Shocker SB v Coffeyville CC and Johnson Coounty CC

[flyingMoose]

Shockers 18-0(5) Coffeyville CC

Coffeyville opened the day against Johnson County and consequently had no pitching for this one. Sloan pitched four innings and Hunter pitched the last one. (Or did Hunter pitch two innings? It was hard to stay interested in this game.) Hunter is illegal on at least a third of her pitches, but the umpiring crew (not a normal D-I crew, I don't think) wouldn't call any of them. But she certainly was better than last year when she was on a day-to-day basis because of being hurt. With some more work, she can probably help, but she is the number four right now.


Shockers 4-3(9) Johnson County CC

Katie Malone, a freshman from Crete, NE, pitched the first five innings of this one and gave up all the runs. She did, however, have some shaky defense behind her. Katie throws hard with some ball movement, but it was hard to know if she was hitting her spots and if her ball movement is good enough. Her change is a work-in-progress, and she will need that pitch to keep teams from sitting on her speed. She is also border-line illegal, dragging (or not dragging) the side of her foot.

Another freshman, Jenni Brooks from Olathe, pitched the last four innings. (Both extra innings were straight-up, not ITB.) She does not have the speed of Katie, but her location and ball movement are very good.

The Johnson County team is decent - their pitching and hitting were a good test for us.


These games end the fall season.

[pogo]

So do we look better than last year? I know it always comes down to pitching in softball so are we deeper and better or going to be a work in progress?

[JayShocks]

I have to admit that I am not very optimistic about next spring after we struggled to beat Cowley, Pitt, and Johnson. Those are teams that we should handle easily. I really think that pitching will be a problem for us again. Malone is our hardest thrower and she is far from being a "power pitcher" against Division 1 competition.
On the flip side, I think our hitting could be better than last year.

[flyingMoose]

So do we look better than last year? I know it always comes down to pitching in softball so are we deeper and better or going to be a work in progress?

I have to admit that I am not very optimistic about next spring after we struggled to beat Cowley, Pitt, and Johnson. Those are teams that we should handle easily. I really think that pitching will be a problem for us again. Malone is our hardest thrower and she is far from being a "power pitcher" against Division 1 competition.
On the flip side, I think our hitting could be better than last year.

I think we have a *chance* to be better. The pitching is probably going to be better, especially by the time conference starts after the Katie, Jenni and Hunter have a chance to get some innings under the belt in the early season tournaments. And I don't think Sloan will regress a second year.

I think the hitting will be better also. Beyond Brittany Fortner, I don't think any of the position players added by signing or transferring last year will ever be strong contributors. Although I only saw three games this fall, several of the new players (some signees, some transfers) appear to be able to contribute reasonably quickly - but again, small sample. Plus Layne is still recuperating from her injury of this past spring and should be available next spring.

I don't put too much stock in not crushing the fall opposition. Creighton had to go extras to beat an NAIA opponent this fall. Coaches are experimenting with positions, the team on the field may have at least half of the positions filled by players you won't see much in the spring, pitchers are working on their weaker pitches, etc. I agree that we may not make great strides by next spring, but I think there are some players here now that can be a foundation for better years in the future. (Although replacing Erin Carney is going to be tough.)

[1972Shocker]

(Although replacing Erin Carney is going to be tough.)

What is the story with Erin?

[flyingMoose]

What is the story with Erin?

My bad. I meant replacing Erin after she graduates (or uses up her eligibility) next spring. I was on my "foundation for better years in the future" tangent when I made that remark.

[1972Shocker]

My bad. I meant replacing Erin after she graduates (or uses up her eligibility) next spring. I was on my "foundation for better years in the future" tangent when I made that remark.

OK, gotcha! My bad!

[1972Shocker]

This is HCKB's 3rd year and it is time to start showing some improvement. I think the Shocks will be better this season. Maybe not a huge jump but something along the lines of a 0.500 season would at least be encouraging.

[JayShocks]

On pitching, we will be better than last year as a staff because Sloan will be bumped down a notch or two, but I don't think we have anyone as good as the one we lost (Armagost). So our #1 will be down from last year but our #2 will be better than last year. I don't think that translates to more wins.
I do believe from what I saw that Williams (transfer from Emporia St) and Broyles (UMKC) will contribute immediately and our hitting will be better than last year. That could translate to more wins.
Therefore, I think we won't be any better or any worse than last year.
BTW, I only made a few games and never got to see Heath pitch. Anyone see her? And where does she figure to be in the pitching order?

[flyingMoose]

On pitching, we will be better than last year as a staff because Sloan will be bumped down a notch or two, but I don't think we have anyone as good as the one we lost (Armagost). So our #1 will be down from last year but our #2 will be better than last year. I don't think that translates to more wins.

That is a pitching assessment that I wouldn't argue with. But at least we will have a #3 this year, possibly even a #4 (though you hope you don't really need a #4). All but Sloan have no or very limited experience pitching at the D-I level (Hunter only pitched 12+ innings last year), so how quickly KatieM and Jenni and Hunter (and Kayla?) adjust is the big question.

I do believe from what I saw that Williams (transfer from Emporia St) and Broyles (UMKC) will contribute immediately and our hitting will be better than last year. That could translate to more wins.
Therefore, I think we won't be any better or any worse than last year.

A factor we have not mentioned is the (yet unannounced) schedule we will play. Last year's tournament schedule was pretty average, though we did play Nebraska and Oklahoma outside of tournaments. We were 10-16 in the Valley last year (1-2 against the departed Creighton) and 19-33 overall, and I hope we can improve on that. But as you say, there is no strong reason to expect a big leap.

BTW, I only made a few games and never got to see Heath pitch. Anyone see her? And where does she figure to be in the pitching order?

Kayla was not one of the four pitchers this past Saturday, so I have no guess as to where she might fit in the pecking order and omitted her in the discussion above. I think she did hit at least once in the second game.

[JayShocks]

flyingMoose, the discouraging thing is that it looks like for the 3rd straight year, this team will not have improved over all. It comes down to one thing, "pitching". There have been a few good ones from around here that we let get away, Haffner - OK St, Eck - Butler CC, but I think we need to go south or west to find a shutdown pitcher. Until we do that, I don't expect much to change.

[flyingMoose]

flyingMoose, the discouraging thing is that it looks like for the 3rd straight year, this team will not have improved over all.

I don't disagree. She got the job late, so she effectively had no recruiting class her first year, and as I noted, she didn't get much in her first recruiting class. But in her second recruiting class (this year's class), she appears to have some players. So is the glass half-full or half-empty?

There have been a few good ones from around here that we let get away, Haffner - OK St, Eck - Butler CC, but I think we need to go south or west to find a shutdown pitcher. Until we do that, I don't expect much to change.

Help me out here. Haffner? Are you speaking of Jessica Hoppock from Campus? Eck? Sydnee Eck from Andale did not play anywhere that I know of.

[flyingMoose]

Help me out here. Haffner? Are you speaking of Jessica Hoppock from Campus? Eck? Sydnee Eck from Andale did not play anywhere that I know of.

Hovpen updated me in a PM. Without high schools (Haffner from Carroll), I am easily lost. Kinda sad. :( But in my (weak) defense, Jessica was not listed on the Cowgirl roster when I looked. In my (no) defense, I did not even look at the Butler roster to find that Sydnee is listed there.

[Quick Pitch]

Moose, actually this years "recruiting class" is nothing special. However this years "transfer class" will carry this team. The best players on this team will be players that originally signed at other schools. That seems to be a popular way to build a team these days. But at some point we have to prove that we can recruit some of the top level talent out of high school.
Tim Walton came into a far worse situation than Coach B inherited and turned this team around in his 1st year. He also recruited great high school players. It can be done.

[JayShocks]

Quick Pitch, a lot of coaches use transfer players as icing on the cake. I don't see it as a "popular way to build a team these days". (Maybe you didn't mean that literally)