- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: LSU Softball Program
Posted on 5/23/22 at 7:30 pm to MikeTheTiger71
Posted on 5/23/22 at 7:30 pm to MikeTheTiger71
quote:
I will agree that the one place I fault Torina is for not recognizing the need for change at pitcher soon enough and bringing in immediate help. She was too loyal to Sunseri and Wickersham. I haven’t paid attention to the rosters of other teams. What game changing transfers, especially pitchers, are driving the top rated teams headed to the Supers?
LSU should be using the portal, that is how college sports operate these days. You can still build the bulk of your team through HS recruits but if you aren't using the portal to address weak points or add depth in critical spots, you are not with the times.
With that, LSU needs much more than just the portal. LSU is struggling in the development department. Why are we seeing so many kids regress from their first couple years to their senior years? We've seen kids come in and do well (many making all SEC freshmen team) only to regress to ride the bench later on. Why did Wickersham and Stewart do so well early on but continue to get worse and worse each season? What happened to Sunseri after her sophomore season? The one portal signing LSU did bring in (Amanda Sanchez) was a terrific one they brought in but even she regressed substantially the back part of the year in her one season here, and it was more than just a "small slump"
Those are the questions that need to be answered. Talent is critical but if they aren't developing it doesn't matter.
3
Posted on 5/23/22 at 7:41 pm to Tigerbait357
quote:
The one portal signing LSU did bring in (Amanda Sanchez) was a terrific one they brought in but even she regressed substantially the back part of the year in her one season here, and it was more than just a "small slump"
Regression to the mean that happened at an terrible time. She was a .358 career hitter and she ended up hitting .354 her year at LSU. She wasn't gonna stay hitting .500. Same way Raph Rhymes went from hitting .500 in mid-May to .431 in like 9 games.
Posted on 5/23/22 at 8:12 pm to Tigerbait357
After watching Wickersham's senior night address, she is someone that lost confidence. I don't know about some of the others, but Wickersham said so in as many words. All the while she was thanking Torina for her continued confidence in her.
The one thing I can't square with the Torina-can't-develop-players mantra is that the same group continues to praise Beth for bringing in a project of a pitcher in Kilponen and turning her into an all-SEC pitcher. What is it, she can or can't develop players?
The one thing I can't square with the Torina-can't-develop-players mantra is that the same group continues to praise Beth for bringing in a project of a pitcher in Kilponen and turning her into an all-SEC pitcher. What is it, she can or can't develop players?
This post was edited on 5/23/22 at 8:14 pm
Posted on 5/23/22 at 8:17 pm to The First Cut
quote:
The one thing I can't square with the Torina-can't-develop-players mantra is that the same group continues to praise Beth for bringing in a project of a pitcher in Kilponen and turning her into an all-SEC pitcher. What is it, she can or can't develop players?
I never said Torina can't develop players. She can and she has. Now recently we have seen some struggles and kids go backwards relative to where they started, I think its fair to question why.
Kilponen was sorta raw as a pitcher but far from a true project. She was a top 60 recruit with offers from Washington and other major P5 programs. That isn't a project, she just didn't have many pitching lessons growing up but she played for some very good travel ball teams and did quite well. Her recruitment exploded later in her career (good reason why the early recruiting rules were changed). Torina deserves 100% credit for her getting first team SEC as much as Wickersham and Sunseri's regression. She is the HC, she deserves credit for all her successes as much as all the shortcomings like every other coach.
I was disappointed to see Wickersham's career end the way it did. She had so much promise as a freshmen and was hoping she could get back to form but was just unable to. I'm glad she did enjoy her time here despite it not going as planned.
This post was edited on 5/23/22 at 8:24 pm
Posted on 5/23/22 at 8:50 pm to Tigerbait357
Beth can develop a pitcher, what she has done with Kilponen has been great, She just cant develop any power hitters. Taylor Pleasnts is one of the most talented players in the country, if she doesn't win SEC poty at 1 point, beth has failed her
Posted on 5/23/22 at 10:03 pm to Fat Bastard
quote:
you really think beth is a better coach than murphy??
That’s not at all the point I’m making. The argument for firing Torina is that the program is in decline, even though it is stronger than at just about any other point in program history before she took over. If it’s about the direction of the program and not the relative strength of the program, then the direction Bama is headed is a similar level of decline. They went from making the WCWS every year and playing in the championship 2 of 3 years to missing the WCWS 3 of 5 years and 7 straight years without a championship appearance. Bama is still a stronger program than LSU, but the gap is less now than it was when Torina arrived at LSU, even if LSU isn’t as strong now as in Torina’s early days.
Posted on 5/23/22 at 10:07 pm to Tigerbait357
quote:
LSU should be using the portal, that is how college sports operate these days.
People keep saying that, and it may be true of softball like it is in football or basketball, but no one has concrete examples of how the portal is a key tool for the top softball programs. I’m admitting ignorance on this one and am hoping someone can educate me on how it is being used successfully.
This post was edited on 5/23/22 at 10:08 pm
Posted on 5/23/22 at 10:15 pm to MikeTheTiger71
quote:
People keep saying that, and it may be true of softball like it is in football or basketball, but no one has concrete examples of how the portal is a key tool for the top softball programs. I’m admitting ignorance on this one and am hoping someone can educate me on how it is being used successfully.
It can be if you do it right, Arkansas is the perfect example.
-Danielle Gibson (Arizona St)
-KB Sides (Alabama)
-Chenise Delce (Tulsa)
-Taylor Ellsworth (Texas)
Those transfers accounted for: The SEC Players of the Year and the SEC pitcher of the year. Swept both the SEC regular season and tournament title and will be hosting Supers this weekend.
Ok St is another program that has made a living off of key transfers recently. Samantha Show single handedly carried that 2019 team to the CWS. OU, Washington and Florida have used it as well with some success. Now, it isn't the be all solution but top programs are using it to enhance their teams and plug in weak spots. You still got to recruit well and develop your own talent.
This post was edited on 5/23/22 at 10:24 pm
Posted on 5/23/22 at 10:19 pm to Tigerbait357
quote:
Those transfers accounted for: The SEC Players of the Year and the SEC pitcher of the year. Swept both the SEC regular season and tournament title and will be hosting Supers this weekend. Ok St is another program that has made a living off of key transfers recently.
Arkansas and Oklahoma St are definitely the two prime examples of programs on the rise recently. If both were built with key transfers that certainly makes the case for the importance of the portal in building/re-building. LSU would likely still be playing if they had pulled in a pitcher of Delce’s caliber.
This post was edited on 5/23/22 at 10:23 pm
Posted on 5/23/22 at 10:29 pm to MikeTheTiger71
quote:
Arkansas and Oklahoma St are definitely the two prime examples of programs on the rise recently. If both were built with key transfers that certainly makes the case for the importance of the portal in building/re-building. LSU would likely still be playing if they had pulled in a pitcher of Delce’s caliber.
I am not saying stack up on portal players only because that isn't a long term solution unless you land every elite prospect from the portal (which no one does). That said, we shouldn't be ignoring weak spots on our own team that have plagued us for years. Imaging what a difference it could make to have a decent catcher or maybe a decent 2B option?
Now that doesn't solve everything exactly but its little things like that that can go a long way. There was absolutely no reason why LSU didn't go after a catcher in the portal this offseason given the catching situation the last two years. How many passed balls did they give up the last two seasons that killed our pitching? It was quite a lot
Posted on 5/23/22 at 11:52 pm to Tigerbait357
If it’s any consolation I felt like Torina at least acknowledged her product and this season were dogshit give her salary and resources. It’d be awesome to hear Dobson and leftwich kick rocks this week. Good luck to them but lsu doesn’t owe those two shite
Posted on 5/24/22 at 1:22 am to tigerbait2010
I wonder if the Ok St coach will end up at A&M?
He’s done a great job there
He’s done a great job there
Posted on 5/24/22 at 6:54 am to SanFranTiger
quote:
Just one day after Alabama's early exit from the NCAA Tournament, two Crimson Tide players have entered the transfer portal. As reported by Extra Inning Softball, junior catcher Abby Doerr and freshman utility player Jenna Lord put their names in the portal Monday.
Posted on 5/24/22 at 7:14 am to Neilfish
Hayden Brown, Baylea Brandon and Morgan Smith have entered the transfer portal and will be leaving LSU.
Posted on 5/24/22 at 9:34 am to Tgrsct13
quote:
Hayden Brown, Baylea Brandon and Morgan Smith have entered the transfer portal and will be leaving LSU.
That’s a decent start. They need to convince more to do the same. Half the team doesn’t belong in the SEC.
Posted on 5/24/22 at 10:09 am to SaintLSU
I wonder if SW and BT have a meeting scheduled anytime soon. Its the third day after the season ended and BT is still the coach. I wonder how soon we will know her status for 2023
Posted on 5/24/22 at 10:19 am to SaintLSU
Torina's teams lack a killer instinct which falls directly at her feet. The guy at Bama is ruthless, Torina gives the impression of being a timid introvert, she seemingly can't pull the trigger on Assts, who aren't performing, and lets these f'ing weirdos hang around the program and be glaring embarrassments.
Posted on 5/24/22 at 10:39 am to LSUJockStrap
She’s not going to be fired 
If she doesn’t make any changes and pulls this shite again she’ll be fired next season and it’d be the right move.
If she doesn’t make any changes and pulls this shite again she’ll be fired next season and it’d be the right move.
Posted on 5/24/22 at 10:45 am to SaintLSU
quote:
That’s a decent start. They need to convince more to do the same. Half the team doesn’t belong in the SEC.
The roster needs movement in places but don’t think Brandon and Smith are the ones you want.
Morgan Smith was one of the few highlights at the end of the year. Not someone you wanted to lose.
Posted on 5/24/22 at 10:55 am to Tigerbait357
Florida fans were asking a lot of questions about Smith when they played in Baton Rouge.
Page 5 of 11
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News