RedDirtFan

Do we have any insight into how or if Dean is working the portal? There has been a lot of talent that has come and gone. As I stated previously, I don't expect a Vawter or a Lynch to spend their last year on The Jane, but all I hear are crickets. He certainly doesn't need my approval or insight, but a little clue would give us some hope. Please, somebody, tell me that there's a strategy here.

I would advise against returning from the portal. I've always advised any of the people that I mentor NOT to take the counteroffer after you've turned in your resignation. You'll always be known as the person who quit on them, doesn't buy into the mission, and will bear the mark of the one that was willing to leave. Publicly, Dean would welcome them back, but their life would be more miserable than when they decided to leave.

Great points, especially about players not contributing. Why is that a thing or even tolerated? If the coaches can’t motivate them, can’t the players pick them up? Doesn’t it mean something to put on the jersey? Even a marginal coach knows better than to ask/tell a player to hit the bricks. Some make it miserable and I think Dean has tried that. So is more miserable only marginally so? Auburn’s a great place, but it’s not worth living in misery. Dean’s not playing the friend role, except for a few. I don’t think Dean is a fan of the portal because it doesn’t suit him. He has had limited success and the hidden gems are hard to find. So, I think he is better suited to double down on who he’s recruited…not doing so would be admitting that he failed, which also doesn’t suit him. Until he treats it like a business, Dean can phone in the numbers and continue to be successful, but this won’t be a top tier program and maybe that’s OK. I’m not OK with moderate success, but I’m just a donor. I hate to say it, but Cohen is addressing bigger problems at the moment and it might be a few seasons before the inspection shines on The Jane.

I think our best bet in the portal is a few relatively unknown hidden gems from mid-majors: P, C, 3B and Clean up. This is a very tough recruiting job. I think Dean can develop Rolfe as he did Penta. Hopefully, Widra and Trezvik will come along under his guidance, although Tresvik is content to hit and play OF. Don't we have a pitcher coming in the next class? Why not double down on the players recruited? Jody left for mental health reasons and already had NE lined up when she hit the portal. OU is a pressure cooker and The Chef is hard on those young ladies. It gets results, so it's hard to argue that the pressure is unwarranted, but it's not for everybody. Lynch de-committed from Auburn when Myers left...she probably left for 1 of 3 reasons: Myers was gone and Washington was opportunistic, The program was in damage control mode after a meltdown and still too radioactive to bet your future on Dean is dealing with a mess after the surprise departures of 3 1/2 starters with eligibility (Bryant, Garcia, Ellis, Blaine was a strong contributor (1/2), Garcia could have stayed and pursued a grad program at AU; McCondichie and Engelkes were done, so I don't count them). She didn't care for Dean This persists, but I'm not sure of the timing. This was likely a non-issue because he was interim for a period prior to being named HC. Nonetheless, Dean is an acquired taste. If I'm a 5th year, I'm playing with house money and 1 year for a flyer. I'm going to bet on somebody that has good odds to get me back to OKC. I love the Tigers, but being honest with myself, we're longer odds to go to OKC next year than some other programs that need pitchers.

There may be too much talent, which should balance out through attrition through the portal. However, in the event of a dire situation, the pendulum will swing too far in the wrong direction and Dean's last three years will be desolate. Softball is a tight community and an exodus of the pending proportions will send a message to future recruits and their coaches. Snaring 3 top 10 recruiting classes bears great responsibility. Maybe he outkicked his coverage...got too close to the sun.

I've done a lot of soul-searching after UGA and OKC weekends, as well as some digging: There's a notable disparity between the 2 camps in our dugout. Elite players fighting to win, leaving it all on the field. They celebrate one another because they are fighting for one another's lives (quite literally in some cases, like against the OU machine). The players that are going through the motions for whatever motivates them are playing grab-ass and not in the game. You look across the diamond to see NW and OU locked into the game and celebrating every play. They could easily expect every HR that they hit and treat like any other hit, but they were genuinely elated about every hit, pitch, and play. That starts at the top. Our Elite are embarrassed by those inconvenienced by the contest on the diamond. If Cohen can't afford the attention necessary and Dean doesn't make changes, over half of the team (the half you do that you don't want to hit the portal) is already talking about leaving. Some damage can't be reversed, but some need to go and they can build a team around those remaining, but changes have to be made. Adversity can build a team, with the proper leadership...student-athlete leaders if the administration doesn't regain control. The Longhorns went 0-5(?) in Clearwater last year, their athlete leaders were physically assaulting one another in meetings and ended up in the World Series. In the absence of administrative leadership, some of these young ladies will have to put in the extra hours necessary to scout the competition and coach themselves to try to hold this team together. Sadly, this is not fair to student-athletes trying to train and earn a degree when the school pays so much for a group of adults to provide that leadership.

In case you can't make the trip to St. Pete/Clearwater, here's the info on how to follow along:

Penta & Ellis tabbed in Preseason All SEC team: Full List:

I saw that! Unfortunately, I have to be out of town. I'd be grateful for any updates the community is willing to pass along, or suggestions where I can watch for updates.

I wish I knew, but I don't think anything was ever released on her injury. Practicing on turf introduced a lot of injuries that were unannounced. Most have recovered, but I think we'll see them pop up again during the season, probably at the worst time.

Agreed, Shelby will take some time to ramp back up. Dean is a pitcher's coach...he knows the value Shelby brings deep into SEC competition and the winning combo he has waiting in Penta/Lowe when she's back to 100%. I was impressed by the limited action Widra saw in the fall, but she needs more innings to build consistency. It takes longer to ramp when you're also focusing on 3B and offense, so she might not hit her stride until later in the season. I didn't see enough of Tresvik in the circle to make a call, but I trust what Dean sees in her ability. Rolfe held her own amongst freshman-level talent, but she has some big shoes to fill coming in behind Penta/Lowe. With Penta doing Penta things, Lowe ramping on her schedule, and Widra filling in the gaps, Dean should be able to develop Rolfe as he's done before. It should be a pivotal year building the bullpen.

Woah, hoss, no thanks. I'm sorry that you're offended, but I'm sure there's a board out there for that. I'm here to celebrate the Auburn Softball team and the ladies themselves. They are ready for confetti!

I firmly believe we will finish higher than that in Top 25 and SEC. Most of the preseason polls probably don't consider Lowe back in the rotation. She's back and she brought her stuff!

Great news! https://twitter.com/PMARSHONAU/status/1615325301235490817?s=20&t=XfwwNQFswThqcwiQMC4bPw

Starting off the year @ #19, according to D1 Softball:

Does anyone have an Extra Innings Softball prescription? They just dropped their preseason top 100, would like to know which of the Lady Tigers made it in. We got 3 in the D1 Softball Top 100:

I didn't recognize any committed/signed prospects, did you?

3 Tigers in the D1Softball Preseason Top 100: Rank Player School Position 37 Maddie Penta Auburn P 62 Shelby Lowe Auburn P 74 Bri Ellis Auburn 1B

You bet...I'm not sure how you overlook Packer, but probably just an oversight. I haven't heard otherwise. She saw limited time in the Fall due to an undisclosed injury.

I haven't seen the comprehensive report, but the official page has announced 3 on twitter. I don't think it's over...Some HS schedules can vary on when they have the ceremony for all Spring sports. I searched the Tamborra and Martin as well, couldn't find Martin on Social Media, but shared Tamborra's personal announcements below as well:

Extra Inning Softball 2023 Top 50 Signing Classes... University Class Rankings Florida 1 Oklahoma 2 Florida State 3 Texas 4 LSU 5 Michigan 6 Washington 7 UCLA 8 Arizona 9 Mississippi State 10 Kentucky 11 Virginia Tech 12 Oregon 13 Missouri 14 Tennessee 15 Central Florida 16 Ohio State 17 Nebraska 18 North Carolina 19 Clemson 20 Oklahoma State 21 Virginia 22 Purdue 23 Texas A&M 24 Auburn 25 Boston College 26 Alabama 27 Northwestern 28 Pitt 29 Georgia Tech 30 Stanford 31 Arkansas 32 Arizona State 33 Georgia 34 Alabama-Birmingham 35 Penn State 36 Texas Tech 37 South Carolina 38 Central Michigan 39 Jacksonville State 40 James Madison 41 South Florida 42 San Diego 43 Oregon State 44 Utah 45 Minnesota 46 Cal – Berkeley 47 Liberty 48 Illinois 49 Louisville 50 Schools “On the Bubble” of the Top 50 Iowa Syracuse East Carolina Sam Houston State Samford UNLV Eastern Kentucky Loyola Marymount Maryland Abilene Christian Houston North Carolina State Princeton McNeese State Kansas

TOP STORIES Rhiannon Potkey - November 9, 2022 The usual goals all applied for Auburn during fall workouts. The Tigers wanted to get stronger, get more reps, build chemistry and learn more about new additions to the roster. But likely the most important component has been getting healthy. By the end of last season, which saw the Tigers finish 40-17 and reach the NCAA Regional, Auburn had multiple key players hobbled by injuries. Most of them had offseason surgeries and have spent the last few months rehabbing. The contingent included pitcher Shelby Lowe, who tried to pitch through pain for the entire 2022 season. “We don’t use injuries as excuses,” Auburn head coach Mickey Dean said. “I never talk about them in press conferences and media because I think when you talk about those things you kind of throw some doubt into the rest of the players’ ability to get the job done and I never want to do that. Every team has to deal with them in some way.” Lowe, Makayla Packer, Jessie Blaine and Nelia Peralta are among the players who have spent the last few months giving their bodies time to rest and recover. Some of the wear and tear dates back to the years of constant play in travel ball and high school. “Over 70 percent of the injuries that we had here were pre-existing injuries before they even got here,” Dean said. “They were just not taken care of, and so we had to deal with those things. As coaches, it is our job to make sure that we try to get them as healthy as possible.” It’s a disturbing trend that’s becoming more and more common across all sports as kids specialize at an earlier age. “I try to tell recruits to play another sport. You need a good three months away from this,” Dean said. “You only have so many throws, and once you make that last throw, that is your last one. A body can only take so much pounding.” Newcomers The Auburn pitching staff was the most impacted by the injuries, requiring Maddie Penta to shoulder a big load. The Tigers made it a priority to increase their depth in the bullpen through the transfer portal and recruiting. Sophomore pitcher/outfielder Icess Tresvik transferred to Auburn from North Carolina A&T. Tresvik is a middle of the lineup hitter and can throw 70 mph. She batted a team-leading .323 with 10 home runs last season for the Aggies, earning Big South All-Freshman team and Big South All-Conference second team honors. “She is learning how to pitch. She was also dealing with an injury, so we were getting her back on schedule with her arm,” Dean said. “She has really been looking good and hitting the ball extremely well and has great speed.” Sophomore Annabelle Widra returned to her home state by transferring from Michigan. Widra is a lefty hitter with home run power and a right-handed pitcher who can also play middle infield. The Alabama native batted .255 last season for the Wolverines and made 17 appearances in the circle (2-0, 1.73 ERA, 32.1 IP). “We are adding some pitches to her repertoire, which is exciting for her and she was able to throw some of those in the fall games,” Dean said. “She is starting to build confidence in those pitches, because that is what pitching is all about, having confidence in those pitches.” Junior KK McCrary sat out last season after transferring from Tennessee. McCrary can play second or third and the Tigers have worked her in the outfield as well. “One of the reasons for that is she swings a pretty good bat and we want to make sure she gets as many at-bats in the lineup as possible,” Dean said. Axe Milanowski, a freshman, is a corner infielder who batted .444 with 14 home runs, 22 doubles and 77 RBIs as a senior at Houston Academy in Alabama while recording 15 wins in the circle with 79 strikeouts. She set school records with career hits (233), triples (25), home runs (35), RBIs (206), runs scored (240) and pitching victories (72). “She has shown a great deal of pop,” Dean said. “We didn’t know she was able to play third base, but she seems to have a knack for putting herself in position to make the play. She has been doing a nice job of that and has good hands at first base.” Millie Roberts, a freshman from Kentucky, can play the corners and has catching experience. She batted .380 as a senior at Daviess County High. “She has a lot of power,” Dean said. “We are trying to get her into rhythm and a good groove. She is a tough kid and polite kid. If we can get her on course, I think we will see a lot of power out of this kid.” Freshman Skylar Elkins batted .375 with 20 RBIs as a senior at Locust Grove High in Georgia. She was a top-rated catching prospect nationally for her class. “I can see why. She handles being behind the plate extremely well,” Dean said. “She is a very good receiver and has a quick release with a strong arm and she is really coming along on the hitting end of it.” Freshman Emmah Rolfe is a power pitcher with good composure and the ability to adjust mid-game. The Alabama native went 28-8 with 346 strikeouts as a senior at Bob Jones High. She threw four no-hitter and two perfect games. “She has that bulldog mentality. She is just coming at you,” Dean said. “She reminds me a little bit of Maddie Penta or Megan Good. She throws the ball hard and now she is going to learn how to pitch. We have really been working hard getting her to understand you don’t want every pitch to be the same speed and not every pitch is intended to throw by the batter. You want to use movement.” Pitching The Tigers were intentional about creating a deeper staff to lessen the workload on Penta and Lowe. They want to give the junior aces as many innings off as possible to keep them fresh and healthy. Tresvik, Widra and Rolfe give Auburn more options in the bullpen while also being able to contribute offensively or play other positions. Penta pitched much more than anticipated last season because of the injuries to others on staff. The 6-foot-2 junior right-hander was 24-10 with a 1.76 ERA, 269 strikeouts and 53 walks in 195.0 innings pitched. She’s been working in the fall to add another pitch. “We got the fastball and riseball kind of working in her freshman year and we really worked hard last year on her changeup and it actually became her best pitch to be honest,” Dean said. “This year, we are trying to add the curve or the drop, whichever one she feels most comfortable with trying to add to her suitcase of pitches.” Lowe wanted to build on her standout freshman season, but was hindered by her arm injury in 2022. She finished 9-3 with a 2.81 ERA, 129 strikeouts and 19 walks in 92.1 IP. Lowe had offseason surgery and began throwing again on Oct. 12. The left-hander’s biggest priority is getting stronger after a taxing season. “An athlete, especially one like Shelby, they want to compete and be there for their team,” Dean said. “From the physical injury to the mental weight – and I am not trying to put words in her mouth – of feeling like you can’t be counted on or not knowing what it’s going to be like day-to-day is tough for anyone.” Offense The Tigers made major gains in power numbers last season after making major gains in the weight room. A season after ranking last in home runs (22) and slugging percentage (.338), Auburn improved to 86 home runs and a .557 slugging percentage last season. The slugging percentage was the second highest in a season in school history while the home run total finished third. The Tigers return a large portion of their run production. Sophomore Bri Ellis batted .302 with a team-leading 20 home runs and 49 RBIs. Sophomore Nelia Peralta batted .313 with 10 home runs, 15 doubles and 42 RBIs Junior Makayla Packer hit .324 with nine home runs and 20 RBIs. Senior Carlee McCondichie hit a team-leading .338 with six doubles and 21 RBIs. Junior Sydney Cox batted .310 with 10 doubles and 69 RBIs, sophomore Jesse Blaine hit .285 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs and senior Lindsey Garcia hit .285 with eight home runs, eight doubles and 32 RBIs. Junior Denver Bryant hit .371 with six home runs, four doubles and 20 RBIs in 29 games. Auburn is still searching for someone to bat lead off, with two or three players in the mix. “I feel good about where we are offensively and who we have now,” Dean said. “It is our job to kind of mesh that lineup to where we can get the best production out of it. We have a good mix of speed and power, with righty, lefty throughout the lineup.” Given some of their depth, the Auburn coaching staff has made it a point to ensure players understand where they fit in the lineup. They meet for 30 minutes every day in a classroom to have those discussions. “I think that is more important now than ever since I’ve been coaching,” Dean said. “Kids should have a good sense of where their role is by the end of fall so they can mentally get their head around that and know where they stand. That was honestly something I never even thought about talking about in the past.” Defense The Tigers have options at catcher. Four players – Aspyn Godwin, Aubrie Lisenby, Elkins and Blaine – are in the mix for playing time. “That is probably the deepest we’ve ever been on this team with catching,” Dean said. “It is fun to watch them compete and we are pretty excited about that position because we haven’t performed great at that position the last three years. But I really think this can be an outstanding year for our catching.” To help create chemistry with the pitching staff, Auburn has tweaked workouts. The Tigers have two catchers remain with the team for normal practices and two come at other times to work with the pitchers in separate individual bullpen sessions. “That seems to be helping a great deal, especially when it comes to mishandled pitches and passed balls,” Dean said. “That is an area where we really needed to improve and it seems to be working so far.” The infield lineup is starting to take form. Ellis is at first base. Peralta is at shortstop, with Rose Roach and Widra also getting reps. McCondichie and Bryant are options at second base. “Third base is the one position that is really open,” Dean said. “I think we are going to look at Axe Milanowski there and Denver Bryant there and Millie Roberts. But Sydney Cox is also working at third and second and in the outfield.” The outfield has a rotation of players, including Cox, Abbey Smith, Tresvik, Garcia and Kenadie Cooper. “What I really like about this team is the versatility and depth,” Dean said. Mental focus The Tigers have placed more of an emphasis on mental health during the fall. They are not just sticking to softball either. They want to help players deal with academics and personal relationships. “This game can beat you down and social media can beat you down. You have to really control that,” Dean said. “We get these kids today and they really get an overload of information. It is so much and we want to make sure they are mentally clear and clean. You can’t be perfect at it, but at least we can try.”

Auburn Softball Fall Report by D1Softball

A word of caution: Be careful placing too much credence into these write-ups. They are mostly submitted by parents. However, the rankings are done by EIS, so those are helpful benchmarks..