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2018 SEC Softball


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When I reflect on the 2018 softball season I think of Auburn as a team with good pitching and fielding but lacking in the hitting category.  We know our decline in production at the plate is an ongoing trend.  For instance, looking at the batting average of our top 4 hitters over the last 4 seasons: 2015-.402, 2016-.355, 2017-.308 and 2018-.262. 

In 2018 we finished 9th out of 13 teams in SEC with Florida, Georgia and South Carolina finishing in the top 3.  In my mind I figured Florida would be at least a top 3 in hitting, fielding and pitching  (SEC games) and this held to be true in pitching where they were tops with ERA 1.78.  Auburn was 2nd at 1.85.  In fielding % the gators were 3rd at .980.  It surprised me that SC was 1st at .984 to go along with their 19 DP’s.  This was 10 more than Florida and clearly stood out from the rest of the pack. 

The SEC team batting stats were different from what I had expected.  Georgia was 1st with BA (again SEC games only stats) .281 while Florida finished 5th with .259.  (AU was next to last at .211) However, Florida had the highest conference on base % of .397 compared to Georgia at .358.  They were also able to manufacture the most runs (115) compared to Georgia at 102.  As you might expect, SC finished well here at 111.  How do you finish 5th in batting average  but 1st in on base %.........walks…..Florida had a conference high base on balls of 118 in conference play while Georgia had 63 bb.  For Auburn it was 55.  It appears to me that much of the offensive success Florida experienced in SEC play, and the first place finish, was due to discipline at the plate and getting runners on base by not swinging the bat.  Maybe there is more than one way to skin a cat.

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We drew a lot of walks back in 2015-16 also, I think.  One reason is plate discipline, another is the pressure put on the opposing pitchers.  When we send up Carosone - Cooper - Rhodes 1-2-3, the pitcher can't take a pitch off.  Florida has had much the same situation with hitters like Amanda Lorenz and Nicole DeWitt.  Lorenz probably drew a quarter, at least of the walks issued to Florida batters.  (Florida doesn't publish stats)  I think our pitching will again be in the top half of the conference, at least.  Our success will be proportional to how well we can coach up our hitters.  

 

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3 hours ago, OlderWhiskey said:

We drew a lot of walks back in 2015-16 also, I think.  One reason is plate discipline, another is the pressure put on the opposing pitchers.  When we send up Carosone - Cooper - Rhodes 1-2-3, the pitcher can't take a pitch off.  Florida has had much the same situation with hitters like Amanda Lorenz and Nicole DeWitt.  Lorenz probably drew a quarter, at least of the walks issued to Florida batters.  (Florida doesn't publish stats)  I think our pitching will again be in the top half of the conference, at least.  Our success will be proportional to how well we can coach up our hitters.  

 

You bring up good points.  In conference play last year  Lorenz was top with 27 walks and her teammate Dewitt had 17.  Aubrey Leach at Tennessee had 22 with her fellow Vol Megan Gregg tied with Dewitt at 17.  

Looking at base on balls in conference play for Auburn in 2016: Cooper 25, Carosone 12 to go along with her 9 HBP, and Wallace had 17.  We totaled 109 BB compared to 82 for our opponents.  That year, we had 6 players hitting over .300 and you are right; that puts a lot of pressure on opposing pitchers.

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