Softball

Alo has power, Lauren Chamberlain-type power. If she can hit, it will go far. What I don't see above is that Alo was the Hawaii State Champion 185-pound wrestler. There is a YouTube video of her championship match. That is raw power.
 
atlantasooner said:
almost everyone returns and from the softball recruiting site rankings. 3 more elite bats are incoming.

2017 Class. Ranked #9. Only a 3 player class as we only lose 1 senior in Macy Hatfield.

4—Eliyah Flores 3B/OF… Firecrackers – Rico (Oklahoma)
Eliyah is an aggressive hitter who also has developed the patience to sit back and take walks. Coaches have described her as a “professional hitter” who is invested in the educational part of the game. Eliyah breathes, eats and sleeps hitting and understands how to use the whole field. For the second straight year, the So Cal talent put on an impressive display— this season batting .495 with 13 home runs and 31 RBI. Eliyah had a four-game stretch at the end of April where she hit five home runs and showed how she can go on a tear at any given time. She also was a key cog in helping the Firecrackers to a 7-2 record at PGF 18U Nationals, as she led the team with seven RBI and had six walks for a .438 on-base percentage. Another strength of Eliyah’s is she is fearless at the plate and loves to be challenged. Defensively, she’s solid at third, but can also play second base.
9--Jocelyn Alo C… OC Batbusters -- Stith (Cal)
Jocelyn is an amazing story: she lives in Hawaii and commutes to the Mainland to play on the two-time defending PGF 18U National Champion Batbusters. Last year, she was a state champion wrestler, but this season didn't wrestle to concentrate on softball. Jocelyn is a ferocious hitter--one coach described her at the plate as "violent"--and she has a great work ethic and focus. Personable with a winning demeanor, Jocelyn doesn't let pressure affect her; in fact, it's the opposite as she makes the game simple. In high school ball this year, the Hawaiian hit .597 with a slugging percentage of 1.036 and that was after a 2015 season when she hit video game numbers with a .756 batting average and a 2.073 slugging percentage aided by 14 home runs. But it's not just high school ball where she tears the cover off the ball: she normally bats in the 3-hole and against elite pitching last year at PGF Nationals led the champs with a .579 average, two home runs and was second with eight RBI.

13—Alexa Schultz OF… Ohana Tigers (Oklahoma)
Alexa is an explosive hitter who comes up big in the clutch when needed. She’s a tough-nosed player who plays leftfield for the Tigers and helped the 16U team to a 5-2 record and top 5 finish as she was second on the team in hitting (.333) and led the So Cal-based squad with three home runs, six RBI, an on-base percentage of .524, a slugging percentage of 1.000 and an OPS of 1.524. Like Mary Iakopo (see #19 above), she also plays for Los Alamitos High and has had a strong spring capped off with a grand slam. Playing for Shawn Quarles when part of the So Cal A’s organization, Alexa won an ASA 14U National Championship and in one day at those Nationals had four home runs. One coach described her as “the model of a player who does everything well and is consistently excellent at the plate and in the outfield.”
Click to expand...

OU also added Lynnsie Elam from Chickasha, OK

5'9 // R/R // C
Chickasha, Okla.
Chickasha H.S.
@lynn_elam22

PERSONAL: Full name is Lynnsie Sarah Elam … daughter of Rusty and Carla Elam … has two brothers, Austin and Cael … mother, Carla, played softball at Cameron University … brother, Austin, is a wrestler at Otero Junior College … cousin, Dillon Hargrove, played baseball at Cameron University … chose OU over Florida and Tennessee

WHY OKLAHOMA? “I picked the University of Oklahoma because it felt like my home away from home. From the first time I walked on campus, I knew this is where I wanted to be. I loved everything about the school: the tradition, the campus and, most of all, the coaches. I am looking forward to helping my teammates win another national championship, and most importantly graduating with a degree from the University of Oklahoma.”

Lynnsie Elam is a senior at Chickasha High School where she has earned four letters in softball, leading her team to four district championships, three regional titles and a pair of state championships as a sophomore and junior. As a senior, Elam hit .491 with five home runs, 44 runs scored, 50 runs batted in and 23 stolen bases en route to earning named all-district, all-region and all-state honors. In addition, she was named All-District Catcher of the Year as a freshman and All-District Offensive Player of the Year during her sophomore season.

Elam spent the past summer playing for the Corona Angels under Marty Tyson in Corona, Calif.

“Lynnsie is someone that has been to plenty of our camps so we’ve grown up with her,” Gasso said. “Without question she’s the best catcher in Oklahoma and one of the best I’ve seen in the country in the 2017 class. She reminds me a little bit of former Sooner Lindsey Vandever. She’s got a really quick and active arm. She’s very athletic and lively behind the plate.

“She’s really a complete player because she can hit. She won two consecutive state championships where she delivered the walk-off hit, so she’s been in those championship situations and she’s come through in the clutch.”
 
This team has already won 2 national championships, and will be very experienced next season. The following roster of returning players is based on the current official roster. Obviously, there are possible changes to the roster (e.g., will Alissa Dalton be back next season?).

Oklahoma Softball – Returning Players
2017-18 Classification

Seniors
Kelsey Arnold (S/R; INF; 5-2) .. Tulsa, Okla. (Holland Hall Prep)
Paige Lowary (L/L; LHP; 5-10) .. Dallas Center, Iowa (Missouri)
Paige Parker (L/L; LHP; 5-11) .. Independence, Mo. (Truman HS)
Nicole Pendley (L/L; OF; 5-5) .. Rio Rancho, N.M. (Rio Rancho HS)
Hannah Sparks (R/R; C; 6-1) .. Thomasville, Ala. (NW Florida State College)
Lea Wodach (R/R; C; 5-7) .. Coto de Caza, Calif. (Tesoro HS)

Juniors
Falepolima Aviu (L/R; OF; 5-4) .. Oceanside, Calif. (Rancho Buena Vista HS)
Caleigh Clifton (R/R; INF; 5-8) .. Wayne, Okla. (Wayne HS)
Shay Knighten (R/R; INF; 5-6) .. Buena Park, Calif. (Sunny Hills HS)
Kylie Lundberg (L/L; OF; 6-0) .. Lakewood, Calif. (Lakewood HS)
Raegan Rogers (R/R; OF; 5-7) .. Blanchard, Okla. (Bridge Creek HS)
Sydney Romero (R/R; INF; 5-7) .. San Diego, Calif. (Vista Murrieta HS)

Sophomores
Alissa Dalton (L/R; UTL; 5-7) .. Cypress, Texas (Cy-Fair HS)
Mariah Lopez (R/R; RHP; 5-8) .. Saugus, Calif. (Saugus HS)
Nicole Mendes (L/L; UTL; 5-7) .. Houston, Texas (Home School)
Melanie Olmos (R/R; RHP; 5-5) .. Riverside, Calif. (Grand Terrace HS)
Vanessa Taukeiaho (R/R; OF; 5-5) .. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Etiwanda HS)
 
What a great game and great effort these girls just know how to win. Paige struggles(in part due to some of the worst behind the plate umpiring of the entire series) and Lopez and then Mendes, a couple of freshmen, have her back. Then page lowary comes in and slams the door. Who would have believed after we lost to NDSU that this was coming!
 
Atlanta, how do you think these young women fit in? What's the line-up, guys and gals, next year with these additions?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks! Don't know why I couldn't get it to display full size.
 
I am still on record about not liking family hirings at public schools hence did not like and still would prefer J.T. Gasso not be the OU hitting coach. I think nepotism is a bad proposition for any public school at anytime.

That being said and with the results the OU hitters had against the top pitching staff in the country confirm that J.T. can more than get the job done. Prior to the start of the finals series the Gators had allowed 41 runs for the season (65 games) and had a 0.66 ERA. The Sooners scored 12 earned runs in 2 games (23 innings) giving the Gators a 3.65 ERA for the finals.

Yes the Sooners scored 22.6% (12 runs) of the total earned runs allowed b the Florida (53 runs) staff in the 2017 season in just 2 games. Great job J.T.!!!!!!

http://stats.ncaa.org/team/235/stats?id=12580&year_stat_category_id=11021
 
Last edited:
SoonerSpock said:
http://floridagators.com/news/2017/6/6/chris-harry-wcws-oklahoma-florida-instant-breakdown.aspx
Click to expand...

from the above article....

STAGGERING STATISTIC: The UF pitching staff had a collective earned run average of 0.00 through the first three games, holding Texas A&M, LSU and Washington to just two runs, neither earned, through 20 innings. That ERA ballooned to 3.65 in 24 innings against the Sooners and their mighty bats. OU clubbed a combined four homers and eight extra-base hits in the two championship-series games.
 
bob the nailer said:
What a great game and great effort these girls just know how to win. Paige struggles(in part due to some of the worst behind the plate umpiring of the entire series) and Lopez and then Mendes, a couple of freshmen, have her back. Then page lowary comes in and slams the door. Who would have believed after we lost to NDSU that this was coming!
Click to expand...


Was this ump behind the plate for the games against Baylor, Washington or Oregon?
 
I don't think he had called any of our games at the plate. What really hurt Paige P was he rarely gave the corners and had a low zone, so her belt high change ups were balls. You could tell watching she was really frustrated- as were the florida pitchers, he wasn't at all one sided he was equally bad for both teams. And he may have the slowest right arm in softball history when he does call a strike. The guy who called the 17 innings game 1 was really good I thought. And he had to be exhausted by the time it was over.
 
Oliver,
Don't really feel qualified to guess how the freshman are going to impact the roster.
If you looking strictly at BA/RBI/slugging type stats, then you might see some roster
upgrade spots.
But with such a senior/junior laden squad it's going to be hard for any freshman to "star".
Maybe at catcher or 1st base we might see some movement that's been suggested. With Alo taking over at catcher or maybe 1st base. Knighten moving to 2nd and Clifton to the outfield.
Obviously, you cannot overlook the depth factor and how it might help over a long season. Especially if Patty looks to give Mendes some more innings and reduce her every day position workload.
There's some chemistry stuff to work out with loaded roster with a loaded recruiting class but back to back titles is a pretty big stick to suggest we have a system buy into that system.
I guess biggest "issue" getting the freshman ready to be the supporting stars for 2019 while not impacting another run for the title in 2018.

Thoughts from others???
 
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