Stanford Softball Recruiting and the coming season -
BobK - 10-23-2021
2022 Recuits:
Allison Morikawa C-OF. Great arm, 600 On Base %. Hits with power. Ranked # 61
Nijia Canady P./Hitter 0.26 ERA, hit 478 with 13 HRs. In Basketball, 20 PPG and 12 rebounds Per Game.
Ranked # 11
River Mahler, SS In limited play due to Covid cancelled season in 10 Games hit 714. In a tie also ranked # 11
Kyra Chan, OF, Ranked # 29 Torrey Pines HS Great speed hit over 500 in Travel Ball
I don't know when we have 4 recruits ranked so highly.
RE: Stanford Softball Recruiting and the coming season -
PVTree - 10-23-2021
As a casual softball observer, I notice that teams often use 1 pitcher every game (provided that the pitcher is dominant). UCLA always seemed to have their outstanding pitcher pitch every single inning of every game the last few years.
I can't imagine a baseball team being able to do that for their pitchers, although relievers sometimes will pitch an inning or so for a few games in a row. Still, much shorter stretches of time.
Does this mean that recovery time is much quicker for softball pitchers because they propel the ball underhanded? Just curious as to the factors that makes it possible for them to pitch all innings even in double headers.
RE: Stanford Softball Recruiting and the coming season -
BostonCard - 10-23-2021
Yes, I think the underhanded motion puts a lot less strain on the shoulder and elbow.
BC
RE: Stanford Softball Recruiting and the coming season -
BobK - 10-23-2021
Boston Card nailed it. Of course the variety of pitches can put stress on the elbow and shoulder.
UCLA had two aces last season
RE: Stanford Softball Recruiting and the coming season -
bnarver - 10-23-2021
My pet peeve against softball: Pitching is everything. A team with 1 top-notch pitcher and mediocre hitting can easily make the tournament and may even make it to the WCWS. Cat Osterman's experience at Texas is a good example. Texas was 24-29 in 2001. Cat shows up in 2002, and Texas goes 50-13 in 2002 and 49-9 in 2003. She redshirts in 2004 to train for the Olympics with the US National Team. Texas goes 24-25. Cat returns to Texas as a Junior in 2005, and Texas goes 49-13 in 2005 and 55-9 in 2006. Without Cat, Texas goes 35-20 in 2007 and 29-23-2 in 2008.
The rigors of baseball demand that a team has at least 2 very good pitchers if they even want to make the tournament. I think softball needs to make a rule that pitchers must skip a game between appearances. This would force teams to have more than just 1 great pitcher.
RE: Stanford Softball Recruiting and the coming season -
DenverCard - 10-23-2021
Bnarver--
You have most effectively articulated and demonstrated a frustration I have long had as a very casual fan. I know I have absolutely no reason to care about something like this, as I have never even attended a college softball game, but I couldn't help feel that softball was like a one-on-one duel, with the other eight players on each team participating as extra interested fans. And the situation annoyed me.
I have noticed in recent years that there has been a lot more scoring in college softball, which in turn makes the hitters and fielders much more valuable than they used to be. Nevertheless, I agree that if the physical demands of pitching don't require that a team use multiple pitchers, there should be rules enacted to reduce the dominance of a single player.
As a result of your post, I will finally be relieved of the pent up tension that this situation has caused me all these years.
RE: Stanford Softball Recruiting and the coming season -
d4cohn - 10-23-2021
I know historically softball teams have been defined by having one ace/great pitcher, but it is actually moving the way of staffs
in softball too. Workload is part of it (even if the underhand motion is less taxing than pitching in baseball, that doesn't
it isn't taxing). But more to the point so many games are on some form of TV/streaming that there is so much more film
on softball pitchers' stuff. As such, teams have to really have multiple talented pitchers to step in, because even aces stuff
can be solved by the second or third time through the order.