Softball - Printable Version

Softball - Printable Version

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Softball - BobK - 03-09-2018

Beat Wagner today 4-0.Â Shutout by Pancino.Â Stanford is now 14-8.Â

Re: Softball - BobK - 03-09-2018

Stanford is now 15-8 as they beat Bakersfield 8-0.Â

Of course soon leagues play starts and wins will be hard to get.Â Still a fine start for Stanford Softball

Re: Softball - Cred - 03-09-2018

Looks like this tourney is going to be a bit of a yawner. One opponent 1-12 coming in, the other 2-7 (0-5 as "visitors"). Anything less than 6-0 this weekend (which would leave us at 19-8 (.704) for nonconference play) would seem a failure. Looking forward to the "real" season getting underway.

Re: Softball - BobK - 03-09-2018

The real season will be very difficult. So love the current winning ð

Re: Softball - d4cohn - 03-09-2018

In albeit extremely early projections, we are among the next four teams out of the NCAA tournament. Given how incredibly strong the Pac-12 is this year, even by its lofty standards (Pac occupies #1, #3, #6, #9, #14, and #17 spots in Top 25), a .500 record or a barely winning record might be enough to get this team in the NCAA tournament. As such, winning as many games in the non-conference is critically important in order to reduce the number of conference wins needed to reach .500 (a team must finish at or above .500 in order to be considered for an at-large berth). So as to not anger the woofing gods, as a hypothetical math exercise only (I am not predicting nor projecting this), if we were to win all of our remaining non-conference games (4 more this weekend, followed by mid-week home games against Fresno State, St. Mary's, Pacific and Santa Clara during conference play), we would need only 5 wins in conference play to reach a winning record. Given that we have already lost an extremely close extra inning contest to Fresno at Kajikawa, if we were to lose one of our remaining 8 non-conference games, we would need 6 wins in conference play to reach a winning record etc.

Best chances for wins in conference will be at Utah to start Pac-12 play, and home series against Oregon State and Cal. We should learn a lot about whether this team is capable of reaching 5-6 wins (as Cred predicted last season :) ) right off the bat in conference play, as Utah has really struggled in non-conference play, and is at the bottom of the standings.

Re: Softball - d4cohn - 03-09-2018

In other softball news, CSU Bakersfield snapped Montana Dixon's 22-game streak to start the season without allowing a steal (we, on the other hand, have recorded 36 steals in 23 games, with Teaghan Cowles and Alyssa Horeczko already easily over the 10 steal mark). Montana has now allowed only 1 steal on 6 attempts, including a pick-off against Iowa in the top of the ninth inning with a runner on third to help propel us to a key non-conference win. At the plate, Montana has posted a .323/.427/.565 stat-line, leading the team or tied for the team lead in HR's, slugging percentage, and RBI's.

Hannah Howell has also been outstanding recently, as she has recorded hits in six straight games, posting an absurd .611 batting average over that span.

Re: Softball - Cred - 03-10-2018

(03-09-2018, 10:34 PM)Card15 link Wrote: We should learn a lot about whether this team is capable of reaching 5-6 wins (as Cred predicted last season :) ) right off the bat in conference play, as Utah has really struggled in non-conference play, and is at the bottom of the standings.

Yep, a year ago I predicted 5 wins in conference play, having been swept away by a tidal wave of over-optimism upon witnessing the major offensive boost provided by the froshies in nonconference play. What's not being recalled here, however, is that to that prediction was added my concern that that booming offense that had been on display in nonconference play (and upon which I was hanging that 5-win prediction entirely) might drop off precipitously upon hitting the Pac-12 buzz saw (as it did the previous year) and that, for that reason, I wouldn't be absolutely shocked if we finished at 2 or 3 wins. It did; we did.

This year it's been our pitching that has particularly stood out in nonconference play; I think the answer to the question of to what extent our starters can carry over into conference play the ability to more or lessÂ dominate and therefore go deep into games will be key in determining the measureÂ of success this team will enjoy in Pac-12 play.

Re: Softball - StanfordBB - 03-10-2018

(03-10-2018, 07:33 AM)Cred link Wrote: [quote author=Card15 link=topic=18853.msg225676#msg225676 date=1520660072]
We should learn a lot about whether this team is capable of reaching 5-6 wins (as Cred predicted last season :) ) right off the bat in conference play, as Utah has really struggled in non-conference play, and is at the bottom of the standings.

Re: Softball - BobK - 03-10-2018

A comparison to aggressiveness.

Last season all season we stole 8 bases

But a caution toward league play we hit 202 last season in PAC 12 play.Â The league is awesome.Â Still 5-7 wins appear possible

Re: Softball - d4cohn - 03-10-2018

(03-10-2018, 07:33 AM)Cred link Wrote: This year it's been our pitching that has particularly stood out in nonconference play; I think the answer to the question of to what extent our starters can carry over into conference play the ability to more or lessÂ dominate and therefore go deep into games will be key in determining the measureÂ of success this team will enjoy in Pac-12 play.

+1. I think, based on how Maddy has performed against teams like San Diego State and Fresno State, that she will continue to deliver quality starts (5-6 innings, 3 earned runs or less) against at least the bottom half of the Pac (ASU, Cal, Oregon State, Utah). UA, Oregon, Washington and UCLA look terrifyingly good, and have made even some of the best pitchers in the country look ordinary. As such, it is tough to expect consistent results for any pitcher against such potent lineups.

For Kiana, I think she also can be very solid against the ASU's, Cal's, Oregon State's and Utah's of the Pac. She has already proved that she can pitch at an extremely high level against the best competition with that complete game 1-hitter against UDub last year. However, I worry if we don't have any rotation depth behind Maddy and Kiana, that the walks will start to appear if she gets tired (which happened against Michigan State in our most recent loss).

Re: Softball - BobK - 03-10-2018

Pancino lasted just 3 batters in our second game.Â

We beat Wagner again 8-0 in the first game

I lost Live stats early in the 2nd game

Re: Softball - d4cohn - 03-10-2018

(03-10-2018, 04:45 PM)BobK link Wrote: Pancino lasted just 3 batters in our second game.Â

We beat Wagner again 8-0 in the first game

I lost Live stats early in the 2nd game

It was an absolutely bizzare game Bob. First, the game was too close for comfort until the bottom of fifth. After Kiana exited without recording an out, Nikki Bauer was pretty solid in relief, providing 4.0 innings of work and allowing only 4 hits and 2 earned runs. Then Nikki found herself in a jam in the fifth, and Maddy was able to strand the bases loaded in a 4-3 game to keep us out in front. Then, we broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth, aided by a bang-bang play at first base that Hannah Howell was ruled to have beaten the throw. Very next pitch after this controversial play, the CSU Bakersfield pitcher comes way in and high on Whitney Burks (at her shoulder), hitting her. This was the pitcher's fourth HBP in 2 1/3 innings. HC for Bakersfield deservedly got tossed for the intentional bean-bagging. CSU Bakersfield hit 6 batters in the game, and Montana was also shaken up a bit by a HBP in the first, though she stayed in the game.

Thankfully, we won 8-3, and no one was seriously hurt, but worried about facing a now 1-15 Bakersfield team tomorrow that clearly feels it has nothing to play for.

Re: Softball - BobK - 03-10-2018

Thanks for the summary.Â I was watching both track and softball and no sound for softball and wondered about the delay.

Hope this is encouraging about Bauer except Bakersfield isnt very good

Re: Softball - d4cohn - 03-10-2018

(03-10-2018, 06:01 PM)BobK link Wrote: Hope this is encouraging about Bauer except Bakersfield isnt very good

I thought this was very encouraging. Previously, we didn't even have a third option that we could be confident we could string together more than a couple of outs, even against mediocre competition. To take some of the load off of Kiana and Maddy, I would start Nikki against Wagner.Â

Re: Softball - Mick - 03-11-2018

Well, we're 17-8, better than 16-10 this time last year.Â We only won 19 all of last year, so I'm very hopeful we get at least a .500 record.

Re: Softball - BobK - 03-11-2018

Another win today 4-0 over Wagner.Â Bauer with 4 scoreless innings