I think the abs will depend on who is performing to be honest but I think both pitchers will hit when pitching and reagen will dp unless needed elsewhere.
No matter, Reagan will be in the lineup every day because her bat is needed. No one on the team hits the ball harder than Reagan. Remember her home run in the WCWS last year. It was no more than 15 feet off the ground from the plate until it went over the fence. It was one of the hardest balls I’ve ever seen hit in softball.
Personally think Reagan should be the everyday DP unless injuries force her into the field. Her bat is her money card and hitting the ball is all I want her focused on. If anyone not named Jocey or Korbe lose ABs as a result of that, so be it.
Love Nicole! Will never forget the sheer joy on her face rounding first after driving in the winning run in the WCWS.
I agree with the sentiment that Ava and Keagan will hit for themselves, and they'll use the DP for Oxley when she is pitching. I just spent way too much of my morning trying to determine who might be the "worst bat," and I got nothing. I know Mia is streaky, but if she comes in confident, she is going to be dangerous. One of my big questions is how/if CTW is going to consistently bring Towsen Thomas into the mix. I feel like she's too dynamic to not play some sort of role in things. I understand that the girls who aren't on the field play a HUGE role (I love you so much, Brooke Barnard!), but I don't know if I can wrap my mind around being so stacked that we live in a world where someone like Thomas isn't a big piece.
Bottomline, Reagan bats every day. DP or position. You can't sit an All American DP on the bench. Also there is so much potential riding the bench. CTW has to figure out how to use it all.
D1 identified seven of our players in the top 100. That leaves 1B, 2B and RF without one of those players. Taylor starts in RF, Mia at 2B which leaves 1B as the flex position, Ava starts at 1B most days. CTW may be using a lot of pinch hitting and running depending on who has the hot bat and who he can use for speed. Each player has to accept their role until graduation gives way to the position that they play best.
My opinion only but Reagan is as good or better fielder than Ava at First and definitely a much better hitter. I would play her full time unless one of the other pitchers do not hit. But after watching Fall Ball, Keegan is a legitimate threat at bat so she will hit when she pitches which leaves Ava as the odd player out.
I am a fan of Raegan at first. I get nervous with her in some of the other defensive positions, but not when she is on 1B. But... I am in full agreement that she needs to be in the lineup, in some capacity, every game. That's not even a question.
Who could play first when Ava pitches? How about Taylor? She certainly is athletic enough. That would Thomas and other OF experience.
Id have to see reagen at 1st some more. Ava did really well there last year. Either way I see Reagen in the lineup one way or another. Some matchups may affect the lineup anyway.
I believe Layla has been moved to the outfield. That doesn't really surprise me but it does likely leave her last man out with Korbe, Kendra, Taylor, Townsen and Cassidy already there. Might be a future project.
Come to the choir, my boy. I've been preaching that for a year now. Tim says Taylor will play, occasionally, at first.
Korbe, Jocey, Taylor, Kendra, Reagan will never lose an ab because our pitchers hit. Listen. I'm not down on Keagan. I've watched her for five years. She can hit....some. She played against crap in the Fall. I am not convinced she is a true SEC caliber hitter but she could well prove me wrong on that. But, if we hit pitchers....Shaw, Brooke, Townsen, Alyssa, Gabi and Layla do lose at bats and I'm not sure that is the way to go. Time will tell. Nobody is paying me $600,000 per year to coach any team let alone ours that is stacked to the gills.
If the pitchers have better abs than Shaw Brooke TT Alssay Gabi or Layla than I don't see how you don't go that way. They are jsut going to have to wait their turn or continue to push until they work their way in the lineup. Iron sharpens iron. Keagen has to be showing something to get her way into that lineup and that tells me enough that we should be looking forward to it imo. I think we'll see a lot PH situ as tioms and whoever steps up may work their way towards more ab opportunities.
