There is no "ACE"pitcher on this staff. Need more big power hitters. Look what Auburn hitters did to us.

Next two recruiting classes are LOADED

With pitching?

Next year has a very good pitcher but the game changer will be a senior next year, get her to campus, now You're talking Elite arm, but just to be clear to EVERYONE, there are maybe, and I mean MAYBE 4-5 elite arms in the nation that can come in and dominate at a Top 10 level, pitchers are getting fewer and fewer maybe NIL will help get more Middle School kids thinking pitching now but that's why offenses are so good because there is not that much elite pitching and everyone in MS-college have a hitting coach

Love this! I honestly think we move the pitching mound to 41ft from 43 ft, moving fences is not happening, look no further than Davis Diamond, the left field scoreboard costs WAY too much to take down. I think all fences should be 225 ft across the board, but offense sells tickets. The best bet I would see is to move the pitching mound closer, like it used to be at 40 ft, but 41 ft, instead, then implement mandatory pitcher facemasks being closer to the plate

I've thought for years that they needed to push the fences back 15-25' and add 2' to base distances.

Wabs said:

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I've thought for years that they needed to push the fences back 15-25' and add 2' to base distances.

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Agree. I know there are gender differences, but there's no reason collegiate softball should play on the same size field as our boy's 10U team.

Does anyone know how much NIL money is assisted to the men's baseball team?

Brielle Gardiner Is an incoming pitcher from Utah that has fantastic credentials. She is a two way player with a batting average in high school of .552. With Coach Ford's unwritten rule that her pitchers don't hit I'm surprised she's coming. Does anyone with better inside knowledge than myself know if she has softened on that stance?

Totally generalizing, but softball of old had much more 'heft' and less speed.

Ladies these days are built for power and speed and the field has not scaled appropriately - resulting in a high priority in quality pitching.

Question on Taylor Brown, She had nearly the same numbers as pitcher coming from Utah. How did Coach Ford not develop her more in her red shirt year so she was s useful pitcher this year? Some one said she does not have the ability to pitch here. If true, why didn't Coach Ford recognize that during her red shirt year and advise her to transfer to where she could play?

Mark Fairchild said:

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Howdy, replying to the 4 posts above, I have said for many years the base paths are TOO SHORT! Women now are not the ladies of the 60's, they are more fit and a great deal more athletic! Just like 1/2 court basketball for women in my early days, yes I am that old, they play full court. The tiny fields do not fit with today's women athletes!

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I think so too. I don't watch the softball very much, but I did go to two of the playoff games last season and it does seem ridiculously short. I think they should at least be about 75 feet.

annie88 said:

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Mark Fairchild said:

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Howdy, replying to the 4 posts above, I have said for many years the base paths are TOO SHORT! Women now are not the ladies of the 60's, they are more fit and a great deal more athletic! Just like 1/2 court basketball for women in my early days, yes I am that old, they play full court. The tiny fields do not fit with today's women athletes!

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I think so too. I don't watch the softball very much, but I did go to two of the playoff games last season and it does seem ridiculously short. I think they should at least be about 75 feet.

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Pitching plate back to 45' and fences back to 250'

aggiebrad94 said:

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MUAG said:

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Question on Taylor Brown, She had nearly the same numbers as pitcher coming from Utah. How did Coach Ford not develop her more in her red shirt year so she was s useful pitcher this year? Some one said she does not have the ability to pitch here. If true, why didn't Coach Ford recognize that during her red shirt year and advise her to transfer to where she could play?

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Had a daughter run XC in college. The coach can only do so much. Kids have to have the discipline and drive to compete at a high level.

It's never as easy as "coach didn't develop."

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This is true. She also could have been on the fridge and we just have 5 girls better than her. I am sure she was given plenty of opportunities in the fall/winter.

TexAg79 said:

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Brielle Gardiner Is an incoming pitcher from Utah that has fantastic credentials. She is a two way player with a batting average in high school of .552. With Coach Ford's unwritten rule that her pitchers don't hit I'm surprised she's coming. Does anyone with better inside knowledge than myself know if she has softened on that stance?

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When have we had a pitcher that was a capable 2-way player since she got here?

I have never heard anything of this before

cevans_40 said:

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annie88 said:

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Mark Fairchild said:

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Howdy, replying to the 4 posts above, I have said for many years the base paths are TOO SHORT! Women now are not the ladies of the 60's, they are more fit and a great deal more athletic! Just like 1/2 court basketball for women in my early days, yes I am that old, they play full court. The tiny fields do not fit with today's women athletes!

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I think so too. I don't watch the softball very much, but I did go to two of the playoff games last season and it does seem ridiculously short. I think they should at least be about 75 feet.

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Pitching plate back to 45' and fences back to 250'

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I highly doubt field changes will ever happen. Any reduction of the distance from rubber to the plate becomes more of a safety concern. Any increase in that distance gives more of an advantage to the hitter. Moving the fences back is probably an issue at many schools and is costly. I suppose you could move the bases back 5 feet or so.

Easiest fix is to change the bats to give them less pop.

Seeing the girls play on the same size diamond as my 10u daughter and roughly the same size fields is interesting. It just looks like adults playing on kids fields when I go to Davis.

I do think the offense in the game makes it a lot easier to watch than it used to be.

OilAg01 said:

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cevans_40 said:

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annie88 said:

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Mark Fairchild said:

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Howdy, replying to the 4 posts above, I have said for many years the base paths are TOO SHORT! Women now are not the ladies of the 60's, they are more fit and a great deal more athletic! Just like 1/2 court basketball for women in my early days, yes I am that old, they play full court. The tiny fields do not fit with today's women athletes!

---

I think so too. I don't watch the softball very much, but I did go to two of the playoff games last season and it does seem ridiculously short. I think they should at least be about 75 feet.

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Pitching plate back to 45' and fences back to 250'

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I highly doubt field changes will ever happen. Any reduction of the distance from rubber to the plate becomes more of a safety concern. Any increase in that distance gives more of an advantage to the hitter. Moving the fences back is probably an issue at many schools and is costly. I suppose you could move the bases back 5 feet or so.

Easiest fix is to change the bats to give them less pop.

Seeing the girls play on the same size diamond as my 10u daughter and roughly the same size fields is interesting. It just looks like adults playing on kids fields when I go to Davis.

I do think the offense in the game makes it a lot easier to watch than it used to be.

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I'd change the base distances before I'd change pitching circle distance or the bats, even though I agree bats is the easiest immediate fix.

Today's college softball player is so much more athletic.

Offense is certainly the selling point for new eyes, but the double play is an extremely exciting defensive play and should be a little easier for the defense to accomplish than it is now.

Basepaths stay. Fences stay.

Mound closer if you must

OilAg01 said:

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cevans_40 said:

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annie88 said:

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Mark Fairchild said:

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Howdy, replying to the 4 posts above, I have said for many years the base paths are TOO SHORT! Women now are not the ladies of the 60's, they are more fit and a great deal more athletic! Just like 1/2 court basketball for women in my early days, yes I am that old, they play full court. The tiny fields do not fit with today's women athletes!

---

I think so too. I don't watch the softball very much, but I did go to two of the playoff games last season and it does seem ridiculously short. I think they should at least be about 75 feet.

---

Pitching plate back to 45' and fences back to 250'

---

I highly doubt field changes will ever happen. Any reduction of the distance from rubber to the plate becomes more of a safety concern. Any increase in that distance gives more of an advantage to the hitter. Moving the fences back is probably an issue at many schools and is costly. I suppose you could move the bases back 5 feet or so.

Easiest fix is to change the bats to give them less pop.

Seeing the girls play on the same size diamond as my 10u daughter and roughly the same size fields is interesting. It just looks like adults playing on kids fields when I go to Davis.

I do think the offense in the game makes it a lot easier to watch than it used to be.

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Moving the fences, bases and pitchers plate back creates more action. Gives speedy outfielders a chance to catch more fly balls, puts a premium on arm strength for middles and at only 2 additional feet for the pitcher, still makes it difficult to hit.

Fences aren't going to get moved. Think about the cost of that. What if you don't have space? Makes it difficult. Mound isn't going to get closer, which would likely be the most effective way to reduce the offense.

Bats, bases and ball changes are really the only option.

Beat40 said:

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OilAg01 said:

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cevans_40 said:

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annie88 said:

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Mark Fairchild said:

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Howdy, replying to the 4 posts above, I have said for many years the base paths are TOO SHORT! Women now are not the ladies of the 60's, they are more fit and a great deal more athletic! Just like 1/2 court basketball for women in my early days, yes I am that old, they play full court. The tiny fields do not fit with today's women athletes!

---

I think so too. I don't watch the softball very much, but I did go to two of the playoff games last season and it does seem ridiculously short. I think they should at least be about 75 feet.

---

Pitching plate back to 45' and fences back to 250'

---

I highly doubt field changes will ever happen. Any reduction of the distance from rubber to the plate becomes more of a safety concern. Any increase in that distance gives more of an advantage to the hitter. Moving the fences back is probably an issue at many schools and is costly. I suppose you could move the bases back 5 feet or so.

Easiest fix is to change the bats to give them less pop.

Seeing the girls play on the same size diamond as my 10u daughter and roughly the same size fields is interesting. It just looks like adults playing on kids fields when I go to Davis.

I do think the offense in the game makes it a lot easier to watch than it used to be.

---

I'd change the base distances before I'd change pitching circle distance or the bats, even though I agree bats is the easiest immediate fix.

Today's college softball player is so much more athletic.

Offense is certainly the selling point for new eyes, but the double play is an extremely exciting defensive play and should be a little easier for the defense to accomplish than it is now.

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Making bases longer would take the steal completely out of the game. Will not happen. Bats getting nerfed is the likeliest and easiest solution.