Softball Regional preview, analysis, etc

With the bracket for softball regionals being released, we now have a pretty good idea of what path LSU will have to take to get to Oklahoma for the WCWS. It's not an easy one, and there is a good chance that ULL or maybe McNeese State could possibly put LSU out. Both are very good teams. Even if we get past the two Louisiana teams for regionals, Florida State awaits us.

So, now, if the goal here is winning and getting to the WCWS in Oklahoma, there are a few things that the coaching staff cannot do. One, and most important, is the staff should not concern itself with the feelings of its players. In other words, put the BEST players in the lineup. Forget about seniority and promises. Florida State is probably one of the top five teams in the country, and I would say they are at least third best. Beating them will take our best nine (or ten).

The second thing they need to avoid is trying to get away with the least quality pitcher they can in a game like with Fordham, or McNeese. Looking back to the SEC tournament, none of the teams pitched their best pitcher against Ole Miss, or at least Florida didn't, Alabama didnt, and neither did LSU.

The lineup becomes the big question and I think all of us are quite impressed with Shemiah Sanchez, and there is no player on this team that I admire more than she, however, I would probably move Doyle to Third, put Springfield at First, and DP Nicky Dawson.

I'd also move the batting order around, and would have either Nicky Dawson or Andrews leading off. Put Griggs 6th.

Andrews
Jaquish
Landry
Doyle
Springfield
Griggs
Quinn
Serret
Dawson




As of late, or it might be more accurate to say most of the season, this team has struggled offensively.

Griggs has bolstered herself by becoming a swing-away/occasional slapper. Her swing is too good to waste, and I believe she will go .350+ next year. The problem is they have her at lead off and I dont think she is best there.

Jaquish, for some reason, now turned loose to swing away, has done just average in hitting. Maybe needs more time to adjust to her newfound freedom, but she has to know what pitches she can square and which ones to let go, even if they are strikes. It's what made Wade Boggs great, fouling off strikes that he didnt like, and smashing those he did.

Landry's problem.... I mean if you consider the fact that she is almost 100 points down on her batting average in the last month or so, is that she almost immediately goes to two strikes, and the reason is because she fouls off so many pitches, then ends up swinging at bad ones with the two strike pressure on her. I used to think she should stand still and swing but when she power slaps, her head moves with the ball and she is looking right at the ball as it comes past the bat. When she stands and swings, she does not move her head, just her eyes, and she misses a lot like that. Great player, we are going to miss her, but I really hope her last few games left are the best of her career. She has been a tremendous asset to this team.

I think Doyle is relaxing and coming around, and just wait till next year.... just wait.

Springfield hasn't had her makeover yet as far as batting goes. I really think what we have here is quite different from Oklahoma, ULL, Auburn, etc. Those teams, the batters bat pretty much the same way, and you can see the batting coach's philosophy all over them in their mindset, their stance, their pitch selection, and their swing. LSU is more “run what you brung and we will do the best we can with that” type coaching approach.

LSU hitters vary in mindset, approach, stance, and swing from player to player. You dont see a lot of consistency with them. I would hope the batting coach would influence them more and to the point where we see a consistent style and mindset.

Quinn, though she does not get a lot of hits, does get significant, timely hits, and this is maybe what has helped her keep her starting position. I am with the few on this forum who believe she'd not be benched unless she played really awful.

Sanchez, though I admire her, until she is fully healthy again, should sit. Her arm sometimes doesnt seem strong. She has played well. Maybe letting her sit and putting Doyle at third would work best.

Serret is going to have to finish out the year “as-is” but I hope in the off season she gets a hitting makeover like Springfield needs.

Andrews is doing very well. She needs to stop diving at balls with bases loaded and especially so when there is really no chance she will catch the ball. Sometimes being cautious is best. Her hitting is good enough to where she can assume lead-off.

Nicky Dawson should be the DP. Everybody has had their chance, and she has done the best. As someone who leans a little more toward being a batting coach, I look at her and see that her batting style is closest to perfection when it comes to flat-handed hitting. The way she is flat through the zone, her pitch selection, calmness.... and her speed.

Time to put the best players out there. Anything less than that will most surely ensure that the days of Jaquish and Landry, at LSU, will end at some point before the best eight teams go to Oklahoma.