Gopher Softball 2025

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Tobias is striking out a ton for a lead off hitter. Gophers lose 9-4
Cal top three hitters go 6-11 while MN top three go 1-11.
 

Gophers still had an outside chance in the 7th inning of game 2. With Burnett on 2nd, a base hit by Hooper, and Krapf & Chavez due up, but really bad base running killed the inning. Surely the coaches know more about the game than that.
 

Wish we could have watched online somehow. Looked like a lot of infield singles to Hooper at SS.
 

DietCokeFan said:
But coach said if they took care of business they would make it back to the NCAA tourney lol
I'm sorry but if we're expecting Grayson to get a lot of innings we're in big trouble. She is not going to hang with top D1 hitters. Susa must not be recovered.
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I thought the bright spots were Hosick and Easton. Outside of those two a lot work to be done.
 






Someone finally got a hit with a crucial runner on base!
Watching stats, i got the feeling Hosick (sp?) got stronger the longer she pitched. What the gophers need!!! The more the better.
 



Does anyone know how they got so far away from the time line that they had to cancel the gophers v sun devils game? I was looking forward to seeing that matchup.
 

It’s 10:30 out here and they are starting the 7th inning (ASU v Miami).
 

PreacherRoe said:
Someone finally got a hit with a crucial runner on base!
Watching stats, i got the feeling Hosick (sp?) got stronger the longer she pitched. What the gophers need!!! The more the better.
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She struck out the side in the 8th, retiring the 4, 5, and 6 hitters in the lineup.
 




Nipomo 56 said:
I was hoping to see Richardson start today. Interesting that Susa is catching but not hitting.
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Richardson is injured. Susa is the flex, she would never catch…lol…it’s a roster adjustment as Chard is the DP and catching. Creates flexibility in batting order/substitution during the game.
 

Gopher68 said:
She struck out the side in the 8th, retiring the 4, 5, and 6 hitters in the lineup.
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The single biggest issue with our roster in 2024 was the lack of a strikeout pitcher - we just did not have a healthy pitcher who could regularly make opposing batters swing and miss.

I am not saying we will have one this year, but this Hosick game versus Miami (Ohio) is at least encouraging.
 
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Chase the Rise said:
Richardson is injured. Susa is the flex, she would never catch…lol…it’s a roster adjustment as Chard is the DP and catching. Creates flexibility in batting order/substitution during the game.
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Thanks for the clarification. Any status on Richardson return?
 



After Hosick's fine pitching on Fr and Sat., it seemed ill-advised to expect her to go another four innings today. The team gave their starter a 4-1 lead, but it disappeared only half an inning later. We can still hope for some sense of order to emerge in a shaky pitching staff.
 

PreacherRoe said:
After Hosick's fine pitching on Fr and Sat., it seemed ill-advised to expect her to go another four innings today. The team gave their starter a 4-1 lead, but it disappeared only half an inning later. We can still hope for some sense of order to emerge in a shaky pitching staff.
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Giving up leads is what haunted this team last year. Hopefully the pitching improves next week and Chavez and Kraft can find their hitting stroke.
 

So this coaching staff thought we would be able to compete with this pitching staff? I know it's only one weekend; but, I don't see how we're going to win against any major D1 programs. The pitching staff needs a huge upgrade, as a head coach and someone who should understand pitching, I don't understand how they cant see this. Were they depending on Susa to be a big stud? Is she still recovering from injury? why are we not getting anything out of her?
 

As lots of us frequently lament, Gophers haven't had a top first-year pitcher come direct from high school since Fiser went 13-1 and when was that? 2016?
 

PreacherRoe said:
As lots of us frequently lament, Gophers haven't had a top first-year pitcher come direct from high school since Fiser went 13-1 and when was that? 2016?
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That was the 2017 season, so she would have graduated high school in 2016.
 

DietCokeFan said:
So this coaching staff thought we would be able to compete with this pitching staff? I know it's only one weekend; but, I don't see how we're going to win against any major D1 programs. The pitching staff needs a huge upgrade, as a head coach and someone who should understand pitching, I don't understand how they cant see this. Were they depending on Susa to be a big stud? Is she still recovering from injury? why are we not getting anything out of her?
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Don't you think that the coaching staff tries to get the best pitchers and players every year? If everyone else turns you down, you dance with the one who brung you.
 

ecoperson said:
Don't you think that the coaching staff tries to get the best pitchers and players every year? If everyone else turns you down, you dance with the one who brung you.
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While true, doesn't mean we can't expect better.
 

mngolf said:
While true, doesn't mean we can't expect better.
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I didn't say anything about fan expectations.

DietCokeFan asked: "So this coaching staff thought we would be able to compete with this pitching staff? The pitching staff needs a huge upgrade, as a head coach and someone who should understand pitching, I don't understand how they cant see this."

My simple response was that they tried to recruit better but failed. They can't do anything about it now. The roster is set. The coaches aren't going to forfeit because they know their pitchers aren't the studs like we've had in the past. They are going to keep teaching and hope that they get someone to punch above their weight.
 

ecoperson said:
I didn't say anything about fan expectations.

DietCokeFan asked: "So this coaching staff thought we would be able to compete with this pitching staff? The pitching staff needs a huge upgrade, as a head coach and someone who should understand pitching, I don't understand how they cant see this."

My simple response was that they tried to recruit better but failed. They can't do anything about it now. The roster is set. The coaches aren't going to forfeit because they know their pitchers aren't the studs like we've had in the past. They are going to keep teaching and hope that they get someone to punch above their weight.
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And my point, which is what some others might be alluding to, is that Piper should be on the hot seat for years of talent drain.
 

mngolf said:
And my point, which is what some others might be alluding to, is that Piper should be on the hot seat for years of talent drain.
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If I were an AD who wanted to prioritize a championship-caliber softball program, she would be.

This administration says they do, but actions speak louder than words.

Let’s face it. Piper bleeds maroon and gold, but she just isn’t a top-flight recruiter, nor does she approach the talent recognition skills of Alister. If not for live recruiting restrictions under the pandemic, I doubt we would ever have had the privilege of watching Jess Oakland play here.

I do not think Gopher softball will ever completely tank under her, but it should be clear by now that our ceiling isn’t close to what it was 7-8 years ago. They will excel in the classroom, but the days of being a consistent B1G and national power are probably gone.

I’ll personally still enjoy watching the team, but I’m not counting on my season tickets allowing me to see another team advance to the WCWS on our home field unless the administration decides they want it badly enough.
 

mngolf said:
And my point, which is what some others might be alluding to, is that Piper should be on the hot seat for years of talent drain.
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No argument from me on this. The current NCAA landscape is much different than when the Gophers were a consistent Top 20 team. I suspect that our decline is due largely to the lack of NIL to pay for the obvious stud pitchers and players. Piper needs to find diamonds in the rough to help overcome this limitation or you have to move on and find someone who can.
 

ecoperson said:
I didn't say anything about fan expectations.

DietCokeFan asked: "So this coaching staff thought we would be able to compete with this pitching staff? The pitching staff needs a huge upgrade, as a head coach and someone who should understand pitching, I don't understand how they cant see this."

My simple response was that they tried to recruit better but failed. They can't do anything about it now. The roster is set. The coaches aren't going to forfeit because they know their pitchers aren't the studs like we've had in the past. They are going to keep teaching and hope that they get someone to punch above their weight.
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Do you know who they tried to recruit and failed?

I'm not expecting us to compete with the best; but I do see other programs, for an example Virginia that has a staff that can beat a ranked Kentucky team.

At the time of the hire I thought Piper would do wonders; but she has not proven anything and think she lacks as a recruiter. I am sure I will get yelled at for saying that, but just my opinion.
 

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