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Women's Softball

Not sure I understand, nor have I heard, the old axiom
I’ve never heard it before but it seems pretty simple: “more ABs = more Hs” or you could say less hits come from less at bats. The theory is that BB felt she needed the ABs to improve her hitting. She wasn’t getting them so she left for a team where she thinks she has a chance to get them and her batting will improve.

I probably won’t be the only one to wish her well and watch her future development.
 
Can someone here give us an update on how some of our players are doing this summer in their summer league games?
Edenfield, Hartley, Kerr, Belviy and Ross for sure!
Also Culp and Wacaser!
 
Sooooo, any guesses as to what coach is thinking regarding third base? Is she ok with Kerr in center? Was kind of hoping for known upgrades at both positions.
 
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I have given up on both of these until I see what occurs in fall ball.
After further contemplation let me add -- We lost the glue that held this kite together (Syd)-- our 3b has been a rock for many years with Warren and then Syd (offensively , defensively, and most of all leadership) . We did nothing to fix the issues at 3rd or CF nor did we add any bats to fill the offensive hole much less the defensive holes. I am an optimistic person by nature but no matter how you look at it we just are diminished-- this even assumes Weisbrook can be a good back up at SS and maybe we could move one of our catchers to 3b effectively (We have 4 on the roster)- I am not Kreskin or Nostradamus but I predict some major issues both offensively and defensively. JMHO
 
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And I predict another ACC championship and a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Still have a ton of talented ladies on this team. We're going to be extremely good once again.
 
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After further contemplation let me add -- We lost the glue that held this kite together (Syd)-- our 3b has been a rock for many years with Warren and then Syd (offensively , defensively, and most of all leadership) . We did nothing to fix the issues at 3rd or CF nor did we add any bats to fill the offensive hole much less the defensive holes. I am an optimistic person by nature but no matter how you look at it we just are diminished-- this even assumes Weisbrook can be a good back up at SS and maybe we could move one of our catchers to 3b effectively (We have 4 on the roster)- I am not Kreskin or Nostradamus but I predict some major issues both offensively and defensively. JMHO
I agree. Coach knew Syd was gone. I believe Frey played some 3b, but who knows to what level? Is coach planning on Hartley at third? I still do not think Harding is a viable option at third.
Centerfield remains a mystery.
 
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And I predict another ACC championship and a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Still have a ton of talented ladies on this team. We're going to be extremely good once again.
Just one man's opinion, however I agree more with Townole's observations.

While I certainly agree we have many talented girls remaining on this team, I can't figure out why we didn't make off season moves to add to those talented players while they are still here. Kat didn't have to come back - but she did. Unfortunately our chances of improving on last year's team don't appear good to me.
 
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So everyone is positive Hartley can't play 3rd base. I have to see something before I believe it so I personally am giving her a shot. Every time I look at Townoles post i think we should shut the program down. He or she makes it sound like we are the worst program in the country.
 
So everyone is positive Hartley can't play 3rd base. I have to see something before I believe it so I personally am giving her a shot. Every time I look at Townoles post i think we should shut the program down. He or she makes it sound like we are the worst program in the country.
I disagree about your comment concerning Townole. To me he comes across with an opinion that is non-biased and analytical - not that of a family member or friend - just someone who enjoys FSU Softball and adds his comments as to what he thinks would make it better.
 
Everyone is entitled to their opinions. We are all Noles, so we should remember that. We should also keep things in perspective when we talk about this program, which happens to be a top two or three program in the nation. Despite the perceived areas that need improvement, this team will still be very much in contention to get to OKC again.

I'm just a fan though. Seen a ton of softball and I love this game. Go Noles!
 
So everyone is positive Hartley can't play 3rd base. I have to see something before I believe it so I personally am giving her a shot. Every time I look at Townoles post i think we should shut the program down. He or she makes it sound like we are the worst program in the country.
I concur.
 
I agree. Coach knew Syd was gone. I believe Frey played some 3b, but who knows to what level? Is coach planning on Hartley at third? I still do not think Harding is a viable option at third.
Centerfield remains a mystery.
Hartley played 3rd in the FGCL this summer and made the all- star team. But .. Yes I believe Coacha will go with her first but we need a back- up. AND based on her hitting and defense in the FGCL it still not Syd level.
 
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I wonder if having Kerr not play the field would help her improve at the plate. Maybe Mudge in CF and Ross in LF could be an option? What do y'all think?
 
So everyone is positive Hartley can't play 3rd base. I have to see something before I believe it so I personally am giving her a shot. Every time I look at Townoles post i think we should shut the program down. He or she makes it sound like we are the worst program in the country.
I am usually very positive- but I also don't sugar coat some major deficiencies in my mind. I coached many years and I know if I did not get better players every year and improve the ones I had then someone else was. The top programs in the College World series got better by the portal (where we were not that active-- admittedly Royalty seems like a good player but still needs work) and we just did not fix our 2 major needs (besides pitching) . I am hopeful the two new recruits (Reid and Balk) plus the addition of DuBois will get us thru until Danley and possibly others get here. Most others in the top 8 recruited hard in the portal to fix their holes and we either weren't attracted to anyone or they were not attracted to us. We lost about 9 players thru Graduation and portal losses and I think we could have used a couple of competitive players at CF and 3b. I do believe Hartley will play 3b and maybe she will just light it up but the predicate says we will get about what she showed in the FGCL this summer. But hey- we got what we got now and we will see. Maybe it is all roses but I am just not convinced we got better.
 
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I wonder if having Kerr not play the field would help her improve at the plate. Maybe Mudge in CF and Ross in LF could be an option? What do y'all think?
I like the thought of playing Ross but frankly I am not moving Mudge to try to fix Center. Most of the time it is not a good thing (I never had success at it) to move someone to fix a position - you usually just have to go thru growing pains at both positions. I advocated last year to give Ross a shot at Center and think that may be a good plan this year. If you look at our roster this year it is shrunk and our back-up options are limited (we have 8 pitchers -1 is Leo- and 4 catchers out of 23 players) - That leaves us thin unless some of them do double duty. Heaven forbid if we have a rash of injuries like 2 years ago.
 
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1. Mudge LF
2. Flaherty 2b
3. Harding RF
4. Leonard 1b
5. Edenfield C
6. Kerr CF
7. Hartley/Ross 3b
8. Ross/Wacaser/Culp/Frey DP. Keen 1b when Leonard pitches
9. Muffley SS. Weisbrook may get some starts similar to BB as a freshman
Sandercock P
Dubois P
Royalty P
Leonard P
 
I like the thought of playing Ross but frankly I am not moving Mudge to try to fix Center. Most of the time it is not a good thing (I never had success at it) to move someone to fix a position - you usually just have to go thru growing pains at both positions. I advocated last year to give Ross a shot at Center and think that may be a good plan this year. If you look at our roster this year it is shrunk and our back-up options are limited (we have 8 pitchers -1 is Leo- and 4 catchers out of 23 players) - That leaves us thin unless some of them do double duty. Heaven forbid if we have a rash of injuries like 2 years ago.
Yeah, I've seen you mention not moving a player to fix another position. Mudge did play CF some last year and is probably our best outfielder. I always want our best outfielder in CF.

Biggest reason I suggested this is because I think Kerr has struggled with confidence. Her mistakes in the outfield negatively impacted her performance at the plate. I think she can be a major contributer for us offensively, and we need all hands on deck to make up for the loss of Syd.

Edenfield also needs to step up offensively. We will need her big bat in the middle of our lineup if we're going to contend for a national championship.
 
1. Mudge LF
2. Flaherty 2b
3. Harding RF
4. Leonard 1b
5. Edenfield C
6. Kerr CF
7. Hartley/Ross 3b
8. Ross/Wacaser/Culp/Frey DP. Keen 1b when Leonard pitches
9. Muffley SS. Weisbrook may get some starts similar to BB as a freshman
Sandercock P
Dubois P
Royalty P
Leonard P
I would say you are going to be at least 95% correct. My opinion is Coacha will start Keen at first and put Hartley at 3b and Harding will stay at RF- but I would get someone ready to at least platoon in CF (Ross or someone)
 
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Yeah, I've seen you mention not moving a player to fix another position. Mudge did play CF some last year and is probably our best outfielder. I always want our best outfielder in CF.

Biggest reason I suggested this is because I think Kerr has struggled with confidence. Her mistakes in the outfield negatively impacted her performance at the plate. I think she can be a major contributer for us offensively, and we need all hands on deck to make up for the loss of Syd.

Edenfield also needs to step up offensively. We will need her big bat in the middle of our lineup if we're going to contend for a national championship.
Good thoughts but there are certain people I am not moving (Mudge, Flaherty, Muffley, Edenfield, Keen, and if she can't play 3B Harding) the rest I am Ok with some experimentation. As noted above we are going to have less options this year and our running game may suffer some.
 
Not going hard after Goodnight and Kilfoyl still upsets me.
We'll see what we see!
We need the pitchers to really step up b/c I see less batting power.
As far as the outfield, Belviy had one of the better catches. Now she needs to prove she can hit, and
she will be an OF option.
 
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I do believe Hartley will play 3b and maybe she will just light it up but the predicate says we will get about what she showed in the FGCL this summer. =
What did she show this summer in the FGCL?
 
What did she show this summer in the FGCL?
She was good enough to make the All Star Game. BUT... Her productivity was not Syd level (and I realize that may be asking too much) .
 
Just wondering if anyone on here actually saw her play this summer?
I watched both Hartley and Wacaser on a streaming game. It was hard to follow (not great quality) so I did not do it again - they both did well (Both made the all star game) .
 
Went back and watched the replays with Double Fries No Slaw and four of our players from last year. Made me a little upset the way the season ended again but also gave me optimism for the upcoming year. Really only lost Syd. Hardest replacing her will be leadership but think Coacha has done a great job of building a culture here and then defense. If we get someone at third that will minimize errors and take the sure outs, we will be fine. Offensively I see her numbers being replaced with the likes of Culp, Wacaser and Ross. Hope to see more ABs for Ross this coming year. Her speed can really put a lot of pressure on teams. Then just pitching and defense and think the two transfers that we have one from last year and then the other from this year along with Leonard will be enough.
 
Went back and watched the replays with Double Fries No Slaw and four of our players from last year. Made me a little upset the way the season ended again but also gave me optimism for the upcoming year. Really only lost Syd. Hardest replacing her will be leadership but think Coacha has done a great job of building a culture here and then defense. If we get someone at third that will minimize errors and take the sure outs, we will be fine. Offensively I see her numbers being replaced with the likes of Culp, Wacaser and Ross. Hope to see more ABs for Ross this coming year. Her speed can really put a lot of pressure on teams. Then just pitching and defense and think the two transfers that we have one from last year and then the other from this year along with Leonard will be enough.
I just don't see it right now. We lost some speed to the portal for situational running (down to 23 on the roster and 12 of them are pitchers or catchers). I also think you are minimizing Syd's contributions to the offense. If she wasn't getting a key hit (or a double) she was walking and starting a rally. I just could not count the number of times in crucial situations she contributed. We will miss her more than most fans think. JMHO
 
OK, lets us all realize that no one is going to step in and replace the three time ACC defensive player of the year. Sherril was outstanding replacing Warren at third but she lacked as a power hitter. Great at getting on base so we can't get everything in one package to replace Syd. That said, the rest of the infield is stout.

Need something to change in power hitting without losing consistency at the plate. Edenfield started strong but was not really much of an offensive power hitter after April 1st.

Alo from OU was the type of hitter we should strive for. Watched her in WCWS and she was powerful with less than two strikes but then was a consistent hitter after two strikes. She focused on hitting the ball after two strikes and not just always swinging for the fence. She was a .500 hitter and did not strike out much. ( Yes that is the ideal hitter).

I agree Mudge should stay in LF and maybe CF late in the game when subs get in the game. Harding held down RF primarily because she has a cannon for an arm but her jump on the ball, anticipation were the ball was going needs improvement. Kerr is still a wild card in CF and at the plate. So many Fall Ball will allow CoachA to find two more reliable outfielders with offensive bats.

Need to have a better option at DP position from both sides of the plate. Pinch hitters did not put fear into opposing pitchers. Again OU had .350 hitters on the bench for when other hitters were having a bad day.

Hopefully we can get feedback during the fall season as we did prior to Covid.
 
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In order for this team to be successful and make a deep run in the NCAA, we need:
1. Someone (coaches) to help Edenfield regain her hitting eye and fix any holes in her swing.
2. Hartley or whomever to be solid defensively and hopefully hit 300.
3. We need Harding and Mudge to pick up where they left off.
4. We need someone to step up in CF. Sorry but last year's version of Kerr was poor as a fielder and inconsistent as a hitter.
5. We need Royalty and DuBois to be the real deal, b/c it will take an outstanding staff to take this team deep into the playoffs.
**We need Coacha to be more aggressive in the portal for the future.
 
1. Edenfield hitting fix.

2.Keep shoulder in. Watch the ball to the bat. Do not look through the pitch. Follow the ball to the bat with eye and head movement. I repeat, do not look through the pitch. Get away from the home run mentality and into the base hit mentality. The home runs will take care of themselves.

3. Swing naturally, don't try to hit home runs. You have the size and strength to take it over the fence without extending yourself. Quit trying to hit five run homers.

4. Let the bat dictate where the ball goes. i.e. middle...right field.

5. Shorten your swing, get rid of the gigantic bat you are using and don't over swing. You will hit more line drives and more home runs by not trying to kill the ball.

These are simple adjustments that you can master using a batting tee and soft toss. Repeat daily until you master the situation. It's not hard if you work at it.
 
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1. Edenfield hitting fix.

2.Keep shoulder in. Watch the ball to the bat. Do not look through the pitch. Follow the ball to the bat with eye and head movement. I repeat, do not look through the pitch. Get away from the home run mentality and into the base hit mentality. The home runs will take care of themselves.

3. Swing naturally, don't try to hit home runs. You have the size and strength to take it over the fence without extending yourself. Quit trying to hit five run homers.

4. Let the bat dictate where the ball goes. i.e. middle...right field.

5. Shorten your swing, get rid of the gigantic bat you are using and don't over swing. You will hit more line drives and more home runs by not trying to kill the ball.

These are simple adjustments that you can master using a batting tee and soft toss. Repeat daily until you master the situation. It's not hard if you work at it.
I can't imagine that the fans in the parking garage urging her to hit it there is helpful in getting her to cut down on her swing.
 
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I can't imagine that the fans in the parking garage urging her to hit it there is helpful in getting her to cut down on her swing.
I hate when fans try to get creative and have some fun. Like chanting for the fire trucks when they were there. Or trying to get Coacha to run for the presidency when she clearly needs to have all her focus on coaching. Or yelling Ktime when our pitchers should be focused on getting ground balls but that’s sandercocks speciality. Really hate when they cheer for diving catches by our OF when they need to make the fundamental plays.
 
I hate when fans try to get creative and have some fun. Like chanting for the fire trucks when they were there. Or trying to get Coacha to run for the presidency when she clearly needs to have all her focus on coaching. Or yelling Ktime when our pitchers should be focused on getting ground balls but that’s sandercocks speciality. Really hate when they cheer for diving catches by our OF when they need to make the fundamental plays.
Tripe like this is why I'm not going to miss this place.
 
It's a year down the road, but here's a nice write up on one of our commits:


Hope that isn't behind a firewall.
Its not just Harp. That whole class has good talent. I am excited about all 4 of these commits (Danley, Bueno, Harp and Beachum). They are all top 50 types and the lowest rated one Beachum might be the best of the bunch (other than Danley on the mound). Beachum can flat out launch a softball and the other two position players (Bueno/Harp) both have power and are immediate contributors in my mind. That is the best looking class on paper in my memory. JMHO
 
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