Softball vs. Missouri game 2

[WarTiger 3,896]

Perry grounds to short. 1 out.  That 2nd strike wasn't even close to a strike.  wow.    Veach up

[WarTiger 3,896]

Veach 1st pitch, singles to center.     Makenna Dowell coming up.

[AU64 10,122]

2 minutes ago, WarTiger said:

Justus Perry is going to pinch hit for Draper. 

Interesting observation.....Mizz playing 5 infielders with Draper had shut her down......expecting that's typical with her predictable batting style..

[WarTiger 3,896]

Dowell strikes out swinging.   2 outs.   Auburn down to its final out.    runner on 1st.   Podany due up.    expect a pinch hitter here

[WarTiger 3,896]

KK Crocker in to pinch hit for Podany.

[WarTiger 3,896]

Crocker grounds to short, throw to 2nd in time and Auburn drops game 2 5-1 and has lost the series.  Auburn needs to recover and salvage a win tomorrow.

[jared52 4,354]

Last place Missouri. Ouch. 

[AU64 10,122]

Ugh....a bad road trip thus far.   So who pitches tomorrow?  

[jared52 4,354]

AU just one game over .500 in the SEC. don’t think that’s the quality AU has come to expect. Hope Dean picks it up soon. His coaching decisions have been pretty questionable at times and being at a couple of games Ihave heard many folks rumbling about his coaching ability. 

[OlderWhiskey 953]

I wasn't really thinking we'd host a super regional this year anyway, but this has pretty well dashed any hopes of that.  Missouri was golden these two days.   They're trailing 3-0 in the first game, and the weather suspension gives them new life.  Still trailing by 3 in bot 7, and Fogue puts in a freshman pinch hitter, who blasts a 3-run homer.  We had the same number of hits as Mizzou in the second game, and lose by 4.  Gotta choke it down and feel good to play tomorrow.

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, jared52 said:

AU just one game over .500 in the SEC. don’t think that’s the quality AU has come to expect. Hope Dean picks it up soon. His coaching decisions have been pretty questionable at times and being at a couple of games Ihave heard many folks rumbling about his coaching ability. 

Just seems to me this is kinda late in the year to still be messing around with the line-up so much.....but I guess to give credit, it's hard to identify 9 good bats you would want in the game every day.       Looking at the stats....we only have one player batting over .300 in SEC games and half the active line-up is hitting less than .200 in SEC games..     

I'm guessing that CMD is grasping at straws....trying to find someone who can light an offensive fire but not having much luck. 

[OlderWhiskey 953]

CMD has done several things I wouldn't have done from a game management standpoint, including pulling Martin today.  He hasn't been very lucky, either.  Mizzou pinch-hits a freshman who smashes a 3-run homer in bot 7;  UT pinch-hits a girl hitting .077 who absolutely crushes one out of the park against Hoover to give the Vols a sweep of LSU. We pinch hit Perry and she grounds out to short. CMD will get a pass for this year anyway. What I'd love to see him do is get a couple of heavy hitters to transfer in.

[GwillMac6 20,607]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOF 1 un timely rain delay potentially could change the trajectory of this whole season. I thought this was a lock to be a sweep. At worst I thought we would win 2 games. I read on AU Undercover that this is the first series win for mizzou over a sec team since last april?! WOW. Not a good look.

[Mikey 16,550]

2 hours ago, AU64 said:

That blown game a couple hours ago seems to have taken the starch out of the entire team...

If so, that's on the coach. A huge part of coaching one of these teams is knowing how to motivate your players and control emotions. He's rapidly sinking from C- into D territory in my estimation.

[AU64 10,122]

7 minutes ago, Mikey said:

If so, that's on the coach. A huge part of coaching one of these teams is knowing how to motivate your players and control emotions. He's rapidly sinking from C- into D territory in my estimation.

I'm sure I will catch some heat over the next comment...but having sisters, a daughter and four grand daughters.....girls tend to be more emotional than guys and getting them turned around an hour after such a devastating loss is probably no easy trick. 

I grant you that's what the coach is supposed to do....but we have male players who are just cruising along and give up one hit and about fall apart. 

But....I also wonder about CMD's style and how he gets along with his team.....I don't sense the same relationships than with the last coach but I don't have much to base that on except watching body language and how they seem to react around him during games.    Folks with some personal connection to the program might have a very different view of things.

[all4AU 379]

3 hours ago, AU64 said:

I'm sure I will catch some heat over the next comment...but having sisters, a daughter and four grand daughters.....girls tend to be more emotional than guys and getting them turned around an hour after such a devastating loss is probably no easy trick. 

I grant you that's what the coach is supposed to do....but we have male players who are just cruising along and give up one hit and about fall apart. 

But....I also wonder about CMD's style and how he gets along with his team.....I don't sense the same relationships than with the last coach but I don't have much to base that on except watching body language and how they seem to react around him during games.    Folks with some personal connection to the program might have a very different view of things.

I agree, but it makes sense that the coach and players haven’t gelled because he didn’t arrive until September. Maybe next year will be better in terms of player/coach rapport. 

[warladytigers 172]

Sometimes I feel like CMD forgets we are in the SEC.  How many times do we need to test the opposing catcher's arm and get thrown out at second?

[around4ever 4,139]

13 hours ago, AU64 said:

I'm sure I will catch some heat over the next comment...but having sisters, a daughter and four grand daughters.....girls tend to be more emotional than guys and getting them turned around an hour after such a devastating loss is probably no easy trick. 

I grant you that's what the coach is supposed to do....but we have male players who are just cruising along and give up one hit and about fall apart. 

But....I also wonder about CMD's style and how he gets along with his team.....I don't sense the same relationships than with the last coach but I don't have much to base that on except watching body language and how they seem to react around him during games.    Folks with some personal connection to the program might have a very different view of things.

I thought CMD was a great hire when it was done.  Admittedly, all I knew was what he did against Auburn and that he got JMU to the tournament.  His girls at JMU seemed to like him and respond to his coaching style.  I have not seen a lot that I like in his time at Auburn.  Maybe he and the girls haven't gelled yet.  There doesn't seem to be a cohesion between them as we had with CCM.  I am hoping that will come with time. 

I have not been impressed with some of the in game decisions he has made.  That may also go back to not gelling with the girls yet.  There doesn't seem to be the confidence and leadership among the upper classmen that is needed to succeed in the SEC. They don't seem to be enjoying games like they have in the past.  My observations, that's all. 

[AU64 10,122]

5 minutes ago, around4ever said:

I thought CMD was a great hire when it was done.  Admittedly, all I knew was what he did against Auburn and that he got JMU to the tournament.  His girls at JMU seemed to like him and respond to his coaching style.  I have not seen a lot that I like in his time at Auburn.  Maybe he and the girls haven't gelled yet.  There doesn't seem to be a cohesion between them as we had with CCM.  I am hoping that will come with time. 

I have not been impressed with some of the in game decisions he has made.  That may also go back to not gelling with the girls yet.  There doesn't seem to be the confidence and leadership among the upper classmen that is needed to succeed in the SEC. They don't seem to be enjoying games like they have in the past.  My observations, that's all. 

Agree....was really excited about the future when CMD was hired.   But, JMO  this is an awkward situation....he came to the program late and far as I know, about none of the girls are his recruits.    CCM seemed to have an old "grand dad" appeal with the players that worked for him and probably that's what the players are used to and almost all of the current players were recruited by Clint. ...so this is an adjustment for them.     Might take Dean a couple years to put his imprint on the program and needs to bring in more of his own players I guess. That does not excuse some of his coaching decisions but he's still learning the SEC. 

Every time I read or write something on this subject I curse Corey...

[80Tiger 899]

I think we are seeing the difference between a coach that knew what to do at an elite level and had done it before, and one that has not produced at an elite level but is trying to figure out how get there. My greatest concern is that with Myers we would have been a much better team this year and going forward will we get elite type recruits. 

[4WDE 89]

1 hour ago, 80Tiger said:

I think we are seeing the difference between a coach that knew what to do at an elite level and had done it before, and one that has not produced at an elite level but is trying to figure out how get there. My greatest concern is that with Myers we would have been a much better team this year and going forward will we get elite type recruits. 

Is is easier to see the differences of the two coaching philosophies, styles, and relationships over the course of some time.  Pretty solid observations.

[Hspoprn 199]

The objective is for a team to get better over the course of a season. This does not appear to be happening. Hope he proves me wrong, but Dean reminds me of Malzahn. Took a huge leap into big-time ball, inherited some fantastic athletes, and doesn't quite know how to handle it. Lots of people say that he is a genius at developing pitchers (Malzahn was supposed to be an offensive genius). So far, I think the greatest part of Dean's coaching expertise has been getting runners thrown out attempting to steal in SEC play. He made a huge mistake pulling Martin so early yesterday, a move that probably lowered her respect and trust in him. Maybe the philosophy is so different to the team that we will have to wait until he has his own recruits. I have the same concern as 80Tiger -- can he get the recruits? As stated much earlier in the season, hopefully Dean is not turning our program into a decent mid-level D1 team.

[Mikey 16,550]

8 hours ago, Hspoprn said:

The objective is for a team to get better over the course of a season. This does not appear to be happening. Hope he proves me wrong, but Dean reminds me of Malzahn. Took a huge leap into big-time ball, inherited some fantastic athletes, and doesn't quite know how to handle it. Lots of people say that he is a genius at developing pitchers (Malzahn was supposed to be an offensive genius). So far, I think the greatest part of Dean's coaching expertise has been getting runners thrown out attempting to steal in SEC play. He made a huge mistake pulling Martin so early yesterday, a move that probably lowered her respect and trust in him. Maybe the philosophy is so different to the team that we will have to wait until he has his own recruits. I have the same concern as 80Tiger -- can he get the recruits? As stated much earlier in the season, hopefully Dean is not turning our program into a decent mid-level D1 team.

Malzahn took a 3-9 team, finished 11-2 and national runner up. Dean's team is heading in the other direction. Malzahn's offenses have set or been close to setting AU scoring records every year, so if not a genius, he's still the best offensive mind we've ever had at AU. Dean's only outstanding pitchers are veterans that he inherited.

I don't see anything that makes me think Dean will compare very favorably to Malzahn.

[GwillMac6 20,607]

3 minutes ago, Mikey said:

Malzahn took a 3-9 team, finished 11-2 and national runner up. Dean's team is heading in the other direction. Malzahn's offenses have set or been close to setting AU scoring records every year, so if not a genius, he's still the best offensive mind we've ever had at AU. Dean's only outstanding pitchers are veterans that he inherited.

I don't see anything that makes me think Dean will compare very favorably to Malzahn.

On paper it was a good hire. Who could we of realistically got that would of been better? And fwiw I agree. Dean in game managing is downright embarrassing so far. Cannot even hold a candle to how good Myers was at the in game adjustments.

[Mikey 16,550]

2 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

On paper it was a good hire. Who could we of realistically got that would of been better? And fwiw I agree. Dean in game managing is downright embarrassing so far. Cannot even hold a candle to how good Myers was at the in game adjustments.

It was a good hire on paper. It's just that Myers was grand-slam hire and grand-slam coach here. He was going to be hard to follow in any case, but so far Dean looks lost at times.