It appears we are going to be stacked next year for a real run. My question is pitching. Softball is so dominated by having a single dominating pitcher because they can pitch almost every game if they do not have an injury. Do we have a dominating pitcher of the caliber that can shut out other good teams and win a national championship? Of those with knowledge, please discuss strengths and weaknesses of our top pitchers. Thanks.

I don't know who might be coming in as a freshman, and softball is one of those sports where a true fish can change everything (see ASU). Mel, in my opinion, is in the "very good but not great" category, or at least has been her first two years. She's not a Gibson or Scarborough, or Abbott or Kat, but she's pretty darn good. With out bats, I think we're good enough to get there.

Yeah, Dumezich is no Osterman or Abbot. But she isn't any worse than Nottelman at Mizzou or the girls UCLA won a national title with a couple of years ago. She can get us where we want to go, she's already gotten pretty darn close. Almost always need a good #2 to get you through the early tournaments and the midweek games to put you in position to host a super, though....

Sisk isn't a bad #2 by any means, but probably could do well to miss a few more bats.

We've got two freshman coming in, Sara Mireles and Kayla Klein. Don't know much about either, but Klein has an incredibly impressive resume.


I'm more concerned about the bats than our pitching.

Mel is very good. And she's a competitive person, which is good for a pitcher. I thought Mel stacked up well with everyone in the conference, I did think Chelsea Thomas of Missouri was the #1 pitcher in the Big 12. Mel's first game against ASU was fantastic. She pitched better than the Florida duo of Brombacher and Rodgers. She will be the one we ride next year in the circle. We do have 2 RHP's and 1 LHP in the incoming 2011 class.

Nottleman is mizzou's number 2... Thomas was #2 in era in the nation for most of the year... Not sure what she ended up after the ws

Nottelman was their #1 during their run to the 2010 WCWS.

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 6/25/2011 9:07p).]

I will be bold and think we CAN win an NC in softball in 2012. Mel Dumezich can carry us to an NC ah la Megan Gibson in 2008. Our sticks just must produce about five hits more per game in the NCAA'S for us to do this.

I stake my claim on our games with ASU in the Super Regionals. Without very poor sportsman-ship by Katelyn Boyd, ASU would have lost that series to TAMU. Even in spite of our total offense in the two games being 6 hits and 6 walks, Dumezich' pitching and our meager offense would have been enough, had it be 2 games or three games. Our Jrs and Srs totally failed us in the 2 games as to hits and walks, with 0 and 4 respectively.

To do this, Mel Dumezich must:
1. Cut down on HRs per game.Note walkoffs Ou/Bu
2. Eliminate her 1 bad inning per game with W, HBP and WP. Note Inning 7 in the ASU game.
3. Continue to be "tough as nails" with runners on base.

Offensive Production:
1.Our current dependable hitters are Megan May,
Amber Garza,Brittany Walker and Mel Dumezich in the clutch. I would like to see Emily Albus, Taran Tyler and Lindsey Sisk step up also.
2. Jrs and Srs must be consistent in post season play and "step up" this year.
3."Come out of the gate fast" against excellent teams to eliminate NCAA seeding bias like we had in 2011.
4. Be lucky and have very few injuries.

DEFENSE

Continue to play excellent Defense.

this is why they need to change the rules of softball. The only thing that matters is one player. Period.

plag94
I might add two other players who can develop into good hitters are Cassie Tysarczyk and Nicole Morgan. Both have "rocket" arms, hit OK during mid-season and have HR power which won a coupla games each in the late innings. Jr LH 2nd base Nat Villarreal hit for average but tailed off in the ASU games.

If LH pitcher Sara Mireles, Kayla Klein and Lauren Ainsley can develop to help Mel in the circle, we'll be OK.

Gibson was incredible her senior year, after Amanda went out with the foot injury. The previous three years, Amanda was the better pitcher and Gibson alternated between being the power hitting first baseman and the no. 2 pitcher.

How is this relevant to Mel's situation? Mel improved a great deal between her first and second year. She is incredibly competitive and I am told that she is a workout warrior.

I am not one to do the reearch, but I expect that if someone were to compare Gibson's second year pitching statistics to Mel's second year stats, that person would find that Mel was a much better pitcher as a soph than Gibson.

I expect Mel to continue to improve and become the same kind of dominant pitcher that Gison was at the end of her career. The freshman pitchers will provide help as the number 2 pitcher, but Mel will be the ace the next two years. The future of the softball team is very bright, imo.

quote:

---

I am not one to do the reearch, but I expect that if someone were to compare Gibson's second year pitching statistics to Mel's second year stats, that person would find that Mel was a much better pitcher as a soph than Gibson.

---

I'm not really sure how to define "much better", but Mel had a better sophomore season than Gibson (and Scarborough too).

I thought Mel really came on late season, becoming the lockdown pitcher. Once she got over the tu loss and columbia meltdown.

I totally agree with all of you. Jo Evans mentioned in an interview after the Baylor game that Mel couldn't wait to "take it to them" in the the return match in CS. Mel wasn't happy on the bus ride back to CS from Waco. I love this gals fire.

Too, ASU was very lucky to have NCAA scheduling bias this year. I wouldn't trade Mel for any other NCAA pitcher.