Softball vs Clemson Regional

[tgrogan21 6,198]

Peralta with a lead off double!

Packer flies out. Good contact but right at the LF.

Lisenby hitting for Cox who has been ICE COLD the last 5-6 games.

1 pitch ground out. She has got to start being more patient. I've seen so many 1 pitch ground outs from her all season.

Godwin strikes out. Womp womp another runner left on base.

4-2 Louisiana B6th

[AUBwins 10,075]

A little kudos to the Louisiana pitcher.  She's on point tonight. 

[steeleagle 2,945]

Just now, AUBwins said:

A little kudos to the Louisiana pitcher.  She's on point tonight. 

Did we face her the first time? 

[AUBwins 10,075]

1 minute ago, steeleagle said:

Did we face her the first time? 

Yes we did.  That's why tonight is all the more impressive.  They are playing tough with Glasco back today as well.  

[AU1947 157]

7 minutes ago, AUGoo said:

I have not watched much softball this year. I’ve r read a little of what y’all have been saying about CMD.

HAVE to say I’m beginning to agree. This team is just sloppy. Even I can see that.

ADAG and CMD need to be relieved of their duties... FULL of poor decisions!!!

[tgrogan21 6,198]

1-2-3 inning for Dismukes.

Schmidt, Garcia, McConidchie up for Auburn. Their last chance of the season.

4-2 Louisiana T7th

[tgrogan21 6,198]

Schmidt with a huge lead off double! Same start as last inning!

Aaaand Garcia pops up.

[tgrogan21 6,198]

McCondichie with a double off the glove of the outfielder. Schmidt moves to 3rd.

Ellis up to plate!

[tgrogan21 6,198]

Ellis flies out. Schmidt scores and McCondichie stays at 2nd.

1 out to go.

Also they ruled that McCondichie hit an error. The way the Auburn broadcast made it seem was like it was a good hit ball that was just too far out of reach of the fielder.

4-3 Louisiana

Edited May 22, 2022 by tgrogan21

[tgrogan21 6,198]

1-2 count to Blaine. Fly out to the warning track ... game over ... season over. Disappointment.

4-3 Louisiana

[AUBwins 10,075]

5 minutes ago, tgrogan21 said:

Ellis flies out. Schmidt scores and McCondichie stays at 2nd.

1 out to go.

Also they ruled that McCondichie hit an error. The way the Auburn broadcast made it seem was like it was a good hit ball that was just too far out of reach of the fielder.

4-3 Louisiana

Should have been a hit imo. They played shallow and it was hit directly to centerfielder and she couldn't quite get her glove on it.  Tipped off end of glove.  As someone who's played CF in high school, that's the toughest ball to play. 

[tgrogan21 6,198]

Just now, AUBwins said:

Should have been a hit imo. They played shallow and it was hit directly to centerfielder and she couldn't quite get her glove on it.  Tipped off end of glove.  As someone who's played CF in high school, that's the toughest ball to play. 

Thanks for the info. Wasn't able to watch the game so I thought it would be ruled a hit.

[AUBwins 10,075]

Both Bri and Jessie gave it a ride to LF and both looked good off the bat.  Just dies in the air it seemed.

[tgrogan21 6,198]

Disappointed how the season turned out but this team is still young with a pretty good signing class coming in next year including another highly rated pitcher. If Lowe and Dismukes can both come back from their injuries along with Bryant. The improvement should be really good. Peralta, Blaine, Ellis, Lisenby are all freshman who played a lot of minutes that should only get better with time.

Though, if next season turns out just like this one, then we know Mickey Dean is in way over his head.

[AUBwins 10,075]

Well this team has some pieces to build on.  We could all see the direction this was going late in the year.  All 3 were 1 run games.  So we just needed a clutch hit with RISP.  Let's toughen the schedule early in the year to build up the RPI and get these pitchers healthy.  I will definitely be rooting for the Cajuns to take 2 from Clemson tomorrow and go shock OK state.  Geaux Cajuns and War Eagle. 

[AU1947 157]

33 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

Did we face her the first time? 

Yes we did...

[AU1947 157]

9 minutes ago, AUBwins said:

Both Bri and Jessie gave it a ride to LF and both looked good off the bat.  Just dies in the air it seemed.

That is a Mizuno bat for you... those bats are crap.

[AUatHeart 624]

1 hour ago, tgrogan21 said:

Disappointed how the season turned out but this team is still young with a pretty good signing class coming in next year including another highly rated pitcher. If Lowe and Dismukes can both come back from their injuries along with Bryant. The improvement should be really good. Peralta, Blaine, Ellis, Lisenby are all freshman who played a lot of minutes that should only get better with time.

Though, if next season turns out just like this one, then we know Mickey Dean is in way over his head.

If, if, if.  Dean has had plenty of time to field a team that can at least get to the super regionals on a consistent basis.  He needs to be shown the door.

AU softball was on fire and had tons of fan support when he took over.  Now, you can walk up and get tickets at the gate again.  Pitiful job by Dean.

[tgrogan21 6,198]

6 minutes ago, AUatHeart said:

If, if, if.  Dean has had plenty of time to field a team that can at least get to the super regionals on a consistent basis.  He needs to be shown the door.

AU softball was on fire and had tons of fan support when he took over.  Now, you can walk up and get tickets at the gate again.  Pitiful job by Dean.

I guess just ignore the huge scandal that happened right before Dean, as well as the injuries, oh and also the youth of the team. Dean has struggled but lets not act like the job was this perfect opportunity when he came in. There was a lot of rebuilding to do and he had to do it during COVID. I've already said that if we don't see a marked improvement next year with the talent that we have and the talent coming in then we can seriously talk about how he needs to go.

But I love how several people on here just want to ignore facts. We improved drastically in one season with one of the youngest teams in all of college softball. With an injury to our ace pitcher and our starting 2B who seemed to be one of the sparks of the team, IMO. Add in another injury that Dismukes was working through and almost half of the starting lineup over the course of the last 4 weeks of the season.

I honestly don't think people have stepped back and realized we were without Packer, Peralta, Blaine, Schmidt, and Smith at some point in the last part of the season. Dismukes, Lowe, and Yarbrough were injured off and on all season. We were a 1 pitcher team with a bunch of freshman and sophomores and still improved enough to be ranked all season long and get a win on day one. Something that hadn't happened since 2019.

Even Clemson who just started their program 3 years ago has an older and more experienced team than us. They have 10 redshirt sophomores and 5 grad students compared to our 5 juniors and 2 seniors. So again, people really need to stop downplaying youth and trying to act like it doesn't matter.

[AUatHeart 624]

7 minutes ago, tgrogan21 said:

I guess just ignore the huge scandal that happened right before Dean, as well as the injuries, oh and also the youth of the team. Dean has struggled but lets not act like the job was this perfect opportunity when he came in. There was a lot of rebuilding to do and he had to do it during COVID. I've already said that if we don't see a marked improvement next year with the talent that we have and the talent coming in then we can seriously talk about how he needs to go.

But I love how several people on here just want to ignore facts. We improved drastically in one season with one of the youngest teams in all of college softball. With an injury to our ace pitcher and our starting 2B who seemed to be one of the sparks of the team, IMO. Add in another injury that Dismukes was working through and almost half of the starting lineup over the course of the last 4 weeks of the season.

I honestly don't think people have stepped back and realized we were without Packer, Peralta, Blaine, Schmidt, and Smith at some point in the last part of the season. Dismukes, Lowe, and Yarbrough were injured off and on all season. We were a 1 pitcher team with a bunch of freshman and sophomores and still improved enough to be ranked all season long and get a win on day one. Something that hadn't happened since 2019.

Even Clemson who just started their program 3 years ago has an older and more experienced team than us. They have 10 redshirt sophomores and 5 grad students compared to our 5 juniors and 2 seniors. So again, people really need to stop downplaying youth and trying to act like it doesn't matter.

Tell me again how long he’s been here?  
 

Please don’t try to blame the Covid bs for this.  Dean was here well before it became an issue.  Why are we so young?  Who had the responsibility of recruiting and developing?  Dean has sucked the enjoyment out of Auburn softball.  We are a mediocre team in the SEC, and if you’re happy with that, then good for you.  I’m extremely disappointed in Deans tenure.  
 

not looking to argue with you, just giving my side of it.  AU softball was must see for me and my daughters.  It no longer is.  It is a boring and most of the time, bad product now.

[tgrogan21 6,198]

1 hour ago, AUatHeart said:

Tell me again how long he’s been here?  
 

Please don’t try to blame the Covid bs for this.  Dean was here well before it became an issue.  Why are we so young?  Who had the responsibility of recruiting and developing?  Dean has sucked the enjoyment out of Auburn softball.  We are a mediocre team in the SEC, and if you’re happy with that, then good for you.  I’m extremely disappointed in Deans tenure.  
 

not looking to argue with you, just giving my side of it.  AU softball was must see for me and my daughters.  It no longer is.  It is a boring and most of the time, bad product now.

 lol sucked the fun out of softball? Are you kidding me? This has been the most fun season since the Meyers royally screwed this program.

And you think Dean isn't recruiting. He had his best class last season and has followed it up with another great one. I decided to go back through the rosters for the past several seasons to see how many players left Auburn because they transferred or graduated. It's a hell of a long list.

Rachel Cook
Jaylin Calvert
Phoebe Florian
Kaylee Horton
Justus Perry
Abby Tissier
Rachel Cook
Alyssa Rivera
Lexie Handley
Makenna Dowell
Haley Nillen
Tyler King
Maddison Koepke
Carmyn Greenwood
Casey Mccrackin
Charonnay Harris
Bree Fornis
Morgan Podany
Kendall Veach
Makayla Martin
KK Crocker
Dakota Morrow
Jenna Olzewski
Kaylee Carlson
Livy Schiele
Kara Belodeau
Breanna Gutierrez
Victoria Draper
Courtney Shea
Carlee Wallace
Haley Fagan
Whitney Jordan
Madi Gipson
Laney Joyner
Emily SPain
Kasey Cooper
Alexa Nemeth
Jenna Abbott
Sydne Waldrop
Courtney SheaMadi Perry
Ashlee Swindle
Jadia Jones
Brittany Maresette
Tannon Snow
Taylon Snow
Tate Moseley

That's 47 players who left between 2017-2021. A lot of them transferred and Dean has replaced those with a bunch of Freshman and Sophomores that he can't redshirt because he doesn't have the bodies. Last season he signed 9 freshman and still had a better season than when we had a bunch of seniors. So we're young because the lineup he inherited was a bunch of juniors and seniors that he has now replaced with freshman and sophomores. And also a lot of players transferred because of the Meyers situation.

Everyone should have known Dean wasn't going to come in here and hit the ground running right away. Not with the scandal. He has got to have time to be able to rebuild this team and allow his highly recruited signing classes to grow and get experience. Next year, if the team takes a step back we can hit the panic button but not yet.

Edited May 22, 2022 by tgrogan21

[AU1947 157]

6 hours ago, tgrogan21 said:

 lol sucked the fun out of softball? Are you kidding me? This has been the most fun season since the Meyers royally screwed this program.

And you think Dean isn't recruiting. He had his best class last season and has followed it up with another great one. I decided to go back through the rosters for the past several seasons to see how many players left Auburn because they transferred or graduated. It's a hell of a long list.

Rachel Cook
Jaylin Calvert
Phoebe Florian
Kaylee Horton
Justus Perry
Abby Tissier
Rachel Cook
Alyssa Rivera
Lexie Handley
Makenna Dowell
Haley Nillen
Tyler King
Maddison Koepke
Carmyn Greenwood
Casey Mccrackin
Charonnay Harris
Bree Fornis
Morgan Podany
Kendall Veach
Makayla Martin
KK Crocker
Dakota Morrow
Jenna Olzewski
Kaylee Carlson
Livy Schiele
Kara Belodeau
Breanna Gutierrez
Victoria Draper
Courtney Shea
Carlee Wallace
Haley Fagan
Whitney Jordan
Madi Gipson
Laney Joyner
Emily SPain
Kasey Cooper
Alexa Nemeth
Jenna Abbott
Sydne Waldrop
Courtney SheaMadi Perry
Ashlee Swindle
Jadia Jones
Brittany Maresette
Tannon Snow
Taylon Snow
Tate Moseley

That's 47 players who left between 2017-2021. A lot of them transferred and Dean has replaced those with a bunch of Freshman and Sophomores that he can't redshirt because he doesn't have the bodies. Last season he signed 9 freshman and still had a better season than when we had a bunch of seniors. So we're young because the lineup he inherited was a bunch of juniors and seniors that he has now replaced with freshman and sophomores. And also a lot of players transferred because of the Meyers situation.

Everyone should have known Dean wasn't going to come in here and hit the ground running right away. Not with the scandal. He has got to have time to be able to rebuild this team and allow his highly recruited signing classes to grow and get experience. Next year, if the team takes a step back we can hit the panic button but not yet.

 

ULL was a totally different team once Glassco showed up. Glad he wasn't there for our first game against them..

I see girls on this list that left or transferred that would have been extremely helpful to have this year or last...and you gotta wonder exactly why they left...

Swindall - ??

Dowell- Minnesota 

Snow - Oklahoma (well think I would have left AU for them too)

Handley - Ohio State

Keopke - UGA (was a starter)

Mosley- OF and Transferred to Troy

And there are more I could name on that list as well.

 

Just sad that the program has plummeted from an WCWS program to a bottom of the SEC program. Can't put all the blame on CMD.    Gotta give a lot to AG as well. He is also a big issue with AU athletics and their performance of late... 

 

[Jad0003 405]

Dean clearly set a precedence with the extra year of eligibility by only allowing one group to have that opportunity at Auburn. This team was the first roster full of players who did not play for Myers, and I imagine it is why he finally feels rejuvenated from a coaching standpoint. There weren’t players questioning his every move, reverting to old behaviors, or still wondering if Myers should still be the coach. Side note: the way Clint’s contract was set up, I am pretty sure Cory would be the coach as of now anyway.

Many people have said it on this board, but our program was toxic after the scandal, not only from what happened but how Auburn handled it. Myers didn’t leave the cupboard bare, but he left it in a lot worse condition than he found it outside of the pitching circle. Many of the recruits, and even some players, saw the writing on the wall before Myers “retired” and found new homes. Dean maintained as many of the commitments he could, but he mainly focused on building back Auburn’s reputation with parents and travel ball coaches to build his future program. He was able to get a number of top players to commit before the rule changes, and we are only starting to see the effects of those efforts because recruiting in softball was done in 6th - 8th grade.

I saw definite growth at the plate this season vs. prior years. Yes, we relied on the long ball, but we scored a lot more runs and were able to be more competitive. We struggled in the field at times, but we improved down the stretch for the most part. I expected pitching to be our strength, but injuries to Lowe, Dismukes, and Yarbrough derailed those plans.

If Dean cannot make it to supers or the WCWS next year or the year after, I do think we should look for a new coach when his contract is up. However, I expect this team to make a jump next year. We only graduate Godwin and Yarbrough. I can see a few players who don’t play as much trying their luck in the portal, and on the flip side, I am interested to see if we bring in any other players. We already bring in a four person class, and I expect at least two of them to make immediate impact.

Similar to last year, a lot of the best teams will graduate a number of impact super seniors, especially in the SEC. I expect a top 6 finish with everyone we have returning. 

Here is how I see next year as of today:

Pitching: I expect to see continued improvement from Penta, but a healthy Lowe and Dismukes will be very beneficial. Lowe had a sub 1.50 ERA last season… this past season would look a lot different if she alone was healthy. Rolfe will have a few chances early in the season and mid-week games, but I expect her to learn from the veterans. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a transfer into the program with how teams are hitting right now.

Catching: Lisenby and Blaine will probably split time behind the plate with the other holding down the DP spot. Newcomer Elkins is a good defensive catcher, but I am not sure how she does in the box. Incoming freshman Roberts can also catch if needed.

1B: Ellis will start here. She’s going to be very good in her career at Auburn.

2B: Hopefully Bryant can return from her injury and slot right back in this spot. Our hitting wasn’t the same once she went down.

SS: I don’t see Peralta losing her starting role due to her hitting capabilities. I fully expect her to dedicate time to cleaning up her defense in the off-season.

3B: I see a little competition here. Cox was fine defensively, but she struggled with the bat down the stretch. Incoming freshman Millie Roberts plays a lot of 3B, and she is a very strong power hitter. She will be one to keep an eye on. With the late success from Schmidt, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Garcia move back to 3rd if Roberts isn’t able to adjust to the college game.

LF: I imagine McCondichie will slide back here when Bryant returns from injury.

CF: Packer will start and Smith will likely be her back up.

RF: I see Garcia or Schmidt in this role depending on the outcome of 3B. Schmidt made big strides toward the end of the season with her bat.

DP: As stated above, I think Blaine or Lisenby will be the primary DPs with the other handling catching duties. 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Jad0003

[Jad0003 405]

1 hour ago, AU1947 said:

 

ULL was a totally different team once Glassco showed up. Glad he wasn't there for our first game against them..

I see girls on this list that left or transferred that would have been extremely helpful to have this year or last...and you gotta wonder exactly why they left...

Swindall - ??

Dowell- Minnesota 

Snow - Oklahoma (well think I would have left AU for them too)

Handley - Ohio State

Keopke - UGA (was a starter)

Mosley- OF and Transferred to Troy

And there are more I could name on that list as well.

 

Just sad that the program has plummeted from an WCWS program to a bottom of the SEC program. Can't put all the blame on CMD.    Gotta give a lot to AG as well. He is also a big issue with AU athletics and their performance of late... 

 

Yes, the biggest losses from those eligible or still playing this year are Snow (Oklahoma), Greenwood (Louisville), and Handley (tOhio State). Handley would probably have had the largest impact with all the injuries on our pitching staff. Both Snow and Greenwood hit the ball very well this year. All will move on after this season. 

Swindle would have exhausted her eligibility last year if she played. She had a good job lined up out of school and chose to not extend her softball career.

Dowell would have been a step up defensively at SS, but she struggled at the plate compared to prior years (.265 average).

Koepke isn’t even on the UGA roster nor did she play this year. I’m not sure her future plans, but I think she left the sport due to nagging injuries.

Mosely had 4 ABs at Troy this year and none were hits.

Harris pitched 57 innings for Louisville with an ERA over 5.00.

Last player from the list with eligibility is Jaylin Calvert at IUPUI. She hit below .150 this year. Her sister who was committed to Auburn before Jaylin transferred hit .308.

[steeleagle 2,945]

11 hours ago, TD1 said:

I believe I did as well. I remember being wowed at how explosive our hitting was. We have to keep that momentum going into conference play next year and hopefully have a healthy pitching staff. 

I agree w lot of our posters eval of the team and CMD. Unusually the difference is in the mentality of the HC and it shows in the players in crunch time. This team doesn’t have that. 
 

Now I will add the our best players are our Freshmen and even though they are veterans as some like to say they still had never been in the post season on a big stage so I’ll give them somewhat of a pass.  
 

and with our issues w injuries at pitching that definitely cost us giving up runs even though Penta pitched great I’m sure she has never been extended this much.  
 

so for next year they definitely need to work on being a better defensive team. Defense and great pitching always will get u farther in post season. 
 

Peralta HAS to get better I’m the inf or needs to be moved. She was a liability in tfe field and never really got better. 
 

Our hitters need to better hitters and by that I mean more discipline at plate and become better gap hitters. We have power but a hr or nothing is not going to win us games. 

And if the same problems pop up next year Dean should be definitely on the hot seat as he will be showing he is not a playoff type of coach.