2019 Softball

Discussion in 'Softball' started by BabHorn, Jan 10, 2019.

  1. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Texas beats Texas State 10-0. Tied with school record 14 run-rules. Now 32-8, 4 HRs in one game(!).
    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 1
  2. Ellis21d

    Ellis21d JediHorn

    Our hitting prowess has totally disappeared during this Tech series? We are not getting any decent contact on the ball at all. Elish especially looks out of sorts and she has been one of our most dependable batters this year!
    We really need to win this series after losing the Okie State series!
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2019
  3. Ellis21d

    Ellis21d JediHorn

    Another thing that is puzzling to me is why Coach White is pulling O’Leary so quickly when she gets behind in a game? She was down 2 runs in the third inning in the Okie State game when she got the hook. And in the Tech game she was only down one run and had walked a batter when pulled? She got the loss in the Okie State game but did not get a loss in the Tech game.
    My theory is that Coach White is trying to put her in the best position to win some post season awards such as National Freshman of the year or at least on the Freshmen all American team? Somewhat of a conspiracy theory but the best reason I can come up with as to why she is getting jerked out so quickly!
     
  4. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Agreed, it seems to be overly protective. I heard in an interview that [roughly surmised by me] he didn't want her to get too down that early in her career and pulled her out so it wouldn't get in her own head too much and affect the season. But yeah, seems he's being handled with kid gloves.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  5. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    He's the million dollar coach not me, but I believe in letting kids work through problems. You can't let the problem get embarrassing, but if they don't learn to dig deep during the tough times how do they learn? On the flip side it's his job to win and maybe OSU and Tech aren't the teams to learn from....pull her to try to save the game. Save the teaching moments for Texas State type teams. I dunno, stabbing in the dark here.
     
  6. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Well, I had hoped to take 2 of 3 from OSU and expected to take 2 of 3 from Tech, so at least one of my predictions happened. It looks like SS is still a point of weakness for the team. Saturday, Mike White gave Parker another shot at the position and then she's pulled after incurring yet another error. Replaced with Slack who then on Sunday gets her own error. Like someone else mentioned, a marked improvement in the team, but not there yet until we can cut down on weakness in the infield. Seems the only person who is a strength is Jefferson at 2nd.

    Thought I might this stat out there (by the way, you aren't bored/annoyed with these graphs by now are you?):
    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 2
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2019
  7. Ellis21d

    Ellis21d JediHorn

    Totally agree that she needs to dig out of her own problems. Even a freshman has to take her licks and toughen up!
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  8. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    I'll never forget when my son went to major in theater in college and when it came time for his first audition he was totally surprised and intimidated by the fact that everyone was as good or better than him. He was always used to being the best in his high school.

    Same thing here. There's a lot of good softball players these days and usually only one or two on most HS teams. Select is much more competitive, but when you are playing at the highest level of D1 competition everyone is really good and it's intimidating. The sooner they get over that and move on the sooner they can perform more consistently. Babying them in these situations to me seems wrong, but good coaching and explaining helps them understand what's going on when they flop.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  9. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Another perfunctory win over an overmatched opponent, who happen to beat us last year. Another throwing error from the short stop position. But Mary I is seeing the ball BIG these last few games. Whoo-Hoo.
    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 1
  10. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Coming near the end of a pleasantly surprising softball season, I wanted to guesstimate the end of the year and see what y'all think.

    Right now, we're: 35-9

    Remaining games and how I think we'll do (W-L):
    UT Arlington: 1-0
    OU: 1-2 (and that's being a homer)
    Prairie View A&M: 1-0
    Kansas: 3-0
    Incarnate Word: 1-0
    Baylor: 2-0

    Carry the one and we end up with a 44-11 record. We will host a Regional, and probably not a Super Regional since that goes to the top 8 seeds. But then again, we've got the #6 RPI in the NCAA. Maybe that will get us the ability to host a Super.

    *POST: Ooops, forgot we have a Big 12 tournament these days
     
    • Like Like x 1
  11. Ellis21d

    Ellis21d JediHorn

    The OU series is going to be very exciting! OU is VERY good but our girls, especially Miranda Elish, do not like to lose! I wouldn't be surprised to see more than one extra innings games. We can not afford to have any errors and expect to win. I'll go out on a limb and say that we win 2 games (when Elish is pitching) in the series!
     
  12. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    I'd say 44-11 or 43-12 sounds about right. It's amazing how fast it all goes. Didn't the season just start? My daughter had her last home game of the season last night....took me by complete surprise.
     
  13. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    I listened to the UT-Arlington game on the internet and as I was reading over the write-up this caught my eye:

    "Sophomore Ariana Adams (5-0) picked up the victory by allowing one run on four hits with a walk over 1.2 innings of relief. Senior Brooke Bolinger started in the circle, and earned her fourth save of 2019 after re-entering in the seventh, permitting one earned run on just two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 5.1 frames."

    Wait, what? Ariana came in and pitched 1.2 innings before almost giving away the game and Brooke had to re-enter. How does Ariana get the "victory" and Brooke get the "save"?

    Anyone know the rules in softball for determining winners and relievers?
     
  14. Ellis21d

    Ellis21d JediHorn

    In Softball you give the starting pitcher a win if she pitches at least four of the seven innings, leaves the game with her team ahead and the team retains the lead for the entire game. If the pitcher fails to meet those qualifications she does not qualify for a win.
    In the UTA game I believe Adams entered the game with Texas behind in the score. During that 1.2 innings she pitched we went ahead. She returned to the mound after we went ahead and was eventually replaced by Bollinger but we never lost the lead again resulting in her getting the win. Adams was just fortunate to have entered the game when the offense came to life!!!
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. Ellis21d

    Ellis21d JediHorn

    Oh My Gosh Oklahoma’s offense is stout! But we still made a stupid error that results in a run for the Okies! Juarez is a Super pitcher and she just kept throwing strikes and we kept watching or whoofing as the ball goes by! Not sure we will be able to win a game in this series!
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  16. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    1. Their infielders are superb: fast, confident, and did I say fast?
    2. Juarez sure had pitches that had our batters chasing to the point they were too scared to swing and got caught looking
    3. But, she's hittable, not the second coming of Cat
    4. Man, one inning really got into the head of Rhodes - who redeems herself in the 7th, but a little too late
     
    • Like Like x 1
  17. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    FWIW, that catch for the last out is one of the most athletic and magnificent catches I've ever seen even though it was made by OU.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  18. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Thoughts from the game 2, 4-3 loss to OU:
    1) Top of the 8th inning, the whole infield loses it's composure
    a) OU does score at the plate, the ref made the safe cll
    b) fans in the stands (we're row 2 from the bottom) are yelling "She didn't touch the plate!"
    c) so our infield is confused, gets the ball and then tries to tag the player in the OU celebration circle
    d) forgetting that there is another player at 3rd, who Patti Gasso sends in for the SECOND RUN of that inning
    e) idiots!

    2) Bottom of the 8th inning,
    a) Mike White has some cajones telling JJ to bunt with 2 outs and two players on
    b) It almost works except
    c) I thought there was obstruction at the plate (where my focus on)
    d) Apparently the real obstruction was at third base
    e) gutless umps weren't watching and said, game over and then made a quick beeline to the locker rooms as "boos" are raining down on them

    Taping the reply on LHN to see the bottom of the 8th, focusing on the 3rd base

    One thing, OU fans know their team was lucky to get out with a win. There's the typical boomer-sooner chanting, but no cockiness to their chants like the old days when they knew they were going to roll over us easily.

    Finally, we ain't afraid of their pitchers and they know it too.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  19. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Beating a dead horse:
    Upon review of the LHN replay and further "recollections" with the spouse:
    1. The last out with MK Tedder trying to get home was correctly called by the umps. The catch did not block the plate prior to catching the ball. But once the catcher caught the ball she did block the plate - correct call.
    2. [From spouse] In the 6th inning, Patti Gasso suddenly pulls her batter out of the batter's box because her son jumped out of the dugout to warn his mom that Patti didn't correctly re-insert the player back into the game when the player was previously substituted (pinch runner?). If Mike White had protested that, it could have been an "out" for the player about to bat - illegal substitution.
    3. [From spouse] In the 8th inning, when the first player scored for OU, the dugout emptied in celebration with the player. Spouse says that the play should have stopped there because it was a dead ball and thus, player from 3rd could not have advanced to home.
     
  20. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Well, third game of the OU series. Ummmm.



    More thoughts after I let my brain cool down from the sun and the burn OU put on us.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  21. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Well, OU are who we thought they were. Although, the first two games had me thinking we were narrowing the distance between our two teams. But, seeing Elish the third day in a row, any good team should be able to learn and better themselves. Just as I was thinking, "We've done good keeping them from leaving the ballpark", they smack two HRs.

    Once again, the error-a-day rule kicked in.

    [​IMG]
    And then today's multi-home run derby

    [​IMG]
    Still at this point last year, we'd given up 132 runs vs. 90 this year.

    I'm hoping for a 43-12 record by the time we're done with Baylor. We can only play better right?
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  22. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Demonstratable progress has been made this season which is about all one can wish for with a new coach.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  23. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

     
    • Like Like x 3
  24. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Well, nothing like a little KU softball to soothe the hurt from an OU sweep. Today's comparative stat:

    [​IMG]
    And so the team is at 39-12 since the Prairie View game was cancelled last Wednesday. And...with rain coming this week, who knows if the mid-week and Baylor games will be playable?

    Regardless, the current Big 12 standings (which don't include the Sunday games for us) shows:

    [​IMG]

    Regardless if OSU loses the rest of their games and Texas wins the rest, OSU will come in second in the Big 12 this year to OU. Bummer.

    There's a new and free softball site called Softball America. And they project Texas to be the national #6 seed in the upcoming tournament. Really?

    NCAA Softball Tournament Field Of 64 Projection (4/26/19)

    Now, this is just a guesstimate, but wow how one year and coaching change has made the difference.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  25. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    How did I get to this point in the season and not realize the turd burglars are 45-2. That's almost unbelievable with 24 run rule games. Their only losses were to FSU who was ranked #1 at the time and UCLA who was ranked #2 at the time. That team is stupid good.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  26. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    Texas pulls out two wins from the Bears. On to the Big 12 tournament which starts Friday.
    [​IMG]
     
  27. William Bush

    William Bush 25+ Posts

    Its nice to finally have a real coach.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  28. nashhorn

    nashhorn 5,000+ Posts

    Hookem ladies, 0-0 top of third.
     
  29. nashhorn

    nashhorn 5,000+ Posts

    Horns up 2-0 after 4. Ok st leaves 2 on, whew!
     
  30. nashhorn

    nashhorn 5,000+ Posts

    Well poor Elish. Wheels came off bottoms of 6. They stopped swing at close pitches and ump stopped calling close ones in her favor - darn - good game till now.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1

Share This Page