Season Review and Week 6 Preview

[VObserver]

Compared to last season, we were 14-12 after 26 games last year, 16-10 this year.

I did not compute 26 game stats for last year, but compared to season stats last year, with last year's numbers shown first:

HITTING

Batting Avg. .293 - .318
OPS .763 - .916
Runs 229 - 165 [343]
RBI 196 - 153 [322]
2B 46 - 38 [79]
3B 10 - 7 [14]
HR 22 - 29 [59]
XBH 78 - 74 [153]
XBH/H .194 - .341
SO 133 - 87 [180]
SF 8 - 11 [23]
SH 80 - 20 [41]

PITCHING

ERA 3.79 - 3.55
WHIP 1.61 - 1.49
OBA .282 - .260
K 191 - 110 [228]
BB 181 - 104 [215]
K/BB 1.055 - 1.058

Numbers in brackets are projections for full season numbers this year, based on current rates.

FIELDING %

.969 - .971

Once again it appears that hitting is well ahead of the pace set last year, especially as regards to power hitting and scoring. Pitching appears to be significantly better in most areas, but walks and hit batsmen remain huge concerns for this staff. Defense is basically unchanged, but appears to be trending upward.

COMMENTS ON WEEK 5

The 4 game schedule this week was probably a help for our pitching. Aside from the first Oklahoma game, the pitchers did what they needed to do to win. The second Oklahoma game, our coaching staff played scared, particularly late in the game, and I believe that cost us a chance to win that game.

That being said, I had predicted 2-2 on the week and that is what we got.

RATINGS

Ratings for the SBC, Massey, [WEI] and (DSR)

UL 44 [47] (45)
TxSt 49 [59] (46)
Marshall 51 [51] (60)
CCU 78 [68] (66)
Troy 72 [62] (62)
USA 69 [75] (64)
App 80 [64] (67)
ULM 91 [87] (72)
JMU 99 [104] (83)
USM 104 [113] (70)
GaSo 126 [121] (100)
GaSt 134 [110] (135)

Ratings for remaining Non-Conference opponents, Massey and [WEI]

[2x]Abilene Christian 258
[2x]Oklahoma 3 [5]
[2x]McNeese 41 [42]
LSU 16 [14]
UVa 14 [22]

Once RPI numbers are out from the NCAA and from Warren Nolan, I will include those in the ratings as well.

WEEK 6 REVIEW

Conference play starts in week 6. We have no midweek game this week, and open conference play in Hattiesburg this weekend. Massey has us a fairly heavy favorite in all three games, and I tend to agree. USM's best win is against Louisiana Tech # 94 [93] (82), and they have only played 6 other top 100 games, all losses.

Losing this series is not acceptable. We should sweep, but a 2-1 outcome would only be a slight disappointment. My big concerns are pitching and coaching. I believe Hoover and Noble-King can win the first two; my concerns are Sunday, as none of our other pitchers have really established anything, and I don't trust our coaches to make good decisions as to how to pitch in this game. I also don't trust our coaching to make good decisions as to hitting in any of the games. IMO, there is no reason for us to play small ball against any SBC team.

[cajunref]

Your last statement will continue to be our issue and may very well cost us dearly the rest of the season. I have little confidence we will change our MO.

[CajunSID]

Compared to last season, we were 14-12 after 26 games last year, 16-10 this year.

I did not compute 26 game stats for last year, but compared to season stats last year, with last year's numbers shown first:

HITTING

Batting Avg. .293 - .318
OPS .763 - .916
Runs 229 - 165 [343]
RBI 196 - 153 [322]
2B 46 - 38 [79]
3B 10 - 7 [14]
HR 22 - 29 [59]
XBH 78 - 74 [153]
XBH/H .194 - .341
SO 133 - 87 [180]
SF 8 - 11 [23]
SH 80 - 20 [41]

PITCHING

ERA 3.79 - 3.55
WHIP 1.61 - 1.49
OBA .282 - .260
K 191 - 110 [228]
BB 181 - 104 [215]
K/BB 1.055 - 1.058

Numbers in brackets are projections for full season numbers this year, based on current rates.

FIELDING %

.969 - .971

Once again it appears that hitting is well ahead of the pace set last year, especially as regards to power hitting and scoring. Pitching appears to be significantly better in most areas, but walks and hit batsmen remain huge concerns for this staff. Defense is basically unchanged, but appears to be trending upward.

COMMENTS ON WEEK 5

The 4 game schedule this week was probably a help for our pitching. Aside from the first Oklahoma game, the pitchers did what they needed to do to win. The second Oklahoma game, our coaching staff played scared, particularly late in the game, and I believe that cost us a chance to win that game.

That being said, I had predicted 2-2 on the week and that is what we got.

RATINGS

Ratings for the SBC, Massey, [WEI] and (DSR)

UL 44 [47] (45)
TxSt 49 [59] (46)
Marshall 51 [51] (60)
CCU 78 [68] (66)
Troy 72 [62] (62)
USA 69 [75] (64)
App 80 [64] (67)
ULM 91 [87] (72)
JMU 99 [104] (83)
USM 104 [113] (70)
GaSo 126 [121] (100)
GaSt 134 [110] (135)

Ratings for remaining Non-Conference opponents, Massey and [WEI]

[2x]Abilene Christian 258
[2x]Oklahoma 3 [5]
[2x]McNeese 41 [42]
LSU 16 [14]
UVa 14 [22]

Once RPI numbers are out from the NCAA and from Warren Nolan, I will include those in the ratings as well.

WEEK 6 REVIEW

Conference play starts in week 6. We have no midweek game this week, and open conference play in Hattiesburg this weekend. Massey has us a fairly heavy favorite in all three games, and I tend to agree. USM's best win is against Louisiana Tech # 94 [93] (82), and they have only played 6 other top 100 games, all losses.

Losing this series is not acceptable. We should sweep, but a 2-1 outcome would only be a slight disappointment. My big concerns are pitching and coaching. I believe Hoover and Noble-King can win the first two; my concerns are Sunday, as none of our other pitchers have really established anything, and I don't trust our coaches to make good decisions as to how to pitch in this game. I also don't trust our coaching to make good decisions as to hitting in any of the games. IMO, there is no reason for us to play small ball against any SBC team.

Have they given up on Delbrey? Don’t believe she pitched this past weekend. Wasn’t sure if it was injuries or just a coach’s decision.

[UL_Cajuns]

"The second Oklahoma game, our coaching staff played scared, particularly late in the game, and I believe that cost us a chance to win that game."

This is the most disheartening part of this weekend. We had them exactly where we wanted them and Coaches inserted themselves when they should have let the ladies swing away(especially with the SAC Fly still in play with one out and a base runner on 3rd). It was hard to watch and so disappointing. That "W" could have changed the projection of this season dramatically and would have been all over social media like when we ended their win streak a few years ago.

[cajunref]

With a very capable hitter in Vasquez at the plate no less. Infuriating.

[UL_Cajuns]

With a very capable hitter in Vasquez at the plate no less. Infuriating.

Agree. I was not happy.

[RaginScotsman]

Louisiana 6th - Pickering, K to dp. Parker, E. to rf. Dayton, A. to
lf. Parker, A. to 1b for Milloy, T.. Marceaux homered down the lf
line, RBI (1-0 B). Hart doubled down the lf line (3-2 BBKBK). Otto
grounded out to p, SAC, bunt (0-1 F); Hart advanced to third.
Lowry, A. to p for Guachino, M.. Vasquez popped into double play p

[JMV JustMyView]

Louisiana 6th - Pickering, K to dp. Parker, E. to rf. Dayton, A. to
lf. Parker, A. to 1b for Milloy, T.. Marceaux homered down the lf
line, RBI (1-0 B). Hart doubled down the lf line (3-2 BBKBK). Otto
grounded out to p, SAC, bunt (0-1 F); Hart advanced to third.
Lowry, A. to p for Guachino, M.. Vasquez popped into double play p

You had to remind us. Absolute Disaster!

[ridinsuicide]

The disaster was not executing the bunt, not the squeeze call.

There are about 3 topics on here currently active where the softball team super fans on here have said (even the ones that despise the bunt) bunting a runner to 3B with 0 outs or a squeeze play would only be acceptable in the late innings to TIE the game or the winning run. However, when its done and not executed the call cost us the game? And called against Lowry when Cissy was 0-2 on the day against a kid not as good as Lowry. Plus, she was given the green light until she got to a strike (be it by swinging or happened to look at strike 1 I'm sure) which she took a hack and fouled it off to the back stop before the squeeze was called. That isn't foolish, its text book high level coaching in that moment to score and tie the game up in the 6th.


I also wonder how many of the bunt attempts this season that have y'all up in arms, particularly by lefties in certain situations are actually being called vs how many of them the players are attempting on their own as part of their game to bunt for a hit, put the defense in motion or try to see the ball better by doing so?


I think I have come to the conclusion I am not a very good fan and definitely should continue keeping my thoughts and comments to myself. I obviously don't see the game through a "fans eye" so to speak. LOL

[Turbine]

Are opponents defending bunt or defending deep?