Softball Offseason

[VObserver]

….So Vob…many decades ago watching on TV, BUt..Mantle batting as a righty vs a lefty of course…..bunts a half ass but hard enough roller past the pitcher to the second base man area……ergo base hit as he makes it pretty easily to first…….maybe the best ever!

Mantle was expert at the drag bunt [bunting with a conventional grip rather than the wide split grip normally used for bunting].

[MarlinMan3]

Why do some small schools have JV teams, and how does the new NCAA roster limits affect that?
Why wouldnt that be an option or a club team overseen by the varsity staff

[cjr3888]

Why do some small schools have JV teams, and how does the new NCAA roster limits affect that?
Why wouldnt that be an option or a club team overseen by the varsity staff

NAIA and D2 programs have JV teams for different reasons. Their JV squads are really just fillers for school enrollment. You rarely see D2 players move up to D1, except U Tampa & a few other Florida schools. D2 is loaded with D1 transfers looking for playing time.

Having said that, look for the Tier 1 schools in the future realignment to start JV squads as their "minor league development". They haven't figured out the current roster limit rules, so this will take another few years to play out.

[VObserver]

A couple of good power hitters in the portal..

Sydney Groves from Boise: .336 BA .347 RPA 10 HR 36 RBI
Addison Foster from Stetson: .411 BA .429 RPA 5 HR45 RBI

A couple of good pitchers in the portal..

Peja Goold from Chattanooga: 1.69 ERA 1.01 WHIP
Megan Gregory from Campbell: 1.87 ERA 1.31 WHIP

[Mark Hemphill]

Mark can you tell us what to expect from the STM kids coming in?

I haven't seen either of them play very much to be able to offer any type of opinion. I will say that both have a lot of potential from the limited time that I have seen them. I will say this from my daughter's experience. The transition from high school to college is huge and can be overwhelming for many players. The final summer of travel ball is important in that the players will see pitching similar to what they will see in college. This is the time where hitters really need to work on their swing to perfect their mechanics because if a player struggles with hiting in travel ball, they will likely struggle with hitting in fall ball being the time where coaches assess the abilities of the players and begin to form opinions about how much they think a player can or will be able to contribute. With the time limitations placed on a player for classroom requirements and NCAA practice requirments, there isn't much time available for a player to be able to fix any deficincies with their swing. If a freshman comes in from a successful summer of playing high level travel ball, they will be in a much better position to compete for playing time than a player who struggled over the summer.

[MarlinMan3]

Another reason (on average) the batting averages (and slugging percentages?) By definition would be down for the cajuns across the board is because when there are less run rule wins, the hits are divided by a larger number of at bats, more outs in the additional innings played over the shorten3d run rule games

[SlickRick]

A couple of good power hitters in the portal..

Sydney Groves from Boise: .336 BA .347 RPA 10 HR 36 RBI
Addison Foster from Stetson: .411 BA .429 RPA 5 HR45 RBI

A couple of good pitchers in the portal..

Peja Goold from Chattanooga: 1.69 ERA 1.01 WHIP
Megan Gregory from Campbell: 1.87 ERA 1.31 WHIP

Savannah White could help us with Gregory!

[MarlinMan3]

Bad weather at yet another S-e-c host site

[JMV JustMyView]

I haven't seen either of them play very much to be able to offer any type of opinion. I will say that both have a lot of potential from the limited time that I have seen them. I will say this from my daughter's experience. The transition from high school to college is huge and can be overwhelming for many players. The final summer of travel ball is important in that the players will see pitching similar to what they will see in college. This is the time where hitters really need to work on their swing to perfect their mechanics because if a player struggles with hiting in travel ball, they will likely struggle with hitting in fall ball being the time where coaches assess the abilities of the players and begin to form opinions about how much they think a player can or will be able to contribute. With the time limitations placed on a player for classroom requirements and NCAA practice requirments, there isn't much time available for a player to be able to fix any deficincies with their swing. If a freshman comes in from a successful summer of playing high level travel ball, they will be in a much better position to compete for playing time than a player who struggled over the summer.

In my opinion the Cajuns let Emma Bailey slide thru the cracks.

[CajunSID]

HS recruiting is nothing but a teenage roulette wheel. No way to determine whether a young lady or man will make a good transition to college ball.

Too many factors at play. Only thing most of us are good experts in is what it was like to be that age in your first year of college.

Answer: not easy.