Some point to the loss of Shipman as the beginning of our team’s struggles, and it certainly didn’t help, but she is a freshman and that was fairly early in the season, and we really will never know how well she would have hit, etc. Also, Phillips got hit in the knee with a pitch, I believe in a TN ST or earlier game, so that may be why she’s not catching. But when you have someone who is truly great at a position, such as Seggern at 3rd base, and start moving her elsewhere, same especially with Leach at 2nd, and others, you’re not only weakening your defense, you’re messing with confidence, and that effects a player’s whole game. When we played Georgia, and had bases loaded and the hit went to Phillips at 3rd, she froze, and got no one out, Seggern would not have even had to think, she’s that quick and experienced at 3rd. Phillips even apologized to Seggern after the play, while she was still holding the ball. The bases loaded homer by GA happened after that. Yet it’s not Phillips’ fault. There were other games with “mistakes” made by people on defense who were just not experienced and confident at their position. This shuffling of players has lost games, and players have lost confidence, and it shows.
