OT: Holly Warlick has competition for clueless coach at UTenn

[eebmg]

Apparently, the coaching ineptness at UTenn is wider than the usually Holly Follies.

Bonehead decisions in must win game *Geogia was up 1 game to 0) knocks UTenn Womens softball out of Super Regionals.

1) In a 0-0 game in top of 7, after giving up a leadoff single, "coach" replaces ace and Georgia goes up 1-0.

2) In bottom of 7, "coach" pinch hits for one of best hitters on Tenn with bench player (around .230 with no RBI in season). Player defies the odds and on a "CHECK SWING", hits an excuse me puff ball that ties the score at 1-1.

3) Top of 8, UG tees off on replacement pitcher with a HR and solid hits (Goes up 2-1 ) and then goes back to "ace" who retires the side.

But damage is done. Georgia holds on after stellar defensive play by UG center fielder.

Maybe I am too harsh but "puke city"

 

[BigBird]

Yeah, maybe a bit harsh. Another 4 feet on that shot to center, and UT is a walk-off winner. Neither team floats my boat, but the game was, on the whole, entertaining. No?

 

[eebmg]

Yeah, maybe a bit harsh. Another 4 feet on that shot to center, and UT is a walk-off winner. Neither team floats my boat, but the game was, on the whole, entertaining. No?

No doubt. Very entertaining. "Puke" was directed to the coaching decisions. Tough for a team to go out that way .

 

[Charliebball]

hey even good coaches can make mistakes..........I sure wouldn't put the Weeklys in a club with Holly W since they have like a .765 winning percentage in the SEC which is the toughest softball conference in the country plus a bunch of regional NCAA tournament wins, and two NCAA championship finalist teams.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Always happy to see an SEC team lose but the bad news it was to another SEC team. 3 of the Super Regional are pitting Pac 12 against SEC teams. I remember the good ol' days when a Pac team won the Championship every year, without fail, but that era is over.

 

[Charliebball]

Always happy to see an SEC team lose but the bad news it was to another SEC team. 3 of the Super Regional are pitting Pac 12 against SEC teams. I remember the good ol' days when a Pac team won the Championship every year, without fail, but that era is over.

I would say UCLA has a pretty good chance to win it this year........they've got a couple of great pitchers and a really good hitting line up

 

[eebmg]

hey even good coaches can make mistakes.....I sure wouldn't put the Weeklys in a club with Holly W since they have like a .765 winning percentage in the SEC which is the toughest softball conference in the country plus a bunch of regional NCAA tournament wins, and two NCAA championship finalist teams.

Based on your comment, I investigated the coaching situation (I have no experience with softball history) and you are correct. The Weekly's deserve respect for taking over a poor program and very quickly making them a national competitive power. They do seem to be falling off the last 3 years and I guess I should wait to hear the explanations behind the coaching decisions but uugh.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I would say UCLA has a pretty good chance to win it this year...they've got a couple of great pitchers and a really good hitting line up

I'd be happy w/ any Pac 12 team pulling it off. UW was great most of the season but totally lost their mojo after getting swept down the stretch in back to back series by UCLA and Oregon. Their pitching was fine but their bats went silent. Their #1 pitcher missed some time w/ injury and not sure she's 100% yet, but luckily their #2 pitcher is also really good. Offensive was quiet again last night but they rallied in the 7th and extra innings to squeak out a win. Oregon got shellacked in game 1 against Kentucky but bounced back yesterday. Not sure about ASU but they are up 1-0 in their Super.

 

[BigBird]

...I remember the good ol' days when a Pac team won the Championship every year, without fail, but that era is over.

Is it ever! Mrs. BigBird and I were watching the TV coverage while discussing this very point. A team like Arizona used to have a dozen players who could start at any other school in the universe. Today, the Arizonas might have just three or four really outstanding players, but after that, the lineup is mostly role players and second echelon talent. Great players have more quality choices than they did ten years ago. The SEC got good (real good, actually) in one heck of a hurry. So did a flock of other teams.

So, while there are now more high-power choices than we saw in the 1980’s, a look at the top 20 rankings reveals a situation much like what we see in WBB. The chances of somebody below the top 20 winning it all are, basically, zero. In both sports, the home field/court advantage is significant. The favorites marched through the regionals like Sherman marched through Georgia. This is not accidental.

 

[Charliebball]

I'd be happy w/ any Pac 12 team pulling it off. UW was great most of the season but totally lost their mojo after getting swept down the stretch in back to back series by UCLA and Oregon. Their pitching was fine but their bats went silent. Their #1 pitcher missed some time w/ injury and not sure she's 100% yet, but luckily their #2 pitcher is also really good. Offensive was quiet again last night but they rallied in the 7th and extra innings to squeak out a win. Oregon got shellacked in game 1 against Kentucky but bounced back yesterday. Not sure about ASU but they are up 1-0 in their Super.

still a very tough conference at the top at least..........Oregon beat UCLA twice early in the season........usually comes down to pitching.........the fact that UCLA doesn't have to rely on just one ace gives them quite an advantage in these playoffs...........

 

[nwhoopfan]

The SEC got good (real good, actually) in one heck of a hurry. So did a flock of other teams.

I distinctly remember toward the end of the Pac 12 dominance era, ESPN was blatantly showing their bias, wishing so hard that a SEC team would finally win a Title. They got their wish eventually, but it was always fun to see their hopes dashed again.

Oklahoma has gotten really good the last 5+ years or so as well, I think a couple Titles for them and usually in the hunt. They squashed Arkansas in their Super Regional this week.

 

[nwhoopfan]

still a very tough conference at the top at least

polls might be fairly meaningless but 3 of the top 5 pretty much all season and 4 in the top 10, plus one more in the top 15 I believe

 

[Charliebball]

I distinctly remember toward the end of the Pac 12 dominance era, ESPN was blatantly showing their bias, wishing so hard that a SEC team would finally win a Title. They got their wish eventually, but it was always fun to see their hopes dashed again.

Oklahoma has gotten really good the last 5+ years or so as well, I think a couple Titles for them and usually in the hunt. They squashed Arkansas in their Super Regional this week.

I've been an Oklahoma fan for a while now ..........they always seem to have a couple of big pitchers and a nice mix of speed and home run hitters........I'd say UCLA and the Sooners are probably the two strongest teams.........

 

[BigBird]

I've been an Oklahoma fan for a while now .....they always seem to have a couple of big pitchers and a nice mix of speed and home run hitters...I'd say UCLA and the Sooners are probably the two strongest teams....

Agreed. Oklahoma seems to always have a tall, strong, and skilled pitching staff. And they are well coached. UCLA has been a tough out for as long as I can remember.

 

[eebmg]

TAMU just goes up 3-2 on 2 run homer in Top of the 7th. FL in deep trouble.

 

[Charliebball]

TAMU just goes up 3-2 on 2 run homer in Top of the 7th. FL in deep trouble.

If I'm not mistaken Florida was the #1 ranked team in the country for a good part of the season.......

 

[nwhoopfan]

Florida gets a two out 3 run homer in the bottom of the 7th to win.

 

[nwhoopfan]

If I'm not mistaken Florida was the #1 ranked team in the country for a good part of the season..

I think UW was #1 for the majority of the season, and then Oregon replaced them. Maybe Florida was #1 early.

 

[eebmg]

Florida gets a two out 3 run homer in the bottom of the 7th to win.

Unbelievable. From a freshman. Feel bad for TAMU. They had lost game 1 on some real poor defensive plays and now this. Brutal.

Got to admit, really getting into the Tournament. The level of stress at the end of these close games is incredible.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Unbelievable. From a freshman. Feel bad for TAMU. They had lost game 1 on some real poor defensive plays and now this. Brutal.

Got to admit, really getting into the Tournament. The level of stress at the end of these close games is incredible.

That poor pitcher is gonna be haunted by that pitch for a long time.


I used to get pretty into the World Series. Haven't watched as much in recent years. I've watched a bit of the Regionals and Super Regionals this year. My hometown Huskies are up 3-0 fairly early and just chased the starting pitcher, bases juiced w/ only 1 out.


edited--dang it, replacement pitcher got out of the jam w/ no further damage done; I think they said it was her first post season appearance of her career

 

[nwhoopfan]

Looks like Alvelo is regaining her form for UW. Cruising, only a few base runners allowed thru 5 2/3 innings, UW up 6-0. Keep adding runs just about every inning.


So...does any other ball park have an eagle keeping watch from the top of a tree just beyond the center field wall? Seems like it's there during every game at UW. Watching the game sometimes and other times scanning the horizon. Right next to Lake Washington where breakfast, lunch and dinner is swimming around.

 

[Rixxx]

Do coaches recruit "slappers" or is that a hitting strategy employed on some players after they are recruited? Viewing the regionals and Supers, I noticed I think TN has more slappers. I can't imagine this strategy working in certain instances at this level of competition.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Slappers used to be a HUGE part of college softball, but there was a recent rule change where you are automatically called out if your feet leave the batters box before you make contact with the ball. Slappers were on the move well before the ball got to the plate. You just don't see it as much as you used to.

Hitting home runs is nice, but if you can get runners on base and advance them and push runs across the plate, a whole bunch of singles works just fine.

 

[Rixxx]

Thanks nw.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Florida St. and LSU are in the freaking 11th inning! FSU got a solo and then a 2 run homer to take a 8-5 lead in the top of the inning, only 1 out. I think LSU is on their 4th pitcher but FSU still has their starter in?


Oregon is rocking Kentucky, up 7-0 and 3 homers (one grand slam).



edited--oops, LSU's starter pitched 10 1/3 before getting chased w/ the 2 homers.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I'm sure hosting makes a big difference. No lower seeded team has won so far and the only series still going is LSU and Florida St. They are playing a double header due to a storm arriving tomorrow. SEC teams are going down left and right. Only 2 have advanced so far and FSU is up 3-0 in the top of the 4th. The two that advanced beat other SEC teams. They had 9 of the 16 teams in the Super Regionals but 6 of those have been eliminated.

4 Pac 12 teams advanced +Oklahoma and potentially FSU to join Florida and Georgia.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Dreaming of going to the tourney in OKC someday. Anyone know about logistics of getting tickets?

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Dreaming of going to the tourney in OKC someday. Anyone know about logistics of getting tickets?

We haven't been recently, but I really, really recommend it. We went first back in the mid '90's and UCLA won with Stacy Neuvmann (sp), IIRC. With following RU WBB and living in NJ, we never made it back until we moved out here and we went in either 2011 or 2012. I will admit, we didn't stay for the 3 day championship series, but enjoyed the 12 or 13 games Thursday - Sunday. We were supposed to go back the following year, but the tornadoes were really, really predicted to be bad (and were, as it turned out). So we sold our tickets instead of going. Then my wife's health started to worsen and she is in no way able to go.

I think - assuming her liver transplant happens successfully - that we will eventually try and go again. It would be "special" if AZ was in it, although I wouldn't want my tickets from AZ.

As to tickets - what I know - not really "current" but probably still about right:

- You can renew your tix from year to year. So the really good tix under the overhang behind home plate are (now) pretty impossible to get. Back in our '90's visit, that's where we sat.
- The teams have tickets for their own games only. They have an entire section (essentially the first section not under the overhang towards the base-line) The second time we went we were in the next section over and had renewed them, although we had a partially obstructed view (TV camera).
- I can only imagine parking - but they handle it well. We had a mess up in the parking (IIRC the stadium lot was sold out, but doing cash for handicapped tags but the person taking the money didn't know what he was doing and tried to refuse us entry) and in the end we were comped for all sessions, but that's not normal.
- It was tremendous fun, if hot. There were food trucks and such, although we also went out to eat between the afternoon and evening sessions. And unlike regular games, you can keep softballs hit into the stands (or, you could when we were there). We have one (from the 1st time).
- The only crowded sessions are those involving Oklahoma.

Great fun!!!!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Apparently, the coaching ineptness at UTenn is wider than the usually Holly Follies.

Bonehead decisions in must win game *Geogia was up 1 game to 0) knocks UTenn Womens softball out of Super Regionals.

1) In a 0-0 game in top of 7, after giving up a leadoff single, "coach" replaces ace and Georgia goes up 1-0.

2) In bottom of 7, "coach" pinch hits for one of best hitters on Tenn with bench player (around .230 with no RBI in season). Player defies the odds and on a "CHECK SWING", hits an excuse me puff ball that ties the score at 1-1.

3) Top of 8, UG tees off on replacement pitcher with a HR and solid hits (Goes up 2-1 ) and then goes back to "ace" who retires the side.

But damage is done. Georgia holds on after stellar defensive play by UG center fielder.

Maybe I am too harsh but "puke city"

eebmg- - - I'm sorry to disagree but Holly Warlick has just about retired the "clueless coach" title she has taken lost in space to a new level! In the last couple of years she has taken good recruiting classes and with-in 1 month has them playing worse than when they came in finishing each year on a downward death plunge!

 

[eebmg]

eebmg- - - I'm sorry to disagree but Holly Warlick has just about retired the "clueless coach" title she has taken lost in space to a new level! In the last couple of years she has taken good recruiting classes and with-in 1 month has them playing worse than when they came in finishing each year on a downward death plunge!

My reaction was more visceral than a deep comparison and ignored their full coaching histories.

Based on Charlieball's comment, I looked a little deeper.

Based on your comment, I investigated the coaching situation (I have no experience with softball history) and you are correct. The Weekly's deserve respect for taking over a poor program and very quickly making them a national competitive power. They do seem to be falling off the last 3 years and I guess I should wait to hear the explanations behind the coaching decisions but uugh.

Holly is still #1.