New softball thread

[Speedy17]

One other thing that will be interesting next year is Senior Leadership. It will be Whitney Ellis, Kady Self, and Erin Miller. There are others who will be seniors but those three will definitely start.

I think one thing that Gasso has had is leadership beyond the players with Jessica Shults and Michelle Gascoigne doing two year Graduate Manager positions. This year she added Brittany Williams. Don't be surprised to see Lauren and Shelby in that role next season. I think that is important to keep the program going full steam ahead. Shelby graduated but Lauren has not yet. Having those pro softball players around has been extremely valuable to the program - their knowledge is immense.

 

[sybarite]

I was questioning whether Pendley could keep her spot from Aviu since she only hit about 230 over the last 20 games of the season. She slumped when she saw good pitching.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Speedy, who do you see taking up the slack in the loss of our power hitters next year?

 

[Speedy17]

I was questioning whether Pendley could keep her spot from Aviu since she only hit about 230 over the last 20 games of the season. She slumped when she saw good pitching.

I don't know that it was as much against good pitching as it was the move down the lineup. She faced really good pitching early and was ripping it. I think it messes with your confidence when you get moved and truly she was moved to get Lauren back to the top of the lineup because Lauren was slumping in the chase. Nicole hit .420 as the leadoff hitter.

 

[sybarite]

Honestly, I think it goes close to what you have.

I am going to say that Fale Aviu (slapping) is in the lineup but I don't know that she will take Nicole's position in CF. I haven't seen anywhere that Aviu slaps the ball. It all depends on just how dedicated Nicole is to softball after Shelby leaves (I would not be surprised to see Shelby in one of the Graduate Manager spots next season).

RF - Erin Miller - had a great year
CF - Nicole Pendley - hit .368 as a frosh
LF - Kady Self - had a great healthy year
C - Whitney Ellis - best defensive catcher in the country - offense lagged
1B - Kylie Lundberg - big lefty power hitting 1st baseman
2B - Shay Knighton - Super Frosh
SS - Sydney Romero - Super Frosh
3B - Kelsey Arnold - Great Fielder but might not hold position because of the bat - the Jess Vest syndrome - you have to hit
DP - Paige Parker

Bench - Fale Aviu - OF, Lea Wodach - C, Macey Hatfield - Utility, Leslie Miller - Utility, Caleigh Clifton - Inf, Reagan Rogers - Util, Tori Nirschl - OF, Destinee Lookout - 1B

Pitching
#1 Paige Parker
#2 Brittany Finney
#3 Jadyn Chestnut
#4 Kelsey Stevens
#5 Taylor Hodges

It is kind of interesting because this roster is missing the slapping capabilities that Gasso needs. This could be where Aviu comes into play. This team needs a couple of slappers and I don't know where they are. You never realize how important that role is until you don't have it or play a series like the one that was just played. One other note is that Finney and Chestnut like Parker are big bats. I also think there will be some attrition on this team - I don't know who but would not be surprised to see 3-4 players (who won't play a key role) not be on the roster next year. It is a big commitment and if you are not going to see the lineup then ?????

Both Nicole and Kelsey were ineffective as slappers this year, and I'm not sure that we have one coming in. Aviu is said to have speed and power, as well as being a defensive star. I think this will be a bit different type of team, a bit more like Bama's. We won't have one or two superpower hitters. But, we should have power throughout the lineup. I would project something like: (home runs)

Erin 10-12
Fale or Nicole 10
Kady 12-15
Romero 15
Arnold 8 (I think she'll be a pretty fair hitter if only righthanded)
Knighten 10
Lundberg 16-18
Ellis 10-12
Paige 15

That's about the same number of home runs as we had this year, but from more places. I think we'll be more balanced throughout the lineup. Continued improvement from some, freshmen becoming sophomores from others. Ellis was becoming pretty good at the end of the year. I was surprised when Patti had a DH for her. Ellis was #2 in doubles.

 

[Speedy17]

Speedy, who do you see taking up the slack in the loss of our power hitters next year?

I think it is really rare that a team has two hitters like Lauren and Shelby. You know Kady (10), Erin (8), Paige (9), Nicole (7) and you can figure that they all will improve. Whitney had a power outage this past year going from 10 to 3 and 50 RBIs to 24. Wodach hit 5 in limited opportunities.

I think Sydney Romero will hit home runs - her sister Sierra hit 23 as a frosh, 18 as a soph, and so far has 21 as a senior and she is National Player of the Year and was a Top 3 Finalist Last Year.

Lundberg is an absolute home run masher. She is a big girl for softball - 6'1" with big time power and is the replacement to Lauren.

Believe it or not, Finney is a masher as well.

I am more worried about OU losing Tripp MacKay (the hitting coach) to OSU as the head coach. That would actually be a huge loss in power - more than anything else.

 

[Speedy17]

Both Nicole and Kelsey were ineffective as slappers this year, and I'm not sure that we have one coming in. Aviu is said to have speed and power, as well as being a defensive star. I think this will be a bit different type of team, a bit more like Bama's. We won't have one or two superpower hitters. But, we should have power throughout the lineup. I would project something like: (home runs)

Erin 10-12
Fale or Nicole 10
Kady 12-15
Romero 15
Arnold 8 (I think she'll be a pretty fair hitter if only righthanded)
Knighten 10
Lundberg 16-18
Ellis 10-12
Paige 15

That's about the same number of home runs as we had this year, but from more places. I think we'll be more balanced throughout the lineup. Continued improvement from some, freshmen becoming sophomores from others. Ellis was becoming pretty good at the end of the year. I was surprised when Patti had a DH for her. Ellis was #2 in doubles.

I don't disagree with much you have said, however, I think Romero (her sister hit 23 as a frosh) and Lundberg will be big time hitters from Day 1. I don't think Arnold will be in the batting lineup. She is in the Vest spot - play the field, pinch run but don't bat. OU is not going to DP for the pitcher whether it be Finney or Parker unless it is Parker for Finney or vice versa.

 

[sybarite]

Did you know that when Alabama beat Oklahoma in the third game for the title in 2012 that Lauren also hit two home runs? She has hit four home runs in elimination games. She drove in three runs each time.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

You may be right with your expectations that we will have a lineup with home run power spread throughout, as opposed to Lauren, Shelby and the rest.

A back to back combo like Lauren and Shelby is hard to come by though. I wish that we could have them for one or two more years! They will leave a huge hole, notwithstanding the anticipated newcomers.

Grrr, I really wanted us to beat Bama on their home field... They have been just a wee bit better than us, unfortunately.

 

[sybarite]

How good were Shelby and Lauren. I'll give you some numbers. Let's look only at playoff numbers since you would think that the better pitching would be found in the Regionals, Super-regionals, and, finally, the World Series.

Shelby:
Reg----super-reg----world series---total playoff

BA 452---350---320---382
2B --3------0-----1-----4
HR ---4-----2------2-----8
RBI--11-----2------3----16
Slugging percentage 935--650--600---750

So, Shelby hit 382 with 8 home runs, 16 rbis, and a 750 slugging percentage in the playoffs. That is great.

What would you call Lauren's numbers?

Lauren:
BA 552---483---378---456
2B---4-----3-----2------9
3B---0-----0-----2------2
HR--5-----6------5-----16
RBI-22----15----13-----50
SP 1217-1207--844----1049
Lauren was also walked 22 times.
What adjective is appropriate for someone who hits a combined 456 in the playoffs with a slugging percentage of 1049? Shelby is great. Lauren doubled her extra base hits in the playoffs, having one more year at OU than Shelby.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

How good were Shelby and Lauren. I'll give you some numbers. Let's look only at playoff numbers since you would think that the better pitching would be found in the Regionals, Super-regionals, and, finally, the World Series.

Shelby:
Reg----super-reg----world series---total playoff

BA 452---350---320---382
2B --3------0-----1-----4
HR ---4-----2------2-----8
RBI--11-----2------3----16
Slugging percentage 935--650--600---750

So, Shelby hit 382 with 8 home runs, 16 rbis, and a 750 slugging percentage in the playoffs. That is great.

What would you call Lauren's numbers?

Lauren:
BA 552---483---378---456
2B---4-----3-----2------9
3B---0-----0-----2------2
HR--5-----6------5-----16
RBI-22----15----13-----50
SP 1217-1207--844----1049
Lauren was also walked 22 times.
What adjective is appropriate for someone who hits a combined 456 in the playoffs with a slugging percentage of 1049? Shelby is great. Lauren doubled her extra base hits in the playoffs, having one more year at OU than Shelby.

And one thing that you didn't mention, but it bears note: Shelby is one helluva fielding shortstop. I was totally impressed with her ability to make snappy, error-free pickups, and gun the ball across the infield to get the runner at first. Even the announcers made mention of it.

Great kid, caught a post-game shot of her after the Bama game last night, she was taking it pretty hard. I love a competitor who wants it that bad.

 

[sybarite]

Lauren is pretty good at fielding. With Arnold at third and Ellis at catcher, this is a pretty good fielding team.

I think Lauren also set a new career record for slugging percentage by about ten points over Nuveman. Nuveman ended with 945. I think Lauren ended with 960.

 

[scrybe]

Late to this discussion (close family member had major surgery), but I just wanted to add a comment about Nicole Pendley:

I would be very surprised if Nicole is not in the starting lineup all of next season. The kid actually has more natural ability than her big sister (and that's saying a lot). By next season she will likely be one of the top 2-3 defensive centerfielders in college softball. And she's already proved that she can hit, even though she did slump in the playoffs.

I'm still thrilled, however, that we've got the kind of players coming in who some of us believe could be a better option than Nicole.

On another note: That loss still hurts almost two days later. I can't help thinking about the 11-seed that we didn't deserve, and how it doomed us to playing the Supers in one of the toughest locales in college softball. Even then, that series could have – and almost did – go to our Sooners.

 

[tycat947]

Late to this discussion (close family member had major surgery), but I just wanted to add a comment about Nicole Pendley:

I would be very surprised if Nicole is not in the starting lineup all of next season. The kid actually has more natural ability than her big sister (and that's saying a lot). By next season she will likely be one of the top 2-3 defensive centerfielders in college softball. And she's already proved that she can hit, even though she did slump in the playoffs.

I'm still thrilled, however, that we've got the kind of players coming in who some of us believe could be a better option than Nicole.

On another note: That loss still hurts almost two days later. I can't help thinking about the 11-seed that we didn't deserve, and how it doomed us to playing the Supers in one of the toughest locales in college softball. Even then, that series could have – and almost did – go to our Sooners.

Totally agree!

 

[sybarite]

The bias of ESPN (lies) was revealed repeatedly when they kept insisting that Alabama had eliminated OU in two of the last three world series. They beat us in the three-game championship in 2012. They weren't there in 2013 when we won. They beat us in game one in 2014, but it was Oregon that eliminated us after we had dispatched Louisiana-Lafayette.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

We were one out away from a win over the Tide and another trip to the WCWS in OKC. ONE out! Paige, undoubtedly tiring, gave Runyon just too good a pitch, and that was the deciding blow.

A VERY close 3 game series, one that could have easily swung OU's way had WE had home field advantage: Hits favored Bama: 13-10; Runs favored Bama: 9-8.

Little things can make a difference. I won't be surprised if Alabama gives Michigan all that they want in the opening round of the WCWS, because great pitching usually neutralizes great hitting, as was proven over this last series - - both OU and Alabama were well off their season hitting and scoring.

 

[Sooner Cal]

Speedy, my point considers the situation. This wasn't a regular season game, it was win or go home for the summer. This was the first time Page pitched two games in a day for OU. Paige s a wonderful pitcher, but she does give up her sure of gopher balls. Bases are loaded, Bama has their home run hitter at the plate. Power hitters have a knack for hitting homers at critical moments.

Sticking with Paige didn't work out.

I still would bring in Shelby. First, she's a competitor. Second, she's a senior. Third, she's smart. Fourth, Bama hadn't seen her the entire series. I doubt she would have given up a grand slam.

No question, Paige is the better pitcher, but is she really better after 400 pitches in just over a day.

 

[scrybe]

Speedy, my point considers the situation. This wasn't a regular season game, it was win or go home for the summer. This was the first time Page pitched two games in a day for OU. Paige s a wonderful pitcher, but she does give up her sure of gopher balls. Bases are loaded, Bama has their home run hitter at the plate. Power hitters have a knack for hitting homers at critical moments.

Sticking with Paige didn't work out.

I still would bring in Shelby. First, she's a competitor. Second, she's a senior. Third, she's smart. Fourth, Bama hadn't seen her the entire series. I doubt she would have given up a grand slam.

No question, Paige is the better pitcher, but is she really better after 400 pitches in just over a day.

Not disagreeing with you, necessarily, but hindsight is always 20-20.

I believe if you check the stats, you'll find that Shelby has given up homeruns at a significantly higher rate (per innings pitched) than Paige. And that's not to say Shelby would not have got that hitter out. She can be very effective when her pitches are working.

It's just one of those situations in which we, as Sooner fans, wish things had turned out differently. But I think it's unfair – and not constructive – to second guess Gasso's decision to stay with the pitcher who got us there.

 

[sybarite]

We lost to Arizona State 8-4 when Pendley allowed a walk-off grand slam. We lost 10-2 to LSU when Pendley allowed three runs in the sixth to allow LSU to run-rule us. She is not a closer.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

It's just one of those situations in which we, as Sooner fans, wish things had turned out differently. But I think it's unfair – and not constructive – to second guess Gasso's decision to stay with the pitcher who got us there.

Fans second-guess. That's what we do, it's easy from your living room chair. Had Paige retired Runyan for the 3rd out and a ticket to OKC, Patty would have been acclaimed for having the coaching acumen to stay the course with Paige, and the Bama faithful would have excoriated their coach for bringing in Littlejohn to put their team in a 3-1 hole instead of a more manageable 2-1 deficit, courtesy of Lauren's 95th.

Damn, I wish that Runyan had gotten under that pitch for a fly out instead of hammering it...