2021 Softball Recruiting Thread

[RHN1975 302]

Not as much as in other sports like football and basketball. I am not saying you are completely off base but AU has been ranked in the top 10 year in and year out now and we see where we are now. The only ones always ranked in the top 10 are UCLA, UAT, and OU. FSU won in 2018 and their highest class ever prior to that was ranked 12th. That is not happening in football. I honestly believe coaching plays a larger role in success than the recruits they bring in. Right now AU has probably the 4th best coach in the state (including all levels from DI to JUCO) and 5th best if we let an assistant at another school  be ranked ahead of our HC.

 

The absolute best non pitcher I know of in this 2021 class is going to a mid-major. She would start defensively for any team in the SEC as a freshman and probably hit daily as well. There may be a handful of TB teams in the country that she would not walk in and take over a spot in the MIF. She has the prototype size and speed of a DI MIF and the 29 ACT to go with it. She is not ranked in the top 100. (Not my daughter and doesn't play with her TB team or HS team)

[ellitor 33,062]

17 minutes ago, RHN1975 said:

AU has been ranked in the top 10 year in and year out now and we see where we are now

Can you check that on the signing classes since Myers left? Even then it’s skewed because some girls didn’t even get here or left during your freshman year. I know we had a number of decommitments from each class. I would be surprised if the Dean’s classes before the one that just signed which is fourth in the nation were in the top 10.

 

[RHN1975 302]

On 2/28/2020 at 2:10 PM, ellitor said:

Can you check that on the signing classes since Myers left? Even then it’s skewed because some girls didn’t even get here or left during your freshman year. I know we had a number of decommitments from each class. I would be surprised if the Dean’s classes before the one that just signed which is fourth in the nation were in the top 10.

 

I used FloSoftball rankings for all years. 

2020- #4 (This years signees, HS seniors)

2019- #2

2018- #11

2017- #2

 

 

[RHN1975 302]

On 2/28/2020 at 2:10 PM, ellitor said:

Can you check that on the signing classes since Myers left? Even then it’s skewed because some girls didn’t even get here or left during your freshman year. I know we had a number of decommitments from each class. I would be surprised if the Dean’s classes before the one that just signed which is fourth in the nation were in the top 10.

 

The classes have been good enough to start out better than 2-7 against P5 teams. I will not be surprised if they do not finish above .500 in conference play.  At least we know they will make the SEC tourney since Mizzu isn't eligible. 

[ellitor 33,062]

8 hours ago, RHN1975 said:

I used FloSoftball rankings for all years. 

2020- #4 (This years signees, HS seniors)

2019- #2

2018- #11

2017- #2

 

 

A good number of the 17, 18, & 19 signees either never made it to AU or transferred out at some point because of the fiasco we had with the previous staff. Combine that with the post below & we are where we are & that created a tough environment to land & retain recruits before the class that just signed...

 

[ellitor 33,062]

7 hours ago, RHN1975 said:

The classes have been good enough to start out better than 2-7 against P5 teams.

If the talent that signed had been retained. However it wasn't in numerous cases.

7 hours ago, RHN1975 said:

I will not be surprised if they do not finish above .500 in conference play.

I think most AU fans who fully understand the situation expects us to finish below .500 in conference this year. Heck, I consider not finishing dead last a positive at this point.

[ellitor 33,062]

13 hours ago, RHN1975 said:

2020- #4 (This years signees, HS seniors)

2019- #2

2018- #11

2017- #2

A few other notes.

The 2017 class was all Coach Myers' class. They signed November 2016. Mickey Dean was hired at AU in September of 2017. From that #2 ranked class, who would be Jrs now, only 2 of the 8 signees remain at AU.

The 2018 class was a transition class as Coach Dean only had 2 months to solidify the class that signed in November 2017. As a result it was a small class of 3 signees. 2 remain as Tate Moseley transferred to Troy.

The 2019 class is actually ranked 15 by flosoftball when the class was signed. The good news is all 7 signees are still with AU as of now. Only 3 of the 7 were in the FloSoftball top 100.

[Mikey 16,550]

"There are enough players out there for everybody. What you do with 'em after you get 'em is more important than who you get."~~~~Pat Dye, circa 1985

I'm simply not seeing the improvement in the team as Coach Dean enters his third year here. Also, player retention is now an important part of coaching. The bleeding should have stopped before last season ended. At this point, I'm underwhelmed.

[steeleagle 2,945]

9 hours ago, Mikey said:

"There are enough players out there for everybody. What you do with 'em after you get 'em is more important than who you get."~~~~Pat Dye, circa 1985

I'm simply not seeing the improvement in the team as Coach Dean enters his third year here. Also, player retention is now an important part of coaching. The bleeding should have stopped before last season ended. At this point, I'm underwhelmed.

Again, look at the issues Dean is dealing with. This team's seniors are still part of Meyers last recruits(those that stayed). Dean has had only one decent recruiting group that is on this team and they are really young(Fr). Pitching has been hard for him to replace. 2 brand new coaches, changing their approach to hitting I assume is another adjustment these players are dealing with. 

So, this year was going to be tough(as last year ended). I am hoping this is the bottom year, and not next year, but still they will be mostly FR and SOs next year. 

 

[ellitor 33,062]

3 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

This team's seniors are still part of Meyers last recruits(those that stayed)

JRs too. 4 of the 8 would be SRs left as did 6 of the 8 would be JRs.

[auburnfan247 27]

I feel like all the things that have been said recently deserve to be in the 2020 softball season chat and not here in the recruiting chat. I got real happy to see new recruiting posts but then just saw they’re not.

[ellitor 33,062]

29 minutes ago, auburnfan247 said:

I feel like all the things that have been said recently deserve to be in the 2020 softball season chat

Done.

[BackyardQB 0]

Lexie Delbrey  -  headed to the Florida Gators

https://247sports.com/college/florida/Board/14/Contents/Softball-gets-a-Top-5-recruit-145101906

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by BackyardQB

[BackyardQB 0]

Keri Munn  -  officially decommitted from the Auburn Tigers per her father Scott Munn on Facebook

[auburnphan 6,050]

On 4/14/2020 at 9:56 PM, BackyardQB said:

Keri Munn  -  officially decommitted from the Auburn Tigers per her father Scott Munn on Facebook

Big loss

[RHN1975 302]

9 hours ago, auburnphan said:

Big loss

Umm no. If her college career is like her travel career she will transfer a couple of times. Rolfe in the '22 class is much much better overall. 

 

Also there will probably be more movement in the next couple of classes as people see who is returning. If a girl was looking at a place that would lose a couple of pitchers over a couple of years all of a sudden that might not be the case. Rosters have changed with an extra class stacked up in front of them. 

[Jad0003 404]

It still wouldn’t surprise me to see one of the 2020 pitchers redshirt this year with the late emergence of Yarbrough and fully healthy Dismukes. 

With scholarship money becoming even tighter - it might save money too. 

Edited April 15, 2020 by Jad0003

[RHN1975 302]

11 hours ago, Jad0003 said:

It still wouldn’t surprise me to see one of the 2020 pitchers redshirt this year with the late emergence of Yarbrough and fully healthy Dismukes. 

With scholarship money becoming even tighter - it might save money too. 

I think you are right. My daughter committed to a JUCO over a few DI and DII offers. With all this shuffling going on her decision is looking better every single day. 

[Jad0003 404]

2 hours ago, RHN1975 said:

I think you are right. My daughter committed to a JUCO over a few DI and DII offers. With all this shuffling going on her decision is looking better every single day. 

Only so many pitchers can see the circle. My thoughts are why waste a year of eligibility for one of the top rated pitchers in the 2020 class if you can redshirt her and make her the 2021 class pitcher when she is better than the one you have committed and the rest of the pitchers in the class. That being said, I’m not sure either Penta or Lowe would want to redshirt.

These are definitely interesting times, but congrats on your daughter commitment! That’s a huge deal!

Edited April 16, 2020 by Jad0003

[99TGR 26]

New Website launched (Fastpitchnetwork.com) today with Top 100 2021 player rankings:
2021 Player Rankings Top 100 Players
16 Jesse Blaine C Firecrackers – TJ Auburn
21 Kenadie Cooper UT East Cobb Bullets – Schnute Auburn
22 Aubrie Lisenby C Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier Auburn
44 Rose Roach SS Tennessee Mojo 2021 Auburn
51 Abbey Smith UT Tennessee Mojo 2021 Auburn
70 Kendal Calvert OF Georgia Impact – Lewis Auburn

Currently Auburn has the 7th ranked class in the country.

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Didn't Jaylin Calvert recently enter the transfer portal? Is Kendal her sister? If so, I'd say she's iffy on this list.

[99TGR 26]

Atlanta Legacy Tournament is one of the top 3 tournaments put on in the country for Top Travel Organizations.

Didn't know best place to post 2020 or 2021 since there are Auburn commits for both years:

PA Chaos- is Madison Penta's team.

GA Impact Lewis - Kendal Calvert's team.

Birmingham Thunderbolt's - Aubrie Lisenby's team.

 Birmingham Thunderbolts-Rocky, #6 in the Extra Elite Eighty 18U Club Rankings, put together an outstanding run to win the Atlanta Showcase Legacy 18U Invitational on Sunday at Shaw Park in Marietta, GA, culminating with a 7-6 triumph over #52 Atlanta Vipers-Holbrook in the championship game.

Samford-bound Abigail Dorsett had an RBI single and Texas-commit Nelia Peralta smashed a grand slam to left field to highlight a five-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth to break open a 2-2 game and give the Bolts a 7-2 lead.

But the Vipers refused to go quietly, scoring two runs in the fifth, a run in the sixth and a run in the seventh before the Bolts held on for the victory.

The two teams combined for 24 hits, including eight extra-base hits.

Peralta led the way, going 3 for 3 with a double, a homer, two runs scored and five RBIs. Washington-bound Lilly Agan went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored and Auburn-commit Aubrie Lisenby had an RBI double for Birmingham.

Florida State-bound Jahni Kerr went 3 for 5 with a double and three runs scored, Alabama-commit Megan Bloodworth went 3 for 3 with a double, a homer, two runs scored and an RBI and Virginia-commit Reece Holbrook went 2 for 3 with two RBIs for the Vipers.

The Bolts had an outstanding run in bracket play with a 7-1 victory over Georgia Impact 03-Gussaeff/O'Neal, #16 in the Extra Elite Eighty 16U Club Rankings, in the Sweet 16, a 7-1 win over #14 PA Chaos Gold-Spina in the quarterfinals, an 8-4 upset over #3 Georgia Impact Premier-Lewis before taking out the Vipers in the finals.

Edited July 13, 2020 by 99TGR

[wmsau 63]

I've heard that Penta isn't playing with PA Chaos this summer. Heard she is playing some with other teams and GA Impact is one of those. Just what I've heard.

Thanks for the info, 99TGR

[wmsau 63]

Oh, and I forgot to add that Shelby Lowe isn't playing with the Bolts this summer and is playing with the top team in the Bandit's organization. 

[slot canyon 1,328]

1 hour ago, wmsau said:

Oh, and I forgot to add that Shelby Lowe isn't playing with the Bolts this summer and is playing with the top team in the Bandit's organization. 

I had seen that earlier as well and wondered what the reasoning is behind that switch.  Does the AU coaching staff encourage the change or is it purely player preference?