Softball Recruiting

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I just looked her up and they show her as a 2022 recruit. I think that means she will be a freshman in the 2023 season, for frame-of-reference that means part of the class replacing this Fall roster’s Junior Class.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
I just looked her up and they show her as a 2022 recruit. I think that means she will be a freshman in the 2023 season, for frame-of-reference that means part of the class replacing this Fall roster’s Junior Class.
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Right. Finger check on the class😊 Sounds like she is a power hitting lefty.
 

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Gopher68 said:
Gophers have another 2021 recruit from CA - Kayla Chavez. She is a middle infielder who plays on the same club team as recruit Emily Leavitt. Committed on 8/27.
extrainningsoftball.com

Recruiting News: Kayla Chavez Commits to Minnesota Via a Zoom Call! - Extra Inning Softball

Kayla Chavez, an outstanding 2021 infielder from Chino Hills, Calif., has never been on the Minnesota campus but that didn't stop her from committing via a Zoom call!
extrainningsoftball.com extrainningsoftball.com
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Missed this one, but a very nice pick up! :D
 





ClassOf98Gopher said:
YES!!! That is a big get for us. She appears dominant in Minnesota for a her age group.
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Ok, for reference sake Gopher68 and others:

2022 season

Out: Fiser, Partain, Brandt, Kemmetmueller, and Gill

In: Emily Leavitt, Brynn Hostetler, Elaina Gottleib, Kayla Chavez

2023 Season

Out: DenHartog, Pease, Jensen, Hansen, Lindbergh, Drey

In: Schwartz, Lefty batter from Texas?


Sound right?
 

Missing the addition of Angelina DeLeon from 2022. Lindbergh = Lindner.
 
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The 2022 class looks very good, at least on paper.

Both Leavitt and Chavez are rated in the top 50 recruits in the country by extrainnings.com.

Is Schwartz the only 2023 currently committed?
 

[QUOTE="MRJ, post: 2077827, member: 171.

Is Schwartz the only 2023 currently committed?
[/QUOTE]

Addison Leschber 1B/OF from Thrall, Texas. She looks like she can connect that left-handed swing with Texas pitching... which is promising.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
[QUOTE="MRJ, post: 2077827, member: 171.

Is Schwartz the only 2023 currently committed?
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Addison Leschber 1B/OF from Thrall, Texas. She looks like she can connect that left-handed swing with Texas pitching... which is promising.
[/QUOTE]

Oh, right! I totally blanked on that one...
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
Ok, for reference sake Gopher68 and others:

2022 season

Out: Fiser, Partain, Brandt, Kemmetmueller, and Gill

In: Emily Leavitt, Brynn Hostetler, Elaina Gottleib, Kayla Chavez

2023 Season

Out: DenHartog, Pease, Jensen, Hansen, Lindbergh, Drey

In: Schwartz, Lefty batter from Texas?


Sound right?
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Gottlieb signs with Oregon State. But, I noticed that Jordyn Peterson from Blaine committed to the Gophers a while back. She should be signing today.
 
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Gopher68 said:
Gottlieb signs with Oregon State. But, I noticed that Jordyn Peterson from Blaine committed to the Gophers a while back. She should be signing today.
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Chavez and Hostettler have signed with the Gophers.
 



And even if they don’t bring in single other player, the 22 person roster that they would have for the 2022 season (24 for the 2021 season less 5 graduates plus these 3 incoming Freshman) would be greater in number, and therefore in theory deeper, as compared to the rosters they have had for the 2020 or even 2019 seasons, since Lindaman left the team.

I am very excited for the teams that the Gophers will be putting on the field over the next couple years. Now we just need to get a schedule.
 
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Gopher68 said:
Another 2022 commit from Northern California - Infielder Jess Oakland from Mountain View:
Jess Oakland Commits to Minnesota | Cal Nuggets Softball
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We seem to be getting a lot Californians in the roster. So to keep it straight in at least my mind:

2023 Season

Out: DenHartog, Pease, Jensen, Hansen, Lindner, Drey

In: Schwartz (MN), Addison Leschber (TX) and now Jess Oakland (CA).

Maybe two or three more 2022 (playing in the (2023 calendar year season) commitments should come in over the next few months with probably at least one more from Minnesota, right?
 

I notice Gopher Softball writes that they've added Chavez, Hostettler, and Leavitt to their "2021 roster." Not clear who writes these notices, but the "2021 roster," if taken for what it says, would mean that the 3 will be playing in the spring of 2021. At the same time, the recruiting release says the 3 will not graduate from high school until 2021. Are they playing for the Gophers in spring 2021? Or are they arriving on campus in the fall of 2021? Does anyone know?
 

Hrothgar said:
I notice Gopher Softball writes that they've added Chavez, Hostettler, and Leavitt to their "2021 roster." Not clear who writes these notices, but the "2021 roster," if taken for what it says, would mean that the 3 will be playing in the spring of 2021. At the same time, the recruiting release says the 3 will not graduate from high school until 2021. Are they playing for the Gophers in spring 2021? Or are they arriving on campus in the fall of 2021? Does anyone know?
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I think they are signed as 2021 HS graduates. So, 2021 most likely means Fall of 2021. The article also says they are class of 2025 which means their first spring season will be 2022.
 

Gopher68 said:
I think they are signed as 2021 HS graduates. So, 2021 most likely means Fall of 2021. The article also says they are class of 2025 which means their first spring season will be 2022.
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Yeah, I eventually figured that. My comment was pretty trivial; I wondered why whoever wrote the post couldn't state it specifically to avoid confusion. My initial thought on spotting the post was, What? 3 more players joining in spring 2021?
 

I will admit, originally I had some frustration about the highly-recruited Stillwater player Allison Benning to Oregon signing... but then I got to thinking that Emily Leavitt was already committed... and an extremely highly recruited pitcher.

Most importantly whenever we think about recruiting of softball talent we need to remember there are only 13 scholarships per year in this sport to be split among 22 or so roster spots. Meaning we probably only have what, 5 or 6, 7-tops, full scholarships to give out any given year and the rest are partials? Meaning in any recruiting class there can be no more than 2, often only 1 full scholarship offered? I assume Chavez and Leavitt were all that we could offer full scholarships to for the 2021 high school graduates/2022 season freshmen. Does that thought process make sense?
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
I will admit, originally I had some frustration about the highly-recruited Stillwater player Allison Benning to Oregon signing... but then I got to thinking that Emily Leavitt was already committed... and an extremely highly recruited pitcher.

Most importantly whenever we think about recruiting of softball talent we need to remember there are only 13 scholarships per year in this sport to be split among 22 or so roster spots. Meaning we probably only have what, 5 or 6, 7-tops, full scholarships to give out any given year and the rest are partials? Meaning in any recruiting class there can be no more than 2, often only 1 full scholarship offered? I assume Chavez and Leavitt were all that we could offer full scholarships to for the 2021 high school graduates/2022 season freshmen. Does that thought process make sense?
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Hostettler is another pitcher in this class. I suspect she is a full scholarship (most pitchers are).
 

Gopher68 said:
Hostettler is another pitcher in this class. I suspect she is a full scholarship (most pitchers are).
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Next season (2022) how many people on the roster can be full scholarships? I would think DenHartog, Pease, and Kinch are. Is it possible that all of this incoming class of Leavitt, Chavez and Hostettler are also full scholarships? One, that leaves only 7 scholarships to split between the remaining players in 2022. Two, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other full scholarship commitments made to members of this 2021 freshman class... and maybe even a member of the 2021 Sophomore class.

The point of my comment earlier today is only to state how hard it must be to do softball recruiting in a world of only 13 scholarships for this sport and how dependent a team is on recruiting players that do not receive full scholarships and therefore people who will pay some of their money to come to Minnesota while they may not have to pay any of their own money to play softball at another D1 softball school.
 

ClassOf98Gopher said:
Next season (2022) how many people on the roster can be full scholarships? I would think DenHartog, Pease, and Kinch are. Is it possible that all of this incoming class of Leavitt, Chavez and Hostettler are also full scholarships? One, that leaves only 7 scholarships to split between the remaining players in 2022. Two, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other full scholarship commitments made to members of this 2021 freshman class... and maybe even a member of the 2021 Sophomore class.

The point of my comment earlier today is only to state how hard it must be to do softball recruiting in a world of only 13 scholarships for this sport and how dependent a team is on recruiting players that do not receive full scholarships and therefore people who will pay some of their money to come to Minnesota while they may not have to pay any of their own money to play softball at another D1 softball school.
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It is definitely a hard job to juggle the numbers and the money. I wouldn't want to do it. The Gophers will have 6 roster pitchers in 2022 - Pease, Jones, Dueck, Hollifield, Leavitt, and Hostettler. The numbers make it difficult to have a large staff of pitchers on full scholarship. I have no idea what the scholarship situation is for these 6 pitchers. Regardless, your analysis of who gets how much is really tough to answer. Also, I have no idea if some of the players that are more local have signed as walk-ons.
 

Gopher68 said:
It is definitely a hard job to juggle the numbers and the money. I wouldn't want to do it. The Gophers will have 6 roster pitchers in 2022 - Pease, Jones, Dueck, Hollifield, Leavitt, and Hostettler. The numbers make it difficult to have a large staff of pitchers on full scholarship. I have no idea what the scholarship situation is for these 6 pitchers. Regardless, your analysis of who gets how much is really tough to answer. Also, I have no idea if some of the players that are more local have signed as walk-ons.
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Thank you 68. The main reason I brought this up in this war was to make myself feel better about not bringing in a 70 mph throwing pitcher native-Minnesotan and seeing her go to Oregon.

And even even if she does throw really hard, you never know for certain who is going to make a good college pitcher. They gotta be really accurate as well. I have confidence in Coach Ritter to develop pitchers.
 

Looks like two future gophers faced off recently:

“The story of this game certainly centers around the performance of each team’s pitcher. Junior Sydney Schwartz starred in the circle for the Storm (1-0). She finished with 18 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Northfield senior pitcher Brynn Hostettler finished with 20 strikeouts.”

I think these two Minnesota kids may be able to contribute on the field in a year or two.
 

So, if I understand correctly, next year (2022), our Freshmen players will be:

Emily Leavitt - Pitcher (Southern California)
Kayla Chavez - Short Stop (Southern Cal.)
Brynn Hostettler - Pitcher (Northfield)

Our commitments for the following year (assuming they hang with us are):

Jessica Oakland - (Northern California)
Sydney Schwartz - Pitcher)
Addison Leschber - (Texas)

From what I can see, these seem like some pretty good players, as best as a fan can tell of high school-age softball players based on internet searches. They are players that One could imagine playing regular time on the team and succeeding in the Big Ten.
 

In my casual tracking of sports information on the web incoming committed players, it looks to me like high school juniors Jessica Oakland and Addison Leschber are really knocking the cover off the ball on Northern California and Texas respectively.
 

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