Gopher softball 2023

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ClassOf98Gopher said:
Why is it that I believe Groenewagen and Fiser were not quite the same? It seems to me that Fiser was on a lot of college programs’ radar while Groenewagen was a true diamond in the rough that everyone missed except Minnesota. Is that true?

As for Leavitt, I don’t know her personality backstory at all, but she was really good in her high school years and Minnesota just had to take a chance on her. We just had too.

Finally, for me as a fan, I held strong for quite a while and had not yet been demoralized at all between their rise in 2014 through the 2022 season. But this Kinch transfer flipped the switch. I am now demoralized.
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98, I have appreciated your optimism (while also disagreeing with it many times) so try not to let that get away. You can help with another perspective when some of us get focused on some of the negatives. I am including myself in that group.
 

Hrothgar said:
I don't want to argue. Mainly I have questions. First, Dueck said she quit because of bad knees. Is it likely her knee problem first popped up in fallball & wasn't an issue before? Hostettler had problems with command. Were those troubles not known about in advance? As I recall, Pease's offseason surgery was announced ahead of time. Wasn't that a sign of caution? I know nothing about the "trainwreck of personality." But don't programs check out recruits' mindset before offering them scholarships? Are we to believe there were no advance warning signs? As for blue chip P5 pitchers, they may not hammer down the door at MN, but they can be convinced to come. Groenewegen and Fiser were. 2022 felt demoralizing. Does 2023 look better in the circle?
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I think it's safe to say not fans have the full understanding of what is going on inside the team walls. There was more to both Dueck and Hostettler leaving than knees and command.

As far as Leavitt, obviously programs try and get to know the athelte the best they can, but remember, during the recruiting process, you are seeing a kids "Sunday best" (if that is a phrase anymore) Recruiting sees talent first....can the kid compete at that level...especially a pitcher. Leavitt could compete, no doubt, but the baggage was bad. MN can recruit blue chippers....hard part is, they need ot go all in on one or two, or they won't get them. When you go all in, you expose yourself to getting burned, i.e Leavitt. 2023 looks better....

Pease will have a great year if she stays healthy. Hard to know what happens after her. Hambrick was OK at GCU, does it translate into competing in the B10? Does Enter have anything, we don't know, as she wasn't used at FSU. Schwartz is a freshman, hard to know what her value will be until season starts playing out. Pease, being healthy, is the lynchpin to a successful season.
 

Chase the Rise said:
I think it's safe to say not fans have the full understanding of what is going on inside the team walls. There was more to both Dueck and Hostettler leaving than knees and command.

As far as Leavitt, obviously programs try and get to know the athelte the best they can, but remember, during the recruiting process, you are seeing a kids "Sunday best" (if that is a phrase anymore) Recruiting sees talent first....can the kid compete at that level...especially a pitcher. Leavitt could compete, no doubt, but the baggage was bad. MN can recruit blue chippers....hard part is, they need ot go all in on one or two, or they won't get them. When you go all in, you expose yourself to getting burned, i.e Leavitt. 2023 looks better....

Pease will have a great year if she stays healthy. Hard to know what happens after her. Hambrick was OK at GCU, does it translate into competing in the B10? Does Enter have anything, we don't know, as she wasn't used at FSU. Schwartz is a freshman, hard to know what her value will be until season starts playing out. Pease, being healthy, is the lynchpin to a successful season.
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It seems like you have inside knowledge of the inner workings of last years team and apparent team drama. You have peeked my curiosity! What happened and what kind of “baggage” or “train wreck of a personality” can a 18 bring with them that would have effected the team.

As far the rest remaining players, it appears they picked up some good athletes. UCLA has converted infielders to catchers a few times.
 
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Gopher6389 said:
It seems like you have inside knowledge of the inner workings of last years team and apparent team drama. You have peeked my curiosity! What happened and what kind of “baggage” or “train wreck of a personality” can a 18 bring with them that would have effected the team.
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Maybe a little inside info....but not any that I'm going to out. Much of the drama was out there for everyone to see on the Gopher softball Facebook page. A mom on the team basically threw Leavitt under the bus for her antics. Leavitt was blaming her struggles on pitch calling, Ritter lets Leavitt call her own games to prove a pointand maybe to see if there was something to it.... and just got destroyed. That was out there in the open. I can just imagine what it was like inside the clubhouse. My source predicted Leavitt leaving after the season after fall ball finished last year...it was that bad. So the dots connect...All I can say is that we as fans don't "know" nearly what we think we "know".

Last thing...and I need to get some work done today. I know we've talked about the stuggles for the pitching staff last year...how the coaches didn't prepare for Pease not being healthy, etc.

How many B10 teams would have a successful B10 run or NCAA run if you take their ace out of the equation? There is only one team that survives it. Illinois Sicklles/McQueen/Wiles all contributed. Take these student athletes off their rosters with no replacement....it gets ugly for most teams. Perspective is needed. If anything, the coaches should be commended for getting to the NCAA tournament with the limitations they had.

NU-WIlliams
NE-Ferrell
MI-Storako
MD-Wyche
OSU-Handley
PSU-Parshall
WI-Schwartz
MN-Pease
MSU-Miller
 



Chase the Rise said:
Maybe a little inside info....but not any that I'm going to out. Much of the drama was out there for everyone to see on the Gopher softball Facebook page. A mom on the team basically threw Leavitt under the bus for her antics. Leavitt was blaming her struggles on pitch calling, Ritter lets Leavitt call her own games to prove a pointand maybe to see if there was something to it.... and just got destroyed. That was out there in the open. I can just imagine what it was like inside the clubhouse. My source predicted Leavitt leaving after the season after fall ball finished last year...it was that bad. So the dots connect...All I can say is that we as fans don't "know" nearly what we think we "know".

Last thing...and I need to get some work done today. I know we've talked about the stuggles for the pitching staff last year...how the coaches didn't prepare for Pease not being healthy, etc.

How many B10 teams would have a successful B10 run or NCAA run if you take their ace out of the equation? There is only one team that survives it. Illinois Sicklles/McQueen/Wiles all contributed. Take these student athletes off their rosters with no replacement....it gets ugly for most teams. Perspective is needed. If anything, the coaches should be commended for getting to the NCAA tournament with the limitations they had.

NU-WIlliams
NE-Ferrell
MI-Storako
MD-Wyche
OSU-Handley
PSU-Parshall
WI-Schwartz
MN-Pease
MSU-Miller
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I also had heard that Leavitt was indeed a clubhouse problem. When I heard that, I mentioned that it was probably good for the team that she left. The person I heard from concurred.
 






Minnesota looks like it will have a gentle opening weekend with competition against Butler, Western Kentucky, Marshall, Portland State, and Colgate. Hopefully, they can go 5-0 and ease into the season with all of the new faces instead of the gauntlet they faced last year.
 

John3298 said:
Minnesota looks like it will have a gentle opening weekend with competition against Butler, Western Kentucky, Marshall, Portland State, and Colgate. Hopefully, they can go 5-0 and ease into the season with all of the new faces instead of the gauntlet they faced last year.
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The gauntlet is what got them into the NCAA tournament last year. Anything less than 5-0 against this group hurts their chances.
 

Chase the Rise said:
The gauntlet is what got them into the NCAA tournament last year. Anything less than 5-0 against this group hurts their chances.
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There's a balance. Yes, that gauntlet got them into the tournament but at what cost? Last year, facing NCAA tournament-caliber teams day in and day out with limited pitching destroyed that team. They constantly looked exhausted and like they weren't having any fun out there. Minnesota will have plenty of quality games on their schedule that will look good come tournament time. Not every weekend has to be a complete grind, especially with as many new faces as there are on the team this season.
 

John3298 said:
There's a balance. Yes, that gauntlet got them into the tournament but at what cost? Last year, facing NCAA tournament-caliber teams day in and day out with limited pitching destroyed that team. They constantly looked exhausted and like they weren't having any fun out there. Minnesota will have plenty of quality games on their schedule that will look good come tournament time. Not every weekend has to be a complete grind, especially with as many new faces as there are on the team this season.
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They did get ground down last year… that’s a great description for it. They did look completely exhausted week after week.

Honestly, I am a “tough schedule” supporting person. For no other reason than that it is better for fan entertainment - which is what I think sports is, at very bottom, all about.
 






I gotta say, I hate it when softball games are played in stadiums too large for the dimensions of a softball field where they have to erect that silly temporary fence in the middle of the field.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
I gotta say, I hate it when softball games are played in stadiums too large for the dimensions of a softball field where they have to erect that silly temporary fence in the middle of the field.
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That is the main reason Alister did not want to play indoors.
 


ClassOf98Gopher said:
I gotta say, I hate it when softball games are played in stadiums too large for the dimensions of a softball field where they have to erect that silly temporary fence in the middle of the field.
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Are there any regulation sized indoor stadiums in state? Know of a few domes but then the roof is in play which I'd expect is dealbreaker for D1
 

Studying the U softball schedule, I didn't see the BIG tournament listed. Surely there will be one?
 

Playing Maryland in a tournament, weird.
 



I love it when it is season ticket renewal time. I got that taken care of last week.
 


Gopher68 said:
Softball schedule released - includes a tournament in US Bank Stadium:
gophersports.com

2025 Softball Schedule - University of Minnesota Athletics

The official 2025 Softball schedule for the University of Minnesota Gophers
gophersports.com gophersports.com
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I'm excited about the Gopher Indoor tournament. I'll need to check that out if in town.

The tournament in Chapel Hill in February will be...chilly.

Excited to see them at the Judi Garman Classic. Several big names there. The Cal State tournament schedule has the Gophs playing UCLA instead of Oregon on March 3rd unless I'm reading it wrong.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
I gotta say, I hate it when softball games are played in stadiums too large for the dimensions of a softball field where they have to erect that silly temporary fence in the middle of the field.
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I think the WCWS was played with a temporary fence for years. The Mary Nutter, one of the biggest annual tournaments, has temp fences. I'm actually pretty intrigued with softball in US Bank, although it will interesting to see how they arrange the infield with it being designed for baseball. No question that it will be a respite from the weekly travel the BG10 softball players normally do.
 

I'm excited the conf tourney is in Champaign. I will be going.
 

Panthadad2 said:
I think the WCWS was played with a temporary fence for years. The Mary Nutter, one of the biggest annual tournaments, has temp fences. I'm actually pretty intrigued with softball in US Bank, although it will interesting to see how they arrange the infield with it being designed for baseball. No question that it will be a respite from the weekly travel the BG10 softball players normally do.
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I saw a gopher baseball game at US Bank Stadium on btn+ and it did not look natural. The crowd was non-existent and the dugouts looked like shipping containers.
 

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