Well folks, what are we going to talk about this off-season?. Last year we were in an uproar about the lack of a good pitching coach, what super star pitcher was coming to Gainesville through the transfer portal, and grave concern about freshman pitchers getting us through a whole season. How did that all work out? This fantastic team is pretty well set for next year so Ocala & Scrappy better come up with topics or this board is going silent.
I'm keeping an eye on if Victoria Nguyen comes back for her 5th year of gymnastics. You keep us up to date on softball along with others. Hoping for good news on a pitcher and for a 4th or 5th year all-star for SS, no offense intended to our incoming freshman.
There's a freshman pitcher at Gainesville HS (coached by Katie Chronister's Dad), who burst onto the scene this year and pitched her team all the way to the state championship game. Her name is Leanna Bourdage and for her 9th grade season was 19-4, 0.57 ERA, 136 IP, 58 hits, 49 BB, 251 K's. Apparently Tim Walton is fully aware of her talent.
What's even more fascinating is that her mother, Keri, is the one who has been shaping her pitching skills as a dedicated pitching coach. She and Laura Rothrock teach the Tincher method of pitching. When I found out Mrs. Rothrock taught Tincher, I googled it to see what it was. From there, I checked teachers in Florida and found Keri. I pm'd her and we are friends on Facebook. Here is the link to Tincher Pitching. Click on Our Story; it is fascinating. Softball Pitching Coach – Fluid Dynamics – Tincher Pitching – Just another WordPress site
Way to early 2025 Rankings on Reddit: Way too early 2025 Top 20 This is mostly a joke. They do this in football so I thought I'd just hash out a listing. Sorry if this annoys anyone. I’m just having fun. I’ll try to list the teams, and give some key losses (I’ll try to name 3), and why I put them there as best as I can. Don't take it too seriously I didn't bother to try to track if any of the players I mentioned were in the transfer portal and I missed it, or if they had scored recently in big transfers. Obviously, with the transfer portal being so massive this year and so many teams losing COVID seniors this is nearly impossible to guess. I tried not to be too swayed by what was happening in the portal (too much that I couldn’t track it all anyway), but it did influence me to leave Washington off and I put Oklahoma State higher than I might have without the recent news. I refrained from dinging Alabama too much until I know for certain what is happening with Cahalan. 1. Texas Key loses – Mia Scott \[3b\], Bella Dayton \[of\], Estelle Czech \[p\] Why – returns almost everyone, including enough hitters and pitchers to not give them even a second thought about who will be a unanimous preseason #1 (unless I’m being a bonehead and missing someone obvious – which is always possible). 2. Florida Key loses – Skylar Wallace \[ss\], Katie Kistler \[of\], Baylee Goddard \[of\] Why – While Wallace is a big loss, they return so much hitting and pitching they seem poised to be one of the top teams out of the gate next year. They need Brown or Miller to step up and be bigger for Rothrock. 3. Stanford Key loses – Aly Kaneshiro \[c\], Caelan Koch \[of\], Regan Kause \[p\] Why – Unless Canady leaves, I’m going to give massive credence to a generational pitcher coming back. They have enough hitters with Kern and Jones, and Gall around her to survive those key loses. They need a second pitcher to take innings off NiJaree though. 4. Oklahoma State Key loses – Lexi Kilfoyl \[p\], Caroline Wang \[c\], Jilyen Poullard \[of\] Why – They rode the back of Kilfoyl so that won’t be easy to replace, but they have a very young team and all the positions really need to dominate a depleted Big 12 next year. 5. UCLA Key loses -- Maya Brady \[ss\], Sharlize Palacois \[c\], Jadelyn Allchin \[of\] Why – They have pitchers Tinsley and Terry coming back that have been through the fire. They lose a lot of offense in Brady and Palacois, but Grant and Woolery return and they have a coaching staff and culture that always seems to get them back. 6. Duke Key loses – Jala Wright \[p\], Claire Davidson \[of\], Kelly Torres \[c\] Why – They have enough talent to weather the big loses. Curd will have to become the pitcher she shows potential to be. Players like Vega, Jennings, and Gold are a nice group to build around. 7. Florida State Key loses – Kaley Mudge \[of\], Kalei Harding \[of\], Devyn Flaherty \[2b\], Why – Despite losing three icons of the sport, and having a pitcher retire, they return a competitive young team with Beachum, Edenfield, and Torres. Pitching is the issue. If that can be fixed, they’ll be one of the top teams next year. 8. Tennessee Key loses – Kiki Milloy \[of\], Payton Gottshall \[p\], Rylie West \[of\] Why – Once again, who is keeping a great pitcher will help Tennessee get back. Pickens is a great arm that I believe makes this a top 10 team. They underperformed a bit in postseason and lost a lot of key seniors, but they aren’t completely depleted of offense as Gibson, Pannell, and Nugent will return. 9. Arizona Key loses – Carlie Scupin \[1b\], Miranda Stoddard \[p\], Allie Skaggs \[2b\] Why – Was just a massively young team last year. The loss of Stoddard does represent a lot of innings, but they return Silva in the circle as the ace, and have a lot of returning offense to go with her. 10. Virginia Tech Key loses – Emma Ritter \[of\], Addy Green \[of\], Cameron Fagan \[2b\] Why – Despite the losses, the offensive juggernaut is not going away anytime soon. McMillan, Chatfield, and Greene are all going to be terrorizing pitchers all next year. And Emma Lemley got a lot stronger as she progressed in her second season. 11. Texas A&M Key loses – Trinity Cannon \[1b\], Julia Cottrill \[c\], Jazmine Hill \[of\] Why – While a lot of offense leaves the door, they return their ace pitcher Kennedy, and they have just enough hitting with Harper, Wookley, and Powell that I think they will be a good top-10 choice. 12. California Key loses – Haylei Archer \[p\], Tatum Anzaldo \[3b\] Why – I’m predicting a big jump for California. They were very young last year and so return many of their stars. The innings of Archer will have to be replaced, and they will want to see Roelling make a stride from ace to star in the circle, but they have all the offense that made them dangerous last year returning. 13. Missouri Key loses – Laurin Krings \[p\], Jenna Laird \[ss\], Alex Honnold \[of\] Why – Lots of loss here, but they return just enough to expect that they can get back if they want. Harrison will need to step up in the circle. The offense returns a lot of bodies, but they lost some of their main bats. Enough experience was built up that Lenger, Chester, and Daly will have to fill the gaps. 14. Alabama Key loses – Kayla Beaver \[p\], Jaala Torrence \[p\], Jenna Johnson \[of\] Why – I didn’t mention Kenleigh Cahalan in the list as I suppose she could always take her name out of the portal, but it was in my mind. They really have a lot to replace, but they have some incoming freshmen and seem to be getting transfers that should keep the ship afloat a bit. 15. Oklahoma Key loses – Tiare Jennings \[ss\], Jayda Coleman\[of\], Kelly Maxwell \[p\] Why – They are losing too many to really mention in both hitting and in pitching. Icons will have to be replaced somehow. However, they have something to build around in Parker, Pickering, and Sanders. Kirsten Deal will have to continue her progression but should be a good pitcher to lean on even if they didn’t also have a good freshman pitcher coming in. Again, another team whose culture and coaching are too good to bet against. 16. Arkansas Key loses – Hannah Gammill \[3b\], Rylin Hedgecock \[dp\], Morgan Leinstock \[p\] Why – Despite losing their ace, Herron looked like someone who could step into that role next season. Meanwhile, Bri Ellis returns along with Reagan Johnson and a good cast of hitters around that should keep them as a dangerous lineup. They’ve gotten a few additions in the transfer portal already that should help. 17. Baylor Key loses – Emily Hott \[of\], Aliyah Binford \[p/3b\], Sydney Collazos \[c\] Why – I didn’t include Crandall leaving as maybe she’ll change her mind. Orme is returning (knock on wood) and that would give them one of the best pitchers around, but obviously, they have to make up 300 innings somewhere besides just her. They have plenty of offense to help with Govan returning they just need to retain the pieces around her to get them through. 18. LSU Key loses – Taylor Pleasants \[ss\], Ali Newland \[of\], Danieca Coffey \[3b\] Why – LSU drops because they lost as much if not more than Oklahoma did, but they stay up this far because they return pitching. They will hold up Berzon to be back, pitching 8000 innings again, and that will get them a lot further than a team that lost this much probably should. 19. Nebraska Key loses – Billie Andrews \[ss\], Brooke Andrews \[of\], Sydney Gray \[3b\] Why – This again goes back to my idea that you don’t pick against generational pitching, and if Jody Bahl is back, then Nebraska will continue to be a tough out anywhere. I think they at least get back to the playoffs, though they need a lot of help to get there. Olensky needs to be developed into a complimentary arm to give Bahl some innings of rest. 20. Georgia Key loses – Sara Mosley \[3b\], Jaiden Fields \[dp\], Jayda Kearney \[of\] Why -- Another team that was heavily guided by seniors. They return Backes as their ace on the mound though. Whether this can compensate for the amount of offensive firepower leaving remains to be seen. I believe Dallis Goodnight will return, as will Lyndi Rae Davis, but a lot depends on how they transform their offense.
I can tell you what we do this summer. We watch Taylor Shumaker. She actually sucked today in three games because she struck out. Oh...she was 6-7 with 7 runs, 1 rbi, 2 doubles, a triple....and the home run drought is over. She is now 20-28 (.714) with 19 runs, 9 rbis, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run and 4 walks in nine games. She can bomb to right but more of her home runs go to straight center or oppo. The glitch in the video is not my fault, it was in the feed. Here's an oppo:
Frankly, I'm laughing. A good portion of you must think I've lost my mind when it comes to Taylor Shumaker. I think not.
I know some folks whose family used to own a bunch of Stuckey’s. I wonder if they could compete with the Love’s lady. Probably not.
I’m excited about her, the whole incoming class honestly. I said awhile back next season we’ll hit 140 homers. Some people politely called me an idiot. We’re losing Skylar and 140 homers you talking about. We lose Skylar but not the mark she left and we’re only losing two starters at the end of the day. Incoming stud class on top of what we already have. 140 is a big ask but not impossible. To touch a star you have to reach for it.
I despise OU, they will buy players. They will be a force to deal with in the new SEC. But things will be different for them now. Unlike their former conference you get punched in the face every weekend in SEC conference play. Even if you get the sweep you will bleed for it. Money talks a lot but I have faith that a lot of little girls and their parents that watched this WCWS want nothing to do with OU and would much rather be GATORS.
140 may not be "impossible"....but I'm begging you not to bet the mortgage on it lol I would be very happy if they hit 100 just like they did this season
