(SB) Ongoing UF Softball Commentary

Aric Thomas

 

I have been saying for 4 years Aric is a very average at best hitting coach. I have given up complaing as CTW will NEVER replace him as he is Tim's college roommate and best friend. I am resigned to the fact so no amount of worry or complaining will change this.

 

Players love him.

 

I'm thinking that if I ever need heart surgery....I'd probably not choose Korbe if I was her first shot at it. I might go for it if I was second. Even if she killed me, at least I'd die by a Gator. There have certainly been a long line of Gators before her who have tried to kill me.

 

This young lady and her dad were at the game today and will be today.
I did not know who they were, but I knew they were someone when CTW made a special trip out of the dugout to speak with the dad.
I had a good conversation with them after the game.

 

gators_2018 said: ↑
UVA who has four hitters hitting under .300 has chased Danley after just one inning (the fsu pitcher who shut us down) they have scored 3 runs off her and 5 hits. Something is deeply wrong with the hitting.

This did not age well.

 

Kennedy is a top level player.

 

3B/SS

 

Our problem is we are looking at way to many pitches. Wanting walks. We have done this before

 

I do not understand the whole Miller situation. The parents of some of the other pitchers were speaking VERY highly of her today, and apparently, she throws faster than anyone else on the staff. I know speed is, in no way, the only thing that matters… but I haven’t been horrified by what I’ve seen from her or anything like that. I don’t know. I just feel like they have next to zero trust in her, and seeing her face when they pulled her so quickly today was pretty sad. I know that softball games aren’t won by always avoiding hurt feelings, but I’m genuinely curious as to what some of y’all OGs on here (who, undoubtedly, have a better read on things than I do) think about it.

Am I just being a softy with an underdog complex? That’s pretty much the story of my life, so it’s quite possibly applicable here, too…

 

I have a friend who was there this weekend and we were chatting about Olivia, she said that in the fall she pitched two complete no hitters! She really rates her as a pitcher and doesn't understand why she rarely gets to play.
Unlike me, she really knows her stuff so I trust her judgement.

 

Stanton is the next year, I believe. I think we only have 2 recruits coming into the team since Shaw and Bellaire came in early. The pitcher who recently committed and the SS from Cali are the 2 expected in right now, I think.

 

If you remember this team sort of underperformed last year until about this point in the season. Let's see how they do against Mississippi and Alabama. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if they didn't sweep them. Keep the faith.

 

Olivia faced 4 batters....3 of them reached base. Had to pull her.
Thus far in her career she has dominated vs really bad teams (Providence game this year) and generally struggles vs SEC type competition. Usually she can give a few batters a different look but then gets in trouble.
She has also struggled a bit with walks this season, she's not alone there but it is an issue.
Fans always want the backup qb, the kids on the bench that have potential. More often than not there's a reason the other kid is playing.
Ava wasn't hitting and everyone wants Comia. Comia struggles a bit and suddenly some want Ava hitting again.....she goes 0 for the weekend and is hitting .066 in conference play. Coaches aren't perfect but they have a LOT more info than we do.

The team will come out of this mini slump. The SEC is brutal and things get magnified fast. We were never going to blow thru this season unscathed

 

Yes. Stanton is 2026. However, the late pickup of Leah Stevens may surprise. It is just possible we've gotten a diamond in the rough pitcher. Frankly, I'm surprised we even offered the shortstop from California.

 

Soooo it seems that I am, as suspected, being a softy with an underdog complex. I can own that.

And thank you for breaking it down like you did. That's what I was looking for. I'm definitely guilty of armchair coaching at times.

 

I have only been following Gator softball since 2021, but is it unusual for CTW to not make changes when there are such consistent issues with certain positions on defense?