Softball Offseason

[VObserver]

Let me interject here. You're asking us fans to be patient. You say the coaches have 9 months to figure it out. They do not. They have maybe a week or two. They've got to decide which players they are not going to ask back and which players they are going to go after in the portal. If they don't make moves now, you can expect the same type of team on the field next year.

You say Ardoin, Liscano and Williams have the ability to drive the ball in the gap. Stats do not lie. Combined, those three players had a total of 287 plate appearances. Combined, they had 12 extra base hits. So, they have shown very, very little ability to drive the ball. I don't see that changing.

As far as the other players you mentioned, all totaled, the Cajuns had 1,373 at bats this year. Out of those, they had 78 extra base hits. So, in almost 1300 at bats, they did not drive the ball.

You predict the Cajuns will double their home run output and have a BIG increase in extra bass hits. It could happen. But for it to happen, those players are going to really have to step up. If you didn't notice, the Cajun's three power hitters all regressed from how they performed in previous years. That is not a good sign.

I really want to see this team succeed. As I mentioned in another post, coach has some really tough decisions to make. The question is, is she going to make those decisions going by what she feels in her heart, or, make the decisions that are going to put a team on the field that can play the type of ball to bring them back to the level of play they were once at? Only time will tell. The clock is ticking.

I agree with 22 about Ardoin, Williams and Liscano, provided that they stop slapping altogether and and become full swing hitters, but not if they continue to slap.

[RoarMan]

I agree with 22 about Ardoin, Williams and Liscano, provided that they stop slapping altogether and and become full swing hitters, but not if they continue to slap.

Like I mentioned, if these players continue to do what they do, you will have the exact same type of team on the field as you did this year. Not one of them increased their ability to drive the ball over the course of the season. Why do you think they were not?

[RedBug58]

I wonder if any of our players from last year will be in the portal?? May if we all “pitched in” we could buy a couple back!!!

[RoarMan]

I wonder if any of our players from last year will be in the portal?? May if we all “pitched in” we could buy a couple back!!!

Probably won't be a former Cajun that enters the portal from Texas Tech. I think if, Texas Tech does not make it to the World Series, look for Canady to maybe be in the transfer portal.

What's interesting is Canady didn't feel she had enough
offensive production from her teammates to win a World Series. However, this year, Stanford is maybe the best hitting team in the nation. Check out their statistics. They rank top five in almost every hitting category. Texas Tech does not.

[JMV JustMyView]

I watched more softball this year than at any other time, primarily because of the players we lost to the portal. I watched more SBC softball too, a lot more. There's a saying in football about how a team looks getting off the bus...well, we are not very good looking getting off our bus when compared to the higher end schools in the nation and in our own conference. We were small and short at the plate this year and our offensive numbers reflected that. ULM, Coastal, JMU, Marshall just to name a few, all were more physical looking with taller players with longer arms. Hell, we walked the TXState HR hitter 3 times in one game because of her power. You don't need a Lexis Elkins to hit HR's in these parks...most HR's are big pop ups if the wind is in the right direction. But, small is small...you can't fix that if you keep the same small players.

Maybe we can strengthen them up in the fall and develop their full swings better, but that is the harder and riskier way to do it in these times. My Dad was a football coach and he used to say, "I'll take that big, fast running back over that small, fast running back every time". Yeah, I know, that's a different sport, but you don't see the small players getting walked out of fear of the long ball, do you? IMO, we have too many and that needs to be addressed in the portal.

Hard decisions for our new coach must be made. She's knows talent, given her 25 years at Alabama. But, now she's the HC and all those hard decisions falls on her plate. I don't envy her and wouldn't want to be in her shoes. I just hope she welcomes the opportunity the portal now affords a coach to make changes when needed.

In closing, I'll say this. If we don't improve significantly next season, we'll begin to start losing our fanbase, which is already old and that includes my old butt I'll be at the games next season and will make a few away since I'm retiring, but we need a refresh of fans. That's hard to do when you are not winning like we use to. Our attendance this year was amazing considering what happened to our program and the very slow start of the season. Yeah, we did get better, but we knew how limited we were offensively and for most season pitching was a problem too early on. Manufacturing runs with small ball is hard and takes a sequence of hits to score runs. This was as big a factor in losing all those 1 run games as any other. I sat on this reply for awhile, worried it may hurt some feelings, but it is what it is.

Geaux Cajuns!

BTW, I noticed while watching the CCU game that ALL of their hitters started their swings with closed hips and popped them forward and open so that hips and shoulders powered through the ball at the same time. None of ours start with closed hips.

[VObserver]

Like I mentioned, if these players continue to do what they do, you will have the exact same type of team on the field as you did this year. Not one of them increased their ability to drive the ball over the course of the season. Why do you think they were not?

I am not the right person to ask. If I were the decision maker, every one of my players would be full-swing hitters, and those with speed would be able to bunt if necessary. As to those three, in particular, I believe all could be effective as full-swing hitters, and my thoughts of them being more productive all hinge on them abandoning the slap swing entirely.

[RoarMan]

I am not the right person to ask. If I were the decision maker, every one of my players would be full-swing hitters, and those with speed would be able to bunt if necessary. As to those three, in particular, I believe all could be effective as full-swing hitters, and my thoughts of them being more productive all hinge on them abandoning the slap swing entirely.

I'm not sure what you mean by effective, but I would be very surprised, if any of those three players, if they are still with the team, hit more than three home runs any year to follow.

[du42]

If we only get 1-2 from the portal, we will be worse offensively than this year. We need 4-5 at least. Closed hipsters as they say….

[Reality Check]

I agree with hitting the ball in the gaps. I see practice everyday. I think we will at least double our home runs next year and have a big increase in extra base hits. I have seen everyone coming back swing the bat, except Raenna Liscano so I really don’t know what to expect from her. Mia Liscano, Erin Ardoin, and Dayzja W. all have the ability to drive the ball in the gaps. Dayzja has really improved in that area and I expect her to get even better. Cissy V., Mia Norwood, Gabbie Stutes, Lillian Soto, Emily Smith, and McKayla Ferguson all played this year and return. All have the ability to hit with a little power. Obviously some more than others. Three more that can hit with some power that didn’t play this year, Brooke Otto, Chayne Allan and Lily Knox. Incoming freshman, Haley Hart, Kennedi Stutes, Shyanne Irvin, Natalie Johnson, Miki Watts. All these kids will get an opportunity in the fall. Maybe add 1 are 2 from the portal, not really necessary. Just my opinion, but I believe we will be just fine. We will also have more pitching depth. Relax guys, we have almost 9 months for our coaches to figure this out.?

Bobby, I respect your knowlege and expertise about Cajun softball but I think you are off base with this post, especially in regards to Liscano, Ardoin and Williams. For them to drive the ball, that would require them to completely change their swing mechanics from slappers to power hitters. I just don't see them being able to effectively change their mechanics and muscle memory before the start of next season, especially under the tutalage of what is supposed to be a new hitting coach. Incoming freshman Miki Watts is a slapper so I don't see her contributing to an increase in the power numbers for UL next season. With the new roster limitation kicking in for next season, I can see Aly giving walking papers, for lack of better terminology, to at 3 girls currently on the roster. Rory is correct in that the time frame for aly to make roster moves is much shorter than the 9 month term you state, especially if she also has to fill vacancies in her coaching staff as that which is rumored.

[cajunref]

Let me interject here. You're asking us fans to be patient. You say the coaches have 9 months to figure it out. They do not. They have maybe a week or two. They've got to decide which players they are not going to ask back and which players they are going to go after in the portal. If they don't make moves now, you can expect the same type of team on the field next year.

You say Ardoin, Liscano and Williams have the ability to drive the ball in the gap. Stats do not lie. Combined, those three players had a total of 287 plate appearances. Combined, they had 12 extra base hits. So, they have shown very, very little ability to drive the ball. I don't see that changing.

As far as the other players you mentioned, all totaled, the Cajuns had 1,373 at bats this year. Out of those, they had 78 extra base hits. So, in almost 1300 at bats, they did not drive the ball.

You predict the Cajuns will double their home run output and have a BIG increase in extra bass hits. It could happen. But for it to happen, those players are going to really have to step up. If you didn't notice, the Cajun's three power hitters all regressed from how they performed in previous years. That is not a good sign.

I'm not trying to be Negative Nelly. But, I don't look at this team through rose-colored glasses. I see their flaws, and I clearly see why they did not have the success they were hoping for this year. I think to be successful, the coach is going to have to go in a totally different direction.

Believe me, I want to see this team succeed. As I mentioned in another post, coach has some really tough decisions to make. The question is, is she going to make those decisions going by what she feels in her heart, or, make the decisions that are going to put a team on the field that can play the type of ball to bring them back to the level of play they were once at? Only time will tell. The clock is ticking.

Excellent post. We need to go in totally different direction, player and hitting philosophy wise. Of the ones that played this year, I would only keep 3. We need 3- 4 hitters from the portal at least.