Softball Transfer Portal

I think at this point, we can't be too picky.. but definitely need better pick ups than the last couple years. Why bring in transfers if they offer you nothing in return.

 

Texas OF Alyssa Popelka has entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. In four years as a Longhorn, Popelka posted a .361 batting average, with 20 RBIs, 84 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases. She also owns a career .951 fielding percentage.

Alabama OF Jordan Stephens has entered the transfer portal. Stephens played in 75 games, starting 23, during her two years in Tuscaloosa. She scored 25 runs, 13 RBIs, stole five bases, and made just two fielding errors.

 

Each of the four mentioned today don't move me. Beautae might hold the best guess prospect of the four. Her avg wasn't great this year but she did have multiple injuries. She came from the Corona Angels organization, has a couple years left, and might hold enough unrealized promise to take a shot. Overall, though, I don't see why we want to take risks on project cases for the infield and outfield with what we have coming back and what we have coming in. We have to find ways to have the incoming kids get on the field and grow. Of course, if there is a true stud available at any position....grab her. Yes, get a very promising freshman like Kennedy Powell out of UCLA. Allchin never really fulfilled her promise at Washington. Was used sparingly this year until late in the year when she caught some fire. She had about half the at bats of the top four or five players. As a grad transfer, she is what she is and there isn't a lot of room for hidden growth. Walton does know her though as he coached her on the same USA National team with Julia, Rylee, Charla and Skylar. Popelka is similar to Beautae. Had only 70 at bats and, although a nice average, had no home runs and only 5 rbis. Lastly, I simply would not go after Jordan Stephens. Have seen her play a lot as she played with Katie and Avery for several years on the Tampa Mustangs-TJ. She hasn't played much at Bama...only 44 at bats, barely over the Mendoza line, and little other contribution. Mostly a pinch runner. While on the Mustangs I always felt Katie, Avery, Jenna Laird, McKenzie Clark and Claire Davidson were much better players and nothing since has changed that impression. I just don't see the need to fill the roster with projects offering little evidence of unrealized potential in positions of not overwhelming need. A true stud...get her. Someone like Kelly Lynch who can add hitting depth and provide four years of decent pitching experience....get her...she fills an obvious need.

 

Ya know, since I just lost my mind and went off regarding the portal, I might as well add to it. For the most part, unless you are talking about an obvious stud such as Skylar, Charla, Kendyl or even Kelly Lynch, it is all pretty much a crap shoot. Especially for laymen like us who don't have the tools available that Walton would have and not his expertise in evaluation. (We better hope he is a better evaluator than us or we're in deep do-do). These kids with incomplete numbers are impossible to figure for us but possibly less so for Walton. The Texas kid, for example, nothing pops out to indicate she's worth taking. But, for example, Walton might know someone in Texas who he trusts who tells him, "listen, I know this kid....this is a quality kid that has a lot more than shown to date...she's worth the risk". I don't have that insight. On another note, Walton and Heather Tarr know each other extremely well. Have coached together several times and will do so again next month. I would LOVE to know if the two of them have discussed Lynch entering the portal and would LOVE to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.

 

I’m with with Rickjs1. I only want high quality impact players like the aforementioned. Otherwise, I’ll throw all these freshmen in the lineup. Might have to make an exception to that for some pitchers though. At least 1 really good pitcher to pair and lead the freshmen.

 

We need arms more than anything. Hopefully, Tim finds a great pitching coach and it will lure some good pitchers. Also, maybe it will make Rylee change her mind. She's really good outta the pen and with a real pitching coach she could be a positive. It's a shame Lexie is gone; but understandable with the way they really messed her up. We really need two if not 3 good pitchers from the portal.

 

I'm not convinced they messed lexie up. From what I understand she always had a history of being inconsistent. Kelly lynch is intriguing. She has never quite lived up to her recruiting hype but if I remember correctly when she decomitted from auburn it was between Florida and Washington so I think there's a chance we go for her. She has potential to make good impact and thrive somewhere.

 

Kelly is going into her grad year. She is what she is at this point but that is good enough to come in here and give us some depth hitting and to give a decent assist to a very young pitching staff. As for Lexie, I didn't see her pitch a ton of games in travel prior to getting to UF but I did see several and I never saw any significant control problems. She was ranked as the #1 pitching recruit by some services and that was the same year as Jordy Bahl, which should give some insight on how much emphasis we should put on recruiting rankings. Lexie's mind is clearly messed up at this point. I don't know if things have gone too far for her and she simply needs to start over in a new environment or if getting a new pitching coach might change her mind. If she changes her mind now about the portal, there really isn't a downside for us.

 

This made me laugh!

 

Yeah, I concur. I think more than anything they really messed with her (Lexie's) confidence. I doesn't really help when you come in walk a batter and instantly get pulled. I think a really good pitching coach could fix her up; but, I think Tim may have burnt that bridge with Lexie. About Kelly, maybe a fresh start with Florida could help her just like it probably will for Lexie.

 

I really hope it's pretty reliable because we have the two best pitchers coming in and would love for them to pitch like it.

 

That bridge is burned. She and Tim were not even speaking for the last couple of months.

 

Kelly has had a decent career at Washington, both at the plate and in the circle. Just not the extraordinary career many expected. If memory serves, she was considered the #1 recruit in the country out of high school. She has pitched some excellent games and has had some excellent hitting games. The consistency was a little lacking in both. Control problems frequently popped up. I believe Tarr decided sometime middle of this season, as she had three other pitchers, to stop using Kelly in the circle and let her concentrate on her hitting as she started the whole season at first when not pitching.

 

Good summary. If I remember right her dad died right around her senior year when she reopened her recruitment and the whole coaching situation at Auburn.

 

Kennedy Powell has something interesting to say:

 

You are probably correct. I don't know anything that would dispute that. She is, however, on a daily basis continuing to post Gator related things and she has not removed being with UF Softball from her bio.

 

Two questions: Anyone have an update on Olivia? She hasn't officially entered the portal yet she tweeted all of those very dreary tweets. Second question: how does recruiting in the portal work? Is it like recruiting out of high school where you get five official visits? I assume a school can pay all of the costs of an official visit in the portal similar to normal recruiting out of high school.

 

There are rules that are well spelled out for portal visits except for anyone visiting Norman, Oklahoma.

 

I'm hearing a lot of talk Jordy Bahl is going to transfer. Is it true or not I don't know yet. Soonerscope and on3 Allegedly have members who are close to the program reporting it. It's suppose to come out either today or something this week. Nothing is official yet, but it does make me think why this is being talked about. I get rumors about a canady transferring to Oklahoma or maybe a pinch runner/hitter transferring out of the program. It's not often I hear rumors a starter on a top softball team in the country and a major part of the past 2 championships transferring.

 

I have a very hard time believing this unless she's won championships and wants to be closer to home in Nebraska. It makes about as much sense to me as when there were rumors of fouts transferring.