Softball

[mikeareese]

Stevens will get better and better. Ricketts didn't win a NC until her senior year.

 

[sybarite]

Stevens will get better and better. Ricketts didn't win a NC until her senior year.

She should have won her junior year had the officials not stolen the title. But, that aside, Stevens will probably be among the top five next year. Hopefully, she has learned one thing. She had excellent control all year, but suffered a bit in regionals and at time in the series. I think it is probably inexperience on a big stage. A small mistake is magnified. If she just relaxes next year and puts the ball over the plate, preferably low, she can be as good as anyone in college ball right now. Her stuff is only hittable as cripples. I think we had more problems at the plate in the Series than on the mound, but we just couldn't afford those on the mound because we weren't scoring.

 

[tycat947]

She should have won her junior year had the officials not stolen the title. But, that aside, Stevens will probably be among the top five next year. Hopefully, she has learned one thing. She had excellent control all year, but suffered a bit in regionals and at time in the series. I think it is probably inexperience on a big stage. A small mistake is magnified. If she just relaxes next year and puts the ball over the plate, preferably low, she can be as good as anyone in college ball right now. Her stuff is only hittable as cripples. I think we had more problems at the plate in the Series than on the mound, but we just couldn't afford those on the mound because we weren't scoring.

I certainly agree with that! Don't know why but we did.

Kelsey is going to be fine IMO. She has the school record for wins in a season already. I think she may have pitched too much but we didn't have anyone else. I'm expecting Paige to come in and help Kelsey to have more rest the next 2 seasons.

 

[sybarite]

I certainly agree with that! Don't know why but we did.

Kelsey is going to be fine IMO. She has the school record for wins in a season already. I think she may have pitched too much but we didn't have anyone else. I'm expecting Paige to come in and help Kelsey to have more rest the next 2 seasons.

Chamberlain on one leg. She hit a ball to the wall on the ground and only got a single. You kind of lose some ability to hit with one leg, balance and all.

Kady Self was probably our best hitter this year during the conference season. She would have really helped. You can't teach people to be Lauren, but Kady's style is one that should be copied. She just has excellent plate coverage.

Williams, probably our third best hitter at the end of the season, hurts her shoulder. Despite the double, her swing was off in the Series. She was feeble at times because she just wasn't meeting the ball. Wrong time to have an injury---your last games as a senior.

I don't know why, but Casey was swinging at bad pitches and taking good ones over the last couple of weeks. She left a lot of runners on base.

Ellis suddenly lost confidence. She was trying to hit the rise. At the end, she was bunting just trying to meet the ball. Cost us a run by not bunting once.

Destinee suddenly hit everything to the shortstop.

It happens. Teams have slumps. Wrong time.

 

[scrybe]

Chamberlain on one leg. She hit a ball to the wall on the ground and only got a single. You kind of lose some ability to hit with one leg, balance and all.

Kady Self was probably our best hitter this year during the conference season. She would have really helped. You can't teach people to be Lauren, but Kady's style is one that should be copied. She just has excellent plate coverage.

Williams, probably our third best hitter at the end of the season, hurts her shoulder. Despite the double, her swing was off in the Series. She was feeble at times because she just wasn't meeting the ball. Wrong time to have an injury---your last games as a senior.

I don't know why, but Casey was swinging at bad pitches and taking good ones over the last couple of weeks. She left a lot of runners on base.

Ellis suddenly lost confidence. She was trying to hit the rise. At the end, she was bunting just trying to meet the ball. Cost us a run by not bunting once.

Destinee suddenly hit everything to the shortstop.

It happens. Teams have slumps. Wrong time.

Yes, and that hurt us tremendously, IMO. Martinez normally set the table for the big hitters that followed (Lauren, Shelby, Williams). But she struggled mightily during the WCWS and was simply unable to slap the ball between short and second like she normally does, or over the drawn-in infield.

I felt badly for Destinee, because it's obvious that she was aware of just how important she was to our offense. And what made it worse, she had always come through for us in postseason play in previous years.

So, yes, I agree with you and tycat that it was our offense that failed us to a higher degree than our pitching. Kelsey's performance in the three WCWS games, while not overpowering, was good enough for us to win had we had more support from our hitters.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Nicole Pendley is now at OU.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Final Softball rankings:

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/College-Corner/2014-College-Corner/Top-25-Polls

 

[tycat947]

Final Softball rankings:

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/College-Corner/2014-College-Corner/Top-25-Polls

Pretty good after losing the stars from last year! I think we'll be in Top 2 next year!

 

[scrybe]

Pretty good after losing the stars from last year! I think we'll be in Top 2 next year!

You're right. And two Big XII teams in the Top 5 is pretty good too (although I would never have voted Baylor just one spot behind OU).

 

[sybarite]

During the tournament, Baylor was pretty good, and they were one of the final five. I hate to give anything to Baylor, but they were OK at the end of the year. But, without Cannon, I don't see them staying up there.

 

[j2d2]

Outstanding considering what we lost.