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

Posted on 6/17/17 at 1:19 pm
Posted by Bhs83
Member since Mar 2016
548 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 1:19 pm
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.
Posted by GoldenBoy
Winning!
Member since Nov 2004
42007 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 1:21 pm to
Very timely thread
Posted by LSU1SLU
Member since Mar 2013
7052 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 1:21 pm to
TL;DR

Bad timing.
Posted by TigerBait2008
Boulder,CO
Member since Jun 2008
32365 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 1:24 pm to
Wtf is this?
Posted by WJ
Member since Oct 2016
327 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 1:29 pm to
One thing this team "is not", elite. And they're certainly not "eat Light".
Posted by Bhs83
Member since Mar 2016
548 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 1:33 pm to
ULL is a bit on the husky side, too.
Posted by Tigerbait357
Member since Jun 2011
67722 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 2:00 pm to
quote:

One thing this team "is not", elite. And they're certainly not "eat Light".



Three top 6 finishes in the last three years, 4 WCWS appearances in 6 years under Torina. Please explain how they aren't part of the elite teams.
Posted by Bhs83
Member since Mar 2016
548 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 2:17 pm to
I will say Oklahoma and Florida were the best 2 teams. I think LSU was FIFTH best.
Posted by Jennlsu
New Iberia
Member since Oct 2016
308 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 2:49 pm to
Apparently no one likes the smarta$$ post.
Posted by SanFranTiger
Dallas, TX
Member since Sep 2003
4888 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 3:01 pm to
Tim Walton has proven that he will always have great teams. So even if they graduate great players, there are great players stepping in.

Patty Gasso has 3 titles so you cant ever dismiss the Sooners.

I think Beth could recruit a little more aggessive athletes without being the full-on team of dyke-prototypes that Patrick Murphy fields every year.

I'm enjoying our success and hope we can win it all soon.
This post was edited on 6/17/17 at 3:02 pm
Posted by Tigerbait357
Member since Jun 2011
67722 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 3:04 pm to
I've had a lot of time to reflect on the season...


Yes at times I wanted to scream and rip my hair out with some of our offensive performances and all.

People just want to be assholes because the offense had a rough year. Sometimes it just happens, I've seen LSU baseball have it share of years where everythin was just off offensively, as well as other top softball programs. I am very critical on everyone because I always strive to want to be better but I know for a fact that the staff understands that as well. I am sure there will be adjustments this off season to be a lot better on offense.

People need to understand in college softball recruiting, its essentially OU, Florida, and UCLA snatch all the national team members and they have done so for years. Beth recruits extremely well, and I still think the best has yet to even come, (2018, 2019, 2020) when I look at it, is much more dynamic than what we have seen so far.


I wasn't posting a softball review until baseball finishes their (hopefully their championship win) CWS run.



This post was edited on 6/17/17 at 3:08 pm
Posted by Imperial
Member since Feb 2017
123 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 4:59 pm to
Haven't we had enough of this crap since the season ended?

One doctoral dissertation after another. I can't read this #### anymore.
Posted by Tigerbait357
Member since Jun 2011
67722 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 6:55 pm to
Oh and I just heard one of our 2020 commits was announced to the 2020 All American Team.


I have another recruiting update coming soon
This post was edited on 6/17/17 at 6:58 pm
Posted by Ponchy Tiger
Ponchatoula
Member since Aug 2004
45044 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 6:57 pm to
Will Sydney Bourg transferring back to LSU help?
Posted by Tigerbait357
Member since Jun 2011
67722 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 7:00 pm to
She will add depth for sure. We have a great freshman class coming in next season but our infield is already pretty full.

If she plays it'll likely be in the RF spot. But I think most project Antoine to step in immediately and make an impact, her offensive versatility will be vital next season
Posted by Bhs83
Member since Mar 2016
548 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 7:06 pm to
Yes she is. We dont know how she will skirt around the transfer rules, though
Posted by 18handicap
Member since Jul 2014
5285 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 8:06 pm to
I'm at the LSU Houston Alumni baseball game watching party and I've had quite a few people ask me why there is so much softball drama on here. They said they would support softball more but that the fans seems to be bat #### crazy...
Posted by Ponchy Tiger
Ponchatoula
Member since Aug 2004
45044 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 8:17 pm to
How does the transfer rules work for softball?
Posted by Bhs83
Member since Mar 2016
548 posts
Posted on 6/17/17 at 8:25 pm to
Mulerider knows more about that than the rest of us but from what I understand, a player can transfer once, and i think if she transfers a second time, she automatically has to sit out. However, there are a few exceptions, one being a player who graduated with a bachelor's and still has one more year of eligibility left, she can go to another school and not have to sit out.

Also, there is something about a red-shirt provision.. I am not really up on it.

Carlson, the Auburn pitcher, played at UNC, transferred to Auburn, and is now going to Arizona, it seems, and that is two transfers, but there was an exception clause that they are going to use.

I am sure one of the others who post on TD know the softall transfer rules better than I do, maybe Ashlynn or Mulerider.
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