Softball

[SoonerSpock]

Ran through the schedule and did a quick calculation on Stevens, Chestnut and Finney's stats for the season. Kelsey has thrown 56 innings in 16 appearances. Her era is 4.38 and she is averaging 3.5 walks per 7 innings. Chestnut has thrown 48.1 innings in 16appearances with a 3.64 era and 3.78 walks per game. Finney has thrown only 12.4 innings in 10 appearances with a 1.69 era. Unfortunately she is averaging 5.64 walks per 7 innings.

Lack of experience and control eliminates Finney from any key games in my opinion. Kelsey is just Kelsey where runs allowed is almost linear to walks surrendered. The only exception was when she game up 12 runs in 5.2 innings with only 2 walks to Michigan who had 9 hits and 4 HR's. It appears to me if Paige is going to get any help it is going to half to come from Chestnut and she can be hit and the 3.64 era scares me.

 

[sybarite]

However, Chestnut is the only one to have pitched against and won against top teams - she beat UCLA and Fresno State. They are number 15 and 21 in the current RPI. She also has the confidence of Gasso who has started her on more occasions than Finney. Don't get me wrong because Finney was higher rated but Gasso has gone the other way more often than not.

We beat UCLA 11-7 when she permitted nine hits, six walks, and five earned runs. If we score 11, we can use her. She was better against Fresno (in relief) getting a 3-2 win in quick relief of Stevens. She had only three hits in that one. Fresno seemed to be off a bit in the Mary Nutter, losing three of five, one to Loyola Marymount. But, if she can hold a team to three hits, she can win.

 

[scrybe]

Usually, the World Series is set up in a way in which you could win with one pitcher---assuming that you win all of your games. Lose one and get into the loser's bracket, and you have too many games in too short of a time frame. If you win them all, you usually have to pitch a first round game one day, maybe a second round game the next. If you win both, you can wait a day or two for the loser's bracket to produce your next opponent.

You're right that one pitcher could probably get a team through the CWS if that team can stay in the winner's bracket. But I doubt that very many teams could make it through both the regionals and super regionals and earn a spot in the CWS if they're relying solely on one pitcher. Possible? Yes. Likely? No.

Ran through the schedule and did a quick calculation on Stevens, Chestnut and Finney's stats for the season. Kelsey has thrown 56 innings in 16 appearances. Her era is 4.38 and she is averaging 3.5 walks per 7 innings. Chestnut has thrown 46.1 innings in 15 appearances with a 3.19 era and 3.49 walks per game. Finney has thrown only 12.4 innings in 10 appearances with a 1.69 era. Unfortunately she is averaging 5.64 walks per 7 innings.

Lack of experience and control eliminates Finney from any key games in my opinion. Kelsey is just Kelsey where runs allowed is almost linear to walks surrendered. The only exception was when she game up 12 runs in 5.2 innings with only 2 walks to Michigan who had 9 hits and 4 HR's. It appears to me if Paige is going to get any help it is going to half to come from Chestnut and she can be hit and the 3.49 era scares me.

You may be right about the help coming from Chestnut. But her walks per innings pitched is almost identical to Stevens, and she has a much higher era than Finney. I'm glad Patty is the one having to make such decisions.

 

[SoonerSpock]

You're right that one pitcher could probably get a team through the CWS if that team can stay in the winner's bracket. But I doubt that very many teams could make it through both the regionals and super regionals and earn a spot in the CWS if they're relying solely on one pitcher. Possible? Yes. Likely? No.



You may be right about the help coming from Chestnut. But her walks per innings pitched is almost identical to Stevens, and she has a much higher era than Finney. I'm glad Patty is the one having to make such decisions.

You are right but that is why Patty is paid the big bucks. I guess we can cross our fingers, pray and hope Finney finds her control as it appears based on what little she has played that she can be difficult to hit. Otherwise with her free passes plus some hits her era would not be close to that 1.69.

 

[NMSooner'80]

Just know the lining up on the baseline in front of the Sooners was not appreciated by the umpire who told that they could not do it. This brought out their coach Moore and he was written again by the umpires. He was not a happy man this weekend. Yes, he did orchestrate it.

After this past weekend, which also included a series win in baseball by OU over BU, they probably are sick of OU right about now (and I'm sure they haven't forgotten what happened in football and men's hoops either). I have a mental picture of Dean Wormer from "Animal House" saying, "I.... hate those guys...."

 

[MsProudSooner]

After this past weekend, which also included a series win in baseball by OU over BU, they probably are sick of OU right about now (and I'm sure they haven't forgotten what happened in football and men's hoops either). I have a mental picture of Dea...n Wormer from "Animal House" saying, "I.... hate those guys...."

At least they have that Final Four in women's basketball to fall back on ........ oh wait..... never mind.... :ez-roll:

 

[sybarite]

Well. It really worked. By standing in front of the players trying to get a look at Stearns while she was warming up, they were able to keep Pendley from getting a good look, and she struck out. Erin and Sydney followed with singles to load the bases. But, Shay and Kady flied out. They were able to keep OU from scoring in the fourth.

Of course, in the next inning, Pendley had now seen Stearns once again (after only having seen her the previous two days), and she hit a three-run shot over the right field fence. 5-3.

Then, in the seventh, after they had come back a bit to 5-4, after Aviu doubled home Caleigh, Pendley once again got to see Stearns and lined a long single to left center for her fourth rbi of the day off Stearns. 7-4.

Worked well.

 

[tycat947]

Just know the lining up on the baseline in front of the Sooners was not appreciated by the umpire who told that they could not do it. This brought out their coach Moore and he was written again by the umpires. He was not a happy man this weekend. Yes, he did orchestrate it.

I'm sure Moore was trying out some things he learnt from Sulkey Mulkey's Intimidation 101 class that is required of all coaches at Hypocrite U! :ez-roll:

 

[SoonerSpock]

Well. It really worked. By standing in front of the players trying to get a look at Stearns while she was warming up, they were able to keep Pendley from getting a good look, and she struck out. Erin and Sydney followed with singles to load the bases. But, Shay and Kady flied out. They were able to keep OU from scoring in the fourth.

Of course, in the next inning, Pendley had now seen Stearns once again (after only having seen her the previous two days), and she hit a three-run shot over the right field fence. 5-3.

Then, in the seventh, after they had come back a bit to 5-4, after Aviu doubled home Caleigh, Pendley once again got to see Stearns and lined a long single to left center for her fourth rbi of the day off Stearns. 7-4.

Worked well.

Stearns is basically a high ball pitcher and if she is missing her spots she is vulnerable. Sunday she was hit hard even on most outs and she was missing the edges Sunday. I thought we were tattooing the ball off of Stearns.

It is my observation that it was her propensity to throw the ball up that accounted for most the HR's that beat her 3 times. Conversely Paige likes to keep the ball down making it much more difficult to hit for the yard.

 

[SoonerinNC]

What happened to Montgomery?

 

[sybarite]

What happened to Montgomery?

Quit the team. Something to do with her recent marriage. Maybe due to reduced playing time.

 

[Speedy17]

Stearns is basically a high ball pitcher and if she is missing her spots she is vulnerable. Sunday she was hit hard even on most outs and she was missing the edges Sunday. I thought we were tattooing the ball off of Stearns.

It is my observation that it was her propensity to throw the ball up that accounted for most the HR's that beat her 3 times. Conversely Paige likes to keep the ball down making it much more difficult to hit for the yard.

Spock, you nailed it. Here is the quote from the Baylor coach.

“We’re a staff that throws predominantly up in the zone, and Parker throws down in the zone a lot,” Moore said. “She’ll come up some, but her best pitch is down, so it’s harder to hit those balls out of the park. And when we leave it up, it’s going to go a long way.”

 

[Speedy17]

Well. It really worked. By standing in front of the players trying to get a look at Stearns while she was warming up, they were able to keep Pendley from getting a good look, and she struck out. Erin and Sydney followed with singles to load the bases. But, Shay and Kady flied out. They were able to keep OU from scoring in the fourth.

Of course, in the next inning, Pendley had now seen Stearns once again (after only having seen her the previous two days), and she hit a three-run shot over the right field fence. 5-3.

Then, in the seventh, after they had come back a bit to 5-4, after Aviu doubled home Caleigh, Pendley once again got to see Stearns and lined a long single to left center for her fourth rbi of the day off Stearns. 7-4.

Worked well.

Big thing here, is that Pendley was attempting to slap for almost two days. Slapping against those rise balls that Stearns was throwing is really difficult. It was a tough weekend in that regard for both Arnold and Pendley. In those last two at bats, Pendley was swinging and not slapping. She crushed the ball both times.

 

[SoonerNorm]

http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=210884808

 

[SoonerNorm]

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10410&ATCLID=210885193

 

[SoonerNorm]

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10410&ATCLID=210884920

 

[sybarite]

Big Ten weekend
Ohio State (9-1-1) at Michigan (7-2)
Minnesota (8-3) at Rutgers
Minnesota lost at home to Wisconsin 3-6 and 1-7 today, knocking them out of first in the conference.
Nebraska (6-5) at Northwestern

SEC weekend
Florida (12-3) at Louisiana-Lafayette for three non-conference games.
Auburn (9-3) at Arkansas (1-11)
Alabama (8-4) at Texas A&M (5-7)
Tennessee (10-5) at Georgia (8-4)
LSU (5-10) at Mississippi State (2-10)
MIssissippi (4-8) at South Carolina (4-8)
Missouri at Kentucky (11-4)

Pac 12 weekend
Oregon (12-2) idle
California (5-5-1) at Washington (7-5)
Oregon State (4-8) at UCLA (7-3-1)
Arizona State at Utah (5-4)
Arizona (5-4) at Stanford

It is beginning to be the race for conference championships, with just about half the schedule completed. Some are interesting.

 

[Speedy17]

It is Louisiana Lafayette at Florida not the other way. That is a big series because somebody might get swept.

 

[sybarite]

North Texas (#100) is not a pushover. They took two of three from Baylor in Waco and split with Georgia Tech at Lawrence, KS. They also lost two to KU and Lawrence and to Arizona in Tucson. They are 20-19. They seem to be able to beat a Baylor. Yet, they were swept by Florida International and UTSA.

rpi rankings of OU opponents:

2 Michigan
3 Washington
8 Alabama
12 Baylor
15 UCLA
19 Minnesota
21 Fresno State
27 Cal-Fullerton
29 Utah
30 Oregon State
31 Nebraska
34 Long Beach State
41 Oklahoma State
44 Kansas
46 BYU
53 Grand Canyon
58 Wichita State
67 New Mexico State
69 Syracuse
111 DePaul
114 Dartmouth
126 Lamar
139 UMKC
145 Creighton
170 Western MIchigan
193 Maryland
201 St Louis

17 Tennessee
32 Tulsa
36 Texas
48 Texas Tech
100 North Texas
160 Iowa State

 

[scrybe]

Looking over the latest rankings/RPI, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the disparity between some teams' ranking and their RPI. Mighty Bama, for example, is very popular with the voters (No. 4 in both polls and voted No. 1 on multiple ballots). But the Tide's RPI is several slots lower, at #8. If RPI is as hugely important this season as it was last year, the Tide is teetering on the edge of failing to secure a Super Regional site. The same thing that happened to us last year.

OU, on the other hand, is ranked 9th in one poll and 12th in the other. But our RPI is 7, which would seemingly qualify the Sooners for a Super Regional if the season ended today (assuming, of course, that we win our regional).

Comments?