Lady Vols Softball

I frequently forget that Caliyah Thompson will be available next year. She was the freshman I was most excited about going into this past season. Will be interesting to see if she makes it into the lineup next year.

She out-hit her travel teammate Rylie West in the fall. I’m very excited to see what she can do in the lineup. Between the two of them and the new additions, I think next year’s team has the chance to have one of the most potent lineups in quite some time. The addition of a hitting coach that produced the results he did at Missouri gives me even more optimism.
 
Got recruited over

Not necessarily. She was only a freshman this year, and their incoming class only has one player that would possibly get playing time at 3B, Sophia Nugent, whose natural position is catcher, but can play the corner positions. WTBS, their incoming class is MONSTROUS but you can't really be recruited over if the players aren't going to be competing for your position.
 
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Ryleigh White from Texas. Originally committed to Tennessee but decided on Texas.
Outstanding pickup for the Lady Vols and she is 6'1" in height. She will be a sophomore in the fall. Does she get an extra year because of COVID rules? Score one for coach Karen Weekly and her pitching coach Meghan Smith.
 
She was a top 10 player coming out of HS according to a couple different lists
From what I saw from her at Texas she mostly came out of the bullpen, but she also pitched against OU, OSU, & Baylor which is good quality experience that we desperately need. She has pretty good stuff and has the capability to be a really good pitcher, but hopefully Megan can fine tune some things and she can be dependable for us.

With her addition we have 6 pitchers on our roster for next season. I think it is given that Ashley will be our ace for next season. If Ryleigh and Erin can improve under Megan’s leadership they could be our 2/3. As far as Sam if she could be more consistent with her drop and change location she could be a decent relief pitcher/midweek game type of pitcher kind of how rainey gaffin was for us in 2015. With Bailey we all know she is a midweek game pitcher, but I would like to see the coaches have a little more trust in her to start some of them just to get her experience and her confidence back. The dark house will be Nicola Simpson I have not seen enough of her to determine what her role would be.

I would love for the coaches to start some of the other pitchers during midweek games throughout the season and even start them early on in the season against some tough competition and don’t pull them when they give up a run or two. We will definitely have the offense to keep us in ballgames and the defense is improving so why not throw some of the young pitchers into the fire and see how they do early on and not just in SEC play when Ashley is tired.
 
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Outstanding pickup for the Lady Vols and she is 6'1" in height. She will be a sophomore in the fall. Does she get an extra year because of COVID rules? Score one for coach Karen Weekly and her pitching coach Meghan Smith.

To say I'm pleasantly surprised with the portal would be an understatement. Especially with White and Puni, who have three years left.
 
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From what I saw from her at Texas she mostly came out of the bullpen, but she also pitched against OU, OSU, & Baylor which is good quality experience that we desperately need. She has pretty good stuff and has the capability to be a really good pitcher, but hopefully Megan can fine tune some things and she can be dependable for us.

With her addition we have 6 pitchers on our roster for next season. I think it is given that Ashley will be our ace for next season. If Ryleigh and Erin can improve under Megan’s leadership they could be our 2/3. As far as Sam if she could be more consistent with her drop and change location she could be a decent relief pitcher/midweek game type of pitcher kind of how rainey gaffin was for us in 2015. With Bailey we all know she is a midweek game pitcher, but I would like to see the coaches have a little more trust in her to start some of them just to get her experience and her confidence back. The dark house will be Nicola Simpson I have not seen enough of her to determine what her role would be.

I would love for the coaches to start some of the other pitchers during midweek games throughout the season and even start them early on in the season against some tough competition and don’t pull them when they give up a run or two. We will definitely have the offense to keep us in ballgames and the defense is improving so why not throw some of the young pitchers into the fire and see how they do early on and not just in SEC play when Ashley is tired.
Agreed that the coaches really need to be starting others for mid week games. We can’t have Ashley so run down by postseason like she was this year. The pitcher you didn’t mention here is Pickens. Do you not expect her to have a role this season? I was thinking she would probably have a role similar or greater to Erin’s.
 
Ryleigh White from Texas. Originally committed to Tennessee but decided on Texas.
Website-Conference-Previews-15.png
 
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Get to know No. 7 Softball's Ryleigh White - University of Texas Athletics

Looks like White had some control issues this season w/ 28 walks, 15 hit batters and 14 wild pitches in just 51 innings.
2021 Softball Cumulative Statistics - University of Texas Athletics
Saw that too. Things that jump out after the initial sigh of relief to get another pitcher on board to help fill the need, depth etc.

As you mentioned, control. Committed to TN because Oregon was too far but then Coach White goes to Texas and she lands in Austin for one year. Decides to move on with limited time in the circle and come back to Knoxville with 3 years remaining. She has the physical tools, but does she have the mental competitive side in her? Megan will have the luxury of moving her up and down the rotation to find her spot.

Secondly, to me after seeing Simpson this summer they needed another proven arm. White was a take, but it comes at the expense of Bender, Maccahren and Simpson.
 
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