Jad0003

EIS went back to ties, but here are our 3 recruits for 2024:

39 minutes ago, blakem said:

Does she have a rank?

I could not find her on the EIS rankings list. She seems to be a prospect who improved significantly over the past year.

She played for the 18U Tampa Mustangs - Rene this past summer as a sophomore. The team placed well at some big time tournaments, and she seems to be one of, if not the, primary pitcher. 

For high school, the only thing I could find was she beat 2024 UGA pitching commit Ella Trout in 10 innings 1-0 with 17 strikeouts. Trout visited Auburn before committing to UGA last year. 

One area where I trust Dean is identifying pitchers and getting the most out of them. The only other 2025 pitching prospect I see him following is Sage Soares, a LHP from the Northeast. 

Picked up pitcher Charley Butler out of Tampa, Florida. 

1 hour ago, AUBwins said:

i know she's not technically on our team this year.  But man I'm really going to miss Bri.  My favorite player since Kasey Cooper. 

She is absolutely raking this weekend in their fall ball.  2 grand slams, solo shot and an oppo shot in a double header. Now another.  I sad 😔 

 

I’m happy to see Bri doing so well. I’d feel a lot more comfortable if we still had her in our lineup, especially with another bat like Lech or Wohlers to protect her.

We will definitely need a few players to take a step forward this year. It was great to see Packer hitting homeruns again in the first Fall Games. I forget she was a .360 hitter before her abdominal injury in her sophomore campaign. 

Hopefully we can find some consistency at the plate this year. 

21 hours ago, blakem said:

Anybody that bats over .500 at PGF I want on my team, no matter the rank or lack there of.

Oh definitely! 

The 2025 rankings were a bit of a mess this year because there was a sorting error. They also opted to do a true Top 100 rather than tie 5 people for each ranking. This change coupled with the error left many high ranking players off the list. As a result, they were forced to do a second with ties, but they did not adjust the original list, only added players to the list, which still left players off the list. 

We lose a lot of pitching after the 2024 season and lose a lot of players after the 2025 season. Assuming no transfers, the next two recruiting classes, plus the current sophomore and freshman, should provide a solid lineup. Hopefully Rolfe, Tamborra, Clemmons and Godfrey (2024) develop well, and we can pick up a good pitcher in the 2025 class.

Based on the past two years, I hope to see the coaches continue to search for good players out of the transfer portal, like Lech, Wohlers, and Tresvik, who perform well but aren’t transferring from powerhouse softball schools. Widra is the exception as she was a highly rated player transferring from a well known softball school. 

Picked up another commit, Melania Luostari, from Wisconsin. She moved up to play for the 18U Beverly Bandits - Conroy team and is a power hitting corner infielder.  I couldn’t find her in the EIS rankings, but she made the EIS 2023 16U All Summer team (summary below).

Delaney Aumua also committed to Auburn yesterday. I think she might be the first high school recruit from California during Dean’s tenure. 

Abbie Sars committed yesterday. Based on her name, I’d assume she is the daughter of the coach for Carolina Cardinals - Sars. She is also the teammate of 2025 Auburn commit, Julia Morici. 

56 minutes ago, Golden Eagle said:

Wow...would love to know what happened.  She was just announced as part of the freshman class on Aug 10...about 6 weeks ago!

Gianna Poletti completes softball’s 2023 class - Auburn University Athletics (auburntigers.com)

 

Three players left the team since school started, four players transferred after last season, and one former player blasted the coaches over the summer. I’m not well informed of the inner workings of the team or coaches, but it does not look good from the outside. 

Gianna Poletti no longer on roster.

Sydney Cox no longer listed on the roster. 

September 1st is tomorrow. Anyone know recruits we are after?

Kenadie Cooper no longer listed on the roster. 

On 7/25/2023 at 3:22 PM, AUBwins said:

I meant to watch that interview in Houston.  Thanks for the summary.  Arkansas will make the WCWS next year.  I would be shocked if they didnt.

They’ve had a tough time getting over the hurdle the past few years, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they make the WCWS.

They’ll hit the ball very well with Gasso as the new hitting coach, but they’ll need to find someone to replace Delce in the circle. 

1 hour ago, Tiger1992 said:

Any updates? When girls transfer out, do they do exit interviews with the AD or anyone? Curious especially if Carlee or Bri (or anyone for that matter) spoke to anyone in the AD's office about their issues with Dean or the program.

I have no idea if any players met with the AD.

Ellis was on a podcast recently where she discussed a number of subjects, including her recruitment, her decision to transfer, and her new destination.

In discussing her decision to transfer, she mentions how she was coached to say Auburn was not the right fit for her, alluding to more reasons than the ones provided. She initially discusses how she genuinely loves Auburn and the Auburn family, but she decided to transfer because she struggled to improve on her numbers, it was hard to make friends outside of softball, and she was not pushed to do better academically. 

However, she reveals the alluded to details when she talks about her decision to choose Arkansas. The main thing I took away is the coaches at Auburn relied on her to produce at the plate, but they screamed at her rather than providing direction or instruction when she struggled to do so. She seems to be excited to learn from the new hitting coach at Arkansas, DJ Gasso, and thinks she can help Arkansas go to their first WCWS. 

Based on her and Carlee’s account, it seems the hitting coaches are not effectively communicating techniques or providing instruction at the plate. I’m not sure if their complaints lie with Lenti as the hitting coach or Dean as the head coach, but ultimately, Dean will have to answer for it. 

12 hours ago, OlderWhiskey said:

Myers resigned prior to fall practice in 2017.  

Carlee transferred after the loss to Oklahoma in the Supers in May / June 2017. Myers was still the coach heading into Fall Practice in 2017, but the details on Corey came out before practice started. Dean was hired shortly after and coached the 2018 season when Carlee played at Baylor. Carlee never intended on playing for Auburn in 2018 whether the coach was Myers or Dean.

2 minutes ago, Big Fat Barner said:

This is from the article:

No sugar coating that statement.

1 hour ago, Big Fat Barner said:

Blaine is listed as a starter on the website, so she is a starter. There a 9 people in the lineup and she was starting in the 62 games more than she wasn’t. It does not matter if she started 33 of 62, she was a starter. Period. She should’ve been a starter all along anyways, but Dean screws with the lineup literally every game because him and his staff are incapable of a creating a competent offense.

 

Carlee LEFT. She quit softball. Because of Dean and the staff. She made the decision to retire from softball, no one else. So I am absolutely counting her in the exodus. 

Take a look at our starters and their average in SEC play. Dean has never been able to coach bats, so any of the following likely would have made an impact or won over the position in the future or found a way in the lineup. (Handley and Dowell did not need scholarship money because they did NOT attend grad school). How weird that Koepke hung up her cleats and transferred after just two years under Dean; sounds similar to Carlee’s experience.   (And the fact that you are saying well Taylon hit .250 in Big 12 play, we had like five starters hit under .200 in SEC play, anybody from the list could have been in the lineup in 2021).

Carlee played at Baylor in 2018 and transferred after the 2017 season. She wasn’t on the roster during fall practice when Myers was the coach.

29 minutes ago, Mikey said:

I don't like it, but on the bright side (if there is one) to make an omelette you have to break eggs. Maybe this can be the egg breaking part.

I mean, the AD Office can’t ignore the allegations at this point. I’m not saying something will come of it, but they’ll have to investigate at minimum. 

Lenti was investigated by DePaul for verbal and physical abuse prior to his hiring, which made many people raise questions when he was joined the staff following his abrupt “retirement.”  His sister was the AD at the time of the investigation. 

The players specifically mention hitting, so I wonder if he is the issue. Dean or the university need to investigate, especially with the team’s performance at the plate. 

Link: https://depauliaonline.com/47841/news/university-accused-of-ignoring-allegations-of-abuse-by-former-softball-coach/

2 hours ago, Big Fat Barner said:

Is it safe to assume that Dean is done with the portal since the 2024 roster is now listed? Or is that just because the portal is closed so those who are on our team are staying put? 

I think it points to the latter since it is only the returning players. 

Ken Brooke removed from 2024 Coaching Staff. Lenti is still listed. 

4 minutes ago, RedDirtFan said:

A hitting coach or at least a consistent approach must happen. It’s rumored that DJ Gasso is in play. 

DJ Gasso is the new hitting coach at Arkansas. 

I do think a new hitting coach is needed though.