than Alabama we don't play any good teams in our first 19 games. I expect this team to be at least 16-3 before we play OU on March 6.

I agree. I didn't think the schedule looked overly tough either. However, I think 10-8 is more realistic during the those first 19 games. Obviously, I'm not nearly as confidnent as QP is, but I will admit QP is much more knowledgable than I.

However, the non-confrenence games from OU on look pretty tough. We'll do well to go 4-8 in those 12 games.

A 0.500 record this year would be a step in the right direction and a challenging but perhaps not totally unreasonable goal for this year's team. We'll see how it goes.

[flyingMoose]

Are you being sarcastic? Other than Alabama we don't play any good teams in our first 19 games. I expect this team to be at least 16-3 before we play OU on March 6.

Well, I would expect UC-Santa Barbara to be decent too, but yes, beyond those two schools, this is about as soft as an early schedule can get and still keep a straight face. But as @1972Shocker: noted, the non-conference schedule after the tournaments is a bear.

[Hovpen]

How are you guys defining a soft schedule and does anyone here know enough about softball to actually do that? I'll guess 15-11 or 11-15 up to OU and Neb. then five L's

[flyingMoose]

How are you guys defining a soft schedule and does anyone here know enough about softball to actually do that? I'll guess 15-11 or 11-15 up to OU and Neb. then five L's

Using RPIs of the 289 teams from the close of last season, an entirely valid approach for this exercise I will contend, we have:

201 Shockers

Mardi Gras Classic

105 UC Santa Barbara (Big West)
287 Grambling (Southwestern)
147 Mississippi Valley (Southwestern)
131 Louisiana-Monroe (Sun Belt)
231 Northwestern State (Southland)


Florida Gulf Coast Spring Tournament

51 Georgia Southern (Southern)
74 Florida Gulf Coast (Atlantic Sun)
188 Appalachian State (Southern)
1 Alabama (Southeastern)


Blues City Classic

192 Wright State (Horizon)
262 Detroit (Horizon)
35 Mississippi State (Southeastern)
221 Samford (Southern)


Coastal Carolina Tournament

208 Western Carolina (Southern)
239 Drexel (Colonial)
91 Coastal Carolina (Big South)
85 Albany (America East)

I think I stand corrected, which can happen when you fail to do your research. :) And I clearly overlooked Mississippi State in my initial scan of the schedule. Six of the seventeen schools (and nineteen games, not twenty-six, before Oklahoma) had RPIs in the top 100, five from 101-200 and six from 201-289. I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to decide how challenging the schedule is.

[Quick Pitch]

Mississippi State would finish in the bottom half of the Valley. RPI is more about who they play, not how good they are.
Fl Gulf Coast is pretty good.
Maybe I am too optimistic but I only see a couple teams on that list that should beat us. Granted you will always run into a team that will surprise you with a stud pitcher that you were not prepared for, but I don't think it is unrealistic to win 14 or 15 of our first 19 games.
Don't let the fall games fool you. When we have our best 9 on the field, I think we are a pretty good team. We just have to get our pitchers better this winter.

[ShockTalk]

Mississippi State would finish in the bottom half of the Valley. RPI is more about who they play, not how good they are.
Fl Gulf Coast is pretty good.
Maybe I am too optimistic but I only see a couple teams on that list that should beat us. Granted you will always run into a team that will surprise you with a stud pitcher that you were not prepared for, but I don't think it is unrealistic to win 14 or 15 of our first 19 games.
Don't let the fall games fool you. When we have our best 9 on the field, I think we are a pretty good team. We just have to get our pitchers better this winter.

First, I'm probably the last person to question posters regarding softball. That said, Miss St finishes in the middle of the SEC pack with a 33-24 overall record and an RPI of 35 and you're saying their a bottom half Valley team? If RPI is more about who you play and they did that, what does that mean regarding WSU's 201 RPI and their 7-20 Valley play and 15-40 overall record?

I hope the gals improve nicely this year, but until I start to see how they're doing, I think they would do well being above .500 with that schedule (based on other teams' last year RPI). Probably more like 7-10 or 8-9.