the 0-3 series with Georgia

[flippinhogmana]

To begin with I said before this week even started that we could go 0-5, the teams we were facing were that good.  I didnt expect to go 0-4, but lets face it, we lost three of those games by a total of three runs.

I liked the way we finally showed some fight against Georgia, to come back in the last game from five down and only lose by one.  But we have to get better at scoring runs and being more aggressive when have the bases loaded and nobody out or only one out.  That doubtlessly cost us two of those games.

But I like Haff, all of her losses are by one run.  She is a top notch, tough pitcher that gives us a chance to win every game she steps into the circle.  It is also good news that Storms is showing signs that her prowess of last year is on the verge of returning and I think that by years end that Hedgcock will be effective as well.  I think Warwick's best value to us is as a hitter and I have thought that since last year.  I think we will win most of the series that we have from here on in, even in the SEC.

[flippinhogmana]

But on the not so positive side, imho its time for AJ Belans to sit for at least a game or two and see how it shakes out.  She is still a liability (even though she is better than last year) in the field and and she has not delivered at the plate in about ten games.

Lori Cooper is nearly in the same boat, but she might be coming around.  I am not sure if I would sit her quite yet, but it would be close. Manzo and Buczek are a better fielding and hitting combination on the left side of the infield, and I am not sure that Sydney Parr wouldn't do a better job in left and at the plate that Lori.   

Parr has less chances in the field and less plate appearances.  She has only four chances in the field (but is hitting a couple hundred points higher in BA) to Tori's 16.  Tori only has one error, and has raised her average a hundred points in the last half dozen games.  But if she doesn't raise it another hundred in the next half dozen games I would give Sydney a shot in left for a few games. 

The normally sure handed Autumn Buczek has the same number of errors that AJ does (although I think at least a couple of them were her trying to cut off as many balls to protect AJ that she could and ended up booting).  But she is also hitting 200 points higher in BA than AJ.  Aly Manzo hasn't had many chances in the field but so far she has no errors (just four chances) but she is hitting (although also in limited plate appearances) 300 points higher than AJ.

Krzysko may be coming around, she is having some good moments every now and then at the plate and she plays a good CF.  She started the bases loaded (that could have led to a victory) no outs rally that AJ then flied out on (that we should have sent Parr on).

And imho, Coach D has to get a touch more aggressive.

[budweiser35]

i agree with all of that.  Belans looks lost at the plate so maybe a break would do some good.  When you are hitting barely hitting .200 vs that schedule it's hard to expect things to turn vs SEC pitching. 

Again we don't know what to expect  from Parr because she wasn't given any chances during non conference play and that was a mistake in my opinion.  The last game she played she hit the ball hard twice to the opposite field.  One was caught at the track and she was called for "out of the box" on the other.  Which by the way was a horrible call and the ump admitted later that he "blew that one".   I do know she is the best outfielder defensively so she has that going at a minimum so it's hard to understand how she wouldn't be given some plate appearances during non conference play. 

Georgia nailed us outside the entire series and we never seemed to make any adjustments.  So, they continued to live out there especially Gray.  As soon as she came back in the final game  it was essentially over. 

Mizzou is way down this year so that series will be telling.

[psycHOGlogist]

The sticking with Belans is frustrating, especially when we have Manzo on the bench. Manzo's swing is great, and in her limited time she has hit for a very nice average. I am not sure about the Manzo/3b + Buzcek/SS infield relative to our normal line-up, defensively, but I do think Belans needs some time to get her head (and swing) together.

I think we will be okay, even in conference. We will not challenge the top teams yet, but I still expect us to move up a spot or two from last year in the standings. We should be on top of Mizzou, Mississippi St, and maybe Kentucky and SC, too. (I think).

Oh, and I am all for getting Parr more action, as well. Cooper does not seem to be AS mired in a funk as Belans, but she is nowhere near her form of last year, either.

[flippinhogmana]

The sticking with Belans is frustrating, especially when we have Manzo on the bench. Manzo's swing is great, and in her limited time she has hit for a very nice average. I am not sure about the Manzo/3b + Buzcek/SS infield relative to our normal line-up, defensively, but I do think Belans needs some time to get her head (and swing) together.

I think we will be okay, even in conference. We will not challenge the top teams yet, but I still expect us to move up a spot or two from last year in the standings. We should be on top of Mizzou, Mississippi St, and maybe Kentucky and SC, too. (I think).

Oh, and I am all for getting Parr more action, as well. Cooper does not seem to be AS mired in a funk as Belans, but she is nowhere near her form of last year, either.

agreed on all points

[budweiser35]

I think Autumn can handle SS but she's definitely more comfortable at 3rd.  Many think she was an outfielder converted to infield but that's not the case.  She was an infielder Larabee wanted in the outfield because of her speed.  Previously she had always played mostly infield and at 3rd.  She's a great athlete and very good hand/eye so I think she can handle SS but there might be a bump or two with her not fielding that position in awhile.

I think anytime Haff is in the circle we will have a chance.  Storms doesn't quite seem to be the Storms of last year but I spoke with someone that I respect a ton on her pitching and he actually predicted some regression from her in SEC play so that remains to be seen I suppose. 

They will have a lot of chances for W's in SEC play.  Definitely should win the series against Mizzou.  Miss St could be a series win.  Kentucky started out slow but has picked it up and Humes is throwing well now (too bad we couldn't land her)   LSU while still having two very good pitchers does not have the bats they have had in the past.  They only put across 2 earned runs vs UCA (which just swept McNeese by the way) and struggled with La Tech, McNeese  and Oregon St among others so we should have chances for W's there as well. 

I definitely agree on the aggression comment.  Let's loosen it up and play some ball.  How about some hit and runs.  Autumn can fly and she has only four stolen base attempts on the year.  That makes zero sense.   

[flippinhogmana]

Storms has regressed because of her injuries and because she had added pitches that she has yet to perfect.  She doesn't have the velocity of a Haff, so she cant simply blow pitches by hitters.  She didn't really have an out pitch last year (and as a result she didn't have a lot of strike outs).  Combine that with a less than stellar defense behind her, you can see why she wanted to develop more pitches to keep the hitters off balance.

She has more strikeouts this year, but she doesn't pound the zone as well because she doesn't yet have full control of her pitches yet.  She will be okay as the season progresses.  Buczek at short will be fine.  The upcoming home stand will turn things back to the positive for the season.  The team is a lot stronger than last year.  They will wind up above five hundred for the season in conference and will win in the high thirties overall in the regular season (especially if Coach D makes a tweak or two to the lineup).

[Smoking Joe]

Coach D make tweaks?? Not going to happen!!!!!went back and looked at all three starting lineups.... no tweaks!!  It looks to me that several of the players are very complacent and lack luster on the field! Maybe it's because of the lack of adjustments that this staff never makes??  Gray is definitely a dominant pitcher that our hitters were obviously not prepared for.  That staff has to realize at times you have to bite the bullet and go small ball! We were forced to bunt late in game two and Georgia Couldn't handle it even though they knew it was two back to back bunt situations! It's going to be a long SEC year for the Hogs if the staff can't make adjustments and learn to utilize the few players that have speed on the team! Go hogs! WPS

[flippinhogmana]

Coach D make tweaks?? Not going to happen!!!!!went back and looked at all three starting lineups.... no tweaks!!  It looks to me that several of the players are very complacent and lack luster on the field! Maybe it's because of the lack of adjustments that this staff never makes??  Gray is definitely a dominant pitcher that our hitters were obviously not prepared for.  That staff has to realize at times you have to bite the bullet and go small ball! We were forced to bunt late in game two and Georgia Couldn't handle it even though they knew it was two back to back bunt situations! It's going to be a long SEC year for the Hogs if the staff can't make adjustments and learn to utilize the few players that have speed on the team! Go hogs! WPS

She did make some tweaks.  She started Archuleta at catcher in one game and she used Warwick as dp in the three games even though she had less than ten ABs prior (that finally worked out in the third game but Warwick looked good against Gray before that). 

Thats two tweaks in the last four games, she also tried to save Haff so she wouldn't go head to head with Gray (which because of the rain out she wound up doing anyway).  coach D was an all american catcher and two time all PAC 10 performer.  She knows the game, she knows talent.  But she also knows rookies wilt sometimes in conference.  I understand her reasoning....she just needs to recognize when she needs to make changes that she doesn't want to make.  Most of us would hate to bench a senior (especially two) in her position, but hate it or not, sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

[Smoking Joe]

Totally agree! It would be hard to bench seniors!' BUT... this is big girl softball... not HS or summer ball anymore!! Day In and day out they are going to face the best in the country in SEC play!!  You said Coach D made 2 adjustments in 4 games😂😂 Coach Lu of Georgia made adjustments every other pitch! Lu knows the game!! Very impressed with Mary! She looks like the real deal!! Great!! Unbelievable poise for a freshman!!  She can throw her guts out, but the staff has to take chances and figure out how to generate runs!! Autumn Russell with her speed.... 4 stolen bases??? Let's get runners moving, play aggressive and have a little fun!!  Swinging for the fence every at bat.... with failure after failure is getting close to watching paint dry!!!!  We have two players in NW Arkansas that committed to Notre Dame and Florida State as 9th graders.... not a sniff from this staff!!  California has great players... so does Arkansas and the surrounding states!!!!! Check out Oklahoma and Alabama's roster!!

[psycHOGlogist]

Lu was on the verge of being fired last year after UGA failed to make the SEC tournament.

Personally, I think Wacaser is a bit over-rated (though she's good, obviously) and McManus had an Arkansas offer. So I'm not sure you are really accurate when you say they didn't get a sniff from the staff. We have commits from several local kids, and highly rated ones at that (Cally Kildow, for example). You seem to have an axe to grind with the current staff.

[Smoking Joe]

Axe to grind?? Not at all!! Move runners, make it more like softball is supposed to be played!! Fast paced, up tempo!! Make things happen!!' WPS!! Just left baseball game!! BIG win!!!! Played well with lots of energy!!! They could be back!!

[Smoking Joe]

You have a great eye for talent Psycho!'!! Wacaser 2 HR bombs tonight!  I'm sure top 5 program Florida State has no idea of how to recruit!!

[psycHOGlogist]

Thanks, Mr. Wacaser! ;-) (j/k)

And I didn't say she wasn't good, just a bit over-rated. And I would freely admit that I could be wrong about that. There's a reason I'm on a message board and not a softball coaching staff (which I assume is true of you, too). We all have opinions.

She was never coming to Arkansas, though. If you read her personal account for FloSoftball about her commitment, she describes how FSU was always her dream school, that she dressed up as an FSU cheerleader for Halloween as a kid, that she made up her mind in 7th grade, etc. That predates (I think? If not, it's very close) the current staff's arrival in Fayetteville.

I would love for our staff to keep every blue-chip in-state kid on the Hill, but the reality is that it's never going to happen, especially in situations like this.

Glad Hallie had a great night last night - I'm sure she will have several more. Wish her well unless and until she comes up against the Hogs.

[Smoking Joe]

Thanks YO!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[psycHOGlogist]

UGA has won the first two games of their series with Florida, including beating them 11-1 today. Our performance against them is looking a bit better. Never like starting 0-3 in conference, but UGA is looking like they might be THE team to beat in conference this year.

Adding that they beat Kelly Barnhill today — her first loss of the season (though most of the runs came off of relief pitches).

[flippinhogmana]

UGA has won the first two games of their series with Florida, including beating them 11-1 today. Our performance against them is looking a bit better. Never like starting 0-3 in conference, but UGA is looking like they might be THE team to beat in conference this year.

Adding that they beat Kelly Barnhill today — her first loss of the season (though most of the runs came off of relief pitches).

I was thinking the same thing!