Softball

[SoonerNorm]

Paige Parker was named a first team All American. Nicole Pendley was named to the second team.

 

[sybarite]

Paige Parker was named a first team All American. Nicole Pendley was named to the second team.

Where did you see this? Given that Pendley wasn't even on the scope, this is interesting.

 

[sunnyjim48]

Sybarite, it's the Student Sports Softball All-America team. 2015 commit, Brittany Finney, was also selected on the first team. She was 12-0 with a 0.46 ERA and batted .553 with 12 home runs.

 

[sybarite]

Interesting, I see that Sydney Romero also made the second team.

 

[sybarite]

The site suggests that they may do some re-evaluation of the class rankings once the classes are official. I find this interesting.

#3 Tera Blanco---did not make All-American
#4 Joanna Grauer---UCLA---made it
#17 Kaylee Carlson--North Carolina---made it
#18 Savannah McKellon--Georgia---did not make All-American
#19 Alexis Osorio----Alabama---made it
#21 Allison Walljasper---LSU---did not make All-American
#22 Hayley Copeland---South Carolina---did not make All-American
#24 Holly Ward---MIssissippi State---did not make All-American
#25 Meghan King--Florida State---made it
#26 Brittany Gray---Georgia---did not make All-American
#29 Katie Donovan---Utah---did not make All-American
#31 Ally Frei---Boston College----made it
#32 Selina Ta'amilo---UCLA---did not make All-American
#36 Paige Parker---Oklahoma---made it
#37 Kristin Cullen----California---did not make All-American

JR Taran Alvelo---Washington---made it
Katie Brignac---Memphis---made it
JR Taylor McQuillen---Arizona---made it, National Gatorade Player of the Year

These are the top-ranked pitchers of 2015 (two of the All-Americans are juniors). Several ranked ahead of Paige did not make it. Like Pendley, Brignac made All-American without being one of the top 100. In fact, I don't think Pendley was on their top 2000 list due to her missing her junior year. I wonder if the rankings will now reflect more recent evaluations.

 

[sybarite]

If it is not clear what the prior post was about, I was giving the rankings of the top pitchers according to the top 100 2014 list as to whether they were among the nine declared All-Americans as defined by the site. Finney, for example, is not on the list because she is listed as a multi-position player rather than as a pitcher. She is ranked highly, but on the 2015 list.

I just found it interesting that of the nine pitchers listed on the All-American list as pitchers, only five made it who were ranked higher than Paige on the 2014 list. Eight pitchers who were ranked higher did not make the All-American team. I don't know if the criteria are different for All-American, or whether it is a matter of more up-to-date ranking.

 

[atlantasooner]

Rankings based on softball summer league action before their senior year.
All American rankings based on senior year performance?
That's a possible scenario.
Would explain Pendley definitely

 

[Speedy17]

Where did you see this? Given that Pendley wasn't even on the scope, this is interesting.

The reason Nicole Pendley was not mentioned in most recruiting bases was the fact that she did not play softball during her junior year. She committed to Arizona as a pitcher after her soph year but chose to concentrate on Track and Field as a junior. She won state in the javelin during her junior year. She returned to softball for her senior year and led her team to the New Mexico State Championship and she also set the New Mexico State High School Record in the javelin winning both events on the same day. She is also a sprinter. She is going to be an amazing player because she will have the speed of Turang to slap and better power than her sister Shelby (she broke all of her sister's high school HR records).

Most of the recruiting services focus on the player's junior year for rankings. By the way, Nicole Pendley was female athlete of the year in New Mexico and New Mexico Gatorade Softball Player of the Year in addition to being named 2nd Team All American.

 

[Speedy17]

The site suggests that they may do some re-evaluation of the class rankings once the classes are official. I find this interesting.

#3 Tera Blanco---did not make All-American
#4 Joanna Grauer---UCLA---made it
#17 Kaylee Carlson--North Carolina---made it
#18 Savannah McKellon--Georgia---did not make All-American
#19 Alexis Osorio----Alabama---made it
#21 Allison Walljasper---LSU---did not make All-American
#22 Hayley Copeland---South Carolina---did not make All-American
#24 Holly Ward---MIssissippi State---did not make All-American
#25 Meghan King--Florida State---made it
#26 Brittany Gray---Georgia---did not make All-American
#29 Katie Donovan---Utah---did not make All-American
#31 Ally Frei---Boston College----made it
#32 Selina Ta'amilo---UCLA---did not make All-American
#36 Paige Parker---Oklahoma---made it
#37 Kristin Cullen----California---did not make All-American

JR Taran Alvelo---Washington---made it
Katie Brignac---Memphis---made it
JR Taylor McQuillen---Arizona---made it, National Gatorade Player of the Year

These are the top-ranked pitchers of 2015 (two of the All-Americans are juniors). Several ranked ahead of Paige did not make it. Like Pendley, Brignac made All-American without being one of the top 100. In fact, I don't think Pendley was on their top 2000 list due to her missing her junior year. I wonder if the rankings will now reflect more recent evaluations.

I think these ranking are really subjective - they are in football with lots of scrutiny. Basketball is the same, however, softball has little detail so they are a shot in the dark. Paige Parker is the real deal - I don't look at the rating but rather results. The fact that she shut down the Japanese National Team in Summer 2013 tells me a lot. She played the Missouri-Kansas All Star game the other day and struck out 18. She throws in the 70's if you give her a year under Lombardi, it will be close to Ricketts again. Yes, She can really hit as well.

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/hi...rolls-in-Mo-Kan-All-Star-Softball-Series.html

 

[sybarite]

I notice on Insider that you appear to be really high on Parker and Pendley. We have been hearing about Parker for two or three years, but not so much about Pendley. You seem to think she will start as a freshman. At what position? You also seem to think that Parker is good enough to be a regular DH. I had not seen any indication of that.

 

[Speedy17]

I notice on Insider that you appear to be really high on Parker and Pendley. We have been hearing about Parker for two or three years, but not so much about Pendley. You seem to think she will start as a freshman. At what position? You also seem to think that Parker is good enough to be a regular DH. I had not seen any indication of that.

She will start as an outfielder and emergency pitcher (Remember Arizona recruited her as a left handed pitcher). I figure she will play RF with Callie Parsons in CF and Kady Self in LF. She has an absolute cannon for an arm and is fast. Shelby has stated that Nicole is better.

Sophomore Year
Nicole Pendley was named first-team all-state, all-district and all-metro while setting the school’s single-season home run record (19). She hit .600 with 43 runs scored, 37 RBIs, 19 home runs and 42 stolen bases.

Senior Year
Nicole Pendely led the Rams (28-4) to the Class 5A state championship this past season. Pendley owned a 21-2 record and a 2.01 ERA in the circle, along with a .582 batting average, 14 home runs and 50 RBI at the plate. A three-time First Team All-State selection, she also had 14 doubles, seven triples and 22 stolen bases.

As for Parker, she batted .600 at the plate with nine home runs and 33 RBI.

I love opposing coach quotes - on Parker, “She’s nearly impossible to hit at the high school level, and she’s such a powerful hitter that no one would pitch to her.” On Pendley, "“Pendley is impossible to get out,” said Jimmy Hernandez, head coach at West Mesa. “Even if you don’t put the ball in the strike zone, she can still hit it out. She dominates at whatever she does. It’s an easy sport when you have that kind of talent."

Another thing happened on Twitter the other day during Patty's Softball Camps. This is Lauren Chamberlain's tweet, "Nice lil bomb derby with the rookies @NicolePendley1 and @paigeparker008 #welcome

Take it for what it is worth, they got Lauren's attention. Trust me, they can hit!!!

 

[Speedy17]

Remember one other thing, Shelby hit 19 homers and started for Arizona at SS as a freshman and by all accounts, Nicole is better. It doesn't always turn out that way but she broke all of Shelby's HS records, won state in the javelin, won more HS awards, and did one other thing Shelby didn't do - won state in Softball.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Great hitting combined with great pitching will win a ton of games.

 

[sybarite]

I wasn't sure oif whether Shelby meant it or was just promoting her sister. I thought Lookout was also supposed to have that kind of power, per Gasso. We have already seen that Hatfield can hit: 290, 2 doubles, one HR, six RBI in about 31 at bats as a freshman. She's already here despite being a part of the 2014 class. Wonder what being here this year will do for her?

 

[sybarite]

Looking down the road, I see pitchers coming in that are supposedly pretty good.

2015 Finney, All-American, this year
2015 Chestnut
2016 Lopez
2016 Mendez
2016 Olmos
2018 Vestal

I understand Finney, Lopez, and Vestal are special.

 

[Speedy17]

I wasn't sure oif whether Shelby meant it or was just promoting her sister. I thought Lookout was also supposed to have that kind of power, per Gasso. We have already seen that Hatfield can hit: 290, 2 doubles, one HR, six RBI in about 31 at bats as a freshman. She's already here despite being a part of the 2014 class. Wonder what being here this year will do for her?

No, Nicole is the real deal. You have to be pretty good for Arizona to offer after your soph year in HS. She could have a track scholie as well.

Lookout hit a bunch of Hrs in slow pitch for Westmoore but I don't know if that equates to fastpitch. Patty has also stated on numerous occasions that the Oklahoma players are about a year behind the others from out of state. I don't know why.

I think there will be a couple of interesting battles on this team for playing time. In the OF, you have four players - Parson, Pendley, Self, and Erin Miller. I expect Erin will be the fourth outfielder. Of course, a lot depends on Self's recovery.

On the infield, we know Lauren at first and Shelby at third. We also know that Georgia will play either 2nd or SS. Hatfield, Lucas, Arnold and Vest will battle for the other spot. Personally, I think she will go with Vest if Parker pitches because she can use the DP for Vest. It will be interesting because of the fielding/hitting trade off. Either way, Romero will own SS in 2016. I figure Lookout will replace Shelby at third in 2016 but will be on the bench next year. Wodach will be an understudy to Whitney Ellis next year. Anyway it goes, it will be Murderer's Row Again for the Sooners next year.

 

[sybarite]

Where does Knighten fit into that scheme? If she is one of the top ten and a SS, she might well be in the hunt to replace Shelby or Georgia. I thought that Lucas had some upside, but I don't know if it is enough to hold off a top level prospect. I would feel a bit better with Georgia at SS this year because her arm looks stronger than Vest's. I think Vest has the better glove.

I liked what I saw of Erin when it counted. She stepped up when some were struggling. Parsons did that last year, as did Briana and Destiney. This year, Erin was the only one from the bottom who did, and she became a better option late in the playoffs. She, at least, put the ball in play.

 

[Speedy17]

Where does Knighten fit into that scheme? If she is one of the top ten and a SS, she might well be in the hunt to replace Shelby or Georgia. I thought that Lucas had some upside, but I don't know if it is enough to hold off a top level prospect. I would feel a bit better with Georgia at SS this year because her arm looks stronger than Vest's. I think Vest has the better glove.

I liked what I saw of Erin when it counted. She stepped up when some were struggling. Parsons did that last year, as did Briana and Destiney. This year, Erin was the only one from the bottom who did, and she became a better option late in the playoffs. She, at least, put the ball in play.

This is one tough lineup to crack. It may be wrong but this is what I expect. There will also be some attrition because of the talent and depth. It will sure be nice to not have to be concerned when OU plays a double header. It was brutal this year trying to make it through two games. I expect next season to be like 2000 when it started with Lana Moran as the ace and ended with Jennifer Stewart being the ace in the World Series. I can see that happening with Kelsey Stevens and Paige Parker. They will both be great. I bet she goes with Vest at SS because of glove and experience. There is plenty of sticks in this lineup.

2015 Lineup
1B Lauren Chamberlain Sr
LF Kady Self Jr
3B Shelby Pendley Sr
2B Georgia Casey Sr
P/DP Paige Parker Fr
C Whitney Ellis Jr
RF Nicole Pendley Fr
SS Jessica Vest Sr
CF Callie Parsons Sr

P Kelsey Stevens Jr

C Lea Wodach Fr
IF Destinee Lookout Fr
IF Kelsey Arnold Fr
IF Macey Hatfield So
IF Tyler Lucas So
OF Erin Miller Jr
DP Leslie Miller Jr
P Taylor Dewberry Jr
OF Paris Townsend Jr

2016 Lineup

SS Sydney Romero Fr
CF Nicole Pendley So
LF Kady Self Sr
P/DP Paige Parker So
C Whitney Ellis Sr
3B Destinee Lookout So
2B Marshaylee Knighten Fr
1B Kylie Lundberg Fr
RF Erin Miller Sr

P Kelsey Stevens Sr

C Lea Wodach So
IF Kelsey Arnold So
IF Macey Hatfield Jr
IF Tyler Lucas Jr
P Brittnay Finney Fr
OF Fale Aviu Fr
P Jayden Chestnut Fr
DP Leslie Miller Sr
P Taylor Dewberry Sr
OF Paris Townsend Sr

 

[sybarite]

I think it is likely that Parker will be more like Ricketts in that she will be very, very good next year. But, I don't think she'll start out as great. I hope I am pleasantly surprised. But, I anticipate that Stevens will be the key starter until about halfway through the conference season. Then, when Parker becomes less of a freshman, I anticipate that she will be the dominant, but that we will use two pitchers, much like Ricketts/Gascoigne. That's tough to beat when a team has two.

I don't know exactly who will be the starters next year. Freshmen develop. I would have never thought that Self would be what she was as a sophomore at any time during her freshman year. I'd like to see how some progress. I have no basis to say anything about Arnold or Lookout, never having seen either. I have seen Hatfield. Will she make the progress that Self made? As a freshman, which was better?

I will love watching this team develop next year. I think the potential is great, assuming that Lauren and Katie come back healthy.

 

[j2d2]

All these new names!! I see when Patty announces their commitment but no list or mention of them after that. Some of those mentioned above I havent heard of. None other than those committed fro next year. Where are they listed? Bios?