2022 Softball Season

Malcom

Malcom

1,000+ Posts
With all the good coverage ESPN is giving Women's Softball I thought this would be a good time to start a thread. I'm so proud of the job the networks are doing to build this sport.
I think we all agree we need more pitching depth. There could be 2 positions in the outfield open. Maybe a couple of spots in the infield also. Are the replacements already in our dugout? There is a talented group of freshmen coming in. Are any of the position players ready to step in? I've heard the pitching could be getting the help needed from this class (maybe one special transfer from up north). Experts help me out.
 
Texas is actively promoting there players. This is a totally new form of recruiting and Texas is certainly embracing it!
 
Lauren Burke is such a winner! I hope this NIL program doesn’t get out of hand. I see some hurt feelings coming.
A lot of self promoting going on. Especially with the football team??
 
Nicole Parnell joining Texas coaching staff — Justin's World of Softball
I was confused for a moment, and still might be. So Molly Jacobson is still joining as a Graduate Assistant Coach....and Nicole Parnell is joining as a Unpaid Volunteer Coach?

You know the sad thing is that 2 years ago the NCAA was considering letting baseball and softball go to a 3rd paid assistant coach. But UT Baseball sorta threw UT Softball under the bus saying they couldn't vote for it because it might negatively affect UT Softball? Maybe I misunderstood that.
 
Please double check me, but I don't see Coleen Sullivan or London Marder on the
2021 Fall Roster. Have they entered the Portal?
 
Hardballer said:
Please double check me, but I don't see Coleen Sullivan or London Marder on the
2021 Fall Roster. Have they entered the Portal?
Click to expand...
Marder doesn't list Softball on her Instagram anymore. Sullivan shows she was rushing to join a UT sorority. So, maybe both have just quit softball this year.
 
If Sullivan is gone then that's a bit of a blow - she provided a solid bat and versatility in the field, not to mention experience. This means more pressure on the freshman class to produce. It will be interesting.
 
Hardballer said:
If Sullivan is gone then that's a bit of a blow - she provided a solid bat and versatility in the field, not to mention experience. This means more pressure on the freshman class to produce. It will be interesting.
Click to expand...
A bit surprised by Sully leaving, but she'd lost the catcher job and was relegated to 1st or OF, where she struggled. If both had stayed the team would have had 5 catchers:
1. Mary
2. JJ
3. Sully
4. Katie Cimusz
5. London

And London had maybe 2 starts in 2 years? And probably with all the returning talent plus freshman, we would have found a taller 1st base. Sully did some good and some bad at first. But the reference to rushing a sorority meant she's staying in Austin and UT.
 
Some of the newbees arriving and getting settled in. Hosted by Jordyn Whittaker and JJ Smith.
 
Last edited:
Softball at the vs Louisiana football game!
Shea O’Leary
Camille Corona
Logan Hulon
Vanessa Quiroga
Mya Holmes
Alyssa Popelka
Carlee Ratliff
 
Last edited:
Based on Lauren Burkes instagram Texas fall season begins in 10 days. I have not seen a schedule released yet has anyone else seen anything?
 
With Rhodes, Ellsworth, Sullivan, and Washington gone, I hope the Frosh are as good as advertised. That's a lot of RBI's missing from the lineup.
 
Hardballer said:
With Rhodes, Ellsworth, Sullivan, and Washington gone, I hope the Frosh are as good as advertised. That's a lot of RBI's missing from the lineup.
Click to expand...
I think Ellsworth and Sullivan could have stayed another year if Mike was open to it. I think he believes he's getting more RBI's coming from the freshmen. Loved them both, but they went through hot and cold streaks.
 
racerx5908 said:
I think Ellsworth and Sullivan could have stayed another year if Mike was open to it. I think he believes he's getting more RBI's coming from the freshmen. Loved them both, but they went through hot and cold streaks.
Click to expand...
Sullivan just decided softball wasn't for her anymore. She is still at Texas doing the sorority thing.
 
Anyone make it to the games yesterday or today? If so can you fill the rest of us in on how we look thus far. Based on tweets we seem to be hitting well but would like to know what players stand out the most defensively and in the circle
 
Jacob Johnson said:
Anyone make it to the games yesterday or today? If so can you fill the rest of us in on how we look thus far. Based on tweets we seem to be hitting well but would like to know what players stand out the most defensively and in the circle
Click to expand...
Missed Saturday, made it to 7 innings Sunday. Will do a writeup Monday from notes made on my phone during the game
 
Recap of various things that happened in TLU game.
  • I was off getting drinks when this happened in the second inning: A bunt or infield ball was hit. Everyone was scrambling and Jenae ran to first to help out. Then, got legs tangled with first baseman (Parker!) and fell on her back. Took a while to get up and then hobbled into the dugout and was not seen again.
  • Parker at first, A. Washington at short. Corona at third. After collision. Corona at second and Mia Scott at third
  • All freshmen are playing without their regular uniform. They all have a numbered jersey that does not have their name on the back (blank). Of course, they also don't have their pictures in the roster page! So a lot of guessing as to who some players are. You learn who is who when they're at bat and the announcer says their name and their batting helmet shows their true team number on the back and then you can look that up on texassports.
  • BTW, Cimusz is pronounced "See mitts"
  • Two players in street clothes. Mary I. and......by process of deduction of who was up to bat and who wasn't, our guess is an injured and recovering Ashton Maloney
tIetwo6.jpg

  • We think that Mya Holmes was designated her walking-around buddy. She was always with her. We left at the bottom of the 7th and never got to see "1" play
  • Jordyn Whitaker showed in her first 2 at bats that there is no ball she doesn't love and struck out swinging twice. Then there was some chats with coaching staff. At one point, Coach Sing was walking/dancing with her between innings and talking to her about hitting. Then, she hit a nice single between the gaps at short and third. Then, she hit a HR (which I didn't see the swing since I was buys typing notes into my phone)
  • JJ Smith threw out two players stealing second. Either these are really slow players for TLU or JJ has a rocket arm. The first one was a ball that popped out of her glove and dribbled to the left. JJ jumped to get it and threw it to a correctly positioned Williams to tagged out the runner with plenty of room to spare. The second was a steal where JJ jumped left again and got in plenty of time. Haven't seen that well executed play in a while
  • JJ was rounding the bases for extra bags and stopped awkwardly at third. Like both feet had toes slam into the base of the bag and then she kept going forward and hurt her ankles. After a while she was okay.
  • Popelka didn't lose her speed from her injury last year. She amazed some young TLU fans next to us. However, in two times she got a bunt/slow roller on the infield, she tends to: a) look at the ball too long and not hustle to first. b) she loops a bit towards the mound and then back towards the line to run to first. That's going to cost her with a faster fielding team. I'm sure this is the habit from being a slap hitter but there was 1 or 2 seconds lost with that delay
  • Cimusz has "casual power" like Whitaker. She doesn't seem to exert herself on her swing, but the ball goes a long way. She hit one with a "regular" swing that went to the warning track. It was a long, high hit that everyone thought was an easy out until the TLU player muffed it and dropped it.
  • Smart base running by Ratliff. She was on 1st and Mia Scott at the plate got hit on the foot by a low ball. While the player was heading to first, Ratliff noticed the ump didn't call it a dead ball. She rounded second and at third hesitated a bit and then went home from third while the ball was rolling towards the TLU dugout and getting casually handled. And then Scott who got hit went to third during all this. The TLU coach came out to protest but the ump said it was a live ball.
  • Estelle Czech is a "yeller" when she delivers the ball. Imagine Paige von Sprecken but LOUDER
  • Twice the TLU coach asked for a "redo" of a situation after the play was over. Once he reloaded the bases to see how his team would handle bases loaded situation. A second time, his player grounded out on a 3-2 count and he asked for her to get another swing as 3-2. She popped out to the same second baseman (Scott)
  • Sophia Simpson has a very fast release. It doesn't make her balls faster or harder to hit. I just kept thinking, "Wow, you're arm has got to wear down with that much power put into the arm swing"
  • Finally, it seemed for the first 3 innings the Texas coaches were emphasizing placed hits on swings. i.e. try to drop it in the deadzone between the infield and outfield. Or try to make it a fast grounder in the gaps. All but like two (Whitaker!) seemed to taking this approach.
 
Last edited:
racerx5908 said:
Recap of various things that happened in TLU game.
  • I was off getting drinks when this happened in the second inning: A bunt or infield ball was hit. Everyone was scrambling and Jenae ran to first to help out. Then, got legs tangled with first baseman (Parker!) and fell on her back. Took a while to get up and then hobbled into the dugout and was not seen again.
  • Parker at first, A. Washington at short. Corona at third. After collision. Corona at second and Mia Scott at third
  • All freshmen are playing without their regular uniform. They all have a numbered jersey that does not have their name on the back (blank). Of course, they also don't have their pictures in the roster page! So a lot of guessing as to who some players are. You learn who is who when they're at bat and the announcer says their name and their batting helmet shows their true team number on the back and then you can look that up on texassports.
  • BTW, Cimusz is pronounced "See mitts"
  • Two players in street clothes. Mary I. and......by process of deduction of who was up to bat and who wasn't, our guess is an injured and recovering Ashton Maloney
tIetwo6.jpg

  • We think that Mya Holmes was designated her walking-around buddy. She was always with her. We left at the bottom of the 7th and never got to see "1" play
  • Jordyn Whitaker showed in her first 2 at bats that there is no ball she doesn't love and struck out swinging twice. Then there was some chats with coaching staff. At one point, Coach Sing was walking/dancing with her between innings and talking to her about hitting. Then, she hit a nice single between the gaps at short and third. Then, she hit a HR (which I didn't see the swing since I was buys typing notes into my phone)
  • JJ Smith threw out two players stealing second. Either these are really slow players for TLU or JJ has a rocket arm. The first one was a ball that popped out of her glove and dribbled to the left. JJ jumped to get it and threw it to a correctly positioned Williams to tagged out the runner with plenty of room to spare. The second was a steal where JJ jumped left again and got in plenty of time. Haven't seen that well executed play in a while
  • JJ was rounding the bases for extra bags and stopped awkwardly at third. Like both feet had toes slam into the base of the bag and then she kept going forward and hurt her ankles. After a while she was okay.
  • Popelka didn't lose her speed from her injury last year. She amazed some young TLU fans next to us. However, in two times she got a bunt/slow roller on the infield, she tends to: a) look at the ball too long and not hustle to first. b) she loops a bit towards the mound and then back towards the line to run to first. That's going to cost her with a faster fielding team. I'm sure this is the habit from being a slap hitter but there was 1 or 2 seconds lost with that delay
  • Cimusz has "casual power" like Whitaker. She doesn't seem to exert herself on her swing, but the ball goes a long way. She hit one with a "regular" swing that went to the warning track. It was a long, high hit that everyone thought was an easy out until the TLU player muffed it and dropped it.
  • Smart base running by Ratliff. She was on 1st and Mia Scott at the plate got hit on the foot by a low ball. While the player was heading to first, Ratliff noticed the ump didn't call it a dead ball. She rounded second and at third hesitated a bit and then went home from third while the ball was rolling towards the TLU dugout and getting casually handled. And then Scott who got hit went to third during all this. The TLU coach came out to protest but the ump said it was a live ball.
  • Estelle Czech is a "yeller" when she delivers the ball. Imagine Paige von Sprecken but LOUDER
  • Twice the TLU coach asked for a "redo" of a situation after the play was over. Once he reloaded the bases to see how his team would handle bases loaded situation. A second time, his player grounded out on a 3-2 count and he asked for her to get another swing as 3-2. She popped out to the same second baseman (Scott)
  • Sophia Simpson has a very fast release. It doesn't make her balls faster or harder to hit. I just kept thinking, "Wow, you're arm has got to wear down with that much power put into the arm swing"
  • Finally, it seemed for the first 3 innings the Texas coaches were emphasizing placed hits on swings. i.e. try to drop it in the deadzone between the infield and outfield. Or try to make it a fast grounder in the gaps. All but like two (Whitaker!) seemed to taking this approach.
Click to expand...
How did Scott look defensively as well as her approach to the plate? Does she look like she might win the starting spot at 3rd?
 
Jacob Johnson said:
How did Scott look defensively as well as her approach to the plate? Does she look like she might win the starting spot at 3rd?
Click to expand...
When Scott was a third, when the ball was hit to her, she fielded it easily and made sure of herself before throwing. However, all balls hit in the infield were slow to medium in speed. I saw Scott throw 3 times to first and each time the ball arrived low, requiring the tall first base to have to stretch and keep her foot on the bag. Going to need some strength training.

And remember, the ball was going medium. Can't tell how she'll handle hard hit balls.
 
Hope someone will be attending the game today and will be able to give us die-hards who can’t attend some feedback on play.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Season Confidence Prediction

Rank your win/loss confidence predictions for the season.

Season Confidence
Prediction Thread

100 Day Countdown 2024

Help us count down to game day with your favorite player pics.

100 Day Countdown 2024

Recent Threads

Back
Top