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Zone was a little tight today, but she was not her best. Glad to see her not give up a run though!

The video posted on Instagram has Lowe and Packer in a boot. Not sure if it is precautionary, but it appears some nagging injuries again for those two. It might explain why Lowe was icing her foot in the dugout during South Carolina.

I agree. The zone was inconsistent from inning to inning, it was alright very tight at times. Penta showed why she is one of the best. Widra also did a good job of keeping Ole Miss off the board minus the HR. Overall, it was not a pretty game. Good teams find ways to win though, and we did that today.

A fun fact: Sikes was committed to Auburn until a few weeks before the signing period. She signed with Georgia and transferred to Ole Miss this year as a graduate student.

Lenti continues to make questionable calls as third base coach. Truly maddening! Glad we were able to score.

Penta was incredible, but my favorite part of the game outside was the top of the order stringing together singles and doubles to get two runs in the sixth inning rather than rely on the long ball. We struggled against Fouts, but they got it done today.

I agree on the team’s hitting approach as of the past 5 games. We hit the ball hard for the most part in the Florida series, and we definitely hit the ball well against Troy and in Game 1. One thing in particular is we are hitting the ball where it is thrown versus trying to pull everything to left field. If we can get string a few hits together and not be so reliant on the long ball, the team won’t have to press so hard.

She is insane right now. I don’t know Lowe’s health status, but I’d imagine he is limiting her to one game per week. I imagine we’ll see her against Ole Miss on Friday or Saturday. If we don’t see her this week then I’ll be worried.

Samford beat Ole Miss 3-0 and lost to Bama 1-0. I don’t know his mindset, but I don’t think he wanted to risk a loss. Their starting pitcher shut down SEC competition more than once. Hopefully we’ll see more of Widra and Rolfe against Jacksonville State and Alabama State.

I knew there were a lot of strikeouts, but 44 in 118 ABs?!?!? That’s a 37% SO rate!

I’ll be interested to see how the team responds after a rough 2-3 weeks, especially from a hitting perspective. The commentator’s observations seem to be spot on, especially after the number of strikeouts over the weekend. I don’t see Cohen firing Dean with 3 years left on his current contract, but I hope Dean is willing to make the necessary changes if the hitting does not show any improvement by the end of the year. I’m not sure Dean will hire someone out of his comfort zone though, but DJ Gasso at Utah would be my first call. He spent two years on staff at Oklahoma, so he knows how a successful program is run. He stepped away from the talent at Oklahoma, and his players have shown improvement. Not to mention, he has a direct line to Patty and DJ.

I mentioned my frustration with the hitting in the 2023 Softball thread, so I’ll focus on positives and hopes here. Lowe was great in relief. Hopefully she can handle a larger role moving forward, and we can see a true 1a and 1b situation with her and Penta. Widra shows flashes of greatness too, so I think she continues to provide innings as a very good number 3. Bryant had a great day at the plate. It was nice to see her show power because we haven’t seen it so far this year. Packer is slowly getting her groove back too. If they can continue their slow return from injuries, I’d like to see this lineup by the end of the year: 1. Packer (CF) 2. Bryant (3rd) 3. Peralta (SS) 4. Ellis (1st) 5. Garcia (RF / LF) 6 / 7. Blaine / Godwin / Lisenby (DP / C) 8. McCrary / Tresvik (RF / LF) 9. McCondichie (2nd) I still have hope to see improvements later in the year as those three return from injury. All it takes is for the team to get hot at the right time.

I’m not disagreeing with you, but I think we are stuck for the next two - three years due to last year’s contract extension. They did bring in Ken Brook last year. I think he focuses on their swings, specifically as it relates to generating power. I’d have to guess Lenti focuses on approach and mindset of the hitters. The plan isn’t working no matter who handles what aspect.

Dean coaches pitchers who have done well throughout his tenure, especially as the game evolves to be more offensive. I do not see the administration firing him before his contract up, but if our hitting doesn’t improve under Lenti or someone else, I am for not renewing Dean. I’d even post my recommendations for the administration to review.

I know Dean faced obstacles in his first few years at Auburn, and I do believe it affected the performance of his first few teams. However, I can’t understand why this team is struggling so much at the plate. I think Dean needs find a new hitting coach after this season. Our players have not improved under Lenti. If we don’t make it to a Super this year or next year then I don’t renew Dean’s contract, especially if Lenti is still around.

Every year we seem to have one day where everything falls apart - 2018 at Missouri, 2019 at Kentucky, and 2022 at Tennessee. Hopefully today was the day for this team and we do not see this type of play again. We need to turn the page to tomorrow’s game, Wednesday’s game at GT, and the three game series at Georgia.

Looks like UAB is currently ahead of us in estimated RPI. North Dakota State also is ahead of us in the same RPI estimate. Troy, South Alabama, Weber State, and Georgia Tech will also help, but we’ll need to steal a game from Northwestern (x2) or Oklahoma (x2) for a signature out of conference win.

I also think Dean is bringing back the injured players slowly. Lowe obviously has the potential to be another ace.we will need her during the SEC, so I think we’ll continue to see her in a relief throughout “preseason,” especially with Widra’s ability in the circle. Hopefully Rolfe can also eat up a few innings against lesser teams I don’t think Smith nor Tresvik did enough to solidify their spots in CF over Packer. She ran and played in the field during the first weekend, so I think once she is able to bat, she’ll be pencilled into the lineup. Bryant batted and ran the bases. Dean mentioned she is still trying to find her timing. She has potential to play multiple positions - 2nd, 3rd, DP, and OF. I think Widra has third base locked down in the interim, but someone has to play 3rd when she pitches. McCrary, Tresvik, and Roberts all had good moments this weekend, as well. Cox also has the ability to compete.

Yeah - it seems like Lowe will be the closer during preseason. Widra will be a solid #3 in the circle and played well at 3rd. I’m sure we will continue to see Rolfe and Tresvik get a few more appearances againstesser competition early on, as well. Hopefully we get Bryant and Packer healthy over the next few weeks. The team can really make some noise.

Rolfe showing she has the fight to contribute this season.

I also think McCondichie was more consistent in the field, but Denver was one of our better hitters before her injury. If she is able to return to form, they’ll both be in the lineup somewhere. The coaches will have to balance offensive and defensive production when determining the lineup.

Most softball polls base their rankings off the previous year without much nuance on the circumstances, so they are not accounting for a healthy Lowe. I’m not sure if she will recreate her freshman year after surgery, but I’d bet she performs significantly better than last year. I’m interested to see the lineup opening day. Dean hints some newcomers might displace some starters and some players will change positions. Pitching: Penta and Lowe will split majority of the innings. Hopefully Widra / Tresvik / Rolfe can perform well enough to minimize the innings pitched for the first two. Catching: I haven’t been impressed with the catching position under Dean since Veach left, so I’m excited to see true competition here. Blaine will be in the lineup somewhere due to her bat, Lisenby and Godwin both had great moments last year, and I am excited to see what Elkins can do. We’ll likely see all four throughout the season. 1B: I doubt we will see anyone unseat Bri. 2B: If Bryant is mobile following her ACL tear, I imagine she will start here. Widra and McCondichie will likely be her backups. SS: I assume Peralta will start here, but Widra and Roach played during fall ball. 3B: Excited to see competition here. Cox and McNemar were great defensively, but I don’t think either were consistent at the plate. Looks like McCrary and Milanowski are competing. I also know Roberts has a big bat. OF: McCondichie, Garcia, and Packer played early in the season then right field became a revolving door. Smith, Tresvik, Cooper and Cox played in Fall Ball. DP: I imagine Blaine will start if she’s not catching. Bryant might fit in here if her mobility isn’t good enough for 2nd.

Annalea Adams committed in the past few days. Good pick up for us!

We currently have 2 commitments in the 2024 class: Jolie Adams (OF) and Blayne Godfrey (RHP). As I mentioned above, I’m not sure the 2024 class is as big of a priority for Auburn in terms of size. With that being said, the only 2024 recruits who I have seen visit Auburn and not commit elsewhere are Annalea Adams, Lien Brister, and Bella Foran.

Florida is recruiting exceptionally well in the 2023 and 2024 classes. Oklahoma, UCLA, FSU, Georgia, Tennessee, and LSU are also recruiting very well in these classes. One thing to consider is the last classes affected by COVID will graduate after the 2024 season, so a lot of teams are going HARD in the 2024 recruiting class to replenish their rosters for the 2025 season. On the flip side, we graduate Lowe, Penta, Bryant, Packer, Cox, and McCrary after the 2024 season, but assuming no transfers, we will have 10 seniors, 4 juniors, 6 sophomores, and (as of now) 2 freshman on the roster for the 2025 season. Dean will need a large incoming class after the 2025 season, whether through the portal or recruiting.