Softball vs SEMO Game 3

[OlderWhiskey 954]

I missed CMD's comments after the game; he may have answered my question, which is:  Why start Penta again today, with 3 rested pitchers in the pen?  She remarked after the game that she did not have her best stuff, due to arm stiffness from yesterday.

[AU1947 157]

1 hour ago, OlderWhiskey said:

I missed CMD's comments after the game; he may have answered my question, which is:  Why start Penta again today, with 3 rested pitchers in the pen?  She remarked after the game that she did not have her best stuff, due to arm stiffness from yesterday.

I believe the intention was to get the freshman experience going into a tough season. 

[AUBwins 10,075]

I think he wanted to see how she would do on a short rest. 

[all4AU 379]

Postgame audio from today (Coach Dean, Makenna Dowell, and Maddie Penta):

CMD mentioned that some kids hadn’t found their groove yet. He was specifically referring to Makenna being placed lower in the lineup and then busting out today. Not sure if any of that comment was eluding to why Sam and Lexie didn’t pitch this weekend, but we’ll see how the pitching rotation plays out moving forward. 

[ellitor 33,106]

5 hours ago, OlderWhiskey said:

I missed CMD's comments after the game; he may have answered my question, which is:  Why start Penta again today, with 3 rested pitchers in the pen?  She remarked after the game that she did not have her best stuff, due to arm stiffness from yesterday.

@OlderWhiskey noted AU softball fan from the bunker, NumberNineteen, said his suspicion is Dean wants to see how Penta reacts to starting twice in a weekend. Thinks Dean will want her on the mound as often as he can if she keeps pitching the way she did this weekend.

Jay Tate liked the post FWIW.

[Mikey 16,628]

I'd want to use these preliminary games to develop some pitching depth and see what the others can do. However, he's making a lot more money coaching ball than I ever made.

[slot canyon 1,335]

On 2/14/2021 at 4:47 PM, OlderWhiskey said:

I missed CMD's comments after the game; he may have answered my question, which is:  Why start Penta again today, with 3 rested pitchers in the pen?  She remarked after the game that she did not have her best stuff, due to arm stiffness from yesterday.

 

On 2/14/2021 at 11:32 PM, Mikey said:

I'd want to use these preliminary games to develop some pitching depth and see what the others can do. However, he's making a lot more money coaching ball than I ever made.

There was a post game "news conference" with reporters which featured Penta, Dowell and CMD.  Like others mentioned I wondered why he did not put others into the rotation.  I was expecting to at least see some innings of Yarbrough and/or Handley.  I will post the link below but basically he said the other two pitchers were healthy but had been struggling in scrimmages.  Then he said he had committed to the team that he was going to coach every game as though it was the last game of the season and their preparation should be as though it would be the last game they would play.  Stated wanted to see more consistency in the scrimmages.

 

some 

[ellitor 33,106]

1 hour ago, slot canyon said:

he said the other two pitchers were healthy but had been struggling in scrimmages.  Then he said he had committed to the team that he was going to coach every game as though it was the last game of the season and their preparation should be as though it would be the last game they would play.  Stated wanted to see more consistency in the scrimmages.

Translation. Maddie is our #1 & we will pitch her as much as she can handle.

[99TGR 26]

26 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Translation. Maddie is our #1 & we will pitch her as much as she can handle.

No doubt he is very high on Penta. She followed him from James Madison to Auburn. I believe he showed a lot of confidence in Shelby Lowe as well. Her game two start was very good, considering this was her first college game as well. I also think he was sending a message to the other 3 pitchers that he isn't afraid to go with the freshman if they don't step up their game. At the end of the year I believe 4 pitchers will be relied on heavily and all 5 will get time. I also expect at times there will be a new pitcher used every time through the lineup as a strategy. 

I also wonder how the fielding lineup and batting lineup will play out over the season. There are not enough repeatable swings in the lineup for us to have a ton of success at the plate in SEC play. I am very high on Schmidt. That kid will be in the hitting lineup all season and will find a way to get on the field as well. Geraghty, Horton, Rivera, Dowell and McCondichie I believe will bats we rely on. I love Packers speed but have not seen enough from a batting standpoint to make a judgment. Outside of the ones I mentioned, who else can step up their game at the plate to help us score runs?

[ellitor 33,106]

3 minutes ago, 99TGR said:

Outside of the ones I mentioned, who else can step up their game at the plate to help us score runs?

Tannon. Any one know her injury status & time frame for a return?

[all4AU 379]

5 hours ago, ellitor said:

Tannon. Any one know her injury status & time frame for a return?

I don’t know of an expected return time, but my guess is that it’s still a long way away (torn ACL).

[AU1947 157]

Going to be interesting to see how the freshman do when we get into SEC play. 

[ellitor 33,106]

47 minutes ago, AU1947 said:

Going to be interesting to see how the freshman do when we get into SEC play. 

We'll get a taste of it this weekend with 2 games vs South Carolina.

[99TGR 26]

10 hours ago, ellitor said:

We'll get a taste of it this weekend with 2 games vs South Carolina.

South Carolina lost a ton of talent over this past year and now they are very young. They have some great freshman but it will take them a while before they jell together. When we start seeing the first tier of SEC teams like; Bama, LSU, Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida that will be a true test of where we are as a program. The second tier of SEC schools like Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M , Tennessee, South Carolina in my opinion will be where we compete best.