2020 Softball Season

Well...this was interesting.

I'm "working from home" and I get this call from an Austin area code. Normally, if I don't know the number, I let it go to voicemail. I decided I'd better pick it up because some people might be calling me this week to set up meetings.

And then, the caller says, "Hey, this is Mike White" with the corresponding New Zealand accent!

So, he (and I'm sure other coaches) have been tasked by Del Conte to call season football ticket holders/Longhorn Foundation members to thank them for the continued support of football.

Mike just didn't know he was gonna run into a softball fan!

I got to talk to him about a lot of stuff that's not football:
1) Hey, when you finish the building upgrade, will you show it off to the fans - Of course!

2) You know, before games, could you hold an occasional meeting like volleyball does in the Point Texas club? Mike didn't know that Jerritt Elliot does this and was interested in this concept. And was trying to jot down the name of the club.

3) Wow Mike, you have SO MANY players on your team. That's gotta be crazy - Yeah, it's been a juggling effort with scholarships.

4) Hey, can we have some sort of cover over the seats? Maybe like those sun shades they have at elementary/middle schools for the playground? I know that Jody Conradt said that she talked to other schools and they said it would make it too cold.
Really?! Jody said that? He in fact dreams of having a roof so that it makes the stadium louder!

Wow! Really, randomly cool!

But twice he did say, "thanks for supporting football. we need football for Texas"

$$$
 
The interesting thing is who Mike White will interview and hire in this new environment. I think he'll have picks of the litter since there has been very few HC changes during this pandemic and assistants see colleges cutting degrees and sports as they prepare for budget shortfalls. I think they would look at Texas and say they just gave football coaches pay raises and spent $$$ hiring new WBB coaches. That would be a more stable place to go.
 
A chance to see rare replays of Cat pitching
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Jacob Johnson said:

I'm going to miss her alot but I know Mike white will have no problem bringing in another top assistant as wonderful as her.
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And interesting quirk. ESPNU has been replaying a lot of old WCWS games. There are a handful of 2003, 2005, 2006 games with Texas. Monday (6/08) morning, there will be a replay of Texas vs. Cal (2003). And in that game will be a sophmore shortstop named Chelsea Spencer. Check out her moves!
 
Are there no plans to upgrade the stadium seating structure itself? I've always thought the middle section was way to high above home plate. And, I'm sure fans would love some sort of roof covering for shade.
 
Moooooo said:
Are there no plans to upgrade the stadium seating structure itself? I've always thought the middle section was way to high above home plate. And, I'm sure fans would love some sort of roof covering for shade.
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No. Mike White wants a roof to make it louder, but I suspect facility improvements like that are not until we win a WCWS. I saw some pipe-dream plans for an indoor infield, but it was stated that it might go onto an offsite location such as the old intramural field off of Guadalupe and 51st. But one thing to note is that the parking lot East of McCombs was supposed to be married student housing at one point and that's been scratched.
 
I realize there are a lot projects involving athletic facilities at the moment, but with A&M last year and now OU getting brand new softball complexes, Texas will need to at a minimum give the stadium a facelift of some sort.
 
Moooooo said:
I realize there are a lot projects involving athletic facilities at the moment, but with A&M last year and now OU getting brand new softball complexes, Texas will need to at a minimum give the stadium a facelift of some sort.
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I've been watching "Cat Osterman Week" on LHN and it's funny to see the stadium from 2003, 2005, 2006. I see the outfield wall and cringe at the then-chainlink fence. And the announcers were touting it as "one of the best in the country". But yeah, that was 17 years ago.

My wish list:
1. Some sort of shade or cover
2. Seats instead of benches
3. More seating
4. Better concessions (think of how baseball has food trucks INSIDE the facility)
 
Jacob Johnson said:
I'm going to assume those are just there until the actual windows are installed to keep anyone from coming in. Lol I hope that's the case
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Actually, my wife looked at them and said, "Hmmm, might have mechanical louvers". Then I said, where's the window, behind the blinds? She said, Nah, probably no glass behind.

If you closely those are tightly and neatly fitted as in permanent. My wife thought they were temporary as well, initially, then I pointed out it would have been faster and cheaper to throw on plywood if waiting for windows.

I think that part of the building is the pitching/batting area. And so the need for windows is not needed or wanted. And if they want to let in some light, maybe those are blinds that are motorized and can flip open.

A guess. But it was a surprise.
 
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