Tennessee Softball 2024

[DeerPark12]

Obviously if she wants to win a championship, she won't stay at Stanford. WTBS, I would think going to Stanford would entail that she takes education quite seriously. She would be closer to home at OU, but then there's the question of atmosphere. Not everyone is cut out for OU. Just like with every other program, not everyone fits in there. But OU softball has a pretty specific vibe.

Whoever paid $125k for Vawter must have a ton of money to burn because that was a horrible investment.

It seemed like a good investment at the time, but it was still double what anybody else, including Tennessee, was offering. That said, I think Herstad would have been a lot better on a winning team, rather than on a South Carolina team that wasn’t going anywhere from the get-go.

It will be interesting to see how long Dawn Staley can keep Bev employed there. She vouched for her in the NIL space last year, and it got them nowhere. I don’t think her basketball donors are going to be willing to make that kind of deal again.

 

[M40]

But then, wouldn't it be the coolest, most Stanford thing ever if she didn't take the money and stayed in Palo Alto?

Money like that doesn’t get turned down.

 

[OrangePark]

That’s not accurate. She played for the Louisville Sluggers National (solid travel) team and had more offers than that, her first D1 offer came in the 7th grade. MaxPrep AA her Junior year and ranked in the Top 15 for the 2022 class that was deep in pitching.

Actually she played for Louisville Slugger Huecker which I’m at the WCWS currently with Jim so this is from the horses mouth and she play up on the 18U team since 7th grade but was the #3 pitcher on his teams until her senior year. South Carolina was interested but didn’t offer because they committed Kristen Deal. She was a late bloomer and didn’t commit until her senior year because she was waiting for more offers to come in that didn’t. The 2022 class was the last for the early commit rule change and a lot of schools already had pitchers committed in her class prior and Sluggers missed a lot of high profile tournaments because parents chose not to go because of Covid.

 

[anecwnrjcns12]

Big Portal News from OKC at the WCWS
Canady has been offered a NLI deal of $250,000 to join Oklahoma next season. Which sounds unrealistic but Vawter’s from South Carolina got $125,000 and a condo to go to SC this year.

I mean if that is the case any NIL money is good for these athletes and transferring comes down to a lot of different decisions for athletes not just winning. However I think for a good amount of fans, myself included, would love to see a world where oklahoma isn’t the stacked team it is every year maybe even miss out on the world series every now and then. I think they helped grow the game, but think about the storylines that would have been talked about if Florida made the champ series.

 

[OrangePark]

That’s not really accurate on either account. Kenny wouldn’t leave Oklahoma State unless Auburn committed to building a new stadium, which is the same thing that caused Heather Tarr to drop out three weeks ago. I know for a fact Kenny never came anywhere close to final contract discussions with Auburn.

JT may have had discussions with Auburn, but he isn’t anywhere near the top of their list and no school is going to pay a current assistant what one of the most accomplished coaches in the country makes. That’s complete nonsense. Whoever told you that has zero concept of coaching salaries in college softball.

Have you ever been to Auburn all there softball facilities have been just newly built or just remodeled. That’s part of there selling point. So I’m guessing you already knew that Auburn called Heather Tarr after her players left to try to workout a deal but Auburn wouldn’t pay her $500,000 buyout. I’m guessing that ain’t accurate either. Got tickets early assuming the Vols were making it back to the WCWS but I was wrong. Im pretty sure the college coaches we spent time with in the lobby weren’t making up lies. Wouldn’t look good to lie to an elite travel ball coach I was with. I’m sure this will come out through other sources.

 

[Majors]

Actually she played for Louisville Slugger Huecker which I’m at the WCWS currently with Jim so this is from the horses mouth and she play up on the 18U team since 7th grade but was the #3 pitcher on his teams until her senior year. South Carolina was interested but didn’t offer because they committed Kristen Deal. She was a late bloomer and didn’t commit until her senior year because she was waiting for more offers to come in that didn’t. The 2022 class was the last for the early commit rule change and a lot of schools already had pitchers committed in her class prior and Sluggers missed a lot of high profile tournaments because parents chose not to go because of Covid.

Give Jim my best. We always enjoyed playing his teams over the years and seeing them in Colorado. I’m well aware of the early commit rule which was why I stated she had offers in 7th grade when you said she only had two. Not sure late bloomer is a term I’d use being she was Gatorade KS player of the year her JR year, offers by KU and Missouri. If anything she was right in not committing early as it worked out for her. But she was known by those in the circuit at the time and college coaches.

 

[RebKell]

Nothing much happening on Portal D1

 

[anecwnrjcns12]

Florida, Texas, OU in that order for top 3 in the sec next year.

 

[OrangePark]

Give Jim my best. We always enjoyed playing his teams over the years and seeing them in Colorado. I’m well aware of the early commit rule which was why I stated she had offers in 7th grade when you said she only had two. Not sure late bloomer is a term I’d use being she was Gatorade KS player of the year her JR year, offers by KU and Missouri. If anything she was right in not committing early as it worked out for her. But she was known by those in the circuit at the time and college coaches.

Jim apologizes, he doesn’t remember coaching against anyone named Majors. I was referring to her offers and not schools that had interest. There’s a small difference between interest and offers. Just because a school had interest before the rule change doesn’t mean they had interest after. If Missouri offered pre or post rule change, she would’ve committed there. Playing close to home mattered but not enough to go to Wichita State. Have you ever seen a travel ball team from Kansas play softball. If you can catch a ball you’re in the running for gatorade player of the year in Kansas. It’s more concerning she didn’t win it her freshman and sophomore years. That’s why she left the state to play travel ball because Kansas is terrible for softball.

 

[OrangePark]

Please go onto ESPN and vote for the next 30 for 30:

“Will the Real Majors Please Stand Up”
Is Majors, BrianRice, DeerPark12, and AllVols3 all the same person with multiple usernames….
Have we all been Catfished……

Or

“Majors does the VolNation Board”
Majors 13,761 correct post streak has ended because post 13,762 & 13,763 are finally incorrect…..
Majors is the real Ken Jennings on the VolNation Board....

 

[William_77]

In the event that Malveaux goes to Auburn, any hitting coach hires we’ll be targeting?

 

[Majors]

Jim apologizes, he doesn’t remember coaching against anyone named Majors. I was referring to her offers and not schools that had interest. There’s a small difference between interest and offers. Just because a school had interest before the rule change doesn’t mean they had interest after. If Missouri offered pre or post rule change, she would’ve committed there. Playing close to home mattered but not enough to go to Wichita State. Have you ever seen a travel ball team from Kansas play softball. If you can catch a ball you’re in the running for gatorade player of the year in Kansas. It’s more concerning she didn’t win it her freshman and sophomore years. That’s why she left the state to play travel ball because Kansas is terrible for softball.

As I said, she was well known. Some light reading on her journey as you get your day going. Took a snip-it to engage your interest.

“Canady eventually narrowed down her colleges choices to Stanford, Arizona and UCLA after also taking unofficial visits to Kansas and Oklahoma State and didn't make her final decision until last weekend.”

*And yes, I’ve seen plenty of KS softball. You can visit my comment on Hardenburger in the Softball 2023 thread.

​

Topeka High star NiJaree Canady picks Stanford softball - Top Sports News - The top sports news from Topeka & Shawnee County.

Top Sports News - The top sports news from Topeka & Shawnee County.

topsports.news

 

[jp1]

You are correct. Stanford did not execute that rundown correctly at all. And I put it more on the catcher. She should have forced the runner back for a play at third.

Gasso also had a monumental coaching blunder at third base in the earlier game. One out and runner on third. Fly ball to center that looked like it might not be caught so Gasso started waving her runner home. Except…oops, a great catch by the center fielder and the runner had to scurry back to third. It cost Oklahoma a chance to tie the score at 1-1 early. Who knows how the game woulda played out from there with a little more pressure on Florida.

Just curious, why do you put the base running error on Gasso? I guess Gasso could have reminded her once she saw that she was down the line, but that's on the player 100% (and maybe that's what you were ultimately saying).

 

[DeerPark12]

Have you ever been to Auburn all there softball facilities have been just newly built or just remodeled. That’s part of there selling point. So I’m guessing you already knew that Auburn called Heather Tarr after her players left to try to workout a deal but Auburn wouldn’t pay her $500,000 buyout. I’m guessing that ain’t accurate either. Got tickets early assuming the Vols were making it back to the WCWS but I was wrong. Im pretty sure the college coaches we spent time with in the lobby weren’t making up lies. Wouldn’t look good to lie to an elite travel ball coach I was with. I’m sure this will come out through other sources.

Yes, one of my clients is at Auburn, so I’m on their campus frequently. The indoor facility is a recent addition from the end of the Clint Meyers era, but the stadium itself has not been touched outside of the temporary seating since it opened. Tarr and and Kenny weren’t coming to a 1,000 seat stadium with non-functional bathrooms in the dugouts.

 

[EZE]

Just curious, why do you put the base running error on Gasso? I guess Gasso could have reminded her once she saw that she was down the line, but that's on the player 100% (and maybe that's what you were ultimately saying).

Gasso was frantically waving the runner to go home. I missed it in real time and thought it was all on the runner…but the replay showed Gasso.

But the mistake is on both of them. The runner shoulda been planted on third base until the ball dropped or was caught.

 

[OrangePark]

Yes, one of my clients is at Auburn, so I’m on their campus frequently. The indoor facility is a recent addition from the end of the Clint Meyers era, but the stadium itself has not been touched outside of the temporary seating since it opened. Tarr and and Kenny weren’t coming to a 1,000 seat stadium with non-functional bathrooms in the dugouts.

Not so fast, maybe rather than looking Auburn up through google earth you should actually take in a game there. Mickey was at Auburn for 7 years and the indoor was just built 2 years ago and this year the locker room and additional stadium seating was added to hold up to 2,500. That is well after Meyers era. Actually Auburn is one of the nicer facilities currently in the SEC and Mickey was in the top half of coaching salaries. Just a quick current events lesson for you this morning

 

[OrangePark]

In the event that Malveaux goes to Auburn, any hitting coach hires we’ll be targeting?

Personally the gimmick drills aren’t working. I think they need to go back to the basics. And I would hire Marc Weekly back. The power numbers weren’t there with Marc but the averages were much higher. Regardless change needs to happen for this team to make the next step.

 

[jp1]

Gasso was frantically waving the runner to go home. I missed it in real time and thought it was all on the runner…but the replay showed Gasso.

But the mistake is on both of them. The runner shoulda been planted on third base until the ball dropped or was caught.

It was a huge blunder for sure. Turned out that it didn't matter in the final score. Why their mess-ups don't bite them as hard as it always seems ours do is beyond me.

 

[EZE]

If the 250k is true then I’d fully expect Canady to take that. That’s a lot of money for a softball player

That Stanford degree is worth way more than that IMO. If she was my daughter, I’d counsel her to think long and hard before doing that.

But, at the end of the day, it would be her decision.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

That Stanford degree is worth way more than that IMO. If she was my daughter, I’d counsel her to think long and hard before doing that.

But, at the end of the day, it would be her decision.

I am sure they can find that many zuckerbucks to match.

 

[OrangePark]

Chris & Kate Malveaux are being reported as being named co-head coaches at Auburn.

 

[anecwnrjcns12]

It’s official. Auburn put it up on twitter

 

[anecwnrjcns12]

Anyone have any idea on who we hire to fill in the 2 assistant roles?

 

[volforlife15]

Anyone have any idea on who we hire to fill in the 2 assistant roles?

I fully expect Aubrey Leach to be promoted full time to run the defense and rightfully so

 

[anecwnrjcns12]

I fully expect Aubrey Leach to be promoted full time to run the defense and rightfully so

This is what i expected to happen as well. I mean it is always helpful as a player to have a coach who has played on the same field as you and achieved success. I wonder who Karen will go after as a hitting coach.