Author Topic: Softball #4 Seed  (Read 3515 times)

Offline IAA Fan

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Softball #4 Seed
« on: May 07, 2012, 12:46:54 PM »
I am a bit disappointed by softball's league play this year. We defeated some very good competition this year ...but never seemed to have wins over those top-tier teams (Army, Farleigh Dickenson, swept by Toledo, and RMU). Then we were a bit less successful than I expected to be in the HL (no wins against Valpo or Loyola). Does anyone here really follow softball, as maybe I am seeing things incorrectly here. Clearly this is one of the top seasons (in terms of record) we have ever had. Nice early start, with great warm-weather tournaments. Quite exciting. Solid batting averages & pitching stats. You have to be very happy with the direction the team is going. Maybe I just expected too much?

Offline OleYSUfan

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Re: Softball #4 Seed
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2012, 01:23:34 PM »
Fan: I'm also disappointed, I did get to see them for a game @ the Rebel Games in Fla. and they looked good. The realism of softball is PITCHING & more PITCHING; we have some good pitchers, but Loyola and Valpo have a couple of excellent pitchers. They blanked us I think 3 games.

Our hitting with Haley Thomas and etal is good, but great pitching will hold down the offence. The top teams must have great pitching. Coaching these young pitchers is extremely important!

I am still proud of them winning 28 games; it would be great to see them win the conference and get a chance with against some nationality ranked teams.

Offline Wick250

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Re: Softball #4 Seed
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2012, 03:07:32 PM »
At the early season southern tournaments, we played teams from conferences that were not nearly as good as the Horizon League.  That led to the high but unrealistic expectations.  As OleYSUfan so correctly notes, pitching is everything in softball.  Our pitchers are better than average but lack the ability to shut down the top lineups in the Horizon League.  Our batters, who are quite good, are no match for the excellent pitchers that Valpo, Loyola, and Butler have. (Butler's ace pitcher was hurt when they played us; we get her in the first round of the tournament, unfortunately.)

Campbell has done a good job lifting this program from really bad to above average.  But we can't take the next step up to legitimate contention until we get that dominating pitcher.