Tennessee Softball 2023

[Majors]

Lair may not be the best on the team but she sure did save us in some big moments this year. HR and bunt at Kentucky to win the game and a grand slam at the SEC tournament. Wish her the best.

Injury transformed Lair from the player she was recruited to be…talk to any coach out west and she was the fastest in CA for the 2021 class. She went from being a slapper with power to a stationary hitter.

 

[Majors]

With end of the year meetings already happening… I’d anticipate 3-5 looking to move on. Karen’s comments in the KNS is she’s looking for pitching depth and a catcher, which says they don’t believe Kirkpatrick is able to go in if G gets hurt.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

Reminds me of a few years ago when I was in the Air Force. A general was speaking to some of us young officers when someone ask what he thought the key to getting ahead was. He paused and then said, “ Recognition. Even negative recognition is better than no recognition as long as it isn’t to serious. In a couple years they will remember your name but not what it was for so they will assume it was for something good.”
I think this applies to our participation in the WCWS, most will remember our name being associated with the WS but they won’t remember how we laid an egg.

The people watching this game were probably mostly softball players, and the teams’ families and fans, so I hope your General was right, but we’ll have to wait and see. I especially gave your comment a like because you were in the Air Force, thank you.

 

[tnsportsfan53]

Softball Portal twitter claims to report all. Free. just google

 

[kregman]

I think you may have created a new term: Portaling Away! Ha. Sounds good.

She is not fully gone yet! So I guess we may be needing some new terms. Kinda like stages of grief there are stages of Portal.

 

[kregman]

Kirkpatrick looks the part but she coudn't even get the ball down to second in the game.

 

[Majors]

Here’s the future catcher…she could step in today and be the starter. Not sure if it’s on the table yet, but does she reclassify because of the need after G graduates.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Completely valid points.

However, I think the staff’s handling of Pickens in this game was consistent with how they handled her down the stretch. I think they have been protecting her psyche for the future. And that continued in the OU game.

My biggest disappointment is that we didn’t give our best game to OU. After watching through last night, I am convinced that we were the best team to match up with them because we had hitting and pitching. Still a tall order, but we should not have been blown out like that.

The pitching decision had the biggest impact on all of that. Not a fireable offense IMO, but clearly worthy of discussion.

We have hitting? Not against those all star pitchers we didn't. We have two really good hitters, both at the top of the order. Pitch around them and the rest were easy pickings. When your 3 and four hitters are desperate to draw a walk, you've got a problem. The five hitter can't hit a fastball down the middle when she knows it's coming. RF same way. LF is OK, and 2nd base, but not at elite level. Not trying to be negative. This lineup was good enough to get to the final four, which is a terrific and wonderful accomplishment for our program, but not good enough to compete at that level. Both FSU and OK pitching was something we could not touch. If we want to beat either of those teams we'll have to improve our lineup for sure.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

If she portals away I will share somethings. Not a big surprise.

With what Destiny showed late, she mightve gotten beaten out at 2b anyways.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

With end of the year meetings already happening… I’d anticipate 3-5 looking to move on. Karen’s comments in the KNS is she’s looking for pitching depth and a catcher, which says they don’t believe Kirkpatrick is able to go in if G gets hurt.

We need a power bat in the middle of the order

 

[anecwnrjcns12]

IMO I think getting 1 pitcher and 1 hitter is good enough for me.

 

[orange beard]

Here’s the future catcher…she could step in today and be the starter. Not sure if it’s on the table yet, but does she reclassify because of the need after G graduates.
View attachment 555808

As i understand it she is a upcoming junior.. Looks the part and if she is orange we may not move on from G at this time, If Hoo moves to 2nd which i think she is more the part with the weaker arm. Maybe that will allow Destiny to catch and or west if the Leach girls are as good as i hear. Katie has to be the last opiion and anyone cant hit thier weight needs to get better or sit some.

 

[RebKell]

Here’s the future catcher…she could step in today and be the starter. Not sure if it’s on the table yet, but does she reclassify because of the need after G graduates.
View attachment 555808

What does this mean? she reclassify

 

[Majors]

What does this mean? she reclassify

She’s a 2025, does she have the credits to graduate early to be part of the 2024 class. Farragut is known for its academics and that she has over a 4.0 GPA says she taking a good bit of AP classes.

 

[RebKell]

She’s a 2025, does she have the credits to graduate early to be part of the 2024 class. Farragut is known for its academics and that she has over a 4.0 GPA says she taking a good bit of AP classes.

Thanks.

 

[volman128]

Here’s the future catcher…she could step in today and be the starter. Not sure if it’s on the table yet, but does she reclassify because of the need after G graduates.
View attachment 555808

Winning the award as a sophomore is impressive.

Also, unless G can learn to hit, Rodriguez needs to be tried out at catcher unless we get a transfer that can take it.

 

[orange beard]

Winning the award as a sophomore is impressive.

Also, unless G can learn to hit, Rodriguez needs to be tried out at catcher unless we get a transfer that can take it.

West has caught for us in the past and she did ok. Let her catch and give Kiki a fast Leach on each side and again got to hit!! I just read that OU turns down 30% of the recruits that want to play there!!

 

[volman128]

West has caught for us in the past and she did ok. Let her catch and give Kiki a fast Leach on each side and again got to hit!! I just read that OU turns down 30% of the recruits that want to play there!!

I know West was injured, but G, a natural outfielder, was our catcher this year. So I'm betting the ship has sailed on West at catcher. Besides, she seems to be a pretty good outfielder.

If the Leach sisters can hit I'm betting they'll start. If Dez can hit she'll start somewhere, whether it's catcher, 2B or DH. Same with Rylie at C or OF (or DH if the Leaches are out there). The big question marks for me are Faw and Pannell. If Faw can hit she should definitely start at SS over Donihoo. Which would mean Pannell is likely 2B or DH. Also if Keene will be able to do anything. If Donihoo and G start next year it means nobody has stepped up and taken their spots from them which will be disappointing, unless somehow they learn to hit next year.

 

[tnburban]

Well...kinda hard to hate on Oklahoma after this:

Tweet

Article - OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL PLAYERS TELL ESPN THE REAL SOURCE OF JOY IS RELIGION

 

[W.TN.Orange Blood]

 

[DeerPark12]

Your penultimate sentence is the only one that's relevant. Weekly blinked--horribly, inexplicably.

For the third time, Ashley was only available for a maximum of two innings on Saturday.

 

[DeerPark12]

Reminds me of a few years ago when I was in the Air Force. A general was speaking to some of us young officers when someone ask what he thought the key to getting ahead was. He paused and then said, “ Recognition. Even negative recognition is better than no recognition as long as it isn’t to serious. In a couple years they will remember your name but not what it was for so they will assume it was for something good.”
I think this applies to our participation in the WCWS, most will remember our name being associated with the WS but they won’t remember how we laid an egg.

Teams that go to the World Series and go 0-2 in completely non-competitive fashion, like Alabama, qualify as having "laid an egg."

Teams that win two games and finish third in the WCWS have not "laid an egg" by any reasonable definition of the term.

You can be mad about the Oklahoma game if you want. Karen said the pitching plan would have been different if the score had been different. But when your ace could only give you two innings in a game, I think she made the right call to have her ready to close the game instead of starting. But you have to hit the ball for the pitching piece of it to matter. We didn't, much like the rest of the WCWS field didn't against Bahl. You play to win the game, but you don't sacrifice everything swinging at a windmill.

 

[DeerPark12]

Injury transformed Lair from the player she was recruited to be…talk to any coach out west and she was the fastest in CA for the 2021 class. She went from being a slapper with power to a stationary hitter.

If Pannell had been healthy, I don't think you would have seen Lair come back from the early season leg injury. Her spot was in the outfield and she all but refused to play outfield. That's why I was pounding that drum last offseason. I thought she would come around to playing out there at this level and she wouldn't do it.

When she declined to play OF, her days were numbered because they had the infield of the future planned out for the next 3-4 years.

 

[ETNVolunteer1]

I wish Lair well if she moves on. Unfortunately for her it seemed her spot in the lineup had been taken. Destiny looked better filling in tbh but I’m guessing Donihoo will be at second next season.

 

[lvocd]

I somehow missed this until just now. Wow! Much deserved! This is the biggest award to be given to an athlete at Tennessee in a long, long time. And she's an Athens girl!