2023 AU Softball

[AUBwins 10,075]

Made this thread for miscellaneous talk.  

Disappointing loss today.  Again we couldn't beat Tech in Atlanta.  Watched most of the game.  Their pitcher did a good job matching Penta.  Had a variety of pitches that was working.  But going up 1 in 6th and Maddie giving up a run in bottom to tie, Dean removed Penta because he was set on 70 pitch count to save for SEC weekend.  She was basically unhittable mostly today.  Sacrificed a win here for a potential win this weekend.  Also they pitched out exactly when we would steal.  He got outcoached today.  I really enjoyed the broadcast though.  They knew softball at least. 

[OlderWhiskey 954]

I note our upcoming opponent UGA beat Tech 8-0 about a week ago.  Neleman (same pitcher as against us) started, gave up 4 hits and 5 runs in 1 1/3.  I have actually thought we could hit, but the last two games have made me question that.  Neleman has an ERA over 4.  She shouldn't be able to shut us down like that.  Georgia Tech lost to Illinois, whom we run-ruled in Clearwater. We need to break out of this team-wide slump.

[AUBwins 10,075]

That pitcher did have it working today though.  She had us guessing. 

[Golden Eagle 370]

Agree that offense is a concern (again)...both at the plate and running the bases.  Auburn was thrown out 3 times today.  I didn't see the game - just listened on the app - so not sure how reckless the running errors were.  But 3 times sounds reckless, especially when they had so much trouble getting on base in the first place.  Wondered whether we could have pulled off a win without those 3 outs?  Wish we had played a few more competitive teams over the past month in preparation for SEC play.  Hoping the team gets their mojo back by Friday. 

[Big Fat Barner 143]

18 minutes ago, AUBwins said:

That pitcher did have it working today though.  She had us guessing. 

Okay but we are always guessing. Dean schedules inferior opponents that boost our statistics to make him look good, and then go quiet when real competition hits. It is a broken record at this point. And I know there is a lot of season left, but my God, this. is. getting. exhausting. 

[AUBwins 10,075]

38 minutes ago, Big Fat Barner said:

Okay but we are always guessing. Dean schedules inferior opponents that boost our statistics to make him look good, and then go quiet when real competition hits. It is a broken record at this point. And I know there is a lot of season left, but my God, this. is. getting. exhausting. 

Agreed.  I think our strength of schedule is 190!

[AU1947 157]

Like I said in another thread when several were getting all gitty about "how well this team was looking" ...when we see good pitching then we don't hit...it has been that way for a few years now...spend more time trying to hit homeruns instead of learning how the bases chess game works and putting the ball in play...then we are getting thrown out because everyone knows that CMD is a gambler on the bases and is going to send the runner because we are not hitting and needs to make something happen ... too predictable and I still stick to the SEC schedule thought that we are headed to the lower 3rd of the ranks in our beloved conference.

[Big Fat Barner 143]

This has to be his win or go home year. We have never been to a super regional or hosted a regional, have never finished in the top half of the SEC, or had a winning SEC record under CMD. My biggest fear is that we get stuck with him for awhile due to the lack of attention to the sport, but my second greatest fear is that the girls will transfer if he gets removed as head coach. It’s just overall underwhelming situation, and I think he needs to turn the season around fast, somehow and someway. 

[WarEagle 1969 4]

MD is at it again.  He schedules weak non conference to pad stats and his winning percentage.  He's a joke of a coach.  Maybe he needs to take off that ridiculous hat.  You are not on a safari, you are a softball coach.  

[Golden Eagle 370]

The hat is fine.  He's fair-skinned and the job requires him to be in midday sun a lot so a hat with a wide brim is appropriate.  The issue is softball.  CMD has been fairly successful in recruiting talented players, and finding some hidden gems like Tresvik,  but his teams have under-performed at Auburn.   As others have stated, we should play at least a few highly-ranked teams very early in the season - well before the start of SEC play - to get a true assessment of the team's strengths and weaknesses.  And then addresses the weaknesses.  What I don't understand is why they can't seem to adjust to great pitchers the second time through the lineup (like great teams do) and HIT THE BALL.  Like GA Tech did against Maddie Penta.  When they do get on base, they (or CMD) make bad base-running decisions that result in outs and compound our offensive woes.  If a catcher has demonstrated that they have a strong, accurate arm and an ability to throw out a runner...maybe don't keep trying to steal bases unless there's a passed ball or some other circumstance that increases the odds of success.

I've read/seen multiple interviews with Kasey Cooper, Emily Carosone, Tiffany Howard, etc, over the years about how Clint Myers came in and told the team he inherited that they were going to OKC.  He didn't say that AU would go to OKC in 4-5 years once he brought in his own players.  He told the team he inherited.  They thought he was delusional.  But he made them believe in themselves, made them work hard, and delivered results no one could have anticipated.  Too bad he covered for his wayward son, created a very bad situation for the team and the university, and tanked the program.   Emily Carosone - a superstar on those teams - is now on CMD's staff.  I know it won't happen, but would really like to hear her perspective on what's different with this team/coaching staff and why they can't seem to achieve greatness like she experienced with Myers.

[WarEagle 1969 4]

37 minutes ago, Golden Eagle said:

The hat is fine.  He's fair-skinned and the job requires him to be in midday sun a lot so a hat with a wide brim is appropriate.  The issue is softball.  CMD has been fairly successful in recruiting talented players, and finding some hidden gems like Tresvik,  but his teams have under-performed at Auburn.   As others have stated, we should play at least a few highly-ranked teams very early in the season - well before the start of SEC play - to get a true assessment of the team's strengths and weaknesses.  And then addresses the weaknesses.  What I don't understand is why they can't seem to adjust to great pitchers the second time through the lineup (like great teams do) and HIT THE BALL.  Like GA Tech did against Maddie Penta.  When they do get on base, they (or CMD) make bad base-running decisions that result in outs and compound our offensive woes.  If a catcher has demonstrated that they have a strong, accurate arm and an ability to throw out a runner...maybe don't keep trying to steal bases unless there's a passed ball or some other circumstance that increases the odds of success.

I've read/seen multiple interviews with Kasey Cooper, Emily Carosone, Tiffany Howard, etc, over the years about how Clint Myers came in and told the team he inherited that they were going to OKC.  He didn't say that AU would go to OKC in 4-5 years once he brought in his own players.  He told the team he inherited.  They thought he was delusional.  But he made them believe in themselves, made them work hard, and delivered results no one could have anticipated.  Too bad he covered for his wayward son, created a very bad situation for the team and the university, and tanked the program.   Emily Carosone - a superstar on those teams - is now on CMD's staff.  I know it won't happen, but would really like to hear her perspective on what's different with this team/coaching staff and why they can't seem to achieve greatness like she experienced with Myers.

At least wear a wide brimmed hat that has the school's logo on it. 

[OlderWhiskey 954]

Golden Eagle is spot on.  In case anyone forgot, Myers took the team to the World Series the second year he was here.  This is Dean's sixth year, and we have yet to get to a super regional. What he has to do is make these girls care about winning. Most of them don't, in my opinion.

Edited March 9, 2023 by OlderWhiskey

[AU1947 157]

3 hours ago, WarEagle 1969 said:

At least wear a wide brimmed hat that has the school's logo on it. 

He was wearing an AU hat that had more of a brim and all the way around prior to the "want to be Crocodile Dundee" hat he wears now...

 

Bottom line is you play better opponents to get better.... play weaker opponents to pad your stats! We are playing Weber, JSU, ASU, and Troy late in the season with is 3 of those 7 wins. We may steal one here or the but with UGA, UF, UA, LSU, OK, NW, Ole Kiss, Mizzou and Miss St... We may win 7 more games.  Predicting a 500 record this season... hope I am wrong ...

[AU1947 157]

1 hour ago, OlderWhiskey said:

Golden Eagle is spot on.  In case anyone forgot, Myers took the team to the World Series the second year he was here.  This is Dean's sixth year, and we have yet to get to a super regional. What he has to do is make these girls care about winning. Most of them don't, in my opinion.

He HAS and HAS HAD the talent to win!! The girls I am sure want to win as nobody at that level likes to  lose.... but it is hard to overcome bad coaching in both games and practice, and of course the errors line up 

Edited March 9, 2023 by AU1947

[WarEagle 1969 4]

CMD doesn't develop his players. Look at all the top teams and you will see coaches willing to play (pitch) all their players to give them some game reps and hopefully build some confidence.  Crocodile Dundee, just goes with his main 2 and has short leashes for the rest of them. That has been his MO since he came to the plains.  He is not a high level coach.  Yes he knows pitching but there is so much more to softball than that at this level.   He can't consistently beat teams that have equal or better talent.  Another season of being near the bottom of the SEC is upcoming.

[Mikey 16,638]

20 hours ago, Golden Eagle said:

I've read/seen multiple interviews with Kasey Cooper, Emily Carosone, Tiffany Howard, etc, over the years about how Clint Myers came in and told the team he inherited that they were going to OKC.  He didn't say that AU would go to OKC in 4-5 years once he brought in his own players.  He told the team he inherited.  They thought he was delusional.  But he made them believe in themselves, made them work hard, and delivered results no one could have anticipated.

That magic that Clint Myers wrought at Auburn is, in my long experience of observing many sports, un matched. That he accomplished what he did is mind boggling. The end was a great tragedy, but nothing can change the fact that Clint took the proverbial sow's ear and fashioned it into a silk purse. I doubt that any of us will see the like of that again in any sport.

[AUBwins 10,075]

 

I have been dying at this back and forth between the Ellis sisters.  Emily played for Houston and talking trash about the upcoming AUB/HOU game.  Emily has tons of pics of Bri she keeps releasing.  Blackmail material lol.

[Big Fat Barner 143]

We suck. 

[AU1947 157]

45 minutes ago, Big Fat Barner said:

We suck. 

Just squeaked a win from a team that has been run ruled by the following and some on more than one occasion: WSU was run ruled by Arkansas, Arizona, Nebraska, UNLV, Grand Canyon, Utah Tech, & California State University Northridge (CSUN) 

 

We will end up in the bottom of the SEC playing the playing in game with a .500 overall record. 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by AU1947

[Jad0003 411]

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. 

[Big Fat Barner 143]

19 minutes ago, Jad0003 said:

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. 

I think we need to lose Dean. We hired Lenti in 2021 as our hitting coach. Dean is the problem. 

[Big Fat Barner 143]

1 minute ago, Big Fat Barner said:

I think we need to lose Dean. We hired Lenti in 2021 as our hitting coach. Dean is the problem. 

They can both go actually. This offense is atrocious. 

[AU1947 157]

3 minutes ago, Big Fat Barner said:

I think we need to lose Dean. We hired Lenti in 2021 as our hitting coach. Dean is the problem. 

 

1 minute ago, Big Fat Barner said:

They can both go actually. This offense is atrocious. 

They ALL need to go as the team and the program are getting gradually worse and playing a weak nonconference schedule year in and out is NOT helping any of them but CMDs numbers ... Couldn't get 1 run with 2 lead off hits... out of the bottom of the order at that... not sure we could hit a barn at this point...... 

[Jad0003 411]

7 minutes ago, Big Fat Barner said:

I think we need to lose Dean. We hired Lenti in 2021 as our hitting coach. Dean is the problem. 

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. 

[AU1947 157]

10 minutes ago, Jad0003 said:

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. 

Didn't they hire or bring in a hitting instructor slash evaluator last year named Ken Brooke? I remember several post and articles related to both Lenti, Carisone, and this guy working hitting... CMD may be a good pitching coach and he is also the boss and hasn't made changes thus far....

Edited March 17, 2023 by AU1947