re: 2018 Lsu vs Sec softball senior losses, per team vs LSU

Position I'm most concerned for next year is catcher, and the offensive production at that position.

I know Cunningham is the real deal defensively, but she hasn't had any experience hitting at this level.

Really there is not a lot of juggling to do with the lineup for next year.

We all pretty much know what is going to happen.

Springfield is going to play first base, and she will share that with Doyle. Either one of them will work, of course, they are both very good at first base.

Doyle is an excellent third baseman, and her throws to first, from third, are as good as anybody else's.
LSU is blessed to have her, since she quite versatile. I know she is not lightning fast, but she is a natural softball player. Bianka Bell of course will be remembered as one of the best players ever to come to LSU, and I think Doyle will be similar, with her offensive numbers. Bell always had a great batting average and a lot of home runs each year she was with us.

At second, rotate between Sanchez and Dawson. If Springfield is at first, you can DP either Sanchez or Dawson.

I think we are all satisfied with Serret at short stop, but I think it would be a good idea to give someone else just a little playing time there in case Serret gets hurt. She is worth her weight in gold to this team, and we need to have someone with playing time to step in in the event that Serret is unable to play.
Cunningham or one of the newcomers will have to catch. That is fine.

I'd keep Andrews in left and I like Griggs playing centerfield because she does really well with playing the ball off the wall and throwing to second. She has a good sense of where she is when she gets the ball and has the arm the ball back to second base. Both Andrews and Griggs are going to go over .350 this coming year, I think.

One thing I'd add about Griggs.... Most slappers start off standing straight up, and I know if she is going to slap, she has to do it that way. Maybe she could find a stance, step and swing more akin to a swing away hitter. There's potential there with Griggs, she has to continue to morph into a real swing away hitter. Turning the hips into the ball, and loading her upper body... she will do well next year

Right field is up for grabs, and I don not know who is coming in. Thornhill is not going to go out there and make a ton of errors, she is a solid defensive player. While she dont need a complete overhaul at the plate, she does need to abbreviate her swing a bit, and not dip so much on her swing.

I was very happy that Beth threw Gorsuch out on the mound in the WCWS. She kept throwing the ball outside, but she has the velocity for upper tier pitching... I think she is going to do well.

Will 2018 be a team that can win it all....maybe not. Gasso has the same team coming back, and so does Florida.

Eight months before we see our girls play again. I really enjoyed this past season and I tip my hat to Beth and the staff for taking the team to the WCWS this year. A good coach finds a way, they say.

yeah... look at the board who chooses who will host a regional, and somebody was surprised they didnt get to host... their non-conference schedule was not tough at all. and i guess they saying no matter how many games you win....who you play matters, too.

Since everyone is providing insight on LSU's roster, here is my take on the returning players.
Hoover - Solid. Lots of upside.
Walljasper - Solid. Lots of upside.
Gorsuch - Solid. Lots of upside.
Doyle - Solid. Lots of upside.
Springfield - Solid. Lots of upside.
Sanchez - Solid. Lots of upside.
Andrews - Solid. Lots of upside.
Griggs - Solid. Lots of upside.
Serrett - Solid. Lots of upside.
Thornhill - Solid. Lots of upside.
Dawson - Solid. Lots of upside. (If she stays!)
Thornhill - Solid. Lots of upside.
Cunningham - Solid. Lots of upside.
Weinberger - Solid. lots of upside.
Thymes - Solid. Lots of upside.
Loupe - Solid. Lots of upside.
Freshmen:
Antoine - Solid. Lots of potential.
Sunseri - Solid. Lots of potential.
Caccamisse - Solid. Lots of potential.
Goff - Solid. Lots of potential.

And who was the hitting coach at OU before Tripp McKay??

From his bio..."OU topped the Big 12 in scoring and also ranked among the league's top two in batting average during all five of his seasons in Norman."

Crickets???????

I understand that speed isnt the most important thing, and, as you said, the majority of D1 softball pitches are below 65 mph on average.

If you look at Moss from Tennessee, at 70 mph, even though she is accurate, they time her down as the game goes on and she is vunlerable, mostly because she doesnt have much more than a fastball. The other stuff she throws is only moving slightly. A good changeup would help her. I dont mean to slam her, but I am just trying to make a point that I agree, there has to be more than speed.

If you look at the elite teams, and I consider LSU one of them, their aces all come in at 65+

Osorio-Alabama
Moss-Tennessee
Alvelo-Washington
Gourley-Florida
Barnhill-Florida
Parker-Okla
Lowary-Okla
Selman-Baylor
Garcia-UCLA
Keist-Oregon
Elish-Oregon
Balint-Oregon
Harrington-Texas A&M
Hoover-LSU


Its the same way in baseball, when you get down to the college world series, the aces are throwing better than 92 mph.

I know you are talking about average. I am talking about elite. Maribeth has the speed to be on the level with the others.

I was watching the second game of the WCWS this past week. Do you think if Gasso would have left Parker in as pitcher they'd have won that game? I dont. Florida would have sent Parker to the cleaners... and Gasso knew it.

But as you said, speed cant be all they have. Speed does set up the change up, and if you have three speeds like Allie does, it drives the batters nuts.

Pitching wins championships. Pitching even forgives weak hitting. The reason Florida got beat this past week is because Oklahoma has a better pitcher. No, she is not the average pitcher, but, no doubt, the reason she is the best pitcher is because she is the fastest. Those closest to her are fast as well.

In a wide open draft, across the whole softball spectrum, two things are almost sure to happen...the first player picked is going to be a pitcher, and, second, she is going to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest.

If I was the coach who got to pick first, I'd pick a pitcher, and that would be Lowary. Spin can be learned, speed is a little different. No matter how good a coach is, he is going to find his pitcher has a limit as to how fast she can throw, and if she comes into college softball at 60, she will probably leave at 63 or so.

A pitcher who enters her college softball career may throw 70 mph, and have nothing but a fastball. By the time she leaves, four years later, she may throw 71 or 72 and she will probably have acquired the ability to throw curves, a rise ball, screw ball, changeup, etc. and, really, another pitcher throwing 60 mph is not likely going to be as effective, no matter how good she spins. If you dont believe that, look at the 8 teams that got to the WCWS and see how many of them got there on the back of a 60 mph spin pitcher.

Good luck with your team.. hope it works out for yall. if yall were playing in New Orleans, I'd go watch. Out in the boonies today.

I'm aware Howard was there long ago. I think they won a WS while he was there right? I'm not the person on here trashing Howard. I've spoke to him a few times, I have no problem with him. I think there is pressure now that this year has happened. Another terrible offensive season and he could really be under fire. I hope he gets the girls hitting.

Welcome back Eric

I've never seen so many alters before.

"She's not leaving, y'all need need to,stop listening to the troll paintthecorner"

Sir?