Fall softball

#51
#51
I don't see McClain hitting 2nd in the lineup. I think Holcomb has the best shot at that spot. Though just a freshman last year, she had a slightly higher batting average than McClain, better slugging percentage and struck out fewer times (10 vs. 23 for McClain). They are similar in style, to be sure, but think Holcomb offers a bit more potential in that spot.

This team a few potential problem areas. One will be right-hand hitting. We have very little of it and thus the lineup is very unbalanced. The right-hand hitters we do have were all reserves last year with the exception of Lockman, who is not shown herself to be a good hitter...yet (being optimistic with the 'yet').

Another issue is a lack of power. I haven't checked the numbers but I'm guessing we had our lowest home run total in many years last year. In the tournament, when you are facing excellent pitching, it gets hard to put together three or more hits and score runs whereas as you can win a tight game with one timely blast over the wall--and you see that, quite often.

Finally, our 5-8 hitters were pretty anemic last year. That will have to change if the Vols want to challenge for a national title. Seggern definitely showed some potential, and I'm hoping that both Lockman and Weimer improve at the plate this year. They are right-hand hitters and will probably play quite a bit. The Vols absolutely need to get better hitting out of whoever is in the bottom half of the lineup. Last year we were outstanding 1-4 and fairly lousy 5-8, with McClain slapping in the 9 hole.
 
#52
#52
I would like to see them move Leach to second or third in the order and let her quit slapping. She has a lot more power than one would expect and is far better hitting behind Holcomb than Holcomb hitting behind her.
I keep thinking Seggern could develop into a power hitter and no reason on Earth that Lockman shouldn't hit for power she is an enigma.
 
#53
#53
Volfan2012 said:
I would like to see them move Leach to second or third in the order and let her quit slapping. She has a lot more power than one would expect and is far better hitting behind Holcomb than Holcomb hitting behind her.
I keep thinking Seggern could develop into a power hitter and no reason on Earth that Lockman shouldn't hit for power she is an enigma.
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Seggern is locked in at 3rd and she has to hit for us to be successful. If lockman is the catcher she has to hit as well. Too big and strong to whiff all the time. If she don't hit she don't play. I really think the catcher position is the key to this teams success. First base is the final key in my mind and hopefully the best hitter over there plays! Overall our pitching will be better and speed is better as well. We are strong up the middle as is required if catcher works out well defensively. Brooke at first would be my guess and she can hit. JMHO:)
 
#54
#54
volsoftballdad said:
Update on Lee, Lipscomb, Chipola and Chattanooga State.

We won all 5 games easily with Chipola putting up a fight in the first five innings of game 1 of a double header. We played Chipola a double header due to weather cancelling the Sunday game. Chipola really the only game worth a little more detail. They had good pitching, defense and were loaded with fast slappers who when they got on were stealing and very aggressive base runners. Chipola is a JUCO and always a national contender who beat Miss State this fall. Their pitcher has apparently signed with Alabama and kept our big hitters off balance. We were down 2-4 in the bottom of the fifth when Ralph countered with 7 slappers in a row and scored 6 runs. From then on we pulled away with a win at 12-4. Game 2 went better for us after taking the fight out of them in game 1.

All the other games wound up a blowout or we turned off the scoreboard.

One thing to note, in the fall pitchers along with other positions are working on new techniques. What you see on the field is really not what you would see in the regular season. The piching we are facing can make some batters look better than they really are and make good batters look bad.

Pitching:

Matty: Continues to dominate with exceptional speed and placement.
Caylan: Speed increasing and does a great job keeping batters off balance. Did tweak her back a little but is OK.
Gabby: Improving, Freshmen jitters going away and working on new techniques.

Overall Gabby will see as much as she can handle early in the spring to have a 1 2 3 rotation and keep them all rested and healthy. If not a 1 2 3 rotation then at least she will make a good reliever till she improves.

Catchers:

Abby, Katie, Haley and Amanda all rotating in and out with each one having a different drawback. None of them are the "total package". Look for the best hitter to see most of the catching time.

Infield:

First base up for grabs with Freshmen Ashley Morgan seeing the most time. Have also seen Abby, Katie, Amanda and Haley over there. I would say it is Ashley's to lose but I suspect a lot of rotation. But then Brooke is hurt.

Outfield:

CJ's arm has center sewed up and has looked good in the number 2 spot of the lineup several times. Left and right still open with Jena in left and Amanda in right getting the most playing time but Brooke is hurt. I suspect you wil see a lot of rotation in left and right all year.

DH:

Abby, Scarlet, Amanda and Katie have seen a lot of time but Brooke is hurt.

Overall:

The team is loaded with talent and speed everywhere, all could start at the top level at any top 25 D1 school. With Brooke coming back in the spring there will be some hard decisions at DH, first base and right field. Scarlet has seen some time in left and DH and has hit well. Hayley (2), Meghan (3), and Chelsea (GS) are hitting homers and putting the ball deep consistently. Slappers, starters and bench players looking exceptional top to bottom with the addition of India helping them. They have produced the most hits and runs. From what I have seen Amanda is going to play somewhere every game unless something changes drastically. Team has the potential to put a different lineup in at any time to confuse or matchup with other teams. Will see.

Injuries:

Brooke Vines - Labrium
Savannah Huffstetler - ACL
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Very,very much appreciated and look forward to your future input.
 
#55
#55
Volfan2012 said:
I would like to see them move Leach to second or third in the order and let her quit slapping. She has a lot more power than one would expect and is far better hitting behind Holcomb than Holcomb hitting behind her.
I keep thinking Seggern could develop into a power hitter and no reason on Earth that Lockman shouldn't hit for power she is an enigma.
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Yea, switching Holcomb and Leach is a pretty good idea--if Holcomb can get her on-base percentage up to around Leach's level. (Holcomb was .409 last year compared to .467 or Leach.) Leach is an excellent leadoff hitter--draws a lot of walks and is, as you say, a good all-around hitter with some pop. Certainly worth a try, I should think....
 
#56
#56
The addition of India chiles for these slappers is huge! She teaches not only normal slapping but all the slapping including power slapping!
 
#57
#57
LADY VOLS vs CARSON NEWMAN AND LOOKING AHEAD

DEFENSE:

Matty pitched and was dominating with maybe only a couple hits and walks through five. Gabby pitched 2 innings had some control issues that resulted in their lone run scoring. She settled in and struck out quite a few with only a couple of walks. The surprise pitcher of the day was Ashley with 2 solid innings to close.

Haley was the primary catcher with Ashley primary on first. Jena and Sheridan rotated in and out of left with Amanda primary in right. Others seeing action, Abby one at catcher and one at first, had some dropped balls at first which appeared to be more of a glove not player issue. Katie also played first one inning. Scarlet played a little right and SS giving Meghan a break. Brooke L. had a couple of innings at second. Tianna had a couple in center.

OFFENSE:

Sluggish start through first four innings coupled by some good defense by CN. Aubrey led off the first inning with a hard shot up the middle but the SS made a great play and threw her out at first. Jena walked, then was thrown out stealing second on first pitch to Meghan. Meghan and Chelsea walked and advanced to second and third on a passed ball then Ashley struck out. This is how it went through first four innings with CN making some good defensive plays to stifle us. Our lone run through four innings came in the second when Haley put one over the left field wall for a solo HR. We blew it open in the fifth when Haley blasted a Grand Slam to right-center. We kept on pounding them with 5 more runs in the sixth and a final score of 12-1. We pulled up after six and were not taking extra bases and such, so we could have scored more. Beside the 2 HR's and one double we had a lot of singles and walks, this could be attributed to the pitching though.

Notables:

Aubrey - couple of singles and a SB
Meghan - 2 singles 2 walks. Pitched around her.
CJ went 3-3 (singles) with a SB
Haley HR and a GS
Chelsea batting fourth with a single and a double
Sheridan 2-2 (singles) 2 SB's
Amanda 2-3 (singles)

DEFENSE OVERALL FOR FALL AND LOOKING AHEAD:

Haley appears to be the front runner for starting catcher. Ashley was the front runner at first this fall, but Brooke V. is hurt. While Ashley is probably a better first baseman than Brooke V., Brooke V. is by far a better hitter. Rest of the infield is set from last year. CJ had a great fall, centerfield is hers. Jena had a solid fall and will be in left but expect some rotation from Scarlett and Sheridan. Amanda will probably be in right with rotation from Scarlett and Tianna. Brooke V. could also pop up from time to time in right along with Cailin. Overall our weak link is catcher.

PITCHING:

Matty and Caylan look solid, with just those two we were one game away from the big show last year. Gabby will provide the rest they need to have more pop at the end of the year and push us to the WS. Gabby is improving and looking good but will have a short leash. You may see Ashley more in a closing role when we are way ahead, she could wind up as a Rainey Gaffin type player.

OFFENSE OVERALL FOR FALL AND LOOKING AHEAD:

No right handed hitting. Scarlet leading the right handers easily. Abby and Katie given a lot of opportunities with minimal results. Caylan did hit once during the fall but I do not expect her to do that often. Savannah could be the dark horse as now they can afford to use her with Brooke L. a backup infield addition. Still we will not scare anyone from the right.

Left side looking great providing all the power and speed. Meghan, Chelsea and Haley providing the power in the fall with Ashley coming along good for a freshman. I expect Brooke V. to be more of a power hitter in the spring but still slapping to keep the defense off balance. Aubrey also can provide the power but will be a situational hitter doing whatever is required (bunt slap or hit). CJ had a phenomenal fall, much improved at the plate and looks real comfortable slapping. Jena steady as usual with her best weapon a sneaky bunt. Amanda had a good fall primarily slapped but can hit for power. With the addition of India along with the starters Sheridan, Tianna, Cailin, Brooke and Treasury all slapping well. India will make an impact, with the lack of right side hitting expect a much faster game than last year.
 
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#58
#58
volsoftballdad said:
LADY VOLS vs CARSON NEWMAN AND LOOKING AHEAD

DEFENSE:

Matty pitched and was dominating with maybe only a couple hits and walks through five. Gabby pitched 2 innings had some control issues that resulted in their lone run scoring. She settled in and struck out quite a few with only a couple of walks. The surprise pitcher of the day was Ashley with 2 solid innings to close.

Haley was the primary catcher with Ashley primary on first. Jena and Sheridan rotated in and out of left with Amanda primary in right. Others seeing action, Abby one at catcher and one at first, had some dropped balls at first which appeared to be more of a glove not player issue. Katie also played first one inning. Scarlet played a little right and SS giving Meghan a break. Brooke L. had a couple of innings at second. Tianna had a couple in center.

OFFENSE:

Sluggish start through first four innings coupled by some good defense by CN. Aubrey led off the first inning with a hard shot up the middle but the SS made a great play and threw her out at first. Jena walked, then was thrown out stealing second on first pitch to Meghan. Meghan and Chelsea walked and advanced to second and third on a passed ball then Ashley struck out. This is how it went through first four innings with CN making some good defensive plays to stifle us. Our lone run through four innings came in the second when Haley put one over the left field wall for a solo HR. We blew it open in the fifth when Haley blasted a Grand Slam to right-center. We kept on pounding them with 5 more runs in the sixth and a final score of 12-1. We pulled up after six and were not taking extra bases and such, so we could have scored more. Beside the 2 HR's and one double we had a lot of singles and walks, this could be attributed to the pitching though.

Notables:

Aubrey - couple of singles and a SB
Meghan - 2 singles 2 walks. Pitched around her.
CJ went 3-3 (singles) with a SB
Haley HR and a GS
Chelsea batting fourth with a single and a double
Sheridan 2-2 (singles) 2 SB's
Amanda 2-3 (singles)

DEFENSE OVERALL FOR FALL AND LOOKING AHEAD:

Haley appears to be the front runner for starting catcher. Ashley was the front runner at first this fall, but Brooke V. is hurt. While Ashley is probably a better first baseman than Brooke V., Brooke V. is by far a better hitter. Rest of the infield is set from last year. CJ had a great fall, centerfield is hers. Jena had a solid fall and will be in left but expect some rotation from Scarlett and Sheridan. Amanda will probably be in right with rotation from Scarlett and Tianna. Brooke V. could also pop up from time to time in right along with Cailin. Overall our weak link is catcher.

PITCHING:

Matty and Caylan look solid, with just those two we were one game away from the big show last year. Gabby will provide the rest they need to have more pop at the end of the year and push us to the WS. Gabby is improving and looking good but will have a short leash. You may see Ashley more in a closing role when we are way ahead, she could wind up as a Rainey Gaffin type player.

OFFENSE OVERALL FOR FALL AND LOOKING AHEAD:

No right handed hitting. Scarlet leading the right handers easily. Abby and Katie given a lot of opportunities with minimal results. Caylan did hit once during the fall but I do not expect her to do that often. Savannah could be the dark horse as now they can afford to use her with Brooke L. a backup infield addition. Still we will not scare anyone from the right.

Left side looking great providing all the power and speed. Meghan, Chelsea and Haley providing the power in the fall with Ashley coming along good for a freshman. I expect Brooke V. to be more of a power hitter in the spring but still slapping to keep the defense off balance. Aubrey also can provide the power but will be a situational hitter doing whatever is required (bunt slap or hit). CJ had a phenomenal fall, much improved at the plate and looks real comfortable slapping. Jena steady as usual with her best weapon a sneaky bunt. Amanda had a good fall primarily slapped but can hit for power. With the addition of India along with the starters Sheridan, Tianna, Cailin, Brooke and Treasury all slapping well. India will make an impact, with the lack of right side hitting expect a much faster game than last year.
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Thanks for keeping us updated. I have followed the LVs forever and I truly feel last year our weak spot was the catcher position and also felt this next class it will be as well. We can cover up somewhat there if Haley or who ever can hit and will. Ralph has let us get in a bad shape with the RH hand hitters and some being no fault of his own. I think if someone will come up strong and I expect Brooke will continue to do that at first we will be a better overall team Gabby will make a huge difference I believe and if Ashley can help as well. Never have enough Rainey type players.
Glad to have you aboard!! Must be a freshman father that will have a long history of posting. Sometimes on here you need a little thick skin because most are die hard fans!:):):loco::loco:
 
#59
#59
We should have a good team--natch--but not sold on bottom half of our lineup. A lot of kids look good in the fall against Podunk U, but not the same as SEC pitching in the spring. I frankly cannot see us making a serious title run with a lineup of 8+ left-hand hitters. A lot of teams have left-hand pitching nowadays--and the productivity of our lineup will fall signficantly when we face a good one. To name one example: McClain she struck out a lot last year against lefties, as I recall. Recall, too, that we were knocked out of the postseason two years ago by a lefty from Arizona. And come SEC tournament and the NCAA, you can bet that opposing managers will throw their left-handers against us. We will be hell on right-hand pitchers but vulnerable to good left-handers.
 
#60
#60
armchair said:
We should have a good team--natch--but not sold on bottom half of our lineup. A lot of kids look good in the fall against Podunk U, but not the same as SEC pitching in the spring. I frankly cannot see us making a serious title run with a lineup of 8+ left-hand hitters. A lot of teams have left-hand pitching nowadays--and the productivity of our lineup will fall signficantly when we face a good one. To name one example: McClain she struck out a lot last year against lefties, as I recall. Recall, too, that we were knocked out of the postseason two years ago by a lefty from Arizona. And come SEC tournament and the NCAA, you can bet that opposing managers will throw their left-handers against us. We will be hell on right-hand pitchers but vulnerable to good left-handers.
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Oregon made the WCWS last year with a predominantly left-handed non-home run hitting team last year it can be done!
 
#63
#63
Have to believe that pitching will be better with two having another season of experience. The question marks still the same and should have asked the coaches about the catching position and first base. Those two positions have to hit more that we got last season.
 
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#64
#64
The coaches said Morgan is playing first and that she is an excellent fielder, so there we are. I was glad to hear that our many left-hand hitters are seeing left-hand pitching in practice--from Sprang and a graduate assistant. That will help a little.
 
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#65
#65
armchair said:
The coaches said Morgan is playing first and that she is an excellent fielder, so there we are. I was glad to hear that our many left-hand hitters are seeing left-hand pitching in practice--from Sprang and a graduate assistant. That will help a little.
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And from all indications Bearden will man the catchers position until someone starts to out hit her!:thud:
 
#67
#67
Volfan2012 said:
I have high hopes for Bearden although she had a bad season last year.
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Me to! If she can finish that strong up the middle spot as a left hand catcher and hit we will be much better than last year. Lefty catchers can do well when athletic. Not sure that Bearden is what one would call athletic and she is rather tall but if she can hit we can overlook the defense a little bit!:eek:lol:
 
#68
#68
I'm not sold on Bearden at all. She hit .216 last year--that's worse than Lockman--and she's not as good a catcher. She is big but didn't show any power last year and is slow. She's also yet another left-handed hitter when we need right-hand hitters. I'm not trying to knock her--just offering facts. I'm not sure why the coaches would think she's an improvement. I suspect that both will play and the one that hits better will get more starts.
 
#69
#69
armchair said:
I'm not sold on Bearden at all. She hit .216 last year--that's worse than Lockman--and she's not as good a catcher. She is big but didn't show any power last year and is slow. She's also yet another left-handed hitter when we need right-hand hitters. I'm not trying to knock her--just offering facts. I'm not sure why the coaches would think she's an improvement. I suspect that both will play and the one that hits better will get more starts.
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I hear that she has shown more power this fall than in the past, however SEC play is a different animal. I thought Lockman got every chance to pick up the position by hitting and she just could not hit. Righty or not she will have to prove her worth for me. We might as well give up on recruiting good right hand hitters for Ralph. I looks like it aint going to happen. We both have asked for years and still none.:mf_surrender::mf_surrender::mf_surrender:
 
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#70
#70
It appears that we have lost one of our 2018 recruits. We had commitments from two southern California shortstops for next year. One was Mikayla Allee, from Norco High and Southern Cal Athletics, and the other was Kaitlin Parsons, from Los Alamitos High and the Firecrackers club team. Powerhouse high school and club teams. It was a little bit odd to have commitments from two shortstops from rival schools--I think they are rivals--but we certainly need a shortstop next year to take over from Gregg. (Do we have a legit SS on the roster now other than Gregg?))

Both Allee and Parsons are athletic and good defensively. Allee seemed slightly the better prospect to me as she is, I think, a regular hitter and was at one time ranked in the 170 range. She hit a home run in the southern California high school title game last spring. Parsons is speedy but more of a slap hitter, from what I gather.

In any case, Allee last month announced that she had committed to Ole Miss, after visiting that SEC school. I can only assume that she decided that two shortstops in one class was one too many. So Parsons looks to be our shortshop of the near future. She should be a good addition--and maybe a very good addition.

Nobody, sadly, is going to fill Gregg's shoes--and a bit scary to think of the Vols without her. To say we've been spoiled at the shortstop position would be an understatement: In Gregg and Maddy Shipman, we've had back-to-back All Americans and legit player of the year contenders. Third time's a charm?
 
#71
#71
armchair said:
The coaches said Morgan is playing first and that she is an excellent fielder, so there we are. I was glad to hear that our many left-hand hitters are seeing left-hand pitching in practice--from Sprang and a graduate assistant. That will help a little.
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i played 1st miami-florida 92-96 n mom was world class womens slow-pitch 1st baseman n she said 1st very important postion.i liked what i saw from her cause 1st should be able stop n catch whatever thrown at you n streatching for ball extremely important at 1st
 
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#72
#72
The Tennessee softball program went a perfect 8-0 in fall ball during the months of September and October, a slate of contests in which both junior Haley Bearden and sophomore Chelsea Seggern recorded double-digit RBIs. Bearden led the Lady Vols with 12 RBIs over those eight games, going 7-for-20 at the plate and hitting four home runs to lead the team. Seggern drove in 10 runs, hit four doubles and stole two bases. Senior Meghan Gregg hit two home runs for Tennessee and led the way with 13 runs scored.

Senior CJ McClain scored 12 runs, while also going 19-for-25 at the plate for a team-best .760. She led five Lady Vols who hit .400 or better over those eight games; junior Aubrey Leach hit .457 (16-for-35), while freshman Amanda Ayala was 9-for-20 (.450) and sophomore Jenna Holcomb was 8-for-18 (.444).
Tennessee Goes Undefeated in Fall Ball - University of Tennessee Athletics
 
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#73
#73
According to Flosoftball, UT has #1 recruiting class for 2018. Format of the list is bad, but the summary is Weekly's continue to prove they are the best coaches on campus. Also, should be noted that Duke is #13 on the list - they don't have a softball team this year, program starts next year and will start with a top 15 recruiting class.


Ranking University Points # of players Top 200 Player Rankings
1 Tennessee 1096 8 x's: 2, 12, 42, 61, 68, 71, 121, 135
2 UCLA 1003 6 x's: 1, 15, 17, 24, 40, 106
3 Florida 908 6 x's: 8, 26, 46, 49, 51, 116
4 Oklahoma 803 5 x's: 6, 13, 31, 62, 90
5 Oregon 767 6 x's: 10, 11, 73, 27, 96, 176
6 Oklahoma State 732 7 x's: 65, 29, 82, 111, 118, 128, 142
7 Michigan 722 5 x's: 18, 21, 28, 58, 158
8 LSU 624 5 x's: 9, 16, 56, 131, 170
T-9 Alabama 617 4 x's: 3, 7, 63, 114
T-9 Northwestern 617 5 x's: 25, 44, 45, 115, 159
11 Auburn 527 4 x's: 36, 47, 53, 141
12 Florida State 505 5 x's: 5, 12, 136, 152, 195
13 Duke 500 5 x's: 54, 64, 80, 145, 162
14 South Carolina 478 4 x's: 43, 77, 86, 120
15 Texas A&M 472 6 x's: 4, 74, 148, 154, 172, 181
16 Utah 471 5 x's: 52, 93, 112, 126, 151
17 Stanford 436 5 x's: 38, 95, 99, 149, 188
18 Arizona 417 4 x's: 57, 75, 125, 130
T-19 Georgia 375 3 x's: 69, 78, 81
T-19 Notre Dame 375 3 x's: 29, 92, 107
 
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