Stanford Softball 2024 - Printable Version
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Hieronymus - Hieronymus - 04-14-2024
Stanford leading 5:4 vs. OSU. I am going to charitably say that the home plate ump has no idea where the outside part of the strike zone is. Haven’t watched enough to say if it’s a selective problem or a general problem.
Stanford loses 6-5 on a walkoff 2 run homer. Bad E1 in the ninth cost the game. I do hope the home plate umpire wasn’t typical, because he was terrible.
RE: Hieronymus - d4cohn - 04-14-2024
(04-14-2024, 02:10 PM)Hieronymus Wrote: Stanford leading 5:4 vs. OSU. I am going to charitably say that the home plate ump has no idea where the outside part of the strike zone is. Haven’t watched enough to say if it’s a selective problem or a general problem.
Stanford loses 6-5 on a walkoff 2 run homer. Bad E1 in the ninth cost the game. I do hope the home plate umpire wasn’t typical, because he was terrible.
The home plate ump was not good, but I have to be honest, the coaching in managing the bullpen today was not good and the reason we lost. I know we want to keep NiJaree's innings and pitch count down, but RPI and record wise, losing to Oregon State is a bad loss. Plus it would be great to win a Pac-12 title. I know the most important goal is winning in the postseason, but I hope this OSU loss isn't used against us with regards to our seeding. Winning on the road in the postseason is more the exception than the rule, so getting that top 8 seed is critical for making it back to OKC.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - cardfan77 - 04-14-2024
Perhaps they were resting Canady. I imagine Canady would start game 1 and game 3 against UCLA next week. Same against Washington. Whoever decided to put UCLA and Washington back to back on Stanford's schedule is criminal.
RE: Hieronymus - CTcard - 04-15-2024
(04-14-2024, 04:22 PM)d4cohn Wrote: ... I know we want to keep NiJaree's innings and pitch count down, but RPI and record wise, losing to Oregon State is a bad loss. ... getting that top 8 seed is critical for making it back to OKC.
Of course keeping NiJaree's innings down means not pitching her against somebody. OSU would have seemed like a reasonable choice.
Losing to OSU is a bad loss generically (though losing to RPI #78 OSU on the road is not as bad as losing to RPI #91 Sac St at home).
However, for RPI purposes it doesn't matter in particular who one loses to. It does matter who one plays, and overall record, but trading a win vs good team/loss vs bad team for the inverse doesn't change the RPI.
A top 8 seed is important. At the moment, Stanford stands at #3 in RPI. It appears they're likely very close to #4 Duke as Warren Nolan has them inverted. However, Stanford likely has a little room over #9 Tennessee (including a head to head win). Also, it's probably important that they have some clearance from RPI #16 UCLA as top team in the west. Taking 2/3 in the upcoming series with UCLA would help a lot in keeping a position as a top 8 seed.
RE: Hieronymus - d4cohn - 04-15-2024
(04-15-2024, 12:05 PM)CTcard Wrote:(04-14-2024, 04:22 PM)d4cohn Wrote: ... I know we want to keep NiJaree's innings and pitch count down, but RPI and record wise, losing to Oregon State is a bad loss. ... getting that top 8 seed is critical for making it back to OKC.
Of course keeping NiJaree's innings down means not pitching her against somebody. OSU would have seemed like a reasonable choice.
Losing to OSU is a bad loss generically (though losing to RPI #78 OSU on the road is not as bad as losing to RPI #91 Sac St at home).
However, for RPI purposes it doesn't matter in particular who one loses to. It does matter who one plays, and overall record, but trading a win vs good team/loss vs bad team for the inverse doesn't change the RPI.
A top 8 seed is important. At the moment, Stanford stands at #3 in RPI. It appears they're likely very close to #4 Duke as Warren Nolan has them inverted. However, Stanford likely has a little room over #9 Tennessee (including a head to head win). Also, it's probably important that they have some clearance from RPI #16 UCLA as top team in the west. Taking 2/3 in the upcoming series with UCLA would help a lot in keeping a position as a top 8 seed.
I totally understand many of these points. Some thoughts:
1) Stanford needed one out with a runner on second. OSU didn't get the ball out of the infield against Canady in 5 innings of work on Friday. At most, it was one inning (likely just one batter) to seal a sweep.
2) There were other instances earlier in the year (a 7-0 game against Cal comes to mind among others) where we could have brought in a reliever and taken out NiJaree and saved multiple innings of work. As a general principle, having our best pitchers pitch the highest leverage situations leads to the most wins. Granted, given the quality of opponent, maybe even the bottom of the 7th inning against OSU doesn't count as high leverage, but there were innings/games NiJaree pitched that were even lower leverage in comparison to yesterday. And as we saw yesterday, Pac-12 competition is tough and the margins are small. I think Kylie is a great player, but I think her more effective position is as a hitter as opposed to a pitcher, at least against Pac-12 level competition. It is like, Madison Bumgarner was a *great* hitting pitcher, but would Bochy pinch hit him in a one run game in the bottom of the ninth with other potential options available?
3) In turn, if we are not going to pitch NiJaree at all, even to get one out, and potentially risk losing that game to OSU, why didn't we wholesale rest our other starters (Aly Kaneshiro and all those innings behind the plate come to mind)? Pitchers obviously need innings off the most, but catchers and other field positions could use innings/whole games off too.
4) The topline RPI number matters, but the committee will create a grid, by quadrant/tier of opponent, and list out your wins and losses against that quadrant/tier. Also, regarding getting that top 8 seed, we only have to look to last season, when Stanford became the first school in perhaps even the Super Regional era to have a top 4 RPI and *not* get a top 8 seed (and every year's committee is different in whether they prioritize good wins, bad losses etc., so the seeding assignments can be, let me generously say subjective). We ultimately made the WCWS last year anyway, but going on the road to Duke is a different environment than having to go, for example, to an SEC school and win a Super Regional. However, in perhaps the most infamous seeding decision, when Coach Allister was at Minnesota, the team was ranked #1 in the nation in multiple polls and ultimately didn't even get to host a regional (they were sent to Tuscaloosa and promptly lost the regional). That offseason, Coach Allister took the Stanford job.
5) I guess, ironically enough with the Sac State game you mentioned, was NiJaree relieved Kylie (in a tied game) and actually gave up a run and we lost 3-2. So I think that experience actually could have factored into Coach Allister's thinking.
Let's go win the series against LA this weekend!
RE: Hieronymus - GK3 - 04-18-2024
(04-15-2024, 06:30 PM)d4cohn Wrote:(04-15-2024, 12:05 PM)CTcard Wrote:(04-14-2024, 04:22 PM)d4cohn Wrote: ... I know we want to keep NiJaree's innings and pitch count down, but RPI and record wise, losing to Oregon State is a bad loss. ... getting that top 8 seed is critical for making it back to OKC.
Of course keeping NiJaree's innings down means not pitching her against somebody. OSU would have seemed like a reasonable choice.
Losing to OSU is a bad loss generically (though losing to RPI #78 OSU on the road is not as bad as losing to RPI #91 Sac St at home).
However, for RPI purposes it doesn't matter in particular who one loses to. It does matter who one plays, and overall record, but trading a win vs good team/loss vs bad team for the inverse doesn't change the RPI.
A top 8 seed is important. At the moment, Stanford stands at #3 in RPI. It appears they're likely very close to #4 Duke as Warren Nolan has them inverted. However, Stanford likely has a little room over #9 Tennessee (including a head to head win). Also, it's probably important that they have some clearance from RPI #16 UCLA as top team in the west. Taking 2/3 in the upcoming series with UCLA would help a lot in keeping a position as a top 8 seed.
I totally understand many of these points. Some thoughts:
1) Stanford needed one out with a runner on second. OSU didn't get the ball out of the infield against Canady in 5 innings of work on Friday. At most, it was one inning (likely just one batter) to seal a sweep.
2) There were other instances earlier in the year (a 7-0 game against Cal comes to mind among others) where we could have brought in a reliever and taken out NiJaree and saved multiple innings of work. As a general principle, having our best pitchers pitch the highest leverage situations leads to the most wins. Granted, given the quality of opponent, maybe even the bottom of the 7th inning against OSU doesn't count as high leverage, but there were innings/games NiJaree pitched that were even lower leverage in comparison to yesterday. And as we saw yesterday, Pac-12 competition is tough and the margins are small. I think Kylie is a great player, but I think her more effective position is as a hitter as opposed to a pitcher, at least against Pac-12 level competition. It is like, Madison Bumgarner was a *great* hitting pitcher, but would Bochy pinch hit him in a one run game in the bottom of the ninth with other potential options available?
3) In turn, if we are not going to pitch NiJaree at all, even to get one out, and potentially risk losing that game to OSU, why didn't we wholesale rest our other starters (Aly Kaneshiro and all those innings behind the plate come to mind)? Pitchers obviously need innings off the most, but catchers and other field positions could use innings/whole games off too.
4) The topline RPI number matters, but the committee will create a grid, by quadrant/tier of opponent, and list out your wins and losses against that quadrant/tier. Also, regarding getting that top 8 seed, we only have to look to last season, when Stanford became the first school in perhaps even the Super Regional era to have a top 4 RPI and *not* get a top 8 seed (and every year's committee is different in whether they prioritize good wins, bad losses etc., so the seeding assignments can be, let me generously say subjective). We ultimately made the WCWS last year anyway, but going on the road to Duke is a different environment than having to go, for example, to an SEC school and win a Super Regional. However, in perhaps the most infamous seeding decision, when Coach Allister was at Minnesota, the team was ranked #1 in the nation in multiple polls and ultimately didn't even get to host a regional (they were sent to Tuscaloosa and promptly lost the regional). That offseason, Coach Allister took the Stanford job.
5) I guess, ironically enough with the Sac State game you mentioned, was NiJaree relieved Kylie (in a tied game) and actually gave up a run and we lost 3-2. So I think that experience actually could have factored into Coach Allister's thinking.
Let's go win the series against LA this weekend!
Stanford sweeps UC Davis without using Canady. We are going to miss Kaneshiro next year. She is a great catcher and she went 3 for 4, two home runs and 8 RBI. Now leads the team with 9 home runs and team has long ago past last years home run total.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - old spanish trail - 04-19-2024
Saw a replay of a ninth inning (extra innings apparently) run scored by UCLA. Home ump called runner out on throw from center field, but after review, call was overturned. Looked to me like the one bounce throw was on the money. Stan didn't score in bottom of ninth, so Canady lost 1-0.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - d4cohn - 04-19-2024
Stanford drops Game #1 of its critical series against UCLA 1-0 on an abysmal call by the third base umpire. Called out at home on the field, overturned on an obstruction call.
Coach Allister got tossed arguing after the call was overturned, but to be charitable frustration with the umpires, particularly on the "outside strike" had been building.
Stanford will try to bounce back tomorrow against UCLA, but the two squads are now tied in the loss column for the Pac-12 lead after tonight's game.
Video courtesy of Stanford great Taylor Gindlesperger of the decisive play:
tay on X: "Out or obstruction??? @StanfordSball vs @UCLASoftball https://t.co/tAgAsEpeIV" / X (twitter.com)
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - old spanish trail - 04-19-2024
(04-19-2024, 10:30 PM)d4cohn Wrote: Stanford drops Game #1 of its critical series against UCLA 1-0 on an abysmal call by the third base umpire. Called out at home on the field, overturned on an obstruction call.
Coach Allister got tossed arguing after the call was overturned, but to be charitable frustration with the umpires, particularly on the "outside strike" had been building.
Stanford will try to bounce back tomorrow against UCLA, but the two squads are now tied in the loss column for the Pac-12 lead after tonight's game.
Video courtesy of Stanford great Taylor Gindlesperger of the decisive play:
tay on X: "Out or obstruction??? @StanfordSball vs @UCLASoftball https://t.co/tAgAsEpeIV" / X (twitter.com)
OUT!!!!!! Thanks, D4.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - BobK - 04-20-2024
Taylor was in the first row behind home plate I was in the 6th row. Also behind home plate. That was not obstruction. Not close.
Of course Stanford couldn’t score
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - GK3 - 04-20-2024
(04-20-2024, 06:59 AM)BobK Wrote: Taylor was in the first row behind home plate I was in the 6th row. Also behind home plate. That was not obstruction. Not close.
Of course Stanford couldn’t score
I still wonder what we were doing in the first inning. Runners on 2nd and 3rd, no outs in a game where one run can mean a lot. Then Gall hits/bunts a ball. Which was it? I thought a good bunt would have scored Kern from 3rd and moved the other runner to 3rd. Instead Gall sort of push swings at the ball and his a nice short one hopper to I think first and Kern is dead at the plate. I don't think Kern would have been halfway to home if the hit signal was on. I think that was supposed to be a bunt. Then with one out, runners on first and 3rd and Kaneshiro up, I would have been very tempted to try another bunt. We lost a very good chance in that inning to score at least one run.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - BobK - 04-20-2024
I hear you but ucla Infield played way in for possible bunts.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - d4cohn - 04-20-2024
Stanford drops Game #2 and the series to UCLA. A tough day pretty much all the way around. Stanford stranded 11 runners on base, wore down in the circle facing UCLA's potent offense, and didn't really push the right buttons in terms of managing the game, base running, and defense was honestly poor today.
Hopefully, we can get one tomorrow, but it is an inopportune time and opponent to drop a home series against.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - BobK - 04-20-2024
We certainly had lots of hits. Like 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.
Must win tomorrow as we have now lost 3 in a row
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - d4cohn - 04-21-2024
A bad weekend as Stanford gets swept by UCLA. The Bruins are in the driver's seat to win a Pac-12 regular season title.
This could be a big blow to Stanford's top 8 seed hopes. If anything, an indicator that even with the best pitcher in college softball, we can lose if we don't push runs across and leave them stranded.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - d4cohn - 04-26-2024
Stanford with an absolutely massive 3-1 road win over Washington to start a critical three game set. After the Card were hurt by yet another terrible call from Pac-12 umpires, NiJaree Canady came up with an outstanding strikeout on a 3-2 pitch to preserve a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Then, in the top of the seventh, Jade Berry with possibly a season defining HR if it leads to a Cardinal top 8 seed.
Cardinal also got help today in the race for a top 8 seed with Georgia suffering a run rule loss at home, and LSU also losing at home.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - BobK - 04-28-2024
brobdingnagian win over Washington today 2-1. Clutch hitting and great pitching by Canady.
Ucla down 7-0 top of 5 at ucla.
The bad news the league title is determined won loss %. Ucla even if they lose today leads the league
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - oldalum - 04-28-2024
(04-28-2024, 03:16 PM)BobK Wrote: Ucla down 7-0 top of 5 at ucla.now 7-7 after bottom of the 5th! :(
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - d4cohn - 04-28-2024
(04-28-2024, 03:38 PM)oldalum Wrote:(04-28-2024, 03:16 PM)BobK Wrote: Ucla down 7-0 top of 5 at ucla.now 7-7 after bottom of the 5th! :(
11-7 Bruins win. The Pac-12 was effectively lost after last week's sweep loss, but this weekend was a critical series win for our top 8 seed hopes. Stanford benefitted from Georgia and LSU both dropping home series this weekend. Surely, the Cardinal will get a top 8 seed, with 6 Pac-12 series wins, over SEC schools that are .500 in conference play and continue to drop series. Also, Stanford has H2H over Georgia.
RE: Stanford Softball 2024 - Spiny_Norman - 04-29-2024
(04-28-2024, 04:39 PM)d4cohn Wrote: 11-7 Bruins win. The Pac-12 was effectively lost after last week's sweep loss, but this weekend was a critical series win for our top 8 seed hopes. Stanford benefitted from Georgia and LSU both dropping home series this weekend. Surely, the Cardinal will get a top 8 seed, with 6 Pac-12 series wins, over SEC schools that are .500 in conference play and continue to drop series. Also, Stanford has H2H over Georgia.
How much weight does the tournament committee give to RPI? Stanford is 5th in the current RPI ranking.