2022 Softball Season

[UTexRulz23]

Yeah it’s not it right now.

Something’s gotta give.

Fortunately, a season isn’t made in February. There’s plenty of time to break through and get hot. But you have to think the mental game of the women needs some attention too.

Florida has not been kind to us.

 

[racerx5908]

In between yelling at the TV, I said I was going to write Mike White an email. Then I stopped and thought, "Duh. I think he knows what I'm about to tell him."

I was always a bit wary of this season. Sure we had this high power pitcher coming in and Jenae was pre-season All American. And these freshman with all the potential! I reluctantly drank the Kool Aid.

But these early hard tournaments had me nervous. We always beat up on second and third tier opponents at the beginning of the season to give ourselves confidence in our hitting and pitching. This year, straight into the jaws of better teams and we failed.

Thankfully this week is a bunch of cream puffs, except Arizona State. Of course, I thought FGCU would be cream puffs.

Danny Davis of the AAS said that if we lose the 5th game today, it will be the TENTH time Texas softball has ever lost 5 games in a row. So, you know.....we've been worse.

 

[NBhornfan]

None of our players won player of the week?

 

[racerx5908]

As expected and as deserved, Texas drops from #9 to #nothing.

Though it's surprising that OK-State didn't drop lower. But then, I think they have fewer things wrong with them than us.

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

It's embarrassing to go 0-5 last weekend. With the talent we have we should have won one game just by sheer luck. I really thought White was the answer after Clark finally retired.

 

[racerx5908]

If they don't cancel the game due to the weather

 

[Jacob Johnson]

We dropped out of every top 25 poll luckily there is still plenty of time left in the season and a lot of ranked opponents to play. Wednesday will most likely get canceled as it’s supposed to be in the 30-40 range and wet.

 

[racerx5908]

Every facet of the Texas play was just plain awful in St. Pete. Obviously, the coaches got to do what they're paid to do is to fix it - although you could say the taught it as well.

One thing I did notice with the last game of the tournament was the ball not hitting the dirt as much. But then, having pitchers ordered to throw strikes unable to even fulfill that order is still troubling.

And to think our best game was against UCLA. That gives me hope.

But the fact we lost two leads makes me lose hope.

Well, gotta support them regardless.

 

[Jacob Johnson]

Every facet of the Texas play was just plain awful in St. Pete. Obviously, the coaches got to do what they're paid to do is to fix it - although you could say the taught it as well.

One thing I did notice with the last game of the tournament was the ball not hitting the dirt as much. But then, having pitchers ordered to throw strikes unable to even fulfill that order is still troubling.

And to think our best game was against UCLA. That gives me hope.

But the fact we lost two leads makes me lose hope.

Well, gotta support them regardless.

I’m confident it will get fixed. Every aspect of our game was not at its best from our pitching to defense to hitting. I would say our only bright spot was Iakopo and Scott but I believe we’ll get it together it’s just about finding which lineup meshes well together and will put out the most productivity. I haven’t given up hope although the weekend was very frustrating

 

[racerx5908]

Game is still on. I'd better put on longjohns

Have to factor in that North Texas has a bus ride back in ice/sleet/snow?

 

[racerx5908]

Oh well

 

[Jacob Johnson]

Tomorrow’s game has been postponed as well and will be made up sometime this weekend.

 

[racerx5908]

1. Yay, we only get to be beat by ASU once!
2. How in the bleep-bleep does anyone have us ranked?

 

[Jacob Johnson]

It’s game day and I hope we hit the reset button after last weekend. Hopefully we get things rolling like we know this team is capable of.

 

[racerx5908]

I just looked at the season stats for ASU and their numbers are better than us across the board. Hope a mental reset did occur over the weekend. Going to bundle up in the same layers I used last year when we lost power in the house for 4 days and it was 42 inside the house. Off to the game in a few minutes!

 

[racerx5908]

It'll be interesting to see who gets the start. Simpson or Dolcini.

 

[Jacob Johnson]

Another day another loss we wait until the last inning to be patient and draw walks. Some staff changes need to be made because this offense is just horrible.

 

[racerx5908]

17 Wild Pitches so far this year when we had 21 all of last year?

 

[racerx5908]

Another day another loss we wait until the last inning to be patient and draw walks. Some staff changes need to be made because this offense is just horrible.

Yeah, Mike fired his friend who was the hitting coach after just the first year. I'm not sure the coach most associated with defense is going to make it past this year.

 

[Jacob Johnson]

17 Wild Pitches so far this year when we had 21 all of last year?

I also would like to know how many resulted in runs because, I’d say about 40% caused a run on the board.

 

[Jacob Johnson]

Yeah, Mike fired his friend who was the hitting coach after just the first year. I'm not sure the coach most associated with defense is going to make it past this year.

Yeah whatever Steve Singleton did to this offense or what he changed needs to immediately stop. Texas needs to replace both coaches and this may be premature and we may turn the knob but right now they are getting paid big money and we look like we did the last season Connie Clark was here. When I heard the stat that we have the most errors out of any power 5 team I was baffled. That’s just unacceptable so Mike White needs to do something because it’s sad at this point.

 

[racerx5908]

During the game, I saw Mike White in a long, friendly discussion with a coach on the ASU side. When I got home, I looked him up and it was Jimmy Kolatis. Kolatis worked for Mike for a few years at Oregon before getting the HC job at UAB.

After the rough first inning, Dolcini was waiting at the top of the dugout and out came Molly Jacobson came out holding a piece of paper. Molly was talking to Hailey and pointing to different parts of the sheet. Dolicini was paying attention but half that time had the look of wanting to crawl into a shell and just not wanting to be there.

Obviously, she straightened up after that inning.

 

[racerx5908]

Yeah whatever Steve Singleton did to this offense or what he changed needs to immediately stop. Texas needs to replace both coaches and this may be premature and we may turn the knob but right now they are getting paid big money and we look like we did the last season Connie Clark was here. When I heard the stat that we have the most errors out of any power 5 team I was baffled. That’s just unacceptable so Mike White needs to do something because it’s sad at this point.

Since Singleton showed up, the hitting has gone up every year. He showed up in 2021, after Mike let go Kerry Shaw.

Here are the NCAA rankings for fielding and hitting before Mike (2018) and after he was hired

Keep Singleton, but....need a new defensive coach

 

[Jacob Johnson]

Since Singleton showed up, the hitting has gone up every year. He showed up in 2021, after Mike let go Kerry Shaw.

Here are the NCAA rankings for fielding and hitting before Mike (2018) and after he was hired

Keep Singleton, but....need a new defensive coach

Well this is the worst offense I’ve seen since Mike White took over. We are impatient and all over the place with our approach. I hope it gets figured out but, you can’t win when you don’t produce on the offensive end to make up for our defensive mistakes.

I don’t know I guess it’s just the level of competition we have played 6 games in a row but hopefully we get it together against the lower teams like Utsa and Tulsa. We have too much talent to be losing this much.

 

[Malcom]

What has changed from last year to this year? From what I can see just a hand full of players...thats it. Coming into the season I thought the infield was better, I thought our pitching staff improved and I thought as a team we would hit better than last year. I thought in the outfield there were unanswered questions. So far we are worse everywhere which makes no sense. There will be no coaching changes during the season in my opinion. Really missing more veteran leadership other than Mary. I may be dreaming but I still think this team can win against elite teams cause as a fan its all we can do. I will not give up on this season till its over. But as a realist so far we have not been good at all this year....yet.

 

[racerx5908]

I think the hitting woes are a combination of a couple things:
1. Replacing veteran players with freshman or transfers - Burke, Washington, Cantu have given way to players with potentially better fielding and hitting.
2. Those freshmen, they're adjusting to college pitching and speed
3. Those transfers? I don't know, they've played D1 and there's no excuse for not hitting well - unless Singleton is messing with their hitting
4. And the displaced players? When they are thrust back into the lineup, they can't literally pick up from when the season stopped last year. It'll take games and games against non-teammates to get back to their hitting form. So, they're hitting poorly.

 

[Malcom]

I think the hitting woes are a combination of a couple things:
1. Replacing veteran players with freshman or transfers - Burke, Washington, Cantu have given way to players with potentially better fielding and hitting.
2. Those freshmen, they're adjusting to college pitching and speed
3. Those transfers? I don't know, they've played D1 and there's no excuse for not hitting well - unless Singleton is messing with their hitting
4. And the displaced players? When they are thrust back into the lineup, they can't literally pick up from when the season stopped last year. It'll take games and games against non-teammates to get back to their hitting form. So, they're hitting poorly.

As far as the hitting goes isnt that the same thing we ask of any player not starting? To stay engaged in game and be ready when called upon? I am running out of excuses. I have no answers either. I tkink this is the largest roster in team history yet we cant find consistant hitting...just makes no sense. Last word....this team will come around, I just hope its this year.

 

[racerx5908]

This used to be more fun. You know, when I'm frustrated or down on something, I just think back to when times were worse. I've been at McCombs when times were worse. So, there's that.

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

I just don't understand. I've seen a few of these players play in select while my daughter was still in high school. Individually they were all studs. How did they suddenly get so bad?

Something is clearly not right.

 

[NBhornfan]

How bad is the offense? In the arizona state game Mary Iakopo had a 3-0 count and got a check swing foul ball. 3-0 is a count where you are looking for one pitch and swinging for the fence, not guessing.

Its statistically proven that a 3rd time through the line up the offense gets better vs a pitcher. Yet every time it would be a 3rd AB for a player thats 0-2 Mike White is bringing in a pinch hitter. i'm not opposed to pinch hitting but you aren't going to have much success with 3 in a row. Mike white is just grasping at straws at this point.