Gopher softball 2021

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FormerFatOL said:
Georgia player gets thrown out at home doing a head-first slide around home plate. A hard traditional feet-first slide straight into home (bothering the catcher) would have been safe. I don't understand why so many fastpitch players slide head-first. It's often ineffective.
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Should have been obstruction but ump was busy getting into position instead of seeing it
 

Gopher68 said:
Just getting caught up on previous posts. Allister, I can understand. She was given an opportunity to coach her alma mater back to contention following several down years. Also, she is a native Californian. Lindaman is a real puzzle. She was a two-time BIG 10 Player of the Year and All American at Minnesota. She never achieved near that recognition in the SEC. At least, we don't have to be reminded of her exploits any longer.
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Interesting comments. Despite all the Gophers successes between 2016 & 2018, I wonder if there weren't issues in the program we the pubic never knew about. I say 'wonder' because I have no specifics, just vibes.
 


Oklahoma vs UCLA elimination game tomorrow night most likely
 




It's gonna be odd seeing UCLA and Oklahoma face off in the losers bracket (assuming the Sooners beat GA). I wouldn't have guessed that at all.
 


Thinking back on the Gophers 2021 season and one aspect of it that was unusual as compared to the last few seasons, the roster stayed almost entirely heathy excepting the first couple weeks of Elle Jensen’s season - but she returned to the full lineup late in that first month of play and was healthy the remainder of the year.
 



ClassOf98Gopher said:
Thinking back on the Gophers 2021 season and one aspect of it that was unusual as compared to the last few seasons, the roster stayed almost entirely heathy excepting the first couple weeks of Elle Jensen’s season - but she returned to the full lineup late in that first month of play and was healthy the remainder of the year.
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Interesting comments. Could the injury-free season be attributable to the HC change? Watching the WCWS teams this weekend, I'd judge the Gophers, to close the gap, desperately need much stronger power hitting up & down the lineup & swifter base running. Especially they must beef up the hitting & defense at first base, RF, and SS. Just my opinion.
 

Hrothgar said:
Interesting comments. Could the injury-free season be attributable to the HC change?
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IN my humble opinion … it’s luck.


Hrothgar said:
Watching the WCWS teams this weekend, I'd judge the Gophers, to close the gap, desperately need much stronger power hitting up & down the lineup & swifter base running. Especially they must beef up the hitting & defense at first base, RF, and SS.
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Any thoughts about the Gophers being in the top 8 teams in the nation means at least one amazing pitcher and a strong supporting pitcher. No team can get there without exceptional pitching. Next year pitching will be the greatest question mark for the Gophs.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
IN my humble opinion … it’s luck.




Any thoughts about the Gophers being in the top 8 teams in the nation means at least one amazing pitcher and a strong supporting pitcher. No team can get there without exceptional pitching. Next year pitching will be the greatest question mark for the Gophs.
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Well if you look at Pease, in the 2019 season we beat Florida with her starting the game and then she was pulled and Amber came in and was ineffective and Pease had to return and won the game. In 2019 Pease was the was the only pitcher to hold UCLA to 0 runs thru 4 innings. This season both Amber and Pease basically pitched against the exact same teams yet Pease came out with a higher win/loss record. Pease also had a lower ERA throughout the season and has a much better strikeout to walk ratio then Amber. In reality Pease is every bit as good a pitcher as Amber.
 

Twinballs said:
Well if you look at Pease, in the 2019 season we beat Florida with her starting the game and then she was pulled and Amber came in and was ineffective and Pease had to return and won the game. In 2019 Pease was the was the only pitcher to hold UCLA to 0 runs thru 4 innings. This season both Amber and Pease basically pitched against the exact same teams yet Pease came out with a higher win/loss record. Pease also had a lower ERA throughout the season and has a much better strikeout to walk ratio then Amber. In reality Pease is every bit as good a pitcher as Amber.
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Agree with most of this but I'd say Amber took a step back. She was missing spots and not throwing 70+ this year like she did 2 years ago.
 



mngolf said:
Agree with most of this but I'd say Amber took a step back. She was missing spots and not throwing 70+ this year like she did 2 years ago.
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I disagree a little. Her velocity this year was as I remember it throughout her career: 68 as her usual speed cranking it up to 70-71 when she really wanted it. However her accuracy was the “problem.”

But people need to remember that Fiser never has the accuracy that Groenewagen, for instance, had or the super nasty swinging-strikeout pitch.

But she was drafted by the pro-league (such as it is) for what her strengths are, not her weaknesses. Her strengths are her athletic power and durability. She can just throw powerful pitches all day/week/season long.
 

Twinballs said:
Well if you look at Pease, in the 2019 season we beat Florida with her starting the game and then she was pulled and Amber came in and was ineffective and Pease had to return and won the game. In 2019 Pease was the was the only pitcher to hold UCLA to 0 runs thru 4 innings. This season both Amber and Pease basically pitched against the exact same teams yet Pease came out with a higher win/loss record. Pease also had a lower ERA throughout the season and has a much better strikeout to walk ratio then Amber. In reality Pease is every bit as good a pitcher as Amber.
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Sorry to be so picky, but Pease wasn't with the Gophers in 2019. I think it was Florida State that Pease beat, in 2020. True, Fiser wasn't the same pitcher in 2020 & 2021 as in the 3 previous seasons; she lacked consistent command of her pitches. However, Pease got better run support, IMO. In the NCAAS, I think a team needs power pitching.
 

In addition, the Gophers teams Fiser pitched for in 2017 & 2019 were far superior to those in 2020 & 2021. The poor offensive (& at times defensive) support the 2020 & 2021 team gave Fiser was often shameful. A lesser competitor would've thrown in the towel. She bore up under it.
 

Hrothgar said:
Sorry to be so picky, but Pease wasn't with the Gophers in 2019. I think it was Florida State that Pease beat, in 2020. True, Fiser wasn't the same pitcher in 2020 & 2021 as in the 3 previous seasons; she lacked consistent command of her pitches. However, Pease got better run support, IMO. In the NCAAS, I think a team needs power pitching.
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All of these teams we have seen over the past couple weeks in the WCWS are based upon power pitching.

And much more important than my thoughts, I get the distinct impression that Ritter is a strong believer in the value of high pitch velocity. Dueck and Jones look like different people than last year - lots of weight room time I guess, and it showed in their physical appearance. I wouldn’t have assumed that Dueck would be throwing 66 mph pitches a year ago. I assume that strength growth is what Ritter wants from Hollifield as well.
 

For those that follow nationally more than I, what was with Garcia last few weeks? She got hit pretty hard 2 or 3 times in the postseason. Velocity still seemed good.
 

TNGophfan said:
For those that follow nationally more than I, what was with Garcia last few weeks? She got hit pretty hard 2 or 3 times in the postseason. Velocity still seemed good.
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Some personal guesses: In-depth scouting reports. The umpires weren't calling her pitches 6 inches off the plate strikes any more. The UCLA team batting & fielding behind her is overrated. The PAC isn't as good as in the past. Maybe senioritis; she got tired of being a one-woman team; it wore on her. I'd guess she outgrew her environment; she'd been there, done that. Reminded me of Amber Fiser.
 

Hrothgar said:
Sorry to be so picky, but Pease wasn't with the Gophers in 2019. I think it was Florida State that Pease beat, in 2020. True, Fiser wasn't the same pitcher in 2020 & 2021 as in the 3 previous seasons; she lacked consistent command of her pitches. However, Pease got better run support, IMO. In the NCAAS, I think a team needs power p
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You are right it was 2020. Not sure how Pease got any different run support as they pretty much played the same offense in each series. I think when you look at walks and wild pitches that sets up needing more runs to offset the free runs you give up. When you have a team that leaves that many stranded you can’t afford to give up freebies.
 


rowdaboat said:
Shame that they still aren't enforcing pitching rules at world series, Sandercock for FSU always landing outside pitchers lane
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I was just thinking the same thing….she keeps going wider and wider. Sad that the NCAA never seems to have a clear understanding of their own rules.
 

As long as it is hurting Alabama, who cares. Tide is rolling, but it is downhill and toward a cliff.
 

FSU's best hitter if they even have one wouldn't play on Oklahoma lineup
 



I ran across references to an article, which seems to have appeared in the Washington Post, on May 21, 2021, written by Wendy Jenkins. It's about women's sports & the NCAA. It bears the informal subheading: "The NCAA sold out women's sports in a rights deal it fights to keep secret."
It seems to have references to NCAA women's basketball and the WCWS.

Does anyone know about this article? It would be interesting to hear.

I can't find any full copies of such an article, only references to it on a couple of blogs and something called MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street TM.
 

Hrothgar said:
I ran across references to an article, which seems to have appeared in the Washington Post, on May 21, 2021, written by Wendy Jenkins. It's about women's sports & the NCAA. It bears the informal subheading: "The NCAA sold out women's sports in a rights deal it fights to keep secret."
It seems to have references to NCAA women's basketball and the WCWS.

Does anyone know about this article? It would be interesting to hear.

I can't find any full copies of such an article, only references to it on a couple of blogs and something called MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street TM.
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It is there, behind the paywall.
 


Softball America has Minnesota’s final 2021 national ranking at 23. Not as high as I was hoping with Partain and Fiser returning… but not bad.

It would have been worse without the super senior situation. We needed that bridge to Leavitt/Hostettler/Chavez. A poorer performance this year would have demoralized quite a few softball fans and potentially diminished our program’s attractiveness to many recruits.
 

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