Softball 2023-24 Offseason & Recruiting Thread

[WarTiger 3,910]

10 hours ago, Big Fat Barner said:

This. Dean should be playing with a fire under him. Surely he doesn’t feel good with his record at auburn thus far. He’s been riding the hot seat for a little while now; one would think he’d be doing whatever it takes to get talked about. But he just seems like an old man who doesn’t know what the younger generation wants these days. (They want the props, the backgrounds, the media to talk about them contending). I just wish we had a coach that had some fire in them. 

Maybe in your eyes he is.  We all know you don't like Dean, but a 3rd place finish in the toughest softball league in the country is NOT going to put you on the hotseat with anybody that makes decisions in the athletic department.   That's just the way it is and the way it should be.   We all wanted more success in post season play and we are all disappointed in the key players that have left the program, but you come here making making absolute statements about why a certain player left when you have no idea what the entirety of the situation is.  It's you making stuff up to justify getting rid of Dean (which isn't going to happen after a 3rd place finish in the SEC)

I do believe we need to go out and find a solid hitting coach.  It evident we struggle mightily at the plate when we get to SEC play.  Thst has to change to get back to being a WCWS contender.  

[TD1 229]

12 hours ago, RedDirtFan said:

 I feel like the program is on a holding pattern while Football and Basketball are remedied (morse football). They are finally remodeling the locker room and abating the mold, but that’s it. I don’t want to take away from Baseball, but I’ve heard they are getting new facilities? Plainsman Park is amazing as is. Softball is not getting the mindshare right now. 

I've never been to any of the other softball fields in the leagues. What upgrades would you recommend to ours? I wonder if they'll make some improvements before we host the SEC championship next year. 

Edited June 27, 2023 by TD1

[RedDirtFan 39]

39 minutes ago, TD1 said:

I've never been to any of the other softball fields in the leagues. What upgrades would you recommend to ours? I wonder if they'll make some improvements before we host the SEC championship next year. 

I don’t see anything happening before the SEC Tournament.  
 

Improvements I see at other parks are not necessarily the stadium itself, although I have seen some big ballpark experiences that are nice, like a few luxury boxes or a club level area. The improvements for the players include a pitching/hitting lab, dedicated facilities (meeting rooms, state of the art recovery/training rooms, etc). A comprehensive flow and design for the player is what you need to attract the top talent.

 

I’m curious about the plan Myers had for the facility mentioned on this thread. Maybe we spent all of that on settlements. 

[TigerPAC 967]

2 hours ago, WarTiger said:

Maybe in your eyes he is.  We all know you don't like Dean, but a 3rd place finish in the toughest softball league in the country is NOT going to put you on the hotseat with anybody that makes decisions in the athletic department.   That's just the way it is and the way it should be.   We all wanted more success in post season play and we are all disappointed in the key players that have left the program, but you come here making making absolute statements about why a certain player left when you have no idea what the entirety of the situation is.  It's you making stuff up to justify getting rid of Dean (which isn't going to happen after a 3rd place finish in the SEC)

I do believe we need to go out and find a solid hitting coach.  It evident we struggle mightily at the plate when we get to SEC play.  Thst has to change to get back to being a WCWS contender.  

I "think" what most feel is the trajectory/buzz, or lack thereof.  CMD doesn't seem very public and exciting in and of himself; and, not all coaches need to be that way.  after the mountain Myers shot us up, the plateau of recent is somewhat disappointing.  comparing to other AU sports:

football--CHF.  new energy, new attitude, recruiting up

baseball--CBT.  2 CWS in past few years, battles with roster limitations, vocal 

basketball--CBP.  final 4.  all over the place publicly, liked by everyone.   earned his stripes

[Big Fat Barner 143]

4 hours ago, WarTiger said:

Maybe in your eyes he is.  We all know you don't like Dean, but a 3rd place finish in the toughest softball league in the country is NOT going to put you on the hotseat with anybody that makes decisions in the athletic department.   That's just the way it is and the way it should be.   We all wanted more success in post season play and we are all disappointed in the key players that have left the program, but you come here making making absolute statements about why a certain player left when you have no idea what the entirety of the situation is.  It's you making stuff up to justify getting rid of Dean (which isn't going to happen after a 3rd place finish in the SEC)

I do believe we need to go out and find a solid hitting coach.  It evident we struggle mightily at the plate when we get to SEC play.  Thst has to change to get back to being a WCWS contender.  

I can’t think of one other person who actually believes that Dean has the potential to accomplish more. He has reached his ceiling. A third place finish that was poorly measured due to 9 of our 15 conference wins coming from the bottom four teams in the conference. Let’s not kid ourselves. Dean’s tenure at Auburn has been abysmal. This program deserves better. We will never be a WCWS contender with Dean; even Bri Ellis’s mother says we have no chance and her family members have been seen liking tweets criticizing the coaching staff. But overall this is just a forum, where people can express their OWN opinions. I expressed mine and you expressed yours. Good day and war eagle. 

[RedDirtFan 39]

4 hours ago, WarTiger said:

Maybe in your eyes he is.  We all know you don't like Dean, but a 3rd place finish in the toughest softball league in the country is NOT going to put you on the hotseat with anybody that makes decisions in the athletic department.   That's just the way it is and the way it should be.   We all wanted more success in post season play and we are all disappointed in the key players that have left the program, but you come here making making absolute statements about why a certain player left when you have no idea what the entirety of the situation is.  It's you making stuff up to justify getting rid of Dean (which isn't going to happen after a 3rd place finish in the SEC)

I do believe we need to go out and find a solid hitting coach.  It evident we struggle mightily at the plate when we get to SEC play.  Thst has to change to get back to being a WCWS contender.  

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

[Jad0003 411]

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.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Jad0003

[AUBwins 10,075]

33 minutes ago, Jad0003 said:

DJ Gasso is the new hitting coach at Arkansas. 

I do think a new hitting coach is needed though.

Yep.  Arky got serious!

[AU1947 157]

On 6/26/2023 at 11:42 PM, blakem said:

I believe the last season under Coach Myers we have a complete master plan done with renderings for softball field upgrades. I wonder what happened to those.

Maybe they were "Deaned" unnecessary....   😆 

Edited June 28, 2023 by AU1947

[LPTiger 5,167]

Dean is a solid coach, but he is not elite.    In 17 seasons, he has been to ONE super regional.

[Jad0003 411]

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

[Big Fat Barner 143]

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? 

[Jad0003 411]

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. 

[RedDirtFan 39]

2 hours ago, Jad0003 said:

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

The last day to enter the portal was the 28th, the University has 48 hours to disclose. An athlete has until the first day of class to enroll and sign (Icess signed right before classes in 2022). We shouldn't see any more enter the portal and we can still see some join the team.

There was a period between semesters where athletes could transfer, but I *think* that has been eliminated.

[blakem 296]

Everyone should check out Carlee McCondichie’s tweet about our program. It’s very interesting and sad to me.

[Big Fat Barner 143]

Carlee McCondichie speaks out against the auburn softball program. I support her every word and sympathize with her. I have been anti-Dean for quite some time and now I am just plain angry with him.

[Big Fat Barner 143]

Furthermore, here is a reply that both Carlee McCondichie and Denver Bryant’s mother liked:

i want to know where the Dean supporters now?

[AUSRB 25]

I always liked Carlee and maybe she should have had appearance on senior day but she hit .154 in SEC play this year.  Im not a big Dean supporter or distractor but it is his job to put the best players on the field that he thinks will help the team win.  Carlee hit a midseason slump and just never came out of it.  

[Big Fat Barner 143]

20 minutes ago, AUSRB said:

I always liked Carlee and maybe she should have had appearance on senior day but she hit .154 in SEC play this year.  Im not a big Dean supporter or distractor but it is his job to put the best players on the field that he thinks will help the team win.  Carlee hit a midseason slump and just never came out of it.  

While i agree that Carlee was in a slump, i think the message of her tweets are meant to shed a light on the state of uneasiness and discomfort within the program. When you have former players and mothers calling for Dean’s firing, it does not reflect well on the program nor the university. Not to mention the SIX people that transferred from the university (which is more than any other SEC school). 

[RedDirtFan 39]

2 hours ago, Big Fat Barner said:

While i agree that Carlee was in a slump, i think the message of her tweets are meant to shed a light on the state of uneasiness and discomfort within the program. When you have former players and mothers calling for Dean’s firing, it does not reflect well on the program nor the university. Not to mention the SIX people that transferred from the university (which is more than any other SEC school). 

I think Carlee got a fair shot at 2B and Roach won that position in the end. 
 

Carlee’s tweets are very telling about how Dean has lost the respect of the players. I wonder how the rest of the players that left feel? They have too much to risk to go on record. Same for former hitting coach Ken. 

[Mikey 16,640]

I don't think Dean ever liked Carlee. There were times, particularly in the 2022 season when she had the highest batting average on the squad and still batted last. His handling of her never made any sense to me. It seemed that the only explanation for the way Dean managed Carlee was that they had a personality clash.

[Big Fat Barner 143]

8 minutes ago, Mikey said:

I don't think Dean ever liked Carlee. There were times, particularly in the 2022 season when she had the highest batting average on the squad and still batted last. His handling of her never made any sense to me. It seemed that the only explanation for the way Dean managed Carlee was that they had a personality clash.

Which is awful. I believe he did the same thing to Carmyn Greenwood (in 2019) who went on to be a two-time 1st teamer at Louisville. 

[TD1 229]

Another tweet...

[Big Fat Barner 143]

5 minutes ago, TD1 said:

Another tweet...

Came here to post the same thing. I am telling y’all this is bigger than playing time. Dean has lost these players and can’t win games!! Why are we holding on to him? It. Makes. No. Sense. 

[Tiger1992 999]

Bri posted a fairly lengthy response to this guy Tim's tweet about Carlee.