2023 Softball Season

Last season there wasnt a game MW didnt put in a closer (different pitcher) with the 6-7 innings. That needs to continue . Czech did great the entire game but we get the WIN if he switches pitchers that last inning . Have to STOP Beating ourselves
 
I just saw VT run rule Texas Southern. They hit 3 HRs in the game and then the announcers said that VT now holds the lead with HRs in all Div I. Ahhh, good to know.
 
Got Bella back but now Cimusz out.
Pomykalski I think had ACL late Summer -ish .She is Medical redshirting ala Maloney .Would not been able to crack this lineup anyway.Lots of depth and options all over the bench.Do need Cimusz though since its Catcher 1A OR 1B.Can't survive long with a Freshman who is a so so hitter catching every game.
 
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Nice bounce back from the mental disaster of Friday night. I cringed when Mike made his "Bella" shift, but it didn't come back to hurt us. I think the VT crowd was expecting them to comeback like Friday and they were muffled with every out we kept getting with our defense. Mac is #1. Just don't let Czech pitch past 5 in the future!
 
The crowds seem to be bigger this year than in recent times, even against the weaker competition. So many new faces on the team. Hope the freshmen can handle the rigors of the full season. Fielding has been a little sloppy but then again, MW is trying out different combinations.
 
zztx1 said:
The crowds seem to be bigger this year than in recent times, even against the weaker competition. So many new faces on the team. Hope the freshmen can handle the rigors of the full season. Fielding has been a little sloppy but then again, MW is trying out different combinations.
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I was told by a longtime usher I know that 85% of the stadium has been sold out as season tickets. They added a second set of bleachers in the outfield and those are the General Admission seats now. All seats "inside" are reserved only.
 
I tried to buy season tickets and they told me they were sold out but that some would open up by the end of fall. They did open up. They are still putting visiting parents above the visitor side dugout. When my DD team went to play OU in their opening weekend a couple of years ago in Norman, the visiting team crowd had to go into the outfield. All seats behind the field were sold out.

I noticed they took our NCAA records off the left outfield wall. I know a lot of that is inside near the concession stand, but the wall is pretty clean. Moving to SEC, we will need to upgrade this stadium a little. I wish they would not have built that team facility in the left corner because it will be difficult to expand.
 
zztx1 said:
I tried to buy season tickets and they told me they were sold out but that some would open up by the end of fall. They did open up. They are still putting visiting parents above the visitor side dugout. When my DD team went to play OU in their opening weekend a couple of years ago in Norman, the visiting team crowd had to go into the outfield. All seats behind the field were sold out.

I noticed they took our NCAA records off the left outfield wall. I know a lot of that is inside near the concession stand, but the wall is pretty clean. Moving to SEC, we will need to upgrade this stadium a little. I wish they would not have built that team facility in the left corner because it will be difficult to expand.
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I've pestered CDC about when a new facility would be built to meet SEC standards. Of course, his answers have been evasive because he was concentrating on updating the stadium as well as building Moody.

But his answers have gone from "2-3 years into the SEC" (for the upgrade) to "a few years from now. We'll do updates to the stadium in the meantime". But that last response followed his "No. We have no plans to build a cover or shade for McCombs".

His current top priorities are to demolish part of the current structure behind the Gozillatron to build a new, gigantic football recruiting lounge [oh. please.] and to build a new indoor football practice facility so they can finally deflate "the bubble".

So yeah, softball is sinking lower on the list. My hope is the message comes across to CDC when we play an SEC schedule and McCombs age is made apparent to him and embarrasses him enough to get going on a new stadium.
 
I don't understand why we can't use the current parking lot for a build of a new softball stadium.
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The one thing CDC keeps emphasizing is that UT might own the property, but it doesn't own the streets. Thus, you can't have a building be built over a street unless you work with the City to rezone it.

Now another factor is that the mustard colored shape is the new 3000 unit married student apartments to replace the old units along the river downtown. I'm wondering if the parking lot where I've put my fantasy rebuild is then going to convert into a parking lot so that those 3000 units have a place to park their car(s). Or, they could build a parking garage on Lot 117 or Lot 119.

And the student housing is about 1/3 of the way started. You see it in the background when someone hits a homerun.
 
It looks like stubborn Mike White has learned that Czech is good for 4-5 innings at most. Finally.

And I was curious about North Texas hitting two homeruns off of us. I checked NCAA stats and they're 10th in the country in hitting HRs. They're also now 10-5. So, they have silent bats except for 1.40 players per game.
 
racerx5908 said:
It looks like stubborn Mike White has learned that Czech is good for 4-5 innings at most. Finally.

And I was curious about North Texas hitting two homeruns off of us. I checked NCAA stats and they're 10th in the country in hitting HRs. They're also now 10-5. So, they have silent bats except for 1.40 players per game.
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The way it was looking i would of left her in . I think it was more of getting MAC SOME innings before this weekend . Almost backfired if it wasnt for our great SS.
 
racerx5908 said:
It looks like stubborn Mike White has learned that Czech is good for 4-5 innings at most. Finally.

And I was curious about North Texas hitting two homeruns off of us. I checked NCAA stats and they're 10th in the country in hitting HRs. They're also now 10-5. So, they have silent bats except for 1.40 players per game.
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Really it was “almost” 3 home runs. One bounced off the top of the wall and bounced back in to play literal 2 inches from being another HR! Like Mike White said when asked about the Virginia Tech home runs that let them win in the 7th. “ We didn’t keep it low and hit our spots! Something we have to correct.
 
Excited for the tournament this weekend.

Louisiana is a really good offensive team and Megan Schorrman is a really good pitcher. It will be a great opportunity for us facing a ranked opponent twice.

McNeese has been a very competitive school for many years and will be a nice matchup, Tennessee State looks to have some decent early season statistics as well.

Pitching and defense will be the key to a successful weekend. Sophia needs to step it up. Im interested to see how long our defense can continue to play well, 4 consecutive games now without an error.
 
Hope Courtney proves me wrong but I really wish MW had started Bella over her this game against LA. She has had many strikeouts and pop-ups lately.

LA hitting Mac really hard so far.

Edit: Courtney with an unproductive popout to 1B… Alyssa Washington is playing stellar defense.
 
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Does Alyssa have to stay in the 3 spot? Her defense is good. And she’s got bat potential but maybe she should be a 7 or 8 hitter?
 
UTexRulz23 said:
Does Alyssa have to stay in the 3 spot? Her defense is good. And she’s got bat potential but maybe she should be a 7 or 8 hitter?
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I like this lineup
1. Leighann
2. Mia Scott
3. Bella Dayton
4. Vivianna Martinez
5. Courtney Day
6. Alyssa Washington
7. Ashton Maloney
8. Katie Cimusz
9. Alyssa Popelka
 
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Loooove when Courtney Day proves me wrong. She can have 3 terrible at bats and then hit a bomb. You just never know, but the inconsistency worries me. Give her credit though. Fantastic at bat.

And now MW pinch hits Jordyn for Popelka. Wanted Popelka to lay down a bunt with two on, hopefully Jordyn proves me wrong like Day.

edit: LA puts Schirmann back in for the matchup with Whitaker and she strikes out. Mike should’ve put Alyssa back in to bat to counter Glascos decision.
 
xdxmmxchxxl said:
I like this lineup
1. Leighann
2. Mia Scott
3. Bella Dayton
4. Vivianna Martinez
5. Courtney Day
6. Alyssa Washington
7. Ashton Maloney
8. Katie Cimusz
9. Alyssa Popelka
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Agree with this group but I'm not a Popelka fan at the plate. She's too inconsistent. But the other choices are Lou Gilbert, Mya Holmes, Vanessa Quiroga, Jordyn Whitaker (who can't play the field), or Baylea Brandon. Not of which have proven themselves at the plate. Coach MW will not give up on Lou Gilbert, maybe because she's a senior, who seems to play well in the field but can not produce at the plate. So Popelka it is!
 
It was pleasant to see in the TSU game the very purposeful hitting that went on the second inning where the coaching staff had the batters try to hit bloopers between the infield and outfield. Now, some of them weren't successful of course, but there was enough very "touch" hitting to move the players along the bases.

Of course, once again I ask why are they hitting pop-bunts? I know they're not supposed to do it, but why are experienced bunters like Pop still hitting those?
 
Ellis21d said:
Agree with this group but I'm not a Popelka fan at the plate. She's too inconsistent. But the other choices are Lou Gilbert, Mya Holmes, Vanessa Quiroga, Jordyn Whitaker (who can't play the field), or Baylea Brandon. Not of which have proven themselves at the plate. Coach MW will not give up on Lou Gilbert, maybe because she's a senior, who seems to play well in the field but can not produce at the plate. So Popelka it is!
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I agree that she is somewhat inconsistent, and can see how someone might feel that way, but her batting average is pretty good. I don’t know what her average on the year is because for some reason the University of Texas has not updated the ‘statistics’ page since before the KENTUCKY game….but I would guess around .330? Her fielding sometimes is what I have an issue with. But I love a speedy player in the 9 hole and she sure is quick so I am a fan.
 
xdxmmxchxxl said:
I agree that she is somewhat inconsistent, and can see how someone might feel that way, but her batting average is pretty good. I don’t know what her average on the year is because for some reason the University of Texas has not updated the ‘statistics’ page since before the KENTUCKY game….but I would guess around .330? Her fielding sometimes is what I have an issue with. But I love a speedy player in the 9 hole and she sure is quick so I am a fan.
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I use the NCAA page to the the most updated information. Link below is tied to Texas and I also use it to research upcoming opponents.

NCAA Statistics
 
Was at today's double-header. All the pitchers were a bit "meh" and Princeton was surprisingly hard to hit off of. Of course, the ump behind the plate for Princeton contributed about 50% to the hitting frustration.

McNeese State - terrible fans who sat in our seats and were sarcastic and uncivil when we asked them to move. But they did move.

Princeton (all 8 of them) - very nice and pleasant to talk to. Shook my hand after the game.
 
We stayed for the Princeton game instead of going home to watch WBB @ K-State. There was one play that was so outstanding that we looked at each other and said, "Have you ever seen that play occur?" We had not. So later that night we pulled up the game on demand on ESPN+ and watched it again.

Top of the 5th inning. Mac Morgan has walked a Princeton player and that player has a pinch runner subbed for her. The next batter attempts a bunt. Scott comes shooting down the alley in front of Morgan, snatches the ball and throws it to first where Day catches it. During this time, the pinch runner as gone from first to second and then decides to steal third.

Also at this point, Cimusz sees that there is no one covering third and she hustles from home plate to third base. Day has caught the ball at first, getting the bunter out, and then sees that the pinch runner is headed for 3rd. She sees Cimusz arriving at third and with just a tiny delay due to hesitation, Day throws the ball to Cimusz at third, still with her catcher's mask on. Cimusz catches the ball and tags the runner who has dove head first to try to tag the bag.

Wow! What a heads up play by Day and Cimusz.
 
Atwood is our catcher. She has done incredibly well this weekend in particular. 3 runners thrown out in the year already. Will be hard to keep Cimusz out of the lineup with her bat, going to spent a lot of time at 1B and DP this season I think.
 
MW has done a fantastic job with the pitching rotation this weekend. I would’ve started Czech but I understand why he started Cit with how well she did against LA a few nights ago, but they are hitting her VERY HARD right now early on.

Super surprised Jerry Glasco didn’t start his #2 Sam Landry in this game but a freshman with 0 starts on the season.

Rough start for Citlaly then she makes adjustments and looks unhittable right now, and our infield defense looks FANTASTIC.

God I love softball.
 
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