Softball

[SoonerNorm]

OU opens the season ranked #2 behind Tennessee.

 

[j2d2]

I was really impressed with the Tennessee pitcher that pitched the first championship game. If she is back, no wonder they are picked first.

 

[NMSooner'80]

I know that Ricketts was an all-time great, but isn't most of that team back this year (other than Ricketts and the catcher)? I also know that OU picked up a JC pitcher and a freshman transfer pitcher from Stanford, via Albuquerque. So I hope those girls who have a national title ring will take this ranking as a personal insult.

 

[sybarite]

We didn't just lose our best pitcher. We lost Gascoigne as well, and I'm not all that sure she wasn't our best by the end of the year. She has been better in the pros.

Softball is so much about pitching. We have three or four who may step up to be in the Ricketts/Gascoigne category by the end of the year. We just don't know who they are yet. I think we were counting on Casey who is an established international level pitcher. But, I think Stevens may be on a level with Ricketts by the end of the year. She was very good in a tough conference as a freshman. Seven shutouts isn't chopped liver. But, we also lost a pitcher/catcher combination, and that helps in close games.

The loss of Brianna may be just as hard to take. She was a force last year. Her speed allowed us to win some key games. Our strength was that we had two outstanding pitchers, not just one, and that our lineup was solid from one through nine. We need to establish some pitching at that level and to have one or two hitters emerge. The defense looks even better.

 

[Sooner Suzie]

Syb is right about the importance of pitching. It's hard to say who will step up - perhaps none, perhaps 1 or more of the new pitchers. Conference wise, it's probably a good thing that Texas also lost its ace, Blaire Luna, due to graduation.

It should be an interesting year for Coach Gasso's Sooners.

 

[sybarite]

I don't know how much we can take away from the eight-game fall schedule of softball, but we did see some things. The only BCS team we played was Arkansas, and we won those games 7-0 and 7-1. The only other game in which the opposition scored was Seminole, and we won 8-7. We blew them away 11-0 later.

It looks like we are setting up Kelsey Stevens as the ace of our staff. She did allow three runs in 18.1 innings, but she also struck out 31 and walked four. She has only allowed 8 hits. `Everyone else is getting one or two innings per game with a maximum of about eleven innings for the eight games. But, I suspect that they are trying to get Casey in shape since she was a major contributor in hitting in the first two years. She has only hit in two games this fall, a total of four at bats. So, they have to have something in mind to take away those at bats from a good hitter.

I wondered if we had replacements for hitting. We can't be sure because of the opposition, but we hammered Arkansas pretty well in two games. Our leading hitters:
Casey 750
Williams 556
Pendley 520
Martinez 462
Parsons 444
Chamberlain 383
Miller, Leslie 375
Ellis 348
Self 333
Miller, Erin 333
Henson 261

Chamberlain and Pendley have 3 home runs
Williams, Henson, and Leslie Miller have one
Chamberlain has walked 12 times in 33 appearances, only has 21 official appearances.
Henson has taken Casey's place at second. Ellis is starting at catcher. Leslie Miller may have the DH locked in.

 

[tycat947]

I don't know how much we can take away from the eight-game fall schedule of softball, but we did see some things. The only BCS team we played was Arkansas, and we won those games 7-0 and 7-1. The only other game in which the opposition scored was Seminole, and we won 8-7. We blew them away 11-0 later.

It looks like we are setting up Kelsey Stevens as the ace of our staff. She did allow three runs in 18.1 innings, but she also struck out 31 and walked four. She has only allowed 8 hits. `Everyone else is getting one or two innings per game with a maximum of about eleven innings for the eight games. But, I suspect that they are trying to get Casey in shape since she was a major contributor in hitting in the first two years. She has only hit in two games this fall, a total of four at bats. So, they have to have something in mind to take away those at bats from a good hitter.

I wondered if we had replacements for hitting. We can't be sure because of the opposition, but we hammered Arkansas pretty well in two games. Our leading hitters:
Casey 750
Williams 556
Pendley 520
Martinez 462
Parsons 444
Chamberlain 383
Miller, Leslie 375
Ellis 348
Self 333
Miller, Erin 333
Henson 261

Chamberlain and Pendley have 3 home runs
Williams, Henson, and Leslie Miller have one
Chamberlain has walked 12 times in 33 appearances, only has 21 official appearances.
Henson has taken Casey's place at second. Ellis is starting at catcher. Leslie Miller may have the DH locked in.

I don't believe hitting will be a problem. And I don't really think pitching will be a problem in the long run. It may take a while to see the cream rise to the top although I'm pretty sure Stevens will be at the top. Georgia was really recruited as a pitcher although she has many talents.

High School
Played at Mount St. Benedict College in Pennant Hills, Sydney ... 2010 New South Wales Athlete of the Year ... Most valuable player of the 2010 International Southern Cross Challenge ... 2010 MVP of international Australian schoolgirls ... Named best pitcher at the 2010 International Friendship Series ... 2010 MVP and best pitch of the NSW state league ... 2010 Western Sydney Academy of Sport Team Athlete of the Year ... Named most valuable player and best pitcher at the 2009 national championship ... 2009 NSW state league most valuable player ... Earned 2011 Vince Villa Award as most successful student in softball at a NSW Catholic school ... Earned first and second semester academic achievement awards in 2010 ... Earned academic award for final high school certificate score ... Principal's award for contribution to the school community.

International Experience
Named to the 2011 Softball Australia Junior Women's World Championship team ... Team is scheduled to compete in the 2011 Junior Women's World Championship, scheduled for December 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa ... Named best pitcher at the 2011 U19 Australian national championship ... Named best pitcher at 2010 Open Australian Championships ... Played for Softball Australia at the 2009 Japan Cup ... Softball Australia Junior Softballer of the Year nominee in 2009.

And I think, at least, another of the pitchers on staff will step up and be valuable when called upon.

The biggest issue, and it may not be at all, might be keeping the team grounded after finishing as national runner-up and national champion (noted as one of the best teams ever!) but Patty may have them lined out. Will be excited to see how they do this year.

 

[j2d2]

It's interesting to see how many players are listed as pitchers. Whether they were seriously recruited as such I dont know but there appear to be numerous options. I am sure Patty will have them sorted out soon. I'll bet that they are also good athletes, decent hitters and all-around good players.