Softball: Addition by subtraction?

Discussion in 'Softball' started by racerx5908, Jul 7, 2015.

  1. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    There was an announcement that Connie has signed YET-ANOTHER pitcher to the team:
    http://texassports.com/news/2015/7/7/SB_0707150029.aspx

    Originally, Texas had signed 3 girls from high school:
    http://texassports.com/news/2014/11/12/SB_1112141506.aspx?path=softball

    And now we've signed up two more, both from CA. Does anyone know if any player on the current roster
    has quit? Freeing up scholarships?

    Also it seems to indicate that this new pitcher would be playing this year? Doesn't she have to sit out one year? Anyone know the dope in softball?
     
  2. TXLonghorndad

    TXLonghorndad 100+ Posts

    Not sitting out a year is my understanding which is normal for many of the women sports. Happens in Volleyball also as coaches generally give a full release.

    Texas needs a dominant pitcher to 1)earn a regional at McCombs and 2) do well in the post season.
     
  3. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Finally, someone with their 2-cents. Unfortunately, I'll have to disagree with parts of your statement. I believe that volleyball is the only women's sport that doesn't require a player to sit out 1 year as a result of a transfer. However, basketball and softball do require it unless given explicit "unconditional release" by the coach of the departed team.

    For instance, we had a pitcher Megan Fox who saw her future sitting behind Blaire Luna and left after her sophmore year. She transferred to A&M (!!) and had to sit a year before she could pitch.

    And recently, we had a basketball player, Nekia Jones, transfer to University of North Texas. She went with coach's blessing, but has to sit out for a year. But on the flip side, the women's basketball team had a player who played her freshman year during Coach G's first year. After that year, she transferred to TCU and immediately played the next season. That confused me and I did a bunch of searching and found an obscure bylaw in NCAA rules that allowed the player not to sit one year if the coach agrees to it.

    It could be that this incoming pitcher got an unconditional release from her old coach.
     
  4. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    The only women's sport which requires a mandatory sit-out transfer year is basketball. Granted, when a player is not given a full/unconditional release, they may have to sit out a year; and, there are other conditions when transferring to a conference school. Players can file petitions for a waiver to that sit-out rule; they typically are due to family member health, and maybe even coaching changes.

    Rachel Fox is the pitcher you are referring to; she had to sit out a year because Clark had restricted her from transferring to certain in-state schools, with A&M being one of them.

    As for signing that transfer pitcher for USD so late in the off season, I can only assume that a pitcher from this past season won't be returning.
     
  5. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Yes, thanks for the correction, it was "Rachel", not "Megan" who transferred. Well, in my head I know who our 1 and 1a pitchers are...so I can make a guess of who is probably moving on, but don't want to start an unsubstantiated rumor. But ironically, was fishing for an unsubstantiated rumor!
     
  6. TXLonghorndad

    TXLonghorndad 100+ Posts

    Yes, should have added the important part of being granted a full release from the previous coach.

    There are so many players transferring in volleyball now that I wouldn't be surprised to see more coaches begin placing restrictions on players leaving the program.
     
  7. rattfatt

    rattfatt 500+ Posts

    The important part is the release, Rachel could have played right away but Coach Clark blocked her from going to a&m. Which is why she had to pay her own way for a year before playing softball at a&m. The great hitter for OU Pendly, transferred from Arizona and played right away when she went to OU. Just like the male athletes, the conferences won't allow you to play right away after transferring if you play a sport that comes close to generating any kind of revenue. The coaches that are in the sports that make a good salary, even in a sport like women's basketball push their conferences to not allow kids to play right away after a transfer because they want to keep their cushy jobs. Which is why, if you noticed, all the sports that you're allowed to transfer without sitting out are all the Olympic non revenue sports.

    A great example of this is college baseball, you use to be able to transfer and play right away. But once the coaches like Augie started to make really good money, he and all the other coaches and athletic directors wanted to pertect their jobs so they pushed their conferences to change the rule and not allow transfers to play right away. It's not the Ncaa that restricts players from tranferring, it's the conferences. Which is why they have stupid rules, like having to sit out two years if you transfer within the conference. Also the only way you can play right away in basketball is if you have to transfer because of family issues, or health problems with a parent or close family member. The Letica Romero situation with KSU was very interesting, the Ncaa allowed her to play when she petitioned after the 1 semester when she transferred because of what KSU put her through.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2015
  8. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    So, by looking at the updated roster for the softball team it looks like three members of the team didn't return this fall:
    1) Lauren Slatten - sad, but not surprised
    2) Taylor King - not surprising. I think she was ROTC and never really saw the field
    3) Alyssa Angel - a bit of a surprise since she was just a freshman last year

    That explains the surge in last minute signings by Connie Clark. With the 3 seniors from last year,
    it looked like there were 3+2 scholarships opened up (I'm assuming that King was on the ROTC scholarship
    and didn't take up an athletic one). And if you count the new signees/transfer that was 5 as well.

    Anyone can confirm?
     
  9. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    I figured one pitcher form last season was moving on in order for there to be an opening for that transfer pitched; makes sense that is Lauren.
     
  10. UTexRulz23

    UTexRulz23 500+ Posts

    They are having open tryouts.

    Idk I just don't think that should be happening at Texas...
     
  11. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Softball has always had open tryouts, as have the women's basketball team. In fact, the starting strong safety for the football team was a walk-on, mostly forgotten by previous coaching staff, but appreciated by current coaches.

    The reason we don't think about the tryout program is that neither women's basketball / softball have "found' the diamond in the rough. Volleyball has invited walk-ons. i.e. Kat Brooks has been paying her way for the last 4 years.
     
  12. UTexRulz23

    UTexRulz23 500+ Posts

    Invited walk-ons are not the same thing as open tryouts. IWOs are still recruited by the coaches in some way. Kat Brooks was part of the signing class.

    Even if they have open tryouts this year, this year for softball and tennis it is being publicized. To me, that's an issue with attrition and coach's not planning. New tennis coach may have an excuse (and he can still bring in some for Spring like we did Addison's freshman year). Connie does not.
     
  13. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    I think the point you may have missed is that Connie and Karen Aston have always had open tryouts. So it's not a sudden panic move by Connie saying, "Ooops! I need more players! I'd better host open tryouts." She's had them for years and I've seen it on the texassports.com page when it's announced. The interesting thing is I've never seen anyone picked up in softball.....In basketball maybe Helen Tau, but she was team manager for 3 years so I'm not sure if that's considered an "open tryout".
     
  14. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    Tennis is also having open tryouts. Unless the roster size increases, they can't even compete in a 6-player per team dual meet.
     
  15. UTexRulz23

    UTexRulz23 500+ Posts

    Fair enough. I guess it just seems out of desperation. (Doesn't really happen for Volleyball.)
     
  16. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    Volleyball has plenty of walk-on players (Palladino, Brooks, Beard, and one or two more backrow players). So, while they weren't part of "open tryouts, and are probably "preferred walk-ons", they have to be talented enough to contribute or they wouldn't be part of the team.
     
  17. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

  18. lostman

    lostman 500+ Posts

    Brittany Reliford was a walk-on, as was Patricia Vega. Reliford played 3 years and Vega 2 IIRC. So, occasionally a player does turn up.
     

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