22 SB Recap & 23 Fall Outlook

[VObserver]

We will still be great without the 3 leaving

I will be VERY happy if those three are the only ones in the portal for the Cajuns this recruiting cycle. That will cut down on the number and type of players we need to get from the portal.

[JMV JustMyView]

I will be VERY happy if those three are the only ones in the portal for the Cajuns this recruiting cycle. That will cut down on the number and type of players we need to get from the portal.

I am with you on that. After fall ball is always another time to cross your fingers.

[Cajun Monkee]

She could still change her mind down the road. Who knows. If she wants to be a Cajun would you take her?

Hmmmm, asking for speculation on a (far-fetched) speculation. About a first-team All-American transferring in.

If Montana Fouts were to transfer in, that means somebody would lose pitches.

Who do you propose that be?

Megan, who proved to be our anchor in the latter part of the season?

Kandra, who has committed the last several years of her life to the program (and has been pretty productive)?

Sam, who is the future of our rotation?

Chloe Riassetto, ranked number 37 by Extra Innings and may very well join Sam as our future?

I am a big fan of loyalty and continuity. I think both contribute to the psyche of the locker room. And if Fouts changed her mind once, she could do so again. And if she did, and she took that spot from somebody else, you have either incredibly disrupted the locker room, sacrificed your future, or (more likely) both.

The only scenario I could see taking a Montana Fouts into the fold is if Megan or Kandra had already said they were done with this program and we needed to fill the hole (and Chloe was cool with red-shirting). Other than that, I think I'd have to pass.

But I guess the same speculative argument could be made about any other eligible All-American.

What current players are you willing to sacrifice if an All-American with one year of eligibility becomes available?

[JMV JustMyView]

Sure. If an elite pitcher would want to come to Lafayette and play for the Cajuns then you bring that kid in and everything else will work its way out. If any elite player that is not a pitcher wants to play for the Cajuns then you also bring that kid in. A coach should always be looking for ways to improve his ball club. Competition is healthy, if you want to play then prove it. Most coaches want you to show them not tell what you can do. I would think players with only one year left would have to be an immediate impact player to be brought in.

[VObserver]

Assuming that Fouts or another elite pitcher with one year of eligibility remaining comes in, we take her in a heartbeat. As to who gives up innings pitched; everyone does. Our pitchers this year threw 391 innings. Call it 400 for the sake of round numbers. Give each of the four [New girl, Lamb, Landry and Schorman] 80 innings, and give 40 to the promising freshman. Everyone gets enough work to stay sharp and not enough to be fatigued at the end of the season. Explain your plan before the season, and convince them that it is the best path to OKC. A huge part of coaching is having a good plan and getting your players to buy in. The three we have now have bought in already; if they had not, one or more would be in the portal already.

For comparison purposes consider this: Jessica Mullins pitched 241 innings out of 374 for TxSt; Olivia Lackie pitched 156 innings out of 305 for South Alabama; Leanna Johnson pitched 197 of 337 for Troy; Kaitlan Beasley-Polko pitched 166 of 360 for Coastal Carolina.

Our most active pitcher, Schorman, threw 141 of 391, and only threw that many because Landry was not available for the NCAA Tournament. Our pitchers have already bought in to a reduced role for each as an attractive tradeoff for more team success. Plus, we can sell giving just a few innings to our freshman [or freshmen, since we have signed two, and have red shirted one this year] because three of the four primaries will be gone after next year.

[JMV JustMyView]

Assuming that Fouts or another elite pitcher with one year of eligibility remaining comes in, we take her in a heartbeat. As to who gives up innings pitched; everyone does. Our pitchers this year threw 391 innings. Call it 400 for the sake of round numbers. Give each of the four [New girl, Lamb, Landry and Schorman] 80 innings, and give 40 to the promising freshman. Everyone gets enough work to stay sharp and not enough to be fatigued at the end of the season. Explain your plan before the season, and convince them that it is the best path to OKC. A huge part of coaching is having a good plan and getting your players to buy in. The three we have now have bought in already; if they had not, one or more would be in the portal already.

For comparison purposes consider this: Jessica Mullins pitched 241 innings out of 374 for TxSt; Olivia Lackie pitched 156 innings out of 305 for South Alabama; Leanna Johnson pitched 197 of 337 for Troy; Kaitlan Beasley-Polko pitched 166 of 360 for Coastal Carolina.

Our most active pitcher, Schorman, threw 141 of 391, and only threw that many because Landry was not available for the NCAA Tournament. Our pitchers have already bought in to a reduced role for each as an attractive tradeoff for more team success. Plus, we can sell giving just a few innings to our freshman [or freshmen, since we have signed two, and have red shirted one this year] because three of the four primaries will be gone after next year.

Excellent post.

[VObserver]

Another comparison since we mentioned Montana Fouts. She pitched 190 of 378 innings for Alabama. She would be a harder sell than any of our current pitchers.

[Cajun Monkee]

Sure. If an elite pitcher would want to come to Lafayette and play for the Cajuns then you bring that kid in and everything else will work its way out. If any elite player that is not a pitcher wants to play for the Cajuns then you also bring that kid in. A coach should always be looking for ways to improve his ball club. Competition is healthy, if you want to play then prove it. Most coaches want you to show them not tell what you can do. I would think players with only one year left would have to be an immediate impact player to be brought in.

I guess that's a different way of looking at it.

And a conversation we've had many times on this board.

My favorite quote of Tony's (and I know I'm paraphrasing) was about attitude/personality (can't remember the cause) making a great team average or an average team great.

I will alwasy be concerned about one-year commitments having a negative impact on the psyche of the team. Which in turn could impact the long-term success of the program.

We are quite proud and excited (and understandable so) about the youth of this team. I think bringing in a position player with one year of eligibility who could potentially replace a one- or two-year starter who has been productive is counterintuitive to long-term success.

I think certain relationships should be intimate.

The relationship(s) on a sports team should be intimate.

I don't think this can be established in one year.

Just my .02 cents.

Which pitcher would you take pitches from?

[JMV JustMyView]

I guess that's a different way of looking at it.

And a conversation we've had many times on this board.

My favorite quote of Tony's (and I know I'm paraphrasing) was about attitude/personality (can't remember the cause) making a great team average or an average team great.

I will alwasy be concerned about one-year commitments having a negative impact on the psyche of the team. Which in turn could impact the long-term success of the program.

We are quite proud and excited (and understandable so) about the youth of this team. I think bringing in a position player with one year of eligibility who could potentially replace a one- or two-year starter who has been productive is counterintuitive to long-term success.

I think certain relationships should be intimate.

The relationship(s) on a sports team should be intimate.

I don't think this can be established in one year.

Just my .02 cents.

Which pitcher would you take pitches from?

None. Who is to say one or more pitchers might get hurt, in a slump etc. Maybe one could be a shut down closer option. You never have to much pitching.

[VObserver]

I guess that's a different way of looking at it.

And a conversation we've had many times on this board.

My favorite quote of Tony's (and I know I'm paraphrasing) was about attitude/personality (can't remember the cause) making a great team average or an average team great.

I will alwasy be concerned about one-year commitments having a negative impact on the psyche of the team. Which in turn could impact the long-term success of the program.

We are quite proud and excited (and understandable so) about the youth of this team. I think bringing in a position player with one year of eligibility who could potentially replace a one- or two-year starter who has been productive is counterintuitive to long-term success.

I think certain relationships should be intimate.

The relationship(s) on a sports team should be intimate.

I don't think this can be established in one year.

Just my .02 cents.

Which pitcher would you take pitches from?

If you recall, during this season there were multiple occasions where we pulled a struggling starter early in a game and replaced them with one of the other two "starters". In several of those cases we pulled the replacement after a few innings and re-inserted the starter. That is a pretty disruptive way to handle pitchers, yet all three of our pitchers seem to have great chemistry among themselves and with their team. Maybe we just have a group of girls who value "team" over "me". Maybe that is the kind of player we are recruiting; because other than the three that were suspended earlier for unknown reasons, no one is in the portal, pitcher or position player.

Some of the people on this board who are legitimate insiders to the program and who are very softball savvy have speculated that some of our position players would be in the portal at season's end, but none are. Maybe there is a reason for that, and maybe that reason is that we have recruited a great group of girls who really get the concept that there is no "I" in team.

The answer to your question is in there somewhere. I am not "taking" opportunities from anyone; I am giving opportunities to everyone to be a part of something great.

[JMV JustMyView]

If you recall, during this season there were multiple occasions where we pulled a struggling starter early in a game and replaced them with one of the other two "starters". In several of those cases we pulled the replacement after a few innings and re-inserted the starter. That is a pretty disruptive way to handle pitchers, yet all three of our pitchers seem to have great chemistry among themselves and with their team. Maybe we just have a group of girls who value "team" over "me". Maybe that is the kind of player we are recruiting; because other than the three that were suspended earlier for unknown reasons, no one is in the portal, pitcher or position player.

Some of the people on this board who are legitimate insiders to the program and who are very softball savvy have speculated that some of our position players would be in the portal at season's end, but none are. Maybe there is a reason for that, and maybe that reason is that we have recruited a great group of girls who really get the concept that there is no "I" in team.

The answer to your question is in there somewhere. I am not "taking" opportunities from anyone; I am giving opportunities to everyone to be a part of something great.

We have legitimate insiders on this board?

[VObserver]

Yes we do. Quite a few actually. You are one, but not the only one.
Lcitsh, roarman and at least two or three more also are well informed and well connected inside the program.