Lsu softball's final chance much like the rest of the elite teams

Maybe not the "final chance", but the best chance they will have between now and the next three years..

At the end of next college so many of the elite teams will be losing their best class they have had in recent years. LSU fell a bit from 2015 and 2016, when they lost Andrews, Kloss, Bell, and Simmons. This year, losing Landry, Jaquish, and Quinn will present yet another challenge for the LSU softball team. LSU will mostly rely on Amanda Doyle and Springfield for power, and two positions they need to fill are Catcher and right field.

With two of the best pitchers in college softball leaving LSU at the end of the next season, a sense of urgency is created...LSU has had three really good years, and one real chance to win it all. The best team does not always win, and so LSU had every right to dream of a national championship, arriving in Oklahoma City with a fair chance to win.

Oklahoma's mini-dynasty will likely come to an end at the end of next year, regardless of how well they do. Losing both of their best pitchers, like LSU, as well as their shortstop, center-fielder, and both of their catchers.

Florida loses its best defensive player in Dewitt, as well as Wheaton and Kvistad, who may very well be a candidate for player of the year.

Just going through the teams that made it to the Supers and to WCWS, you can see how impacted they will be when next year's senior class is gone.


Oklahoma- Paige Lowary, Paige Parker, Lea Wodach, Nicole Pendley, Hannah Sparks (backup catcher), Kelsey Arnold.

Florida -Ocasio, Kvistand, Dewitt, Wheaton

LSU-Carley Hoover, Allie Walljasper, Emily Griggs, Loupe,

Oregon-Lilley, Lindvall, Svekis

UCLA-Ordorica, Jelenicki, Grauer, Ta'amilo, Perez, Felix

Texas A&M-Lexi Smith, Cuyos, Walters, Harrington, Vidales, Russell

Washington-Melhart, Van Zee, Deponte, Cochran, Burdick, Thomas, Shreyer

Baylor-Potts, Charlton, Friudenberg, Scroggins, and Christensen

Ole Miss-Clayton, Cox, McKinney, Lee and Majam

Most would agree that Oklahoma will have the hardest time with finding replacements as good as those leaving. There might not be another 75 mph fastball in college softball for a while, since Lowary graduates next year. Parker, the original ace for Oklahoma, will be gone.

LSU fans are aware how blessed we are to have Hoover and Walljasper for four years, and there was a time when LSU's lineup was at least second best in the country, behind Florida.

Much is going to depend on how well Maribeth Gorsuch develops, and who else she has pitching along with her. The coaching staff has its work cut out for them. LSU may have to depend on strategy offense to carry them, since we have lost our three best hitters in the history of the program in just two years. Ole Miss has relied on its pitch-calling and offensive smarts to get them where they are, and they almost put UCLA out of the tournament,

I hate to say it, but we are going to have to return to small-ball just a bit more than we have in the past three years.

Maybe I am wrong, but I think this past WCWS, LSU should have bunted more and put pressure on Barnhill and Gourley. I just think we could have exploited the weakness of Florida's defense by bunting a little more.

Going to be interesting to see what happens between now and the first game of next season. Rumors are that an Arizona State player may transfer to LSU.