Softball

[KCRuf/Nek]

Yep, I think you're right. Lauren was leadoff every game in playoffs.

Well we had a pretty good bat in the four hole last year. I think Patty put her up in the lineup this year to hopefully make teams pitch to her - although they still pitched around her.

Williams took 3 strikes with her bat on her shoulder for the third out with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Swing the bat!

That may have been the turning point in the game. I'm all for making the pitcher throw strikes but I'm not sure if making us less aggressive up there was a good thing. JMO.

 

[sybarite]

2016
Alissa Dalton SS/3B Houston Cypress-Fairbanks
Mariah Lopez P Lubbock
Nicole Mendez P/1B Long Beach Millikan
Melanie Olmos P Grand Terrace, CA
Vanessa Taukeiaho OF/INF Etiwanda, CA

2017
Lynnsie Elam C Chickasha
Eliyah Flores 3B/OF Grand Terrace, CA
Alexa Schultz OF Los Alamitos, CA

2018
Brooke Vestal P New Braunfels, TX

News:
Mariah Lopez
http://www.signalscv.com/archives/93422/
http://www.signalscv.com/section/19/article/119590/
http://www.studentsports.com/softball/2013/08/15/video-oklahoma-bound-mariah-lopez/

Brooke Vestal
http://www.studentsports.com/softball/2013/07/26/recruit-spotlight-brooke-vestal/

 

[badger]

Ah well, was hoping for a longer run for our girls, so now it's going to be a longer summer instead.

We still have a volleyball team? or has Sherri borrowed too many of 'em for her bench

 

[SoonerNorm]

Florida took down the Tide to win the NC.

 

[sybarite]

Florida knocked Traina out in both games. They made her throw strikes, and they hit to the opposite field. She lasted one and a third tonight. Florida is hitting like we did last year, with confidence everywhere in the lineup. Their pitching isn't a bunch of strikeout artists. They throw the ball over the plate and make you hit it. I think they only had three strikeouts.

 

[Stringmusic]

Traina graduates. Ding dong, the witch is dead.

 

[BigT14]

If LC is nearly 100% next year I can see the sooners making a nice run and even winning a nc.

 

[SoonerNorm]

If LC is nearly 100% next year I can see the sooners making a nice run and even winning a nc.

I can too. We need better pitching and I think we will get it.

 

[sybarite]

We need health.

Tennessee, Alabama, and Baylor should fall down a bit as they lose their key pitchers. Florida loses Hanna Rogers, but has enough to get back to the Series. Oregon loses that 493 leadoff hitter. But, they should be back. Kentucky loses a lot, but keeps the pitcher.

 

[scrybe]

Well, I was certainly wrong on my prediction for this series. I believed Alabama would win it in three. UF really impressed me, though, with both their pitching and hitting.

Like it was stated in one of the previous posts, the Gators were hitting like we did last season. I was amazed with their patience against Traina. The Tide pitcher is a flame-thrower, but what makes her successful is the way opposing hitters usually swing at her pitches out of the zone. Like the other poster said, UF refused to do that, which forced Traina to throw the ball over the plate. Don't care how hard a pitcher throws, if she's compelled to put it over the plate, the hitters of this era can time the pitches and hit them hard.

I don't care for UF any more than I like Bama or most other SEC teams (Tennessee's Lady Vols and their coaching staff are exceptions). But I've got to give it up to the Gators for the way they handled Traina.

Maybe we'll get a shot a Florida in next year's WCWS.

 

[sybarite]

There are pitchers who rely on mistakes by the hitters or on calls by the umpire. Traina and Hawkins fall into that category. The really good pitchers can get it past the good hitters without any help on the "river," as ESPN calls it. We used to call it a ball.

When you get into international play, it takes an Abbott or Ricketts to pitch to the Japanese or Australian teams. A Traina would get killed. An Abbott or Ricketts throw strikes, but they throw it with something special on it that make sit almost unhittable. If you saw the World Championship game, neither the US nor Japan could hit each other's pitcher. It took the international extra innings play to get a winner. After seven or eight innings, they start each inning with runners on first and second. I think Ricketts lost the title game with a walk, hit batter, or something with players on first and second. Until then, nobody could hit the pitchers.

I don't yet see the next Ricketts. I think Cat Osterman is still active with Ricketts. I think Abbott is still around. I don't know who else fits into that category.

The difference? I don't think Florida can hit Ricketts either.

 

[tycat947]

Well, I was certainly wrong on my prediction for this series. I believed Alabama would win it in three. UF really impressed me, though, with both their pitching and hitting.

Like it was stated in one of the previous posts, the Gators were hitting like we did last season. I was amazed with their patience against Traina. The Tide pitcher is a flame-thrower, but what makes her successful is the way opposing hitters usually swing at her pitches out of the zone. Like the other poster said, UF refused to do that, which forced Traina to throw the ball over the plate. Don't care how hard a pitcher throws, if she's compelled to put it over the plate, the hitters of this era can time the pitches and hit them hard.

I don't care for UF any more than I like Bama or most other SEC teams (Tennessee's Lady Vols and their coaching staff are exceptions). But I've got to give it up to the Gators for the way they handled Traina.

Maybe we'll get a shot a Florida in next year's WCWS.

Me neither but Gators coaching staff are all former Sooners and I'd much rather they win than the JTrain again!


http://www.gatorzone.com/softball/staff/

 

[badger]

If I'm not mistaken, the SEC lost 8 of their 10 postseason baseball teams while the Big 12 still has four (TCU, Tech, whorn and poke) so I guess there's that.

I hate to get into conference rivalry wars though. I'd rather keep it simple: OU #1!

 

[SoonerNorm]

http://m.soonersports.com/mobile/ViewArticle.dbml?atclid=209517404&DB_OEM_ID=31000&

 

[sybarite]

It's interesting that I don't think Pendley even made the 2000 players to watch list.

 

[scrybe]

If Parker is good enough to become one of our starting pitchers as a freshman, we should have a pretty good chance at returning to the WCWS next year. Her pitching stats in high school are off the charts, and Patty seems to think she will help us in the circle next season.

Pendley may not have quite the press clippings as Parker, but knowing how her big sister approaches and plays the game, I won't be surprised to see little sister on the field next year as well.

The future is really looking rosy (crimson?) for the OU softball program.

 

[sunnyjim48]

The reason Nicole Pendley is not rated is because she stopped playing high school and travel club softball her junior year. She was recruited by Arizona as a pitcher when she was a freshman and was supposed to go there before Shelby became disenchanted and transferred. Later, it was announced that Nicole was "burned out" on softball and would no longer play. She returned to softball this year and you know the rest.

 

[tycat947]

The reason Nicole Pendley is not rated is because she stopped playing high school and travel club softball her junior year. She was recruited by Arizona as a pitcher when she was a freshman and was supposed to go there before Shelby became disenchanted and transferred. Later, it was announced that Nicole was "burned out" on softball and would no longer play. She returned to softball this year and you know the rest.

Yes, I'd read that before. AZ wouldn't have wanted her if she wasn't good.

http://www.rrobserver.com/sports/article_5822d07a-e844-11e3-9870-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[SoonerNorm]

The reason Nicole Pendley is not rated is because she stopped playing high school and travel club softball her junior year. She was recruited by Arizona as a pitcher when she was a freshman and was supposed to go there before Shelby became disenchanted and transferred. Later, it was announced that Nicole was "burned out" on softball and would no longer play. She returned to softball this year and you know the rest.

I didn't know any of that, thanks! I hope she doesn't burnout at OU.

 

[sybarite]

She didn't play last year and was Gatorade Player of the Year this year?