re: LSU women’s sports can’t get over the hump.

I posted this on another thread.

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I hope Beth retires here. However, look at the softball Facebook and Instagram pages. This program has many soccer mom-and-dad type fans who bristle at anything said or posted about softball that they deem “negative”—the same people who think DeAngelo Sanchez is such a great fan.

In other words, there is no real push for Beth and Scott to take a hard-eyed look at the program in the offseason and ask, “Okay, what do we need to do to get from a top 15 program to a top 5 program?”

Most softball fans seem perfectly content where we are and there is no real distress that our last trip to OKC gets further and further in the rear view mirror. That’s why Dobson gets a pass every year for this team’s utter offensive futility against WCWS-level teams. Host Regional. Lose Super on road. (Or get swept at home.) Rinse. Repeat. The majority of fans, the coaching staff, and the AD administration seem perfectly happy with that. I don’t like it but it is what it is.

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So for the bandwagon fans who show up this time of year, get it through your heads: Beth is going nowhere unless she chooses to leave, and rightly so.

The big question: does Scott call a sit-down with Beth and say “we need to discuss your hitting coach”? I’m guessing no because Scott likely feels he has enough on his plate with the baseball hire, the Title IX thing, etc. I’m sure that to Scott, Howard Dobson can percolate at least another year.

But it is an area of concern with Beth. She seems to be a “happy family” type of coach and in a comfort zone with her buddies on the staff. She’ll be loyal to Dobson til likely it puts her job in danger unless Scott lays down the law. If Scott doesn’t, I don’t think Beth’s seat gets warm until the end of the 2023 season, assuming things keep rocking along like they are.

But as pointed out, there are some disturbing trends that Beth needs to get hold of—including a creeping Fargas-like tendency to recruit and play players who have no business in the SEC or an LSU uniform.

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Not sure what the answer is to the catcher situation until Bergeron gets here unless they use the portal

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What’s with Hayden Brown? The couple times I saw her pinch hit, she walloped the ball. As someone pointed out, she hit .714 in high school.

Given the dismal state of the catching position this season, I’m astounded Beth kept her at the end of the bench.

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thought we were bad at 2b in 15-17 on some really good teams. As bad as we were then, we have been atrocious since. That situation and the transfer it caused set us back a few years at that position and we continue to suffer there.

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You really need to get over the Nicki Dawson situation. Like turn the page and let it go.

Someone posted in another threat that the player that was pegged as starting at 2b got hurt and missed the entire season. Cummins plays with a lot of passion. If she can improve her hitting just a little she is ok as a #9 hitter. When Bergeron arrives in 2 years she will be the C for 4 years. Another Savannah Jaquish. Gutierrez is solid at 1b. You have Pleasants, Briggs, Clarke and Sunseri all returning. We need one more solid outfielder and a new 3b. With Sunseri, Kilponen and Wickersham back there is certainly a solid nucleus returning. If Antoine can regain the form she had as a frosh she could lock down RF. She is really good defensively. With a borderline Top 5 recruiting class coming in this team certainly can make a run to the WCWS

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below average at catcher and 2b probably just cost us a World Series birth

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I didn't know we were expecting.

I dont disagree. I just remember what a fanboy you were of Nicki Dawson to the point where it was nauseating.

I'm honestly not concerned about the OF next season. Plenty of depth with two highly recruited OF's coming in. They have to address the infield defense and getting more competitive hitting across the board outside of Briggs and Pleasants. Portal is starting to fill up already so maybe it could be an opportunity to address some of these weak spots.

Just watched the press conference highlights on Instagram. Certainly touching but I am getting the impression that Beth lives in a bit of a fantasy world regarding what it takes to get over the next hurdle.

She states emphatically—“They got the experience, they won’t lose this game again!”

Well Coach, they’ve lost “this game” the last four years in a row. It doesn’t happen by magic-speak and all the comments from the “happy family” fans about “we’ll get ‘em next time!” are not going to magically make it happen either.

You are going to have to make some hard decisions about your staff and make the needed change that is as obvious as the noses on all our faces.

Who is the 2B from the state? With Hemphill, we make WCWS in 2018 and 2019.

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She states emphatically—“They got the experience, they won’t lose this game again!”

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We didn't lose to Florida St due to lack of experience, not sure I'm following that part.