Gopher Softball 2024

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rowdaboat said:
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I thought the comments/replies were good. I understand individuals not liking it, but transfer is always an option. And this is better for the 4 corners schools. They shouldn't complain at all.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
And the Gophers have just been pushed further down the softball power rankings in the Big Ten.

As a softball fanatic, I could always hope that my team could make a run and at least win one tournament, the Big Ten tournament. Now I’ll be dead before that happens again. Actually, my kids will probably be dead by then too - and they’re presently in elementary school.
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It only takes an ace pitcher and some luck. In a conference tourney. We have been in a second rate softball conference that just got a lot better. I love the idea of playing UCLA, UW, and the Ducks in conference games. It helps our RPI and makes the B1G better as a whole.
 

rugger14 said:
It only takes an ace pitcher and some luck. In a conference tourney. We have been in a second rate softball conference that just got a lot better. I love the idea of playing UCLA, UW, and the Ducks in conference games. It helps our RPI and makes the B1G better as a whole.
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Yeah, well I just don’t care much about the whole. I care about being personally entertained by my team… the Gophers.

It is harder, for me at least, to feel entertained when my team seems helplessly underpowered as compared to their competition. I did not feel that way in the old Big Ten.
 

rugger14 said:
It only takes an ace pitcher and some luck. In a conference tourney. We have been in a second rate softball conference that just got a lot better. I love the idea of playing UCLA, UW, and the Ducks in conference games. It helps our RPI and makes the B1G better as a whole.
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The importance of beefing up the non-conference schedule just declined.
 

mngolf said:
I thought the comments/replies were good. I understand individuals not liking it, but transfer is always an option. And this is better for the 4 corners schools. They shouldn't complain at all.
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Oregon and Washington softball probably only bussed to two other schools each (each other and Oregon State) and they'll still play each other. UCLA might have had long bus rides to ASU, AZ, Stanford, Cal but I can't imagine flights to most of the Big Ten teams would take any more time even though it would cost a lot more.

Out of all the new PAC12 to BG10 schools, Washington and Oregon were among the most remote (with their State counterparts) and flight times to the western half of the BG10 probably aren't that much more than already being done to SoCal and AZ.
 


It seems simple, to the point of being simplistic maybe, that if you win (no mattter who or where you are) a lot superb players will come play for you. A few coaches have that magic touch, most don't. Financial backing is, of course, a big part of the magic touch. Choose the right coaches and keep them plus give them strong backing.
 

PreacherRoe said:
It seems simple, to the point of being simplistic maybe, that if you win (no mattter who or where you are) a lot superb players will come play for you. A few coaches have that magic touch, most don't. Financial backing is, of course, a big part of the magic touch. Choose the right coaches and keep them plus give them strong backing.
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And I expect funding for softball to increase significantly.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
Yeah, well I just don’t care much about the whole. I care about being personally entertained by my team… the Gophers.

It is harder, for me at least, to feel entertained when my team seems helplessly underpowered as compared to their competition. I did not feel that way in the old Big Ten.
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Last season, Utah won the PAC-12 tournament. When the tournament started, they were behind the Gophers in RPI.

It’s personal preference, I understand that, but I’d rather see my team ranked in the Top 25 consistently (which I think is more likely with these additions and the quality win opportunities they provide) than just being a big unranked fish in a small pond.
 

rwlarson said:
Last season, Utah won the PAC-12 tournament. When the tournament started, they were behind the Gophers in RPI.

It’s personal preference, I understand that, but I’d rather see my team ranked in the Top 25 consistently (which I think is more likely with these additions and the quality win opportunities they provide) than just being a big unranked fish in a small pond.
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You’re right, it’s personal preference.

The high point of my sports fandom these past 11 years have been those four tournament wins in 14,15, 17, and 18 (and that oh-so-close championship game in 19). Those were great times for my personal entertainment as a fan.
 



ClassOf98Gopher said:
You’re right, it’s personal preference.

The high point of my sports fandom these past 11 years have been those four tournament wins in 14,15, 17, and 18 (and that oh-so-close championship game in 19). Those were great times for my personal entertainment as a fan.
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I would much rather play in a better league against better competition. Playing UCLA or UW at home seems way better than PSU to me.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
You’re right, it’s personal preference.

The high point of my sports fandom these past 11 years have been those four tournament wins in 14,15, 17, and 18 (and that oh-so-close championship game in 19). Those were great times for my personal entertainment as a fan.
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It'll happen again.
 


ClassOf98Gopher said:
… said the Gopher football fan at the 1962 Rose Bowl.

But, technically, you are right as everything will happen if one stretches their time horizon out far enough.
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That was due to administration not understanding the importance of sports and football specifically. There's a couple leftovers in the pac that are finding that out now the hard way.
 



I wonder if this will increase the number of games televised as well.
 

mngolf said:
I wonder if this will increase the number of games televised as well.
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If so, now that would be a plus!

However, given that there is only one BTN, my guess is a disproportionate number of the televised games will include national title contenders UCLA, Oregon, and Washington and relatively fewer televised games of the non- national title contenders (read:everyone else).
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
If so, now that would be a plus!

However, given that there is only one BTN, my guess is a disproportionate number of the televised games will include national title contenders UCLA, Oregon, and Washington and relatively fewer televised games of the non- national title contenders (read:everyone else).
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Well different time zones should fix that. And they can get rid of old replays of games.
 

Well, there will be more temperate weather venues available during early conference games in Mar/Apr. Front load the super early conference games to the coastal sites and back load the late April/May games to MN/WI/MI/MSU/NW
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
If so, now that would be a plus!

However, given that there is only one BTN, my guess is a disproportionate number of the televised games will include national title contenders UCLA, Oregon, and Washington and relatively fewer televised games of the non- national title contenders (read:everyone else).
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I don’t recall BTN televising THAT many games anyway. It seems there are plenty of slots still available that could be dedicated to more softball. Maybe this move will get more games on regular BTN and improve the quality of both regular BTN and BTN Plus telecasts.
 

With 3 different zones they could do 3 games min each day.
 

Talking about Gophers softball felt kinda like a bridge too far until I saw the fall ball schedule yesterday. Gosh, September is next month!!! Personally I'm tired of our teams of the past 4 yr being 2nd or 3rd place runnerups. It's tiresome rationalizing that just good enough is good enough. Is there any chance of them winning big in conference or NCAAS? Or is that a hot stove dream of mine?
 

PreacherRoe said:
Talking about Gophers softball felt kinda like a bridge too far until I saw the fall ball schedule yesterday. Gosh, September is next month!!! Personally I'm tired of our teams of the past 4 yr being 2nd or 3rd place runnerups. It's tiresome rationalizing that just good enough is good enough. Is there any chance of them winning big in conference or NCAAS? Or is that a hot stove dream of mine?
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All depends on who steps up pitching. I think they have alot, but do they have an ace?
 

Flugaur reports that Stanford making last ditch effort to get non-football teams into the B1G.
 



Nipomo 56 said:
I agree with the improvement and I think the incoming freshman class has a lot of potential.
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I feel a lot of potential but LF, RF, 2b, 1b have to be filled with outstanding bats & defense. I have hopes for Schwartz, but the rest of the pitching is iffy in my mind, no proven diminant starter.
 



Is there anyway to watch Fall ball if you cannot get to the stadium (Physical Reasons)
 

I see Allison Benning transferred from Oregon to the University of North Florida.

I had in the back of my mind that she was a potential player to return home to the Gophers after trying out Oregon. I guess it wouldn’t have worked out on either or both sides.
 

Gopher68 said:
First look at this year's team will be a Saturday double header vs. UMD. Looking forward to seeing them in action.
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After watching Fall Ball, I still don't know what to expect from the Gophers in 2024. Will Piper please find one more outstanding hitter in the late fall portal! Not good to see a hitless bottom of the batting order for yet another season.
 

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