Gopher Softball 2018

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Hrothgar said:
MRJ: I agree with your assessment, especially #3. Well said. What I'd like to hear from some folks is what the Gophers need to add in terms of talent to "take that next step." Any ideas? What do they need to add to beat the Washingtons, Alabamas, and Florida States?
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Not quite an answer to your question but here is an opinion about recruiting in a partial-scholarship sport.

I think a huge component is home-grown talent. In a partial-scholarship sport (softball has 12 scholarships for the whole roster) the in-state vs out-state is a huge factor. A player is better off financially to take a 25% scholarship from an in-state school (including reciprocity states) than 50% out of state where they would have to pay half of the out of state cost out of their own pockets. If you add in the fact that several of the states in the SE have lottery-funded HOPE scholarships for in-state students it makes it hard to recruit kids from those areas. Obviously the staff will offer what they need to for ace pitching and some key "can't miss" type recruits but you have to fill out your roster with partial scholarship players so you have to make the most of that.

Youth softball continues to grow in Minnesota and neighboring states and I think that is a good thing for the Gophers. The new recruiting rules that try to prevent recruiting before a player's junior year in HS should probably help as well. It gives the staff time to better assess talent before offering and possibly missing.

I think this program has established itself as the premiere college program in the upper midwest. That is a good thing. Keep the best MN players. Iowa HS players choose to play for the Gophers. Jensen came from Wisconsin and we have a SD player in the incoming class.

This team needs to get the best area talent and then go out of state when needed for truly special talent. Partain is a great example of getting a west coast player to come here.

Pitching and bats!





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dlw4gophers said:
On to recruiting. Who are the top Minnesota , Iowa Jrs?
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That's tough to say. Flo-Softball has some rankings but if your team does not play in PGF or go out to some of the big tournaments you will never make their rankings. The JRs are almost all committed by this point as well since the rule just changed.

Does anyone have a good list of verbal commits? Most of our last few classes have not been on any of the "National" commit lists.
 

These are some commits I've stumbled across. Not sure if all are juniors and it's not a comprehensive list. I don't think any are pitchers.

Olivia Peterson - Lake Central H.S. (Indiana)
Sydney Strelow - Kenosha Bradford H.S. (Wisconsin)
Mackenzie Denson - Mansfield Lake Ridge H.S. (Texas)
Sara Kinch - Great Oak H.S. (California)
 

Hrothgar said:
MRJ: I agree with your assessment, especially #3. Well said. What I'd like to hear from some folks is what the Gophers need to add in terms of talent to "take that next step." Any ideas? What do they need to add to beat the Washingtons, Alabamas, and Florida States?
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They need a hotbed of local talent, money support from the school, and they need to play in the SEC or PAC. 14 of 16 teams in the supers are PAC or SEC. All the home teams advanced and OU and FSU were the only representative from outside those conferences.

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rugger14 said:
Not quite an answer to your question but here is an opinion about recruiting in a partial-scholarship sport.

I think a huge component is home-grown talent. In a partial-scholarship sport (softball has 12 scholarships for the whole roster) the in-state vs out-state is a huge factor. A player is better off financially to take a 25% scholarship from an in-state school (including reciprocity states) than 50% out of state where they would have to pay half of the out of state cost out of their own pockets. If you add in the fact that several of the states in the SE have lottery-funded HOPE scholarships for in-state students it makes it hard to recruit kids from those areas. Obviously the staff will offer what they need to for ace pitching and some key "can't miss" type recruits but you have to fill out your roster with partial scholarship players so you have to make the most of that.

Youth softball continues to grow in Minnesota and neighboring states and I think that is a good thing for the Gophers. The new recruiting rules that try to prevent recruiting before a player's junior year in HS should probably help as well. It gives the staff time to better assess talent before offering and possibly missing.

I think this program has established itself as the premiere college program in the upper midwest. That is a good thing. Keep the best MN players. Iowa HS players choose to play for the Gophers. Jensen came from Wisconsin and we have a SD player in the incoming class.

This team needs to get the best area talent and then go out of state when needed for truly special talent. Partain is a great example of getting a west coast player to come here.

Pitching and bats!





Sent from my LG-H820 using Tapatalk
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Good post. A Lauren Bay, Danille Lawrie, Sara G from Canada would be nice.
 


In other news, Emma Burns, Natalie DenHartog, Emily Hansen and Ali Lindner were name PGF Regional All-Americans in the Central Region. Minnesota with 4 recruits on the list - the only other school with 4 was Kentucky. Michigan has 3, Northwestern, Indiana and Nebraska have 2 each. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa have 1 each. The Iowa commit was going to MN however our new coaching staff got her to de-commit and she decided to go to Iowa as her fall back.
 

Minnesota had a very nice softball season, another to remember and build upon! Washington is a complete club with the talent to go all the way, so no shame in that loss. Obviously it didn't end how you wanted it to, but not everyone advances. Not that I dislike the Huskies, but I was pulling for your club in the Regionals. Hopefully you'll build on this year and turn the corner next season earning that first trip (of many) to Oklahoma City! It can all come down to a favorable drop in the outfield, a few calls going your way by an ump, or a well-timed slap to get that one game that makes the difference. Then one builds on another and you're off to the races! If I've learned anything watching my Cats over the years, it often does come down to just one play that can cost a game/series/and ultimately year-end seeding helping the final outcome.

My beloved Cats do not have the talent nor experience they had last year when they dropped 2 in a row to Baylor in the Supers, and at Hillenbrand no less! The Cats were leading by two runs in both games after their half of the 6th inning and still lost both game after having won the first game of the Supers. Their upcoming series @ Ucla this weekend will likely be much more difficult than last year's Super. Ucla has arguably a better club than Washington, and the UofA lost three in a row to the Huskies in Seattle (albeit by 4 runs total in 3 games, two of them in 8 innings). We were also swept by Ucla at home this year too... :/

Next year should be better for both our clubs, although we at least get a couple more games this year and will hopefully give it our all as it only takes "a favorable drop in the outfield,..." ;)


All the best!
 




Hrothgar said:
Interesting news. Any ideas why?
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Not a secret that Jamie and Cat were not always on the same sheet of music. It would be interesting to know if Cat resigned on her own or if Jamie encouraged her to.
 


1UofACat said:
Minnesota had a very nice softball season, another to remember and build upon! Washington is a complete club with the talent to go all the way, so no shame in that loss. Obviously it didn't end how you wanted it to, but not everyone advances. Not that I dislike the Huskies, but I was pulling for your club in the Regionals. Hopefully you'll build on this year and turn the corner next season earning that first trip (of many) to Oklahoma City! It can all come down to a favorable drop in the outfield, a few calls going your way by an ump, or a well-timed slap to get that one game that makes the difference. Then one builds on another and you're off to the races! If I've learned anything watching my Cats over the years, it often does come down to just one play that can cost a game/series/and ultimately year-end seeding helping the final outcome.

My beloved Cats do not have the talent nor experience they had last year when they dropped 2 in a row to Baylor in the Supers, and at Hillenbrand no less! The Cats were leading by two runs in both games after their half of the 6th inning and still lost both game after having won the first game of the Supers. Their upcoming series @ Ucla this weekend will likely be much more difficult than last year's Super. Ucla has arguably a better club than Washington, and the UofA lost three in a row to the Huskies in Seattle (albeit by 4 runs total in 3 games, two of them in 8 innings). We were also swept by Ucla at home this year too... :/

Next year should be better for both our clubs, although we at least get a couple more games this year and will hopefully give it our all as it only takes "a favorable drop in the outfield,..." ;)


All the best!
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Well-written. It seems to me that several of us on the message board, especially MRJ effectively, have argued just this way in 2018. A favorable break or two can pave the way for a big break-through. And the second Texas game, with the fortuitous double-play and the disputed second run, was one example that almost paved the way. At the same time, very talented teams make their own breaks. After I've watched or followed every Gopher game for the last 4 years, it's clear they are a very good and entertaining program on the field, as the results show. But competing with and BEATING the national elite on a regular basis still eludes them. During those 4 years Sara G has, imho, been the only Gopher consistently able to hold off and beat national elite teams regularly. Lindaman has the ability to perform at that level, too, if the coaches can get hitters after her in the lineup, who are so extremely dangerous that opponents will pitch to Lindaman regularly. (Maddie was getting there at the end of 2018.) I think the way to national elite status is adding elite players, with speed, power, and defensive skills, plus more than one leading pitcher. A tall order and not clear how a Northern team gets those players. I sincerely hope they can be recruited. I love the skill and verve of the Gopher program. Hopefully, they can find a way to get even better. Carol Hutchins did it at Michigan, but she has devoted a whole career to that program, not just 7 years, as the previous Gophers coach did. Here's hoping Jamie sticks with it. She seems dedicated.
 



Hrothgar said:
Well-written. It seems to me that several of us on the message board, especially MRJ effectively, have argued just this way in 2018. A favorable break or two can pave the way for a big break-through. And the second Texas game, with the fortuitous double-play and the disputed second run, was one example that almost paved the way. At the same time, very talented teams make their own breaks. After I've watched or followed every Gopher game for the last 4 years, it's clear they are a very good and entertaining program on the field, as the results show. But competing with and BEATING the national elite on a regular basis still eludes them. During those 4 years Sara G has, imho, been the only Gopher consistently able to hold off and beat national elite teams regularly. Lindaman has the ability to perform at that level, too, if the coaches can get hitters after her in the lineup, who are so extremely dangerous that opponents will pitch to Lindaman regularly. (Maddie was getting there at the end of 2018.) I think the way to national elite status is adding elite players, with speed, power, and defensive skills, plus more than one leading pitcher. A tall order and not clear how a Northern team gets those players. I sincerely hope they can be recruited. I love the skill and verve of the Gopher program. Hopefully, they can find a way to get even better. Carol Hutchins did it at Michigan, but she has devoted a whole career to that program, not just 7 years, as the previous Gophers coach did. Here's hoping Jamie sticks with it. She seems dedicated.
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In a way, I was almost happier with how the ladies played during this regional than last year. The biggest reason why is that I felt like they were tentative against Alabama in both meetings last year.

This year, I felt that way after their first game against Texas but didn't see that side of them again for any of the last three games. Even in the loss against Washington, I felt they went out aggressively and tried to attack, which was something I felt was a bit lacking against the Crimson Tide in 2017. Anyway, I feel like the team has become a consistent winner (obviously), but still needs to find a way to take that next step. Whether that means making one pitch, getting one call or simply adding more and better talent, I'm not sure. In any case, there is still work to be done.

Also, good luck to Arizona in the supers! Have always highly respected the Wildcats and will be rooting for them this weekend!
 


Gopher68 said:
Inside information? I have not seen any 'official' word and Cat is still listed as an assistant coach.
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I don’t know if I would call it inside information even though it is not public (yet). This has been verified through numerous sources. But I am confident it will be announced in the near future. More to come....
 

GrudgeGuy said:
I don’t know if I would call it inside information even though it is not public (yet). This has been verified through numerous sources. But I am confident it will be announced in the near future. More to come....
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Thanks!
 

dlw4gophers said:
On to recruiting. Who are the top Minnesota , Iowa Jrs?
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I found this on Mn. Softball Hub. It listed the top 20 player. I think this list was before the season started. I will only list the under class men. Holly Baska Jr., Torri Chute Jr., Olivia Hazelbaker Jr., Sarah Houlihan So., and thes last three are pitchers. Mia Kramer Jr., Genevieve Ovsakp Fr., and Carrie Weseso Jr.
 

Are we going to keep posting here or are we going to start using the 2019 softball thread. Asking for a friend.
 

ComoGopher said:
Are we going to keep posting here or are we going to start using the 2019 softball thread. Asking for a friend.
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I did start the thread, so I say, let's move anything not related to the supers or WCWS to that thread.
 

MRJ said:
In a way, I was almost happier with how the ladies played during this regional than last year. The biggest reason why is that I felt like they were tentative against Alabama in both meetings last year.

This year, I felt that way after their first game against Texas but didn't see that side of them again for any of the last three games. Even in the loss against Washington, I felt they went out aggressively and tried to attack, which was something I felt was a bit lacking against the Crimson Tide in 2017. Anyway, I feel like the team has become a consistent winner (obviously), but still needs to find a way to take that next step. Whether that means making one pitch, getting one call or simply adding more and better talent, I'm not sure. In any case, there is still work to be done.

Also, good luck to Arizona in the supers! Have always highly respected the Wildcats and will be rooting for them this weekend!
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Thanks, and agree with your post. The way they played against "UDubb" would make any coach proud, and I believe you're just about there!

As far as the game last night, well, a 7-1 loss for the Cats was a little more lopsided than I expected, but hopefully they'll play loose tonight and put the pressure back on the Bruins. If that happens, I'd say the money should be on the Cats, but they need to get that lead first.
 

1UofACat said:
Thanks, and agree with your post. The way they played against "UDubb" would make any coach proud, and I believe you're just about there!

As far as the game last night, well, a 7-1 loss for the Cats was a little more lopsided than I expected, but hopefully they'll play loose tonight and put the pressure back on the Bruins. If that happens, I'd say the money should be on the Cats, but they need to get that lead first.
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Yeah, I watched it also. To use a boxing analogy, it seemed like UCLA landed a couple of big shots early and the Wildcats spent the rest of the game kind of covering up. Was surprised honestly as I figured each game would be tight. I'm sure Candrea has a plan in mind to address it for game two. And I agree, at this time of the year, getting off to a good start is really important (ie...Kentucky versus Oregon last night). I'll be keeping on an eye on how the Wildcats respond.

In any case, appreciate the kind words! We're apparently going to be looking for a new assistant in coming weeks. Wondering who Trachsel will be looking at.
 

The top 8 end up advancing to Oklahoma City. Oregon, Florida State and Georgia looking for their first titles. I didn't realize so many Pac 12 teams were seeded higher than SEC teams until seeing the breakdown of WCWS teams:

Pac-12 - 4
SEC - 2
ACC - 1
Big 12 - 1
 

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On Monday afternoon, Memorial Day, a fatal car accident took place on MN route 169 just south of Jordan MN. Three cars were involved: the driver of one car was killed; the driver of a second car was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries; the third driver was reported to be Carlie Brandt, 20, of LeSueur MN. She was uninjured. I assume this was the Gophers' player Carlie Brandt. I drove by that spot during the huge traffic backup following. In the midst of that tragedy, we can be thankful one young woman survived. We can be thankful for her being still alive. All three drivers were reported wearing seat-belts.
 

Florida State holds off Washington in game 1 courtesy of this diving grab.

 

GrudgeGuy said:
I don’t know if I would call it inside information even though it is not public (yet). This has been verified through numerous sources. But I am confident it will be announced in the near future. More to come....
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Cat no longer on the roster - job has been posted. The Director of Softball Operations job is also posted.
 

Hrothgar said:
On Monday afternoon, Memorial Day, a fatal car accident took place on MN route 169 just south of Jordan MN. Three cars were involved: the driver of one car was killed; the driver of a second car was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries; the third driver was reported to be Carlie Brandt, 20, of LeSueur MN. She was uninjured. I assume this was the Gophers' player Carlie Brandt. I drove by that spot during the huge traffic backup following. In the midst of that tragedy, we can be thankful one young woman survived. We can be thankful for her being still alive. All three drivers were reported wearing seat-belts.
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That's not too far from where Lexi died in crash and also from Wayzata program
 

rowdaboat said:
That's not too far from where Lexi died in crash and also from Wayzata program
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Lexi Kretsch played HS for Waconia and did play for the Minnesota Vortex out of the west metro.

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Hrothgar said:
On Monday afternoon, Memorial Day, a fatal car accident took place on MN route 169 just south of Jordan MN. Three cars were involved: the driver of one car was killed; the driver of a second car was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries; the third driver was reported to be Carlie Brandt, 20, of LeSueur MN. She was uninjured. I assume this was the Gophers' player Carlie Brandt. I drove by that spot during the huge traffic backup following. In the midst of that tragedy, we can be thankful one young woman survived. We can be thankful for her being still alive. All three drivers were reported wearing seat-belts.
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Thoughts and prayers to Carlie and the survivor. Also thoughts and prayers to friends and family that lost their loved one. Very very sad.
 

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