Week One Softball Critique

[VObserver]

Here is my opinion of what I saw this weekend......Emily Smith and Mallory Wheeler have the ability to be really, really good for a long time, if we can keep them.

That is not a coincidence. Both were on several pre-season Top 100 recruits lists.

[CajunSID]

The SBC favorite was Texas State according to www.sunbeltsports.org, they went 2-2 losing to Bradley and Arkansas, they won vs San Diego and Lipscomb. JMU went 0-5, but they were not the preseason favorite according to the conference.

Ahh..you’re right. Forgot it was the D1 writer who had JMU first. Texas St didn’t exactly light it up either. My original point still stands..conference is wide open 😂

[VObserver]

Current SBC Standings

2025 Softball Standings
School Conference Conf. PCT Overall Overall PCT Streak
South Alabama 0-0 .000 4-1 .800 W2
Coastal Carolina 0-0 .000 3-1 .750 W2
Louisiana 0-0 .000 3-2 .600 W3
Troy 0-0 .000 3-2 .600 L1
Texas State 0-0 .000 2-2 .500 L1
Ga So 0-0 .000 2-3 .400 L1
App State 0-0 .000 1-4 .200 L4
Marshall 0-0 .000 1-4 .200 W1
Southern Miss 0-0 .000 1-4 .200 L3
ULM 0-0 .000 1-4 .200 L2
Georgia State 0-0 .000 0-5 .000 L5
James Madison 0-0 .000 0-5 .000 L5

[JMV JustMyView]

Ahh..you’re right. Forgot it was the D1 writer who had JMU first. Texas St didn’t exactly light it up either. My original point still stands..conference is wide open ��

He had Texas State first.

[CajunSID]

He had Texas State first.

You’re right..he had them 2nd. Seems to be a bit of a stretch, but there’s not one team that distinguished themselves week 1.

[JMV JustMyView]

I liked Erin Ardoin in the outfield in either left or right.

Left definitely isn't happening. Once Knox and Allen get healthy they will get the bulk of the playing time in RF if no other injuries happen.

[VObserver]

We are definitely blessed with an abundance of outfield talent. In fact, the only "weakness" we have defensively is at the corner infield positions, and that is only a weakness by comparison with our strength up the middle.

[SportyCajun459]

The Ugly: The injury to Tyla Clary leaves us with only 3 healthy pitchers on the roster. Those 3 have a total of 30 innings pitched at the D1 level.

I don't know the status of Cleary and i hope that her being on crutches was something more precautionary more so than an indicator of a more serious injury. IMO, her injury falls entirely on the Cajun field crew. You could see both pitchers lead foot sliding when planted their foot to pitch. The field crew came out a couple of times during the game to work on the pitching lane. The guy working the tamp acted like he didn't know what it was used for from the soft tamps he was giving the dirt. I've only worked on rec fields but I know that you really have to tamp down hard the fill dirt you put in the hole that the pitchers dig out when pitching so as to pack the soil. That guy might as well been using a fly swatter for all of the pressure he was putting on the tamp. I'm surprised that neither coaching staff said anything to him. And then when Shelbi and Lacey came out to throw clumps of clay away that were left after he "raked' the circle following the Cleary injury was pathetic.