Would appreciate knowledgeable response.
quote:That sucks for Donnell. She had a hell of a bat last year when she did play, and I was hoping she'd be able to at least pinch hit for us.
We have four pitchers going forward...Katie Marks, Kayla Ober, Sam Show and Trinity Harrington (transfer from Colorado State)
After her surgery it sounds like Abby Donnell will not be able to continue her playing career.
quote:
Thanks for this - very interesting to watch how the girls progress.. a few questions for those that follow the team closely -
- Of the girls on our team - how many are all SEC type players? 1st/2nd/3rd team still count..
- Of our pitchers - how many have a chance to be all SEC?
- From last year's team - who did we lose that we will really miss?
- Which new players are back and have elite potential?
- Finally - which team will be better in these areas - this year's team or last year's team?
- offensively (average and home runs)
- pitching
- win/loss record
- Very finally - predict the SEC standings at the end of the year - top teams and where will the Aggies finish? Do they make the tournament?
quote:Holy cow, that's a brutal conference. We need to figure out a why to start finishing in the Top 5. Disappointing that Auburn was able to take such a leap forward in such a short time, but not unexpected given Myers.
1. Alabama
2. LSU (that pitching staff is amazing)
3. Auburn
4. Florida
5. Tennessee
6. Mizzou
7. Georgia
8. Texas A&M
9. Kentucky
10. Mississppi State
11. South Carolina
12. Arkansas
13. Ole Miss
quote:I agree that we need to finish higher, and I think it's possible if Sam Show is as good as I've been told she is. But she's a freshman so it's probably a bit unfair to expect her to dominate right away in this league.quote:Holy cow, that's a brutal conference. We need to figure out a why to start finishing in the Top 5. Disappointing that Auburn was able to take such a leap forward in such a short time, but not unexpected given Myers.
1. Alabama
2. LSU (that pitching staff is amazing)
3. Auburn
4. Florida
5. Tennessee
6. Mizzou
7. Georgia
8. Texas A&M
9. Kentucky
10. Mississppi State
11. South Carolina
12. Arkansas
13. Ole Miss
quote:We were sent a rendering and a letter requesting donations last season. I know things are in the works and they have the site chosen and are in the process of trying to move the Penberthy Fields to make room but I'll believe it when I see it. They've been talking about this for years...
Also, I have a question. .. when is the university going to finally take care of the softball team and build a facility the team and fans there deserve?
quote:You're talking about all-time hall of fame level players there. Not just elite, but the most elite of the elite. If Show was anything close to Osterman level, with as good as the bats are in the Ags lineup and as good as they are on defense at times, then this team would be the odds-on favorite to win the WCWS the next four years.
I'm enjoying these posts.. Thanks for sharing.
This years team seems good.. The only thing lacking, and just like most all teams, is the insane ace pitcher like Osterman, Finch, etc..
Do you think Show has that potential? Not this year but in time?
quote:That's not accurate, the pitching distance of 43 has been in use since the early 90's in the NCAA meaning the Finch, Osterman, and Abbot all pitched from 43. I personally believe the difference is that high schoolers since 2010-2011 have been hitting from that distance and come into college more prepared.
Agree with Belton Ag on all points. Remember that Osterman, Finch & Abbot pitched in a different time when the distance was 40'. Moving the rubber back to 43' has had a huge impact on the game. Hitters now have a chance against generational pitchers that they haven't always had. Offensive numbers have skyrocketed since the distance change.
quote:Occasionally I will check into the softball forums, and this time I saw a good conversation going on so I wanted to give my opinion on the pitching distance conversation!
That's not accurate, the pitching distance of 43 has been in use since the early 90's in the NCAA meaning the Finch, Osterman, and Abbot all pitched from 43. I personally believe the difference is that high schoolers since 2010-2011 have been hitting from that distance and come into college more prepared.
quote:quote:Occasionally I will check into the softball forums, and this time I saw a good conversation going on so I wanted to give my opinion on the pitching distance conversation!
That's not accurate, the pitching distance of 43 has been in use since the early 90's in the NCAA meaning the Finch, Osterman, and Abbot all pitched from 43. I personally believe the difference is that high schoolers since 2010-2011 have been hitting from that distance and come into college more prepared.
I do think that hitting from 43 ft makes a difference for the hitters since they have 3 more feet to see the ball. So yes, I agree that because of the distance is has benefited the hitters. But because all of the offensive statistics have been increasing every single year, this topic has been something that I have been thinking about to a little deeper.
When I was a senior in high school I pitched from 40, and then when I got to A&M, we moved back to 43 ft. It helped me as a hitter, and I also felt it helped me as a pitcher because my ball was able to move more with the extra distance. I pitched at 40ft in 12U, 14U, 16U, 18U and in high school. Now, things are MUCH different with girls throwing from 43ft in 14U-18U and in HS. 10U is 35ft. 12U is 40ft. So during their MAJOR development stages where they should be working on growing a solid foundation, they are just having to figure out ways to get the ball to the plate because their distance is constantly changing in the most important years. Advantage: hitter. Pitching is difficult at a young age because it's just a flat out hard movement but it's also even more difficult if every year or every other year you are having to change distances.
So while I think hitters are the best that we've seen in a while across the nation, I think that it is because of the lack of development of the pitchers across the nation. They are being rushed to 43ft while they are not strong enough and not developed enough to learn to actually PITCH from that distance. A lot of the girls at this age probably do not feel like they are strong enough to get the ball to the plate where they are more worried about throwing the ball there instead of actually learning to PITCH. Those younger ages, 10-13, are the most critical ages to develop a pitchers foundation and mechanics. Now, those once younger pitchers who were forced to move back at earlier stages in their pitching careers are trickling up to the college ranks and the hitters are used to hitting from 43ft, while they pitchers are just not as developed. Also, at some degree, they are not as confident, because they have been "hit" ever since they were younger and many of them since they were moved back did not feel what it was like to actually DOMINATE hitters from a shorter distance.
There is so much to be said at getting comfortable in the pitching circle and learning to WIN and learning to take control of the game. Right now, at all parts of our game, the advantage goes to the hitter because the rules have set hitters up for more success so that more runs are scared and it makes the game more "appealing" to a fan tuning in on TV. And also, it is making the game longer where an average game does not easily fit into a 2-hour time slot.