Game Thread Lady Vols Softball Team NCAA Regionals

#777
#777
Also, just for you star gazers I don't think the Renfro sisters were ranked that highly nationally but came in to be outstanding pitchers. So, I don't concern myself too much with the rankings.
 
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#778
#778
armchair said:
Well, someone just said they intended to redshirt Morrison--but didn't they blow her shirt by playing her against LSU--a decision that made NO sense, by the way. A kid doesn't play ALL YEAR and you decide to play her in the SEC tourney?

When you are getting a lot of commitments from 14-year-old kids in the 8th/9th grade, you are going to have some misses, as some kids who are top prospects at 14 are not going to be top prospects at 17/18. Their development flattens out while others, late bloomers, come on. It is a risk that everyone is taking nowadays--and every program is going to have the same problem. A lot of top 14-year-old prospects WILL keep developing and be good/very good college players--but a lot of them won't. Coaches should really monitor commits through high school and club seasons--and if someone simply stops developing, they should talk to the player and her family and be honest, and maybe new decisions made. I'm sure this happens now. With some players, maybe even a lot, you can't be sure how they'll be until they get to college and start playing. I'm sure there are some early commits who might struggle late in their high school/club career--but get to college and find their game and display the skills that got them noticed in the first place.

UT has got a couple of young soccer players who were big-time recruits, played on U.S. national youth teams--and they simply aren't that good. One of them was supposed to be one of the top freshmen in the country last year--and IMO she was maybe the 4th best freshmen on OUR TEAM last year. She'll be ok, but is not fast or athletic enough to be a big-time player. A lot of kids get big reputations when they are young, and that rep carries along for a few years--the rep becomes the reality, not the quality of play. We see that sort of thing a lot--see the All SEC selections, for example.
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I agree with you completely. I couldn't have said it any better myself. :)

Well, as we know the girls mature way quicker both physically and emotionally than us boys, so the coaches think it's worth taking a risk with a 14-15 year old --sometimes a 13-year old gets an offer too-- and offer a scholarship simply b/c if they don't, a rival school will swoop in and grab the coveted prospect. There are late bloomers and some misses, of course, but for most part, I think at age 14-15, most girls are what they will be when they reach age 18-20. With us boys, it's an entirely different playing field, and that's why we see so many male prospects commit late in their late teens. Then again, there are some busts and late bloomers among the boys as well. There's no exact science when it comes to recruiting. But I think the Weeklys have done pretty well over the years. For most part...
 
#779
#779
Sandvol said:
Also, just for you star gazers I don't think the Renfro sisters were ranked that highly nationally but came in to be outstanding pitchers. So, I don't concern myself too much with the rankings.
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Just look at last year's incoming freshmen pitchers; Bush was ranked #72 nationally and Moss wasn't even a top 100 prospect. I don't give much credence to the rankings either. The telling story for me is how a prospect has done in travel ball/showcase tournaments. Eye-popping high school stats are also misleading UNLESS a prospect in question has played in one of the toughest leagues in the country with a lot of big time school recruits. It's like high school GPA vs. SAT/ACT. You need a good high school GPA to get into a top college, but the standardized tests such as SAT/ACT will provide an accurate and objective assessment pertaining to your own academic achievement. Good GPA & high test scores? Yes, we've got an Alumni Excellence Scholarship waiting for you on Rocky Top. Come and join us!
 
#781
#781
2Alum4EverVol said:
Just look at last year's incoming freshmen pitchers; Bush was ranked #72 nationally and Moss wasn't even a top 100 prospect. I don't give much credence to the rankings either. The telling story for me is how a prospect has done in travel ball/showcase tournaments. Eye-popping high school stats are also misleading UNLESS a prospect in question has played in one of the toughest leagues in the country with a lot of big time school recruits. It's like high school GPA vs. SAT/ACT. You need a good high school GPA to get into a top college, but the standardized tests such as SAT/ACT will provide an accurate and objective assessment pertaining to your own academic achievement. Good GPA & high test scores? Yes, we've got an Alumni Excellence Scholarship waiting for you on Rocky Top. Come and join us!
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I agree. Many high schools have a softball season that is pretty short. You can get some of those so called can't miss prospects from the high school but the cream comes to the top when the travel ball players compete at the highest level I know some schools here in West Tenn the HS teams just don't get enough games completed to get an accurate skill assessment. Kaitlyn Martin who is one of our better recruits, South Gibson County did not even get to the state tournament. She started making her name when she was 10 years old or so on the travel team circuit. I know HS teams in Calif., Florida and Georgia get a lot of experience and exposure.
 
#783
#783
2Alum4EverVol said:
Is it the same DeerPark who said that Kelsey Morrison would red shirt (due to medical reason)? At the time when he said it, I knew that wasn't true, but I kept my mouth shut. Isn't is also the same DeerPark who said the team can only play 2 games (doubleheader) in one day per NCAA rules? I knew that wasn't true either since the day before I heard Clint Myers saying his Auburn team was ready to play either 2 games or 3 games (Auburn regional also had a weather issue last weekend.)

With all due respect, I guess DeerPark is a reliable source and a good poster for most of time, but I sure don't take his words as Gospel truth. In this case involving Bush however, I believe it's accurate.
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DeerPark wasn't the 1st member to post the news about Bush leaving. It was actually a new/1st time poster on this forum.

That's why I thought it was a possible trolling situation. Then, right after that post, DeerPark posted that it was true which put me in shock I'll have to admit.
 
#784
#784
#785
#785
sccshortstop said:
I agree. Many high schools have a softball season that is pretty short. You can get some of those so called can't miss prospects from the high school but the cream comes to the top when the travel ball players compete at the highest level I know some schools here in West Tenn the HS teams just don't get enough games completed to get an accurate skill assessment. Kaitlyn Martin who is one of our better recruits, South Gibson County did not even get to the state tournament. She started making her name when she was 10 years old or so on the travel team circuit. I know HS teams in Calif., Florida and Georgia get a lot of experience and exposure.
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Softball recruiting is all about travel ball. Most coaches will never see a high school game.
 
#786
#786
I think some players come in and are pretty good prospects but then realize they're going to have to grind for four years against much tougher competition than they faced in high school and say to themselves "I don't want to do this." Same with any other college sport.
 
#787
#787
Sandvol said:
I think some players come in and are pretty good prospects but then realize they're going to have to grind for four years against much tougher competition than they faced in high school and say to themselves "I don't want to do this." Same with any other college sport.
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...if they're playing. If they are good softball players but not playing much because even more talented players are in front of them, the options will be weighed.
 
#790
#790
Well my bracket is busted with Georgia ousting Florida in two straight games. Florida's lack of hitting finally caught up with them. They scored a total of two runs in the series. But their fielding broke down which was uncharacteristic for them. Wow. :neener2:

But Georgia is also from the SEC so I still hope to see 4 SEC teams in the WCWS.


LVJeff said:
Who gets to the world series? My picks: 4 SEC, 1 PAC 12, 1 Big 10, 1 ACC, 1 Big 12:

Florida/Georgia: xxxFloridaxxx Georgia
FSU/Utah: FSU
Oregon/UCLA: Oregon
Auburn/Arizona: Auburn
Oklahoma/ULL: Oklahoma
Alabama/Washington: Alabama
JMU/LSU: LSU
Michigan/Missouri: Michigan
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#797
#797
There is no way any university can maintain two separate athletic departments, essentially--one for men and one for women, as we had for a number of years. It's too expensive and too redundant, and if any school is still doing it they are wasting money and probably won't stick with it for much longer. The athletic departments were consolidated for the sake of financial efficiency.

Just listened to an interview with K. Weekly, and she said that incoming freshman C. Seggern, out of Texas, was going to be the third baseman next year. Karen seems very high on the kid, who has been a third baseman and so will be playing a position to which she is accustomed.
 
#798
#798
I look for Seggern to be the 3B, and Taylor Rowland or Katilin Martin to be 1B.

Our freshman class next year is very, very good. The kid out of SoCal, Jenna Holcomb, is great, as well.
 
#800
#800
For the just completed 2016 season Tennessee returned all their important players from the previous season, which was a world series season. They also had an incoming freshman class that consisted of pitchers and outfielders and infielders, that were supposed to make a big impact for Tennessee's 2016 season.

The reality was that Tennessee's 2016 season was a disappointment and the team accomplished less than Tennessee's 2015 team. I'll reserve judgment on Tennessee's 2017 incoming freshman until I actually see them making a difference in the field.
 
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