Freshman softball class

[flippinhogmana]

This class was both big and highly ranked.  It was a foregone conclusion that several of them would be needed to fill spots in the lineup with the departure of Moll, Schroeder and Canfield.  Remember that the class was eight (but two never made it to campus because of medical issues).  But have they ever and with distinction.
The season is quite young yet, but here is how several of them are contributing so far.

Haff leads the pitching staff in Ks, Victories and innings pitched
Malkin leads in home runs (tied with Bugarin)
and McEwen leads the team in rbis
Green is the starting catcher and has played well both defensively and in hitting.

Yes, the season is young, but its a laudable start freshmen!

[psycHOGlogist]

I think the contributions from freshmen this year have been nothing short of amazing. Of course, we'll have to see how they do in the big, bad SEC, but I am really, really impressed.

[howie76]

Good post flippin... n happy bday

[flippinhogmana]

Good post flippin... n happy bday

thanks brother Howie, but not till thursday!

[flippinhogmana]

The stats havent been posted yet, but both McEwen's Avg and team leading rbi total continue to rise.  She now has 17.

Now five players lead in the HR lead total, but three of them are freshmen (Green, Malkin and McEwen along with Bugarin and Krzysko)

Haff also continues to build on her team leading pitching stats with the win and also 7 Ks in only 5 innings, striking out the side before the run rule win in the bottom of the fifth.  She allowed only one scratch single today.

Senior leadership also showed itself again today though with both Krzysko and Cooper (good to see her finding her stroke and also getting a couple of walks that led to scores) hitting back to back jacks to open the scoring in the second inning.  Buczek also continues to build on her team leading batting average with two hits today.

And oh by the way, as a ps, the freshmen hit 2, 3, and 4 in the batting order today, something you will not see the last of.  Malkin leads in slugging percentage followed by Green, then McEwen, thats why you will continue to find them in those three slots in the batting order.

[hawg1221]

Combine that with next year's recruiting class and things are really looking up for Razorback softball.

[flippinhogmana]

Combine that with next year's recruiting class and things are really looking up for Razorback softball.

True, but it would really be nice for our highest rated member of the class before (Hedgcock) to find herself.  To have a left hander and another pitcher in general in tournaments and down the stretch would make it all that much better.

[hawg1221]

That's one thing I noticed about softball. A team with just 2 very good pitchers can dominate in post season play.

[flippinhogmana]

That's one thing I noticed about softball. A team with just 2 very good pitchers can dominate in post season play.

That may be true, but right now Autumn is not pitching as well as she did in the first half to two thirds of last year.  She is also not as overpowering as Haff.  Even in softball the SEC tournament, followed by the NCAA tournament, will test your pitchers.

[Coach1]

Autumn storms is coming off a injury she will be just fine . Her and Mary are going to be a great combination , Mary is a rise ball change up pitcher and autumn is a drop ball change up pitcher , this combination will work well . As long as the bats stay hot and they keep scoring runs we will be competitive.

[flippinhogmana]

Autumn storms is coming off a injury she will be just fine . Her and Mary are going to be a great combination , Mary is a rise ball change up pitcher and autumn is a drop ball change up pitcher , this combination will work well . As long as the bats stay hot and they keep scoring runs we will be competitive.

Plus one  to you coach.  I thought that I recalled her having surgery for some injury that I did not recall specifics of.  I alluded to it in another earlier thread when I mentioned that Autumn just wasn't herself yet.  It might be that we will be fine, but we aren't yet.  The top ten teams in the SEC all hit as good as we do and have two or three good pitchers.  If we have two top notch pitchers and the hitting that we have this year, we have simply reached parity. 

That doesn't mean anything has  been settled, it means game on.  But we need Autumn fully back, and I will reassert, it would be nice to have Caroline really find herself and become a dominant pitcher herself.

[flippinhogmana]

Update after Friday's games-  we have played enough games (with the two run rule games on Friday) so that we are beginning to show among the conference leaders.  None of our players yet show up among the leaders in plate appears which means that showing up among the leaders in other categories just means the leaders who do show up are hitting at a very high average in the plate appearances we had had.  It is necessary to say that we have not played against top flight competition in every game, but then some of the other teams havent either.  Still, when our rookies get a steady diet of SEC pitchers and defenses are BAs and other numbers are likely to see a dose of reality, then we will really see how good our freshmen are.

Conference BA leaders:  None now among the top 10 (although several are close) Buczek is 13th at .455 , McEwen is up to 15 at .444, Malkin is 23rd at .414, and Green is 29th at .385

RBIs:  McEwen is up to fourth with her 8 yesterday

Hrs:  McEwen and Green are tied with several others (one out of the homer lead at 5) for 8th with 4 homers.

Slugging percentage:  Green is 7th at ..846, McEwen 8th at .822 and Malkin 10th at .793

Those three freshmen obviously lead our team in those power categories.

In pitching, Haff ranks 9th in ERA (even after giving up the two homers and three runs against McNeese St);  she ranks 3rd in batting average against and batting struck out.  She ranks number one in the league in batters struck out looking.  She ranks 9 th in wins (7)

Kayla Green also is beginning to show up among the conference leaders from her position (catcher) She has gunned down four runners trying to steal which is just under the league lead of five.  She also ranks in the leaders in a couple of other categories.

[flippinhogmana]

one word of warning:  reality may come quickly for us when we open conference play against Georgia:  They rank higher than us in all statistical categories (both hitting, fielding, and pitching).  That might be sobering to our freshmen, especially as Georgia will have the additional advantage of playing at home in that opening series.

Georgia hasnt really played anyone except Utah and Oregon.  They lost to Oregon and our one common opponent is Utah (that we both beat by about the same score).  Georgia will be a good measuring stick for our team and our young freshmen. 

[Scott7703]

To the folks with more knowledge of next years class than me. Do we have a shortstop coming in?

[flippinhogmana]

To the folks with more knowledge of next years class than me. Do we have a shortstop coming in?

we have a better fielding shortstop already!

[Scott7703]

we have a better fielding shortstop already!

Who is it? A difference making shortstop for next year would be nice. Need a slick fielder and quality hitter

[Coach1]

We have a stud 2019 coming in and she has a big bat

[flippinhogmana]

Who is it? A difference making shortstop for next year would be nice. Need a slick fielder and quality hitter

Manzo will likely play third next year.  Likely the infield will be Manzo, (Edwards or Benz) Bugarin, and Diaz.

Outfield is likely to be Dodson, Parr, and McEwen 

If we wanted to go with a better fielding team this year it would be Manzo at third, Buczek at short, Bugarin and Diaz.

As far as incoming freshmen infielders next year, our best player coming in that could make an impact on the infeld is Maggie Hicks from Sheridan.

[Scott7703]

We have a stud 2019 coming in and she has a big bat

Is it Hicks you are talking about?

[Scott7703]

Manzo will likely play third next year.  Likely the infield will be Manzo, (Edwards or Benz) Bugarin, and Diaz.

Outfield is likely to be Dodson, Parr, and McEwen 

If we wanted to go with a better fielding team this year it would be Manzo at third, Buczek at short, Bugarin and Diaz.

As far as incoming freshmen infielders next year, our best player coming in that could make an impact on the infeld is Maggie Hicks from Sheridan.

You don't see Malkin playing in the field?

[flippinhogmana]

You don't see Malkin playing in the field?

If you haven't noticed Coach D values loyalty and seniors.  She will stick with upperclassmen as much as she can.  But obviously she also values talent where there are open positions.  Malkin will eventually play first, but not until Diaz graduates, especially if Diaz continues to hit the way she is so far this year.

As I said earlier in the thread, Belans is not our best defensive shortstop but she is a senior and she was our best hitter in conference last year.  Cooper was big in conference last year too.  That and the fact that they are seniors is I think the main reason why they are still in the lineup.  Cooper is maybe starting to come around, I hope Belans does to.  I think (despite the fact that they have embraced the freshmen) the upperclassmen are being challenged by the rookies and will begin to emerge and lead the team down the stretch and in conference.

At least I am sure that is what coach D is hoping for.  I would like to see Parr, Dotson, Duncan and Manzo get more playing time and at bats but sometimes you just have to wait your turn.

[Coach1]

Paloma .she is a 2019 graduate from California and plays for So Cal Athletics . She   will be here in 2 years she is the real deal SS , plus a big bat .

[Coach1]

Sam Torres who will be here next year is a lefty outfielder that's lightning fast . This girl was on the top ten highlights for ESPN with a catch she made In pgf last year ,you will see her in the outfield next year she's that good. 

[howie76]

To the folks with more knowledge of next years class than me. Do we have a shortstop coming in?

maggie hicks

[flippinhogmana]

for a more extensive report of additional commits, I would refer you to psycHOGlogist's thread of February 19 on recruiting that is well researched and thorough.

[flippinhogmana]

Results speak for themselves.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – On the strength of their standout performances that helped the Razorbacks to a 7-0 home stand, the freshman duo of Hannah McEwen and Mary Haff have been recognized with SEC weekly honors as announced by the league Monday afternoon. McEwen has been named the SEC Co-Player of the Week while Haff was been selected as the SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season.

Arkansas (16-1) next hits the road for a Tuesday doubleheader at Wichita State. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. (CT) at Wilkins Stadium on the WSU campus. The two teams have met eight times previously, most recently playing 2012 but have not played in Wichita since 2008. Wichita State (9-8) will be playing its home opener Tuesday.

McEwen registered a .500 batting average (10-for-20) with three home runs, 16 RBI and seven runs scored. She had at least one RBI in each game including four in each of the first three games of the week. She also tallied at least one hit and one run in six of seven games including three multi-hit performances. McEwen opened the week against Missouri State with her second grand slam of the season.

The San Diego, Calif., native enters the week second in the SEC and ties for third in the NCAA with 29 RBI. McEwen also leads the Razorbacks with five home runs and 16 runs scored. With Monday's announcement, McEwen is the third freshman in program history to win SEC Player of the Week and the first to do so since the 2000 season.

In five appearances last week, Haff was 4-0 with a save and a 0.00 ERA. She recorded 40 strikeouts, gave up just six hits and issued only four walks in 26.1 innings of work while holding the opposition to a .072 batting average. In her second start of the week, Haff threw the seventh no-hitter in program history in Arkansas' win over Northern Colorado. She capped her week with a save against Central Connecticut State.

The Winter Haven, Fla., native currently ranks third in the SEC and tied for 10th in the NCAA with 90 strikeouts this season. Haff carries a 9-0 record and a 0.50 ERA through the first month of the season and becomes the second player in program history to win SEC Freshman of the Week twice.