Gopher Softball 2024

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ecoperson said:
NIL is about name, image, and likeness and I imagine that >90% of NIL dollars in the major revenue sports is currently pay for play. We are essentially now in annual free agency. There is little loyalty and little opportunity to get to know your team anymore. They are all just a bunch of hired mercenaries!

I believe that Congress will get involved sooner than we might think. They are a dysfunctional bunch but NIL has ruined the revenue sports and I have a sneaky suspicion that there are enough members who see the inevitable downfall of collegiate sports as we know it.

I also feel that the conversations towards paying the athletes from the University coffers will be happening sooner vs. later.
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With many strong complaints about too much government regulation, I do not share your optimism that Congress will do anything about it. If they manage to enact anything, a legal challenge will be launched immediately if not sooner :sneaky:.
 

Gopher68 said:
Die hard fans are faced with difficult choices. For example, I have been reminded that I should renew my men's basketball tickets. For the upcoming year, that is $330 per seat with a required 'donation' to the scholarship fund of $550 per seat. I know that there are less expensive seats, but the issue still remains if I should continue my attendance and required donation or seek to move my support to other places, namely NIL. For me, the bigger problem is the tsunami of games in November and December. In addition to men's basketball, there is women's basketball (also a season ticket holder), football (season ticket holder), and volleyball (season ticket holder). And, if that is not enough, I live 90 miles from the venues which adds uncertainty with weather conditions. Finally 8:00 tips won't get me back home until midnight. So, as a die hard fan of Gopher sports, is renewing my basketball tickets the best way to support our star athletes? It's not an easy choice.
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Seems like an easy choice. Stop going to men’s basketball. They stink. Focus on the other sports.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
Seems like an easy choice. Stop going to men’s basketball. They stink. Focus on the other sports.
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Sounds easy. But if fans like me stop going to men's basketball, traditionally a revenue sport, how long is it before the Athletics Department must seek additional funding
 

Gopher68 said:
With many strong complaints about too much government regulation, I do not share your optimism that Congress will do anything about it. If they manage to enact anything, a legal challenge will be launched immediately if not sooner :sneaky:.
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The legal cases are already roiling and many expect that, as a condition of expected settlements,, Congress will be asked to establish sideboards in form of law.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports...y-more-27b-settle-antitrust-suits-sources-say
 

I have decided to rate this Friday softball game against Nebraska as “highly important.”
 


Poor college sports has become a farce, as evidenced by this thread.

Although it is operating in a very dysfunctional environment, modern America.
 

Tough loss tonight. So many opportunities tonw

Have come out with a win, but loose 7-6
 





A few positives from yesterday were Grayson's pitching, DeBord's center fielding, and Chavez making solid contact in all her at bats. Unfortunately, the two errors in the fourth led to 5 unearned runs.
 

PreacherRoe said:
The Gophers scored 6 runs tonight. With stellar starting pitching, that would win almost any game on the Big Ten schedule.
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Starting to think about the transition from the 2024 to the 2025 season, besides preserving our current key starters from transferring out, there is a lot of homework that is going to need to be done by Snippes, Richardson, Grayson, and a healthy Schwartz so we can have regularly stellar pitching at the college level next season.

Hopefully Natalie Susa can come in and make her presence known immediately as well.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
Starting to think about the transition from the 2024 to the 2025 season, besides preserving our current key starters from transferring out, there is a lot of homework that is going to need to be done by Snippes, Richardson, Grayson, and a healthy Schwartz so we can have regularly stellar pitching at the college level next season.

Hopefully Natalie Susa can come in and make her presence known immediately as well.
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In addition, even if they keep the star players in the field, there will be a need to replace 1base, 2 base, cf, and DP while also beefing up production at the plate from lf and rf. So hard to know what to expect next year.
 

Two teams with terrible pitching but Nebraska has hitters to counter.
 



PreacherRoe said:
In addition, even if they keep the star players in the field, there will be a need to replace 1base, 2 base, cf, and DP while also beefing up production at the plate from lf and rf. So hard to know what to expect
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PreacherRoe said:
In addition, even if they keep the star players in the field, there will be a need to replace 1base, 2 base, cf, and DP while also beefing up production at the plate from lf and rf. So hard to know what to expect next year.
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I would expect to see jones and hooper in the lineup next season. If Hambrick is done I think they need two portal pitchers to add depth and experience.
 

Since the next batter homered it probably doesn't matter, but it was really demoralizing to watch that runner take 2nd for free in the fifth for no reason other than that we weren't paying attention. For all the talk about difficulty attracting and retaining stars, that is something that it shouldn't take NIL money to prevent. That shouldn't happen to a senior or a freshman, to a top rated recruit or a walk on. At this level, that just absolutely shouldn't happen.
 



Gopher68 said:
So, you want 7 pitchers on the roster?
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I love this post. So funny. Although dlw4gophers’ response was not exactly inaccurate.

My preference is that our existing, young pitchers spend the summer getting a helluva lot better going into their Sophomore season and can really help out Susa when she gets here.
 
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How on earth can Nebraska basically throw one pitcher all weekend and we still seem lost. Just baffling.
 


ClassOf98Gopher said:
I’m hoping for 4 more Gopher softball games in the next 6 days.
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I admire your positive approach. I was so disgusted after Friday's game, I didn't bother to attend Sat. or Sun. (First games I've missed in 10 yr. Saved a lot on gas.) This Gophers team isn't that bad, except for the lack of pitching. Gopher68 said it; you can't win without it.
 

dlw4gophers said:
Well we have 6 this year and it has not been enough with the injuries. Pitching is everything in this game.
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Can't argue with your points. My concern is over the number of scholarships that would be available for other players on the roster. Softball only gets 12. Consider that top pitchers are on a full scholarship, that won't leave too many left. Clearly pitching projects can be granted partial scholarships. I would guess Schwartz, Snippes, and Susa will be full scholarships. Richardson, if not full scholarship now, has earned one. Grayson and the proposed transfers will take some more. Let's say 1.5. Postition players with full scholarships at a minimum will be Chavez, Krapf and Oakland. that leaves 3.5 scholarships for 11 or 12 players. Is that enough to field a quality team? I'm sure glad that I'm not the one that needs to try and reconcile all that.
 

PreacherRoe said:
I admire your positive approach. I was so disgusted after Friday's game, I didn't bother to attend Sat. or Sun. (First games I've missed in 10 yr. Saved a lot on gas.) This Gophers team isn't that bad, except for the lack of pitching. Gopher68 said it; you can't win without it.
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Thanks! but I don't think I should be credited with that comment. But, whoever made it, is right and I concur.
 

Gopher68 said:
Can't argue with your points. My concern is over the number of scholarships that would be available for other players on the roster. Softball only gets 12. Consider that top pitchers are on a full scholarship, that won't leave too many left. Clearly pitching projects can be granted partial scholarships. I would guess Schwartz, Snippes, and Susa will be full scholarships. Richardson, if not full scholarship now, has earned one. Grayson and the proposed transfers will take some more. Let's say 1.5. Postition players with full scholarships at a minimum will be Chavez, Krapf and Oakland. that leaves 3.5 scholarships for 11 or 12 players. Is that enough to field a quality team? I'm sure glad that I'm not the one that needs to try and reconcile all that.
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This is the type of complex analysis that exists in the background of creating a softball team which many fans don’t consider when they make their comments on the team and it’s future.
 

Gopher68 said:
Thanks! but I don't think I should be credited with that comment. But, whoever made it, is right and I concur.
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Sorry, my mistake. dlw4gophers said: "Pitching is everything in this game." Which is what we've all known for a long time. As the PBS series on baseball pointed out: "Baseball/softball is the only sport in which the defense has the ball." I love that insight.
 

Well they got it done today. They don't have the pitching to win the B1G tourney IMO. Hope I am wrong and they pull it out.
 

rugger14 said:
Well they got it done today. They don't have the pitching to win the B1G tourney IMO. Hope I am wrong and they pull it out.
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Yeah, that’s probably true. But one can hope they play well and catch some breaks to win multiple games this coming weekend. I doubt we are going to pitch any shutouts so the batters are just going to need to hit the ball hard and hope that good things happen.
 

While our chances would be enhanced had Enter and Schwartz not gone down, I really like this draw for the Gophers. They have been susceptible to dominant aces all year, but Illinois and Nebraska would be the first two games, and neither team has a dominant ace. Playing the extra game against Illinois isn’t really that much of a disadvantage IMO because if we capitalize on their penchant for giving up the long ball, we would go into the Nebraska game with confidence, plus the fact that Kinney couldn’t get us out, and we saw so much of Harness that we should know how to beat her again. If we aren’t able to outscore Illinois, we weren’t advancing much farther anyway because our bats will need to be on fire to win pretty much any game we play.

If you make the semifinals, assuming Northwestern beats Purdue or Indiana (watch out for Indiana) you have Ashley Miller, but she would have to pitch back-to-back games, and durability has plagued her throughout her career, so riding her hard in the tourney despite her great numbers probably isn’t what Drohan wants to do.

The Gophers might only need to win only one game against one of the top five pitchers in the conference to take home the crown this year.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
This is the type of complex analysis that exists in the background of creating a softball team which many fans don’t consider when they make their comments on the team and it’s future.
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But then that's where NIL and/or a coach everyone wants to play for come in.
 

rwlarson said:
While our chances would be enhanced had Enter and Schwartz not gone down, I really like this draw for the Gophers. They have been susceptible to dominant aces all year, but Illinois and Nebraska would be the first two games, and neither team has a dominant ace. Playing the extra game against Illinois isn’t really that much of a disadvantage IMO because if we capitalize on their penchant for giving up the long ball, we would go into the Nebraska game with confidence, plus the fact that Kinney couldn’t get us out, and we saw so much of Harness that we should know how to beat her again. If we aren’t able to outscore Illinois, we weren’t advancing much farther anyway because our bats will need to be on fire to win pretty much any game we play.

If you make the semifinals, assuming Northwestern beats Purdue or Indiana (watch out for Indiana) you have Ashley Miller, but she would have to pitch back-to-back games, and durability has plagued her throughout her career, so riding her hard in the tourney despite her great numbers probably isn’t what Drohan wants to do.

The Gophers might only need to win only one game against one of the top five pitchers in the conference to take home the crown this year.
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It would be great to see an underdog MN team catch fire and charge to a title. It's long overdue.
 

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