re: LSU softball batting anaylsis by player

Good post, I've added a little more food for thought.

quote:

---

Emily Griggs-- last year I think a lot of us were frustrated with her batting toward the end of the season, but that is when the team faces the best pitchers. I have seen some on TD here say that she is a liability defensively, and I just don't understand how someone could think that.

---

Griggs is a dang good all around player. She does everything pretty good but nothing great. When people say "defensive liability" I don't think they mean in a sense that she is going to make errors. I believe it is in her ability to cover ground. Griggs is one of the slowest position players on the team. She will make all of the right plays but she is never going to be able to do in CF what someone like Andrews brings to the table. If you want good, solid play, Griggs is a good choice. She is not a great choice for a true lead off but so far she has been reliable there as well. I think she would be a very good 9 hole hitter if we had another option to lead off. Right now, she is performing very well.

quote:

---

Bailey Landry

---

Flat out great hitter that can really run. She is so difficult to defend. She is one of the few fast slappers that can really drive the ball when she wants to, a true dual threat hitter.

quote:

---

Jaquish

---

Will go down as one of the best 2 or 3 right handed hitters to ever play at LSU. And oh by the way, she may be the best catcher we have ever had. She has a canon behind the plate and seems to be easy to throw to. She will be a massive problem to replace next year and the next year and the next year, well, you get my point.

quote:

---

Springfield

---

One of the many ultra talented Freshman that has a beautiful, effortless swing. Closer to a Jaquish than a Bell. She is fluid and direct and is very big which enables her to generate tremendous leverage. A pure definition of a Freshman that didn't have a great Fall but the staff showed some confidence in her and she has flourished. Gonna be an excellent middle of the order hitter for 4 years.

quote:

---

Doyle

---

I saw Doyle quit a bit in travel ball and saw her handle some very hard throwers without much issue. She has lighting hands and a very short, quick approach. Not a big stride and really relies on her hands to power through pitches. She is not as big as Springfield and relies more on explosive hands than leverage. Another Freshman that has shined when given the chance to do so.

quote:

---

Thornhill

---

I have watched Thornhill since she was in 14's. She is a long, rangy swinging Griggs. Meaning, nothing flashy, nothing overwhelming tool wise but does everything well. She is not fast, not great leverage, not great bat speed but is a smart player that, in my opinion, may have won the LF job over a supremely talented Freshman in Andrews. Thornhill is a dependable player that will give you limited production. I don't see her being an All SEC or All American type but she will continue to have a solid career.

quote:

---

Serret-

---

Good player. Has developed at the plate into a very reliable hitter. Started out this year slow but has continued to put pretty good swings together. She is not an above average runner so she is not necessarily your prototype "defensive" shortstop. She has one of the best arms in the country and she can make some plays on defense with arm strength alone. If you have never focused in on her arm, please do. It is a rocket launcher from SS. She will generate some power as shown and can hurt you when you make mistakes. She will continue to improve at the plate and lock down the 7 spot for a while.

quote:

---

Sanchez

---

Another player I was fortunate enough to see in travel ball before her arrival at LSU. Small frame with below average speed but can generate some leverage and bat speed to drive the ball. Her swing and approach typically go with a bigger player but she makes no apologies and hacks her rear end off! Sanchez was, I thought, overlooked last year and brought more potential to the plate than some of the upperclassmen in front of her. She will be a solid player for LSU throughout her career. She has the ability to play 2nd base as well.

quote:

---

Quinn

---

This is easily the most baffling personnel decision of Beth's tenure at LSU. I have watched Quinn play since she was a switch hitting slapper with the Voodoo. She has not progressed in her years at LSU despite multiple starts and opportunities. I think the argument could be made that she has regressed over the last couple of years. She is relatively athletic with maybe a step better than average speed. She is average, at best, as a defender. She is not a great hitter and seems to inside out most pitchers. She is feast or famine, when she is hot get out of the way as seen to start last year. When she is not hot, she can be down right bad. We seem to have a couple of young options that could grow the team at this position for the next few years but the staff has shown no interest in making a change and gaining more experience at this position regardless of stats or outcome.

I'll throw in three more:

Waljasper

Powerful bat that can put a serious charge in the ball. A true banger that has no shot to beat out anything, anywhere. She can give you a big extra base hit here and there and she will run into a few homeruns. Hits with a lot of leverage. Not an everyday hitter, in my opinion, but instead someone that can give a player that is struggling a boost when you need someone to drive the ball.

Andrews

Fast and long. A true touch and go slapper that can wreak havoc on defenses. Not at a point in her career where she will drive the ball or offer many extra base hits. High ceiling, high upside player that is already a plus defender. As she gets stronger she will have a shot to be better than her sister. Another of the great Freshman recruiting class.

Dawson

An absolute offensive machine at every level she has ever played. The fastest player I have personally ever seen on the diamond. Incredibly difficult to defend and creates unbelievable pressure for any defense when on the bags. Not just a touch and go, has the ability to hit the ball out of the park and drive the ball for extra base hits. Had quite a few multi hit games this fall and this pre-spring. I still believe could have been a real answer to the offensive struggles toward the bottom of the line up if she would have ever gotten a shot to run out there four or five games in a row. For some reason, the staff has zero confidence in her to perform. Will hopefully keep working and find a way on the field in 2018.

That's my take on the hitters I have seen.