Updates on Shocker SB Recruits

[Hovpen]

Correct me if I am incorrect, but I believe all of HCKB's in state recruits have helped their teams advance to the state tournaments and they will play at three locations this coming week.

[flyingMoose]

Correct me if I am incorrect, but I believe all of HCKB's in state recruits have helped their teams advance to the state tournaments and they will play at three locations this coming week.

Derby won the Garden City Regional? No scores on varsitykansas.com or the KSHSAA site. Maybe I am supposed to be looking elsewhere.

[Hovpen]

Yes, Derby beat 16-3 Garden City 14-6 in the championship game. As the 6th seed, in the tournament if my numbers are correct, Derby will face either Free State or Wichita Northwest in the first round. Both teams are 19-3 an will flip for the seed. Plus, Kennedy Long had a great double header when I seen her play.

[Hovpen]

BTW, if you are thinking on Jenni Brooks being a pitcher when she gets to Wichita may I remind you she is hitting 638 this season with 10 doubles and four triples.

[flyingMoose]

BTW, if you are thinking on Jenni Brooks being a pitcher when she gets to Wichita may I remind you she is hitting 638 this season with 10 doubles and four triples.

I have no objection to seeing one of our pitchers be a designated player when she is not in the circle.

[1972Shocker]

I have no objection to seeing one of our pitchers be a designated player when she is not in the circle.

I agree, not do I object to one of our pitchers hitting during games when she is in the circle. You can always pinch run for her whenever she reach's base with the wonderful re-entry rules in softball.

However, at this point I much rather she be a shut-down pitcher than a good hitter. If she is both great, but if had to choose one over the other I'd take a shut-down pitcher vs a great hitter at this point. I know I'm not espousing anything everyone doesn't already know but we need pitching.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I sorta follow WSU softball, but I am more dumb than a box of rocks about the program. I cannot name a single player or coach. However I do have some interest in following the Lady Shockers.

I believe the head coach was formerly the head coach at Emporia State. Am I correct?

Is this the second or third year for the head coach?

How is she doing? Is the arrow up or down or steady level?

Just wondering.

If there is a better place for this post, please move it.

Thanks.

[1972Shocker]

I believe the head coach was formerly the head coach at Emporia State. Am I correct?
Yes, you are correct. HC Kristy Bredbenner had a successful 6 year stint as HC of Emporia State where she inherited a pretty strong program. Here is Coach Bredbenner's Bio.

Her assistant coaches are Samantha Ricketts (Hitting Sam) and Samantha Sheeley (Pitching Sam).

Is this the second or third year for the head coach?
This is HCKB's 2nd year. Her first team featured essentially all players leftover or recruited by Mike Perniciaro. They went 15-40 including a horrendous stretch through the middle of the season where the lost 24 of 25 and finished 9th in the Valley. She lost her two best hitters from that team, one to injury and one for unspecified reasons. This years team improved a little going 19-33 and finished 8th in the Valley.

How is she doing? Is the arrow up or down or steady level?
My opinion is that the jury is still out. Just as location, location, location is the key to good real estate, pitching, pitching and pitching is by far the key factor in a successful fast-pitch softball team. Most teams like to have 2 solid starters on their rosters. The last time the Shocks had just one was 2007 & 2008 with Ashly Bright and perhaps Kasha Kolb in 2009 & 2010, but Kasha did not return after her sophomore year. I think we have some decent players on our roster and a decent recruiting class coming in. Again the key is pitching. There are a couple pitchers in this recruiting class although I have no idea how effective they will be at the D-1 level. @Hovpen is our resident recruiting guru. I thought our pitchers improved this year from last but it did not equate to that many more wins. We are losing our best pitcher, Katie Armagost, to graduation. We have one experienced pitcher returning next year, Sr. Sloan Anderson, who has been so-so at best during her 3-year career and one inexperienced pitcher, So. Hunter Stohlmeyer. Hunter's ERA as a freshman this year was 11.05 in only 13 innings of work. However, she reportedly was dealing with a knee injury. At this point our pitching is a great big ? for next year. And again, if you want to know about a softball team's prospects find out about the pitching and you will have a decent idea.

Because of the big unkown we continue to have with the pitching it is very difficult to expect great improvement next year. If Sloan can pitch like she did the first part of this year and avoid the troubles she ran into later in the year and if either a fully-healthy Hunter or one of the incoming freshmen pitchers can be effective and if we can scores some runs then maybe we will do a little better next year. Just an awful lot of ifs in the mix though.

Look for posts from @Hovpen, @flyingMoose and @Quick Pitch. They are all more knowledgable than myself and they may have a different take on things.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I believe the head coach was formerly the head coach at Emporia State. Am I correct?
Yes, you are correct. HC Kristy Bredbenner had a successful 6 year stint as HC of Emporia State where she inherited a pretty strong program. Here is Coach Bredbenner's Bio.

Her assistant coaches are Samantha Ricketts (Hitting Sam) and Samantha Sheeley (Pitching Sam).


Is this the second or third year for the head coach?
This is HCKB's 2nd year. Her first team featured essentially all players leftover or recruited by Mike Perniciaro. They went 15-40 including a horrendous stretch through the middle of the season where the lost 24 of 25 and finished 9th in the Valley. She lost her two best hitters from that team, one to injury and one for unspecified reasons. This years team improved a little going 19-33 and finished 8th in the Valley.

How is she doing? Is the arrow up or down or steady level?
My opinion is that the jury is still out. Just as location, location, location is the key to good real estate, pitching, pitching and pitching is by far the key factor in a successful fast-pitch softball team. Most teams like to have 2 solid starters on their rosters. The last time the Shocks had just one was 2007 & 2008 with Ashly Bright and perhaps Kasha Kolb in 2009 & 2010, but Kasha did not return after her sophomore year. I think we have some decent players on our roster and a decent recruiting class coming in. Again the key is pitching. There are a couple pitchers in this recruiting class although I have no idea how effective they will be at the D-1 level. @Hovpen is our resident recruiting guru. I thought our pitchers improved this year from last but it did not equate to that many more wins. We are losing our best pitcher, Katie Armagost, to graduation. We have one experienced pitcher returning next year, Sr. Sloan Anderson, who has been so-so at best during her 3-year career and one inexperienced pitcher, So. Hunter Stohlmeyer. Hunter's ERA as a freshman this year was 11.05 in only 13 innings of work. However, she reportedly was dealing with a knee injury. At this point our pitching is a great big ? for next year. And again, if you want to know about a softball team's prospects find out about the pitching and you will have a decent idea.

Because of the big unkown we continue to have with the pitching it is very difficult to expect great improvement next year. If Sloan can pitch like she did the first part of this year and avoid the troubles she ran into later in the year and if either a fully-healthy Hunter or one of the incoming freshmen pitchers can be effective and if we can scores some runs then maybe we will do a little better next year. Just an awful lot of ifs in the mix though.

Look for posts from @Hovpen, @flyingMoose and @Quick Pitch. They are all more knowledgable than myself and they may have a different take on things.

Thanks, '72. It is a nice read and I greatly appreciate it.

rdr

[Hovpen]

Futures

Photo wouldn't post, cancel

But if you hurry, you can see future shocker (2014) Hunter Hogan from Bishop Carroll sliding under the tag of (2013) Kelly Spring from Mill Valley on my front page.

cheap plug

[Hovpen]

FYI
Our starting nine from the All-State softball team over at Hovpen.
1. Emily Griggs, Maize, CF (LSU)
2. Elizabeth Leonard, Olathe East, SS (Bradley)
3. Morgan Bohanan, Goddard, 3b ( Wichita State )
4. Brittney Finney, Maize, 1B ( Oklahoma )
5. Allison Stewart, Olathe East, P ( Arkansas )
6. Maddie McCracken, Olathe North C (Notre Dame)
7. Brooklin Hinz, St. Thomas Aquinas, RF ( Kentucky )
8. Jessi Haffner, Bishop Carroll: LF (Uncommitted)
9. Mikayla Warren, Olathe Northwest, 2B ( Kansas )
DP: Jenny Brooks, Olathe East (Wichita State)
Starting Pitcher: Allison Stewart
Middle Relief: Leah Quick, Bishop Miege (Uncommitted)
Closer: Jessi Haffner

Only Quick and Brooks are seniors:

We have just one change from our pre-season thinking in that we have removed Brittany Finney from the pitching duties and added Bishop Miege senior Leah Quick on the thinking that anyone who can pitch against our No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams backed to back and give up just one earned run deserves a spot.

[boyshocker]

Photo wouldn't post, cancel

But if you hurry, you can see future shocker (2014) Hunter Hogan from Bishop Carroll sliding under the tag of (2013) Kelly Spring from Mill Valley on my front page.

cheap plug

Made it out to the 5A state tourney and put a face to Hovpen, sorry I didn't say anything but felt like a creeper for some reason. Thoughts on what I saw...
Hogan- I realized she is only a junior and will be even better next year, will bring some offense to the Shocks.
Bohannon- another junior and could help the Shocks right now. See her playing first or dh.
Spring- afraid I just don't have a good enough feel on this one, will see how she develops. Generally it seems the better programs bring in shortstops and then move them if they don't make it there. Must be a great hitter.

Sterneker from MS, can she pitch D1..seems to have more movement than the BC pitchers but maybe doesn't throw as hard.

Thoght is was a good tournament, thought the BC/MS game was the championship game. Goddard didn't seem to have their A game which was too bad, a final of them and BC would have been more interesting.

[Hovpen]

I hope its a new face. I'm getting tired of this one. It's been around a long time.

Kelsey needs to get stronger. We'll see how the summer goes for her. Potential is there but currently, we had her at 58 tops. Haffner was throwing 63 tops and consistently over 60 which is probably why she only gave up two hits in the 14 innings pitched and those were in the last two innings for BC.

Springs main asset is her speed. Something which you can't teach. Will have to trust the coaches on the rest of the game.

Goddard will return their whole team along with an incoming freshman who will play, if they can figure out where. One current infielder may have to move to the outfield.

[LuskingforGuttin]

***My transfer update may have been incorrect. Still trying to figure it out but I wanted to take it down until it is official. Thank you.

[luvthoseshox]

Hovpen - I just don't get the whole Finney thing. I saw her play a few times this year and was unimpressed with her all around. First base, didn't do much there, pitcher - walked quite a few and got hit, hitting - tried to swing for the fences and ended up popping up instead. Is she on your list because she's a Mustang? If not, why? I saw her playing with the 16u Mustang's this weekend. If she's all that, then why?