She was highly ranked coming out of high school. Had an OK year this season. Not sure where she would play, but Coach Walton knows best as to which players fit best into the Gator culture. "An all-region and all-SEC honoree in her two years in Tuscaloosa, Cahalan owns a career .290 batting average, with 9 home runs, 24 doubles, and 65 runs scored. Cahalan shined during her sophomore campaign this past season as she led the Crimson Tide in batting average (.296), hits (55), doubles (8), triples (5) and tied with first baseman Abby Duchscherer for the team-lead in RBIs (30). Cahalan showed a lot of promise during her freshman campaign, as she tallied seven home runs and 31 RBIs while starting in all 67 games. The former Hewitt-Trussville High School standout was quite accomplished before she donned the crimson and white. Ranked No. 1 overall player in 2023 class by Perfect Game Softball 2022 Alabama Miss Softball 2022 MaxPreps Alabama Player of the Year Two-time Gatorade Player of the Year finalist (2021-22) Two-time PGF All-American and MaxPreps All-American 2022 PGF 18U National Champion with Birmingham Thunderbolts 2022 All-State Player of the Year 7A State Runner-Up All-State every year of varsity Made All-State as 8th grader, the youngest player in 7A ever to do so"
Without a redshirt, a covid year, or an injury, I find a grad transfer in her future to be unlikely. She already gets a freebie, so she doesn’t need to graduate to move, and I doubt she graduates in three years at stanford. Not impossible, I just don’t see it.
If Kenleigh Cahalan fits into the “Gator Way” culture and will have the potential to contribute, I’m OK with that. As to where she will fit, she’ll have to compete for a position like others have. I would not use a pen to write her in at SS just yet. And in the end, I believe and trust CTW and staff will do what is best for the team.
If this turns out to be true, then it means to me that Tim is not confident his shortstop for next year is on the team. To me it means Ariel is staying at third, Cahalan most likely would get shortstop or he wouldn't do this, and the rest can fight over second and first. She is a good player and she might have enough talent to become much better than good once she gets away from Murphy and Bama. I'm not opposed to it but I find it interesting and telling. Edit: Cahalan made 13 errors in 242 chances. By comparison, and I'm not sure it means that much, Skylar had 8 errors in 222 chances.
Rylee Crandall, the Baylor pitcher who beat the Gators in Super Regionals has moved to the No. 1 spot in the uncommitted players in the Transfer Portal and the No. 4 player is a RHP from Virginia Tech, Lindsey Grein. She is showing interest in the Gators:
If so, half of my wish list is fulfilled, quality SS with 2 years of eligibility.-----The other is a quality pitcher.
Even if Cahalan comes and it doesn't work out I'm still for it because it would be Tim sticking it to Murph and Bama again. Worked out really well the last time.
Is this the player he pitch hit for. For seemingly no reason other than to make him look smart if it worked?
Grein must be indecisive because she can't decide which extreme part of the country she wants to live (joke). You can't get much farther apart than Oregon and Florida. UF has far better weather and a better program. Should be a no-brainer if we really are going after her.
Here are some numbers on Grein for her 2024 sophomore year: 12-5, 2.89 ERA, 7 complete games, 2 saves, 106.2 IP (2nd most at VT), 49 BB, 134 K's, 18 HR, .219 BA against. We've spent time in Oregon and weather there is very diverse. The eastern part is high desert like Idaho and northern Nevada, The Columbia River Gorge area is tropical rainforest. The area near the California border is called the Banana Belt because the weather is warmer and more humid, then you have the mountain range going up to the west center of the state and the beaches on the coastline. Eugene is a BEAUTIFUL area and I would have no problem living there. The people are insanely liberal from the mountains westward, but the state is beautiful.
I remember it happening, just don't remember the player Murphy pinch hit for. If it was Cahalan, I can understand her being upset even though she was hitless in 3 ABs against the Gators. With her batting average around .300, she was probably due for a hit.
For reasons only relevant to my OCD, I have kept pretty close track with Eugene weather over the past three years or so. I like to keep track on a daily basis of weather in several different areas of the country. Eugene was one because back when I started Haley Cruse was a favorite of mine when she was at Oregon both because she was a good player and also a total and loveable media nutjob. I keep Iowa City records because of my granddaughter on a diving scholarship at Iowa. A couple other places. Weird....I fully admit. Anyway, to get to the point. Eugene is cool but mostly reasonably mild in winter as far as low temps go but nothing great during the day. You really don't want to play softball there in February....cold and wet. The Ducks don't. They go to Mexico, Arizona, and wherever they can find softball weather. It isn't much better in March when they do have to play at home. Even somewhat into April. Oregon is a good school with excellent support of their athletics. Can't throw any dispersions at them. Other than going to the Big Ten which certainly isn't anything the softball program wants...ala Washington. Still, if you want to play softball, UF is the far better choice in every check box.
Fully agree about the softball aspects of the weather. I'm just talking about my personal preference. I could easily and comfortably live in Eugene, Grants Pass, Bend and many other beautiful areas out there.
Oregon, in areas, is just simply gorgeous with the scenery and diversity. That's one of the reasons I moved in retirement from Florida to the North Georgia Blue Ridge mountains. Let's face it...Florida is not diverse. It is what it is from a climate and diversity standpoint and there isn't really any diversity. I'm not a fan of winter and I simply survive here from mid-November to the end of February. But, after that, it is incredibly beautiful and diverse here with not much more than mountains, forests, rivers and lakes. The animals and fishes out weigh the people. I had to drive today from almost Blue Ridge back to Blairsville....a trip I have taken hundreds of times....and the scenery on that stretch leaves me in awe every time.