A Sea Of Red

Liberty will host the following teams:

Marshall
Appy State
George Washington
Rutgers
Kent State

Haven't seen bracket yet, but I think we get a bye to start with.

Kind of disappointing but anytime you can get some extra game experience you have to count it as a positive. I'm sure you'll enjoy the extra softball in Lynchburg, ballcoach.

The HERD is coming to town!

thepostman wrote:Kind of disappointing but anytime you can get some extra game experience you have to count it as a positive. I'm sure you'll enjoy the extra softball in Lynchburg, ballcoach.

True, good post season experience for next year's returning players.

It is beneficial experience if - and only IF - the head game returns for this team. Just going through motions at this point in the year does no good. I’m a little surprised the players didn’t say they’d rather not play and just end the season. I would bet the NISC doesn’t mean as much as it did last time we played in it, because now we’ve tasted NCAA success.

JK37 wrote:It is beneficial experience if - and only IF - the head game returns for this team. Just going through motions at this point in the year does no good. I’m a little surprised the players didn’t say they’d rather not play and just end the season. I would bet the NISC doesn’t mean as much as it did last time we played in it, because now we’ve tasted NCAA success.

JK37, Excellent observations.

As for our defense ,Denay Griffin played a good 3B in tournament . She started two 5-4-3 couple plays and fielded all bunts down line and threw out runners.

ballcoach15 wrote:

JK37 wrote:It is beneficial experience if - and only IF - the head game returns for this team. Just going through motions at this point in the year does no good. I’m a little surprised the players didn’t say they’d rather not play and just end the season. I would bet the NISC doesn’t mean as much as it did last time we played in it, because now we’ve tasted NCAA success.

JK37, Excellent observations.

As for our defense ,Denay Griffin played a good 3B in tournament . She started two 5-4-3 couple plays and fielded all bunts down line and threw out runners.

Maybe she's our 3B for next season. Now will need a SS probably from incoming class as well as a catcher from incoming class, not to mention new starting pitching staff.

And more production from the DH position.

Thursday's schedule:

Appy State plays Rutgers at 10:00 a.m., with the winner playing LU at 4:00 p.m. GW plays Marshall at 1:00, and winner plays Kent State at 7:00 p.m.

We can salvage this season by winning this tournament or at least getting to the finals.
For next year, we need 2 more "Bishops" in the lineup and an elite pitcher.

Dalegarz1 wrote:We can salvage this season by winning this tournament or at least getting to the finals.
For next year, we need 2 more "Bishops" in the lineup and an elite pitcher.

We could probably get by with one more "Bishop" type bat if one of the 2 we already have gets back to hitting with power instead of trying to draw a walk every AB. That's also if Canetto comes back strong from her injury.

Pitching looks scary. Braelyn Cooper showed promise early this year despite her 1-3 record. She actually has the best ERA on the team because 7 of the 10 runs she gave up were unearned. I have heard nothing, but she must have had some sort of injury because she was "shut down" before mid season. Hopefully she qualifies for a medical redshirt and will be 100% for next year. We had better hope at least one of the new pitchers coming in is really good.

I believe Griffin was actually recruited as a shortstop, so she may move over to be Robertson's replacement.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning. $25.00 for 3 days, or $10.00 per day.

Dalegarz1 wrote:We can salvage this season by winning this tournament or at least getting to the finals.
For next year, we need 2 more "Bishops" in the lineup and an elite pitcher.

I don’t believe the season can be salvaged when the conference tourney championship and an NCAA tourney bid (reasonable expectations) are no longer in reach. Furthermore, I wouldn’t favor ya in this tourney.

I also don’t want 2 more Bishops. I want the two Bishops we have to step up. I believe they have it in them. I just don’t know if they believe it all the time anymore.

Pitching. Yeah, YIKES!

This was a season that anything less than NCAA tournament is a disappointment. We can go undefeated in NISC and win every game via 8-run rule and pitch a shutout every game and it won't salvage season.

ballcoach15 wrote:This was a season that anything less than NCAA tournament is a disappointment. We can go undefeated in NISC and win every game via 8-run rule and pitch a shutout every game and it won't salvage season.

Yet again, we agree BC. Expectations have that effect.

It all depends on your definition of salvage. If you, ballcoach, mean that there is no good that can come out of winning the tournament then I would, respectively disagree. The extreme flavor of your comments makes me believe you won't bother going to any of the games.

Dalegarz1 wrote:It all depends on your definition of salvage. If you, ballcoach, mean that there is no good that can come out of winning the tournament then I would, respectively disagree. The extreme flavor of your comments makes me believe you won't bother going to any of the games.

I'm not a gambling man (AT ALL) but I would bet the farm you are wrong on that one!

Ballcoach is buying the $25 tournament ticket, and he will probably be the first fan in the stadium.

Not sure if I be at first game at 10:00, but I will be at LU game. I am playing catch up on work missed last week.

oldflame wrote:

Dalegarz1 wrote:It all depends on your definition of salvage. If you, ballcoach, mean that there is no good that can come out of winning the tournament then I would, respectively disagree. The extreme flavor of your comments makes me believe you won't bother going to any of the games.

I'm not a gambling man (AT ALL) but I would bet the farm you are wrong on that one!

I’m a gambling man. I’d wager he will be at the games.

I have been to 42 games this season, I will be there. (47 in 2018, 43 in 2017). Already looking forward to Fall Season, also.

I would compare it to mbb. Veteran laden teams dont salvage their season by winning the NIT if they were already in the tourney the year before or last couple years. Again im no expert but i dont see the offense needed to go further. I said it the first 2 weeks of the season and it rang true. Just need more hitters that can drive the ball. The threat of it forces defenses to play different and forces pitchers to try to be more accurate and then causes mistakes.

For those that know softball recruiting more than me, are we not iding the right hitters, cant get them here, injuries, or What?

jinxy wrote:I would compare it to mbb. Veteran laden teams dont salvage their season by winning the NIT if they were already in the tourney the year before or last couple years. Again im no expert but i dont see the offense needed to go further. I said it the first 2 weeks of the season and it rang true. Just need more hitters that can drive the ball. The threat of it forces defenses to play different and forces pitchers to try to be more accurate and then causes mistakes.

For those that know softball recruiting more than me, are we not iding the right hitters, cant get them here, injuries, or What?

I have a theory on that. I don't think Dot recruits what JK37 once referred to here as "big boned" girls to the extent some coaches do.

oldflame wrote:

jinxy wrote:I would compare it to mbb. Veteran laden teams dont salvage their season by winning the NIT if they were already in the tourney the year before or last couple years. Again im no expert but i dont see the offense needed to go further. I said it the first 2 weeks of the season and it rang true. Just need more hitters that can drive the ball. The threat of it forces defenses to play different and forces pitchers to try to be more accurate and then causes mistakes.

For those that know softball recruiting more than me, are we not iding the right hitters, cant get them here, injuries, or What?

I have a theory on that. I don't think Dot recruits what JK37 once referred to here as "big boned" girls to the extent some coaches do.

We have a mixture of "big bone" young ladies and those built for speed like most softball teams. If you seen the team play you know what I mean.

Oh, I know ballcoach will be at the LU games-my posting was sarcastic. As far as hitting, we don't necessarily need home run hitters-some gap hitters with higher averages would be excellent. What separates LU from the elite teams in the country?

1. Elite pitcher whose rise ball is 65+
2. Elite players up the middle-catcher, shortstop, centerfielder
3. Stronger lineup top to bottom