Gopher Softball 2017

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And we move to #1

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1

RANK SCHOOL POINTS RECORD PREVIOUS
1 Minnesota (18) 767 54-3 2
2 Florida (12) 758 50-6 1
3 Oregon (2) 739 47-6 3
4 Florida State 700 51-6-1 4
5 Arizona 689 48-7 5
6 Oklahoma 638 50-8 6
7 Washington 593 43-11 8
8 Auburn 566 46-10 7
9 UCLA 560 42-13 10
10 Tennessee 504 44-10 9
11 James Madison 453 50-6 12
12 Texas A&M 424 42-10 11
13 Ole Miss 407 40-18 19
14 Louisiana 382 45-6 14
15 Alabama 344 42-16 15
16 Utah 329 33-14 13
17 Baylor 295 43-12 16
18 LSU 270 41-18 21
19 Kentucky 238 36-17 18
20 Michigan 206 41-11-1 17
21 BYU 183 43-11 20
22 Arizona State 97 30-20 22
23 Tulsa 69 39-15 RV
24 South Carolina 44 32-23 24
25 Georgia 29 33-21 25
 



Anybody aware of a sendoff party at Bierman or anything tomorrow?
 




If I were Mark Coyle and/or Jim Delaney, I would commission an investigation. How can you have the best record in the country, win your conference regular season championship, win your conference tournament, be ranked #1 and still not be seeded in the top 16 let alone the top 4.
 

Was thinking this same thing.

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gopher7 said:
Was thinking this same thing.

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Both the Gophs and Gators have tougher roads to the CWS than some of their conference mates. Both are hurt by this fiasco.
 

If they lost to Illinois in the BT tourney and Illinois went on to win the tourney, would their RPI jumped into the top 25? If so, that would have given the Gophers 4 more top 25 games. So losing would have made them look better?
 

Bad Gopher said:
Both the Gophs and Gators have tougher roads to the CWS than some of their conference mates. Both are hurt by this fiasco.
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Let's be honest. Both the Gophers and Gators pissed someone in that room off, so they are both getting hosed. Like those guys in podcast said, this has given a major black eye to the sport. Committee needs to take its medicine, announce admission to the screw up, and offer the chair as a sacrificial lamb and get past this.
 




Part I and Part II were awesome. All about the culture!
 

FPN said:
Hey all, Part II of the Gopher Documentary is up now: http://fastpitchnews.com/video/fpn-documentary-winning-culture-minnesota-softball-part-ii/346621

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts, Final (Part III) will post tomorrow.
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Very well done! :D :D

To me, building a winning culture isn't just about wins and losses or graduating, it's a commitment to each other as well as those in the community. We as fans tend to judge things by the tangible (wins and losses, graduation rates, etc.), but there's a lot more to it than that. It's about a genuine concern for one another and those around you. Life isn't all roses and when push comes to shove, the importance of having people in your corner no matter the circumstance is vitally important, as is establishing a set a expectations for each member of said culture with consequence for not meeting expectations.

There's been such a focus on culture at the U lately (P.J. Fleck), that it's become an often-debated subject when it comes to Gopher athletics. The fact is that there's no real blueprint for creating a right or wrong culture. There are so many factors that go into it that it's really hard to define what makes a successful culture. Every coach, player and team has a different idea of how to convey and establish their own culture.

One of the biggest things to me is how different cultures interact with one another. Cultural misunderstandings take place around us, all the time. But when it comes to coach Allister and the ladies, I've never heard a bad word sad about any of them, either coaches regardless of where they are or what they're doing. And I think that's a direct reflection not only on what kind of softball team they are, but on what kind of people they are as well. At the end of the day, that makes this program all the more special.

Sorry for the long response, but I find the interaction and establishment of cultures particularly fascinating in the sports world. And there's no doubt in my mind after having watched this program evolve from afar that the softball team's culture is truly something special and should be celebrated.
 

MRJ said:
Very well done! :D :D
..... I find the interaction and establishment of cultures particularly fascinating in the sports world. And there's no doubt in my mind after having watched this program evolve from afar that the softball team's culture is truly something special and should be celebrated.
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Gopher Women's Hockey is another program with a strong emphasis on culture. They are built around the "4 Pillars"- they work to be "tough. disciplined, grateful, and devoted".

Coach Frost didn't start with this. He shifted the focus a couple/few years into his tenure from results to this culture. Just in time to start winning national championships! I'm not arguing for or against a connection between these things, I'm just sayin' :cool:
 

Hey Gopher fans, an Arizona Wildcat fan here… I very rarely visit another’s fan site to post, but felt compelled to do so after what the committee did to your excellent team. IMO, there is absolutely no excuse possible for what they did. If I had any authority in this matter (which I don’t), I’d try to get to the bottom of what happened, share what I learned, then fire/get rid of everyone responsible for this and/or make it impossible for them to ever be a part of a selection process again!

I’m sure not everyone in that room felt the same way, but everyone in that room certainly knew what was going to happen before it was released and apparently nobody had the courage to stand up and stop it. Therefore, they are all in part culpable for the results.

This is a great sport that has been plagued by injustices in years past (inconsistent crow-hopping only being called during the tournament comes to mind that cost the UofA, and I believe Florida as well a few years back). These things do tarnish the sport, but know that we all see what happened. Know we feel for you and your team although most will never take the time to say it… & it does stink for both you and the Gators! I cannot imagine how Alabama feels too knowing they’d most likely have to get through both you and the Gators to make it to Oklahoma City!

Best of luck to you. You have a great team! All I can hope for now that the games will be called fair and that the best team will ultimately win in the end. That said, I am not that naïve to think that only the best team walks away with the NCAA Trophy at the end of every season… but you do have to be “pretty good” to do so!

Perhaps the UofA and Minnesota will meet in Oklahoma City, but there’s a long way to go to get there… and by no means do I intend to disrespect to the other 62 teams that are also doing their best to make that journey.
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
She's pretty good. Not talking just about the games her team has won, which obviously was fantastic. She is ALWAYS yakking while coaching in the box, encouraging. Always seems to have the most enthusiastic of the two teams on the field. Seems like it's no big deal, but I think it's huge. Obviously I like how she runs a squad.
She answered about how I though she would. Real feather in her cap if they go down and win that region. Also, she has Sara G.
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If anyone knows how to update Wikipedia with this season's record:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Allister
 

1UofACat said:
Hey Gopher fans, an Arizona Wildcat fan here… I very rarely visit another’s fan site to post, but felt compelled to do so after what the committee did to your excellent team. IMO, there is absolutely no excuse possible for what they did.
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Thanks so much for your thoughtful gesture! I appreciate it as much as you can imagine :D

I posted in an email earlier in the week and it's still relevant for me, I hope the team is dealing with it better than I am. I can still hardly believe what the committee did, my goodness.
 

1UofACat said:
Hey Gopher fans, an Arizona Wildcat fan here… I very rarely visit another’s fan site to post, but felt compelled to do so after what the committee did to your excellent team. IMO, there is absolutely no excuse possible for what they did. If I had any authority in this matter (which I don’t), I’d try to get to the bottom of what happened, share what I learned, then fire/get rid of everyone responsible for this and/or make it impossible for them to ever be a part of a selection process again!

I’m sure not everyone in that room felt the same way, but everyone in that room certainly knew what was going to happen before it was released and apparently nobody had the courage to stand up and stop it. Therefore, they are all in part culpable for the results.

This is a great sport that has been plagued by injustices in years past (inconsistent crow-hopping only being called during the tournament comes to mind that cost the UofA, and I believe Florida as well a few years back). These things do tarnish the sport, but know that we all see what happened. Know we feel for you and your team although most will never take the time to say it… & it does stink for both you and the Gators! I cannot imagine how Alabama feels too knowing they’d most likely have to get through both you and the Gators to make it to Oklahoma City!

Best of luck to you. You have a great team! All I can hope for now that the games will be called fair and that the best team will ultimately win in the end. That said, I am not that naïve to think that only the best team walks away with the NCAA Trophy at the end of every season… but you do have to be “pretty good” to do so!

Perhaps the UofA and Minnesota will meet in Oklahoma City, but there’s a long way to go to get there… and by no means do I intend to disrespect to the other 62 teams that are also doing their best to make that journey.
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I'll never forget our regional a couple of years ago where we forced a final game but then lost in the 8th inning. Best of luck this year!
 

Tucker said:
Gopher Women's Hockey is another program with a strong emphasis on culture. They are built around the "4 Pillars"- they work to be "tough. disciplined, grateful, and devoted".

Coach Frost didn't start with this. He shifted the focus a couple/few years into his tenure from results to this culture. Just in time to start winning national championships! I'm not arguing for or against a connection between these things, I'm just sayin' :cool:
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I fully agree and am also a big supporter of the women's hockey program along with the volleyball and soccer teams. In my opinion, each is unique and should be celebrated.

Sent from my SM-G360V using Tapatalk
 

1UofACat said:
Hey Gopher fans, an Arizona Wildcat fan here… I very rarely visit another’s fan site to post, but felt compelled to do so after what the committee did to your excellent team. IMO, there is absolutely no excuse possible for what they did. If I had any authority in this matter (which I don’t), I’d try to get to the bottom of what happened, share what I learned, then fire/get rid of everyone responsible for this and/or make it impossible for them to ever be a part of a selection process again!

I’m sure not everyone in that room felt the same way, but everyone in that room certainly knew what was going to happen before it was released and apparently nobody had the courage to stand up and stop it. Therefore, they are all in part culpable for the results.

This is a great sport that has been plagued by injustices in years past (inconsistent crow-hopping only being called during the tournament comes to mind that cost the UofA, and I believe Florida as well a few years back). These things do tarnish the sport, but know that we all see what happened. Know we feel for you and your team although most will never take the time to say it… & it does stink for both you and the Gators! I cannot imagine how Alabama feels too knowing they’d most likely have to get through both you and the Gators to make it to Oklahoma City!

Best of luck to you. You have a great team! All I can hope for now that the games will be called fair and that the best team will ultimately win in the end. That said, I am not that naïve to think that only the best team walks away with the NCAA Trophy at the end of every season… but you do have to be “pretty good” to do so!

Perhaps the UofA and Minnesota will meet in Oklahoma City, but there’s a long way to go to get there… and by no means do I intend to disrespect to the other 62 teams that are also doing their best to make that journey.
Click to expand...
I had the good fortune of being in Tucson in early March and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. As a fan of a building program, it's nice to know that fans from traditional powers like Arizona are taking notice. You have a first rate coach and program and I've always had a casual, yet steady interest in UA's teams. Best of luck to you this weekend and the rest of the way. It's awesome to know we have the support of Wildcat softball fans. [emoji4]

Sent from my SM-G360V using Tapatalk
 


A look at Alabama.

The pitching is almost evenly split between right handed junior Alexis Osorio and right handed senior Sydney Littlejohn. Osorio is the more dominant of the two with a ton of strikeouts, 305 in 179.1 innings. She will walk some people with 99 free passes. Littlejohn with 172 strikeouts in 159 innings and only 32 walks. They both have low ERA's around the 1.30 mark. Very tough duo.

As a team they run extremely well, 92 out of 109 in stolen bases. The team has .285 batting average with freshman catcher Bailey Hemphill hitting .324 and leading the club in hits, RBI's (39) and home runs with 8. Four other hitters in the lineup have a .300 batting average or higher. They had a 20 game win streak during the course of the year. 5-5 in their last 10 games. Lost their last 4 series and 5 out of their last 6. Common opponents are LSU and Washington. Took 2 out of 3 against LSU and went 0-2 against Washington, with all games played in Tuscaloosa.
42-16 overall, 27-6 at home, 9-9 away, 6-1 neutral and 12-11 in the SEC
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
A look at Alabama.

The pitching is almost evenly split between right handed junior Alexis Osorio and right handed senior Sydney Littlejohn. Osorio is the more dominant of the two with a ton of strikeouts, 305 in 179.1 innings. She will walk some people with 99 free passes. Littlejohn with 172 strikeouts in 159 innings and only 32 walks. They both have low ERA's around the 1.30 mark. Very tough duo.

As a team they run extremely well, 92 out of 109 in stolen bases. The team has .285 batting average with freshman catcher Bailey Hemphill hitting .324 and leading the club in hits, RBI's (39) and home runs with 8. Four other hitters in the lineup have a .300 batting average or higher. They had a 20 game win streak during the course of the year. 5-5 in their last 10 games. Lost their last 4 series and 5 out of their last 6. Common opponents are LSU and Washington. Took 2 out of 3 against LSU and went 0-2 against Washington, with all games played in Tuscaloosa.
42-16 overall, 27-6 at home, 9-9 away, 6-1 neutral and 12-11 in the SEC
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Does that mean we're taking Louisiana Tech (and Albany) lightly?

Just teasing you, Ray!
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
A look at Alabama.

The pitching is almost evenly split between right handed junior Alexis Osorio and right handed senior Sydney Littlejohn. Osorio is the more dominant of the two with a ton of strikeouts, 305 in 179.1 innings. She will walk some people with 99 free passes. Littlejohn with 172 strikeouts in 159 innings and only 32 walks. They both have low ERA's around the 1.30 mark. Very tough duo.

As a team they run extremely well, 92 out of 109 in stolen bases. The team has .285 batting average with freshman catcher Bailey Hemphill hitting .324 and leading the club in hits, RBI's (39) and home runs with 8. Four other hitters in the lineup have a .300 batting average or higher. They had a 20 game win streak during the course of the year. 5-5 in their last 10 games. Lost their last 4 series and 5 out of their last 6. Common opponents are LSU and Washington. Took 2 out of 3 against LSU and went 0-2 against Washington, with all games played in Tuscaloosa.
42-16 overall, 27-6 at home, 9-9 away, 6-1 neutral and 12-11 in the SEC
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G is gonna be G. It will all come down to how we hit the ball. Now that our girls are finally going up against real pitching for the first time in a couple months, let's hope they can stay hot.
 

I hope Sara and the team can handle 90 degree humid weather. It will be a big change.
 

gopherveteran said:
I hope Sara and the team can handle 90 degree humid weather. It will be a big change.
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That's why they went down there yesterday. Two days of practice in the heat.

Plus, I doubt you will see the maroon or anthracite uniforms.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Does that mean we're taking Louisiana Tech (and Albany) lightly?

Just teasing you, Ray!
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Ha! No sir, SS, posted about La Tech awhile back. Have not posted about Albany yet.

(Although just went back and looked at it and it was a terrible job. It was just after the selection and ...guess I was in a bad mood.)
 

Someone commented at the NCAA softball FB page: "If the groundhogs were in the SEC, they wouldn't even make the tournament."

So I checked all games played this season between the two conferences. Here's what I found.

1) The SEC went 22-7 against the Big Ten this year. The Gophers went 22-1.

2) The eight SEC teams who were seeded in the NCAA tournament went 12-3 against the Big Ten. (Gophs went 22-1.)

3) Against the five Big Ten teams that made the NCAA tournament, the SEC went 8-2. The eight seeded SEC teams went 7-1. The Gophers went 6-1.

4) Interestingly, the SEC went 1-2 against Maryland, the team that finished last in the Big Ten, with a conference record of 4-19.

5) I have too much time on my hands.
 

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