Tennessee Softball

Raven actually had plenty of power just not her game. Another thing she had was speed if the ball bounced more than once she was on. I will always appreciate Melissa because she battled through a lot of injuries.

Honestly a lot of the time if the ball bounced ONCE she was on. I've never seen a player get on so many times when grounding back to the pitcher. I've also never seen a player get called out so much when she was safe. Kevin used to joke about it quite a bit.

The fastest softball player I've ever seen to this date. She ran track in HS and it showed. Actually she didn't even play softball for her high school. She just played summer ball for the Batbusters and was their leadoff hitter.
 
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I actually think Raven could've had double digit HRs in most of her years at UT had she been able/allowed to swing away. I say able b/c she played all her junior year with a torn labrum that really hindered her swing. She managed to be named first team AA that year while basically bunting most of the season. It was really remarkable. She had no homers and maybe just a couple of extra base hits that year. She had like 7HR and 30 RBI her senior year which is a lot for a leadoff hitter. UT tended to have pretty week bottom of the lineup hitters in those days or I think she could've had more RBI opportunities.

Davin's dad (who used to be on this board...idk if anyone remembers him) was always pissed because she would get pulled for defensive subs. But Kat Dotson did, too, and the Weeklys tend to do the same thing to this day. She also was recruited to play the corners but wound up playing a lot in the OF because she had a strong arm and good speed, and players like Tarango could only play DP or 1B, for the most part. Melissa Brown also wound up at 1B a lot because she simply wasn't as good of an OFer as Davin. Her dad always took it as a negative that she was in the OF for some reason. He couldn't stand the fact that she would get pulled for Holly Baker late in games.
Bringing back a lot of memories. It’s nice to dream what would have happened in Monica's years with this teams hitting. It would have been glorious for sure.
 
I have no inside info but certainly got the vibe last years team was pulled down by “politics” of all sides. Of course Scarlet just left in the end. This year has a great vibe, no one knows how far we will go but they are fun to watch this year.
 
Raven one of my all time favorites and quite a beautiful young lady. Actually all the LVs were lookers on those teams for 4 years. When Aldrette came in the beauty scale went up some more. Sure wished she had not had those emotional problems due to her best friends suicide.
 
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Raven one of my all time favorites and quite a beautiful young lady. Actually all the LVs were lookers on those teams for 4 years. When Aldrette came in the beauty scale went up some more. Sure wished she had not had those emotional problems due to her best friends suicide.

I was devastated when Annie transferred.

Akamine was another beauty -- who also wound up transferring. :(
 
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I have no inside info but certainly got the vibe last years team was pulled down by “politics” of all sides. Of course Scarlet just left in the end. This year has a great vibe, no one knows how far we will go but they are fun to watch this year.
Yes and what I heard was that Scarlett's dad was the ring leader of the bitching. Something about Karen riding her like a government mule. She had more than ample chances to succeed but just did not grasp it. I never really cared much for quitters who bail on the team especially a senior at the end of the season. I do know that Scarlett is the head softball coach at Henry County High School in Paris. The former coach who was there is Osbrons dad who I was told resigned to move to Kville to watch Gracie play.
 
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Interesting that some who could have left are really helping this year. Bearden, Hannon, and Weimer now that Ally is down.
 
I actually think Raven could've had double digit HRs in most of her years at UT had she been able/allowed to swing away. I say able b/c she played all her junior year with a torn labrum that really hindered her swing. She managed to be named first team AA that year while basically bunting most of the season. It was really remarkable. She had no homers and maybe just a couple of extra base hits that year. She had like 7HR and 30 RBI her senior year which is a lot for a leadoff hitter. UT tended to have pretty week bottom of the lineup hitters in those days or I think she could've had more RBI opportunities.

Davin's dad (who used to be on this board...idk if anyone remembers him) was always pissed because she would get pulled for defensive subs. But Kat Dotson did, too, and the Weeklys tend to do the same thing to this day. She also was recruited to play the corners but wound up playing a lot in the OF because she had a strong arm and good speed, and players like Tarango could only play DP or 1B, for the most part. Melissa Brown also wound up at 1B a lot because she simply wasn't as good of an OFer as Davin. Her dad always took it as a negative that she was in the OF for some reason. He couldn't stand the fact that she would get pulled for Holly Baker late in games.

Best game batting for Raven I saw was when she bunted for hit, slapped for a hit and hit a HR in the same game. Very hard to defend that. And most people forget how great she was on defense. Took it for granted as after she left 3rd was a defensive struggle for a bit. Image if here and Stewart have a kid...it will be an amazing athlete.

As far as Davin’s dad...at some point you either trust the coaches or you transfer. As a parent of a player you can’t create dissent by going online and questioning coaches. Quit helicopter parenting and let go.

And Melissa Brown was very underrated. Her offense was not strong, but she could play any position on the field proficiently. SS is sick today? Ok, put a Brownie in that spot. Need a catcher at the end due to substitutions where you burned your other ones? There’s Brown again. CF is out for a few weeks? Stick her there. I think she played every position at least one time while here. And was not a defensive liability.
 
Yes Melissa Brown, Kat Card and Lexi Overstreet were all in that true mold of a "utility" player. I saw Brown play SS, 2B, 1B, LF and CF in her time at UT. Kat Card played RF, LF, 2B and 1B. Overstreet might've been the most versatile. Catcher, 3B, 1B and LF.

Oh and Ashley Andrews, who started out playing SS and played catcher once Shipman came in. She was great at throwing out base runners and was probably the most agile catcher I've ever seen in college softball, and she and Akamine were the best defensive catchers ever here. Andrews (and Akamine) could play 3B, too. It was so odd seeing a player who was so small like Andrews play catcher, but that was her position in HS and she did a great job in college playing it. She was really an emotional leader for us. I remember when she got ran over on that play at the plate at Auburn.

Shipman is still the best SS I've seen in softball. She, Raven and Gibson at 2B were all on the SEC defensive team in Raven and Gibson's last year.
 
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That she was and I believe it was because she lost the catchers job to Annie. I think she went to Oregon State.

Yeah she left the team like halfway through her junior year. I was told she gave up the sport but yep she wound up popping up at Oregon State. They had her playing DP and 3B some. In hindsight I wish they had kept Hannah behind the plate, because Aldrete was never that solid defensively, and Hannah was a stud at catcher on defense -- and also wasn't very quick laterally and didn't really play 3B that well. (Poor Hannah was so slow. I still remember her getting thrown out at Florida on ball hit to the OF.) And I think they wound up playing a lot of players at 3B that year. Koenig, Geer, Overstreet (the best of them all), that one player who made like 4 errors in a game against MSU that year at 3B whose name I can't remember. LOL Perkins I think was her name? I think Koenig wound up getting the most time there, but it probably should've been Overstreet, who was in the OF.
 
The good Rogers is a tremendous player she can pitch, hit and does not worry about what happened yesterday. I don't know where this team would be without her expect at least four or five more losses on our record if she is not with us. I worry about her getting injured running the bases but she is about as good a hitter as anyone we have. Bearden has far exceeded anything I thought she could do with the bat. The average went down some in the Missouri series but she was still hitting a lot of balls hard. I like all the freshmen and were really getting some great defensive play from Holcomb in the outfield.

The bad is some of the players are in huge slumps and are not doing much with the bat. Hopefully they will all get it going again in this homestand. Bearden may be the worst outfielder we've had playing in right field defensively in many years. Ayala is not much better so whomever plays there is gonna be an adventure this season. Holcomb can't figure out not stepping out of the box did it multiple times yesterday only got called out once for it but it was something she does every at bat. We need her defense in the field but don't know how long Ralph will overlook those step outs if the Umpires start calling it more often. What is wrong with Arnold really expected her to be superior pitcher in the SEC this season but she has struggled. If she and Matty can get a little more consistent were a World Series team this year.
I shouldn't have complaints about what we've done this season thus far 4 and 2 on the road is outstanding considering two wins were over the Gators. I'm hoping that we can win most of the games on this home stand we have six SEC games versus Auburn and Miss State. I hope we can take five and must take four at home. I bet the girls are looking forward to playing at home hopefully in warmer weather Missouri was like Siberia. The season is heating up looking forward to moving toward the top of the SEC.
 
The good Rogers is a tremendous player she can pitch, hit and does not worry about what happened yesterday. I don't know where this team would be without her expect at least four or five more losses on our record if she is not with us. I worry about her getting injured running the bases but she is about as good a hitter as anyone we have. Bearden has far exceeded anything I thought she could do with the bat. The average went down some in the Missouri series but she was still hitting a lot of balls hard. I like all the freshmen and were really getting some great defensive play from Holcomb in the outfield.

The bad is some of the players are in huge slumps and are not doing much with the bat. Hopefully they will all get it going again in this homestand. Bearden may be the worst outfielder we've had playing in right field defensively in many years. Ayala is not much better so whomever plays there is gonna be an adventure this season. Holcomb can't figure out not stepping out of the box did it multiple times yesterday only got called out once for it but it was something she does every at bat. We need her defense in the field but don't know how long Ralph will overlook those step outs if the Umpires start calling it more often. What is wrong with Arnold really expected her to be superior pitcher in the SEC this season but she has struggled. If she and Matty can get a little more consistent were a World Series team this year.
I shouldn't have complaints about what we've done this season thus far 4 and 2 on the road is outstanding considering two wins were over the Gators. I'm hoping that we can win most of the games on this home stand we have six SEC games versus Auburn and Miss State. I hope we can take five and must take four at home. I bet the girls are looking forward to playing at home hopefully in warmer weather Missouri was like Siberia. The season is heating up looking forward to moving toward the top of the SEC.
Agree and the Matty and Caylan have to step up. Matty is Matty and is going to give up the long ball and some times in bunches but when she is hitting the corners up and down she is really good. Caylan to me just does not look confident on the mound this year at all. I wonder if she is thinking too much or maybe some kind of minor pain somewhere? As the season goes along the Florida series does not look as glamourous as it did because they are struggling somewhat and they have one of the top pitchers in all the land. Still we needed that series for our own confidence . I would really like for CS to start driving the ball like in years past. I was expecting 8-10 HRs but if she gets 4 we will be lucky I think! I had hoped she would be our next AA but wont happen this year. Really disappointed in AA who seems like the odd girl out right now. Wiemer is by far our best catcher and has hit some in the past and did ok last two games. Ashley Morgan has started to hit and she is one tough customer! Hannon has been a surprise to the good side and plays center very well as well as had some timely hits. Hope AL got out of her little slump last night and starts rolling again like the AA she is, maybe not this year though!. GO has to hit and since CS has taken shortstop that position looks to be getting more solid every game. I heard Ralph she played there last fall and did very good. Different skill set than 3rd but with the freshman there and swinging fairly well the infield looks set. This horrible injury to Allie and really caused headaches for the team but it is what it is. I would led AR hit every game she wants too! Can run bases with caution and her being a bigger body wont have to try to take extra basses. JMHO as always!
 
I don't think Ayala is a bad outfielder. Bearden should only be playing DP and 1B. They should be alternating Bearden and Morgan at those two positions. Otherwise, play Hannon, Ayala and Holcomb in the OF. I think the only reason Bearden is even getting time in the OF is because Holcomb can't get a consistent starting role b/c she can't keep her feet in the box, but as bad as Bearden is defensively in the OF, I'd be taking the chance by starting Holcomb in the OF and letting Bearden play DP.

Of course there's also Parsons, but she isn't a great batter as of now. But honestly I'd take her in the OF over Bearden if Holcomb can't start.
 
Gonna have our hands full with Auburn didn't know they had hit 50 homeruns and had a girl with 16 and another with 9. They have two pitchers with eras way under 2. We'll have to get top pitching and hitting to beat them hopefully we can win the series.
 
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I don't think Ayala is a bad outfielder. Bearden should only be playing DP and 1B. They should be alternating Bearden and Morgan at those two positions. Otherwise, play Hannon, Ayala and Holcomb in the OF. I think the only reason Bearden is even getting time in the OF is because Holcomb can't get a consistent starting role b/c she can't keep her feet in the box, but as bad as Bearden is defensively in the OF, I'd be taking the chance by starting Holcomb in the OF and letting Bearden play DP.

Of course there's also Parsons, but she isn't a great batter as of now. But honestly I'd take her in the OF over Bearden if Holcomb can't start.
AA is not a bad Rf er but has a problem judging in LF at times, Until HB stops hitting she has to play and cannot cover all defensive problems with one DH spot. HB is no where near the 1st baseman that Ashley is so I don't see that happening. I just don't know why Holcomb does not stay In the box. I would still let AR DP every game she wants to and feels like it. Better hitter than most of our other players. AA has hit then struggled for a while but she is going to be ok. We basically go by if you don't hit you have to watch until someone flat quits! Good Stuff Thanks!! JMHO as always!!
 
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Gonna have our hands full with Auburn didn't know they had hit 50 homeruns and had a girl with 16 and another with 9. They have two pitchers with eras way under 2. We'll have to get top pitching and hitting to beat them hopefully we can win the series.

I believe AU is 3-3 in SEC play since Martin went down. Not having to face her is a big boost to our chances.
 
I believe AU is 3-3 in SEC play since Martin went down. Not having to face her is a big boost to our chances.
What happened to her? Did now this!

Update:
Saw where she had hurt her hand and it was in a cast. She was one of the players that got arrested with Fagan on 420 charge !
 
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They said the cast could come off this weekend and Martin might be able to pitch Sunday or Monday, if needed. Their two backups have been doing well. Not going to be an easy series for us, but it would be a great confidence-builder.
 
They said the cast could come off this weekend and Martin might be able to pitch Sunday or Monday, if needed. Their two backups have been doing well. Not going to be an easy series for us, but it would be a great confidence-builder.

Hmmm, I'd be surprised if she didn't need at least a series off for rehab, but perhaps not.
 
Big Series today game one 2 EST guess we'll see Rogers on the mound already 100 innings this season. Gonna be a tough series a battle for third currently but could go along way in deciding who wins the SEC this season as
Bama gonna catch a rough final part of schedule and LSU already with four losses.
 
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