Gopher Softball 2020

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ClassOf98Gopher said:
This is my second post.

Recapping the first:
* Focus on the Big Ten
* Honor Groenewagen (softball’s equivalent Gopher to Whalen playing on the basketball team)
* There has been legitimate good news from these first 2 weeks of the season (Pease/Hansen/Strelow/DenHartog not having a sophomore slump)

New Topics:
* While the Gophs are not “entitled” to be good forever, (unlike UCLA or Florida) we sure are lucky to have Piper Ritter on staff. She sure has been able to develop pitchers.
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Welcome! I appreciate your enthusiasm and I am a big Piper Ritter fan. We can accept that we can never compete with the big dogs or we can choose to think otherwise. Last year was awesome. I agree to an extent that our real barometer should be the B1G but I want a little more than that. It does not have to be every year but this team can host regionals and be a contender for the world series.
 

“We can accept that we can never compete with the big dogs or we can choose to think otherwise.”

I love this softball team. I spend way too much time out of my weekends tracking them and during my weekdays thinking about them. But they lost not through graduation their two most powerful hitters in two consecutive years. That is brutal. Put Lindaman and Brandner in this lineup and I like their chances against anybody. But that is just not the way it is. I am not saying we can’t occasionally beat a big dog. I am only saying that we are not going to blow out every non-Top-10 team every time we step on the diamond; and honesty, why should we expect that given the circumstances?
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
“We can accept that we can never compete with the big dogs or we can choose to think otherwise.”

I love this softball team. I spend way too much time out of my weekends tracking them and during my weekdays thinking about them. But they lost not through graduation their two most powerful hitters in two consecutive years. That is brutal. Put Lindaman and Brandner in this lineup and I like their chances against anybody. But that is just not the way it is. I am not saying we can’t occasionally beat a big dog. I am only saying that we are not going to blow out every non-Top-10 team every time we step on the diamond; and honesty, why should we expect that given the circumstances?
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Well Lindaman should be in this lineup.
 

“Well Lindaman should be in this lineup.”

It was the Lindaman transfer that was the moment that really broke my previous understanding about college softball. Other than betraying her loyalty bond to her teammates, (which honestly transfers do all the time, often coming to Minnesota) who can really blame her? I watched closely that 2018 season and she was intentionally walked the entire Big Ten season. Why shouldn’t she (maybe the best player to ever where a Big Ten uniform, maybe even surpassing Sierra Romero) go somewhere like the SEC where she would get pitched to each and every game and really tested? My new realism tells me that at least that transfer made sense, despite how much it hurt. Maybe if some boosters would have offered some more corvettes... just joking. :)
 


Tucker said:
I am a Gopher fan. I have no good feelings or well wishes toward Kendyl Lindaman walking out on the Gophers after the great season they had and (as it turned out) the WCWS season they were going to have. I know that most people nowadays disagree and wish them the best.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I want her to have a bad life. But as a softball player, I would be perfectly happy for her to bat .100 and Florida to do poorly.

If she was leaving for playing time like Jasmyn Martin on the volleyball team I could muster some good wishes. But Lauren Barnes leaving for Wisconsin volleyball, or Kendyl Lindman leaving for Florida? Nah!
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Interesting take. If the starting QB left the football program two years in a row like the starting catcher has left the softball program two years in a row what would they be saying on the football board?
 


ClassOf98Gopher said:
“Well Lindaman should be in this lineup.”

It was the Lindaman transfer that was the moment that really broke my previous understanding about college softball. Other than betraying her loyalty bond to her teammates, (which honestly transfers do all the time, often coming to Minnesota) who can really blame her? I watched closely that 2018 season and she was intentionally walked the entire Big Ten season. Why shouldn’t she (maybe the best player to ever where a Big Ten uniform, maybe even surpassing Sierra Romero) go somewhere like the SEC where she would get pitched to each and every game and really tested? My new realism tells me that at least that transfer made sense, despite how much it hurt. Maybe if some boosters would have offered some more corvettes... just joking. :)
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This was an interesting take that I hadn't heard before, so I looked up the stats. And at first they didn't seem to support the argument. In 2018 for the Gophers, Lindaman had 155 at bats and 55 walks. In 2019 for Florida, she had 197 at bats and 42 walks -- a difference but not an overwhelming one.

But then, when I looked at Lindaman's Big Ten stats for 2018, you are absolutely right: she had 43 at bats and 37 walks. Wow! That passed me by at the time, but they just would not pitch to her. And even more remarkable, in those 43 at bats, she had 10 home runs!
 
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Let’sbclear, that’s exactly right and well matches my memory of that Big Ten season for Lindy. It was frustrating as a fan to watch what opposing teams were doing to her. And I wanted her to challenge the Lauren Chamberlain HR record but they needed to pitch to her for that challenge to happen.

I root hard against Lindaman now; and even harder against Florida. I hate that team. I almost can’t wait for this season to be over so I am not tormented by that transfer in my face every time I look up a Florida box score. My point isn’t that I like that transfer, only that their was logic behind it.
 



ClassOf98Gopher said:
This is my first post and I really value reading the inside information that exists in this discussion group. I also value the passion that is displayed by you serious fans of college softball, the best sport going these days. That said, some posts have been a little (some a lot) bonkers. It appears to me the issue is expectations. Let me give the best advice which I am just restating what my dad told to me a few years ago: when it comes to Gophers Softball (or baseball for that matter) all that matters is the Big Ten. Don’t even worry about the NCAA tournament. NCAA tournament performance and even that NCAA rankings and seedings are not a relevant barometer for the program. Why? Because it is Minnesota! The north, all of Big Ten country really, has such short windows for college students to practice and play outside. For instance, I now live in Nashville, TN where you can actually play ball outside right now, and have been able to for weeks. And that is not even comparable to Gainesville, or Tallahassee, or Auburn, or Baron Rouge, or Austin, or Tucson, or Los Angeles. We just can’t compare ourselves to those teams on a year by year basis. It leads to surefire disappointment. We have had a great run for this decade, but coming from some big time luck. Our great run has largely been driven by these superstars: Moulton, Groenewagen, Partain, Lindaman, Fiser, and now maybe DenHartog. I think only Fiser was a top 100 recruit - and even that was closer to 100 than 1 (although by a few months before her Freshman season began I think everyone was drooling over Lindaman knowing she would be awesome). But let’s focus on the most valuable of all of them: Groenewagen. She was absolutely awesome (if I needed one out I can’t think of anyone else I would rather get it - change was NASTY). And how lucky are we that she became a Gopher because I think nobody else was interested in her. Her dominance drove this program to where it is, top of the Big Ten, but we are not going to be able to live off that 6 year old luck forever. We just have to stay good enough to compete with Michigan and Northwestern and Wisconsin for the next couple years. If we do, what comes after the Big Ten Tournament will take care of itself and that will just be gravy. Enjoy the games, we sure won’t win them all because all these southern schools have good softball programs, not just the schools with fancy football programs, so it is no big shame to lose to some of the teams we have lost to. Finally, I am just happy with how good Pease has shown herself to be. That is a plus. In addition, Hanson can hit his year whereas last year she couldn’t hit beach balls if they were pitched to her. She has really improved. And I sure am not expected Brandner to ever play again for the Gophers. I don’t have any inside information at all, but just speculating that life happens.
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And I sure am not expected Brandner to ever play again for the Gophers. I don’t have any inside information at all, but just speculating that life happens.

Why would Brandner never play again for the Gophers? I think the assumption is that she's injured, not disabled. She's already been at OSU & MN. Where would she go next? Transfer again? (Is that allowed?) Or would she just quit the sport?

On another note, I see no reason the Gophers can't compete at the highest level. It's a matter of getting very talented recruits in to the U & keeping them coming. Not easy but not rocket science either. The talent's out there and the best players want to play for a winner. So keep winning on a visible stage & talented players will come. The name of the game is SUPER pitching.
 

Hope still doesn't seem to be traveling with the team, so without knowing any details seems like she's nowhere close to returning
 

As to Brandner, fans need to at least consider the possibility of a non-typical medical issue more life-changing in nature.

The public found out within hours what was wrong with Sis Bates of Washington (who also had an undisclosed medical issue) and her more typical injury for a collegiate athlete.

I don’t have a clue, other than saying she may want to be closer to family. From a fan’s perspective, considering the possibility now makes disappointment less painful in the future.
 

rowdaboat said:
Hope still doesn't seem to be traveling with the team, so without knowing any details seems like she's nowhere close to returning
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Nowhere close isn't the same as never. The gentleman I was quoting wrote "[not] to ever play again for the Gophers." She's only a junior; so there's time, but the way the injuries are shrouded in silence in women's DI creates only mystery for the public and fans. We can always hope she'll be back. Surely someone in authority knows. Why don't they just say?
 



We have been talking about the bats a lot and not much about the pitching. Will Pease be around next season? Is Piper developing two Freshman secret weapons for this program? Right now I need to be optimistic where they will end up in the standings this year in the BIG and rankings overall.

However with no Fiser and Partain next year makes me question even more where this program will be heading next year. You can add them to that list of missed graduating talent, transfers and injuries.
 

4EverAGopher said:
We have been talking about the bats a lot and not much about the pitching. Will Pease be around next season? Is Piper developing two Freshman secret weapons for this program? Right now I need to be optimistic where they will end up in the standings this year in the BIG and rankings overall.

However with no Fiser and Partain next year makes me question even more where this program will be heading next year. You can add them to that list of missed graduating talent, transfers and injuries.
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Both pitchers should be higher potential than we had before with Bailey or Sydney. Pease still has two years after this season
 

“that all sounds like concussion stuff. Timetable is impossible to predict as is outcome.”

While nobody in the public, including me has any idea what “not medically available to play” means as applied here, I just think sports fans need to understand that college athletes are not robots and have other non-typical types of medical issues that could be what the issue is. Who knows? But life happens to people, real human flesh and blood people, and who are not automatons as so many people, including me frankly, sometimes look upon athletes as being.
 

ComoGopher said:
starting p
Interesting take. If the starting QB left the football program two years in a row like the starting catcher has left the softball program two years in a row what would they be saying on the football board
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Not a fair comparison. If you said the top pitcher or top hitter who transferred two years in a row it would be more fair.
 

“????”

I am referring to personal stuff completely unrelated to the field of play that I feel weird bringing up here. But personal stuff is possible and whatever typical injury or other sensitive personal thing that could be taking place we just have to assume that the team and the university will be completely supportive, as I am sure they will be.
 

#3 Texas came off wins vs 1 and 2 Washington and UCLA by losing to Fresno State
 


Anyone know the plan for Beddow? Seems like she was rushed here in December (graduated high school early) to help the team, but she hasn't played at all (as far as I can tell). Is she red shirting? Injured? Hate to think that she graduated early just to lose an entire year of college eligibility by spending the season on the bench. I don't get it.
 

As to Beddow, my guess is she is insurance.

The Gophers have had a small roster for the last couple years (high teens) growing into the low twenties next year with a lot of incoming freshman.

My guess is if Partain, for instance is forced to stop playing due to a continuing leg problem, Beddow would see serious action this year as Strelow would move to second. If Partain’s leg holds up, Beddow spends to Spring as a cheerleader, getting to travel on the softball team’s dime with a bunch of older friends to Florida and Hawaii and California, etc. Not a bad life for a 17 year old.
 


i would love to see Kianna Jones get an opportunity to pitch to get her ERA off infinity (now recorded as 99... but actually infinity).
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
i would love to see Kianna Jones get an opportunity to pitch to get her ERA off infinity (now recorded as 99... but actually infinity).
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I don't think Jones played this entire weekend. Is she injured?
Strange weekend. The Gophers scored lots every game, except for Sat. night,when they got a single hit vs. a pitcher starting her first game.
 

4EverAGopher said:
We have been talking about the bats a lot and not much about the pitching. Will Pease be around next season? Is Piper developing two Freshman secret weapons for this program? Right now I need to be optimistic where they will end up in the standings this year in the BIG and rankings overall.

However with no Fiser and Partain next year makes me question even more where this program will be heading next year. You can add them to that list of missed graduating talent, transfers and injuries.
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I think your comment makes sense, mainly by leaving the matter wide open. I probably spend more time than I can afford comparing Allister & Trachsler. For 3-4 seasons I admired Allister immensely for vitalizing a Gopher team via her charisma & recruiting. Getting Groenewegen was either a stroke of luck or genius. And her teams did well in the BIG, but they never made it far in post-season. She emphasized power hitting teams who never hit a lick against the Oregons, Washingtons, & Alabamas of the world, and a leaky infield defense cost them the regional vs. AZ. Allister's pitching recruits, aside from Groenewegen, never panned out, very disappointing. In fact, they were flops, except of course for Fiser, whom Allister coached only one year. Seen in retrospect, Allister strikes me as a brilliant star, but also an enigma.

Trachsler, by contrast, seems to emphasize pitching depth, solid defense (she seems to have yanked Lindner from Sat.'s game vs. Auburn after errors), & she put/patched together a 2019 team that won 46 games plus WCWS. But I wonder about her field generalship & incoming recruits, 2019 & forward. How good are they? The press releases ballyhoo them, but are there any superstars there, who can make this a national brand? With a WCWS on the resumé, it would seem this is the time to find some really great newcomers. Why so many injuries? And why the on-again, off-again performances so far in 2020? At times the 2020 team looks more like Summit League than BIG. Am I talking sense? Or nonsense? Just putting forward my thoughts. I'd like to hear what others think.
 

“Why so many injuries?”

Others may have more scientific explanations for this but I think injuries are endemic to this game - again the best game going right now in my opinion. While I grew up watching almost entirely male sports, one thing I have had to learn is that explosive lateral movement can be especially hard on women’s bodies, causing more nagging leg injuries than what a casual sports fan expects. It seems all these teams I am seeing reporting on are going through regular injuries. I just don’t think Minnesota is exceptional... it just feels that way.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
“Why so many injuries?”

Others may have more scientific explanations for this but I think injuries are endemic to this game - again the best game going right now in my opinion. While I grew up watching almost entirely male sports, one thing I have had to learn is that explosive lateral movement can be especially hard on women’s bodies, causing more nagging leg injuries than what a casual sports fan expects. It seems all these teams I am seeing reporting on are going through regular injuries. I just don’t think Minnesota is exceptional... it just feels that way.
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Maybe it feels the Gophs injury situation is exceptional because key players have been out or slowed. There are only so many star players on any team. To have the top few out hurts.
 

“How good are they?”

I honestly think they will be competing with Michigan and Northwestern, and a little ahead of Wisconsin, for the Big Ten championship this year, although our BIG schedule is a little tougher than theirs. Hopefully, we can compete in that BIG Championship title game.
Next year we will probably not be quite up there with Michigan and Northwestern and hopefully we will be able to stay at least parallel with Wisconsin. That’s my best guess; but it is tough to stay at the top for long. Other teams want to get their too and will kick, scratch and claw to get there.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
“Why so many injuries?”

Others may have more scientific explanations for this but I think injuries are endemic to this game - again the best game going right now in my opinion. While I grew up watching almost entirely male sports, one thing I have had to learn is that explosive lateral movement can be especially hard on women’s bodies, causing more nagging leg injuries than what a casual sports fan expects. It seems all these teams I am seeing reporting on are going through regular injuries. I just don’t think Minnesota is exceptional... it just feels that way.
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Do the volleyball and WBB teams have a similar percentage of injuries? It seems to me that softball has a lot of overuse type injuries. Not just at the U but at other schools as well.
 

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