Softball Transfer Portal

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As for the ACC, they now have 3 legit CWS type teams (FSU, Duke, Stanford) and a handful of tournament teams most seasons. They were better than the B1G prior to expansion....they added a pair of quality teams while the B1G added 3 quality, closing the gap somewhat but not enough IMO. Especially given Washington's implosion and a question if they remain a tournament quality team. The long term argument for the B1G is viable given ACC uncertainty, odds are they eventually surpass the ACC but not immediately.

 

Really if Brown can develop that is all we need fpr pitching. She was good this year but not against the elite. In the Texas game she gave up 3 hrs. She can become great with the right coaching.

 

Thought she settled in well in the Baylor game 2....2 runs and 5 hits over 6 innings vs a quality opponent. Showed some of that potential

 

KPI Top 50 for 2024:

Faktor (faktorsports.com)

ACC----------------B1G

3 Duke-------------7 UCLA
8 Stanford---------21 Washington
14 Florida State---24 Northwestern
17 Virginia Tech---29 Oregon
19 Clemson--------31 Michigan
25 Virginia---------39 Penn State
26 California-------41 Indiana
50 Louisville-------43 Ohio State
---------------------47 Nebraska

The B1G has 9 in the top 50 and ACC has 8.

Both Michigan and Oregon have consistently fielded better teams than where they finished the 2024 season. Washington is Washington. Whatever is going on out there in Seattle will get corrected. The Huskies are annually a solid a playoff team.

As I said, I don't think there will be a discernable difference between the ACC and the B1G in 2025. Let's let 2025 playout. In case I forget, I'm sure you will remind me. Until then, peace and done.

 

What will be interesting is to see what real effect Washington, Oregon and UCLA moving to the Big 10 really means and I think the jury is out on that. They might bring the league up another notch or it might have more of a harmful effect on those three's programs. While all three recruit nationally, their prime territory is the West Coast. I can certainly see a ton of elite recruits who don't have a specific allegiance to any of those programs saying, "You really want me to fly across the country to play at Rutgers in April? Really?". Upgrading the league or downgrading those programs is an unknown in my opinion at this point. Everybody is fleeing Washington except for the Husky dog, for unexplained reasons, and my sources tell me the dog has been feeling out the portal for a move to a shelter in Florida. And, seriously, we do recruit well in California and what is going on could possibly work to our advantage. BTW....Mowins and the rest of her unlistenable crew love to constantly talk about...ten times per game...how many championships UCLA and Arizona have won without once mentioning those were mostly in the whip and buggy age and bear absolutely no resemblance to the current state of the game. Since 2010, which seems a fair cutoff on how much the game has changed, although you could pick a year or two earlier, UCLA has won two championships, Arizona none, Arizona State one, Bama one, UF two, FSU one and Oklahoma six. So...please....just shut up or tell the truth.

 

The report was shared on gatorbaitmedia by Dan Bond. I heard parents talking about it at the WCWS but promised not to say a word. After he reported it, I felt it was now safe to do so. Remember, I did not say it was a done deal and I have ZERO confirmation other than some unnamed parents. Take it for what it is worth.

 

rick - I love your comment on the dog. You are spot on about the Wash players. I talked to 2 of the UDub boosters who said Heather was surprised but understood why, as she does not really want to go cross country or play in the frozen tundra either. I bet Stanford and UCLA have a few other players looking to move. Other than Duke and UNC no other school in the SEC or ACC can match our education and it is not a giant step down from Stanford. Oh yeah Army and Navy have numerous Football Natty's yet both are now irrelevant and that is why your analogy about the PAC 12 softball for the most part is spot on.

 

Did you listen to the interview with Heather Tarr I posted a couple days ago, probably in the general softball commentary thread? She sounded blindsided, hurt, and not just a little bit angry about a lot of the things that have changed. Very interesting interview for someone who really is one of the best in the game.

 

My bet is both Oregon and UW drop off somewhat, some of the B1G traditional schools may improve a little, and UCLA will remain the best in the conference. UCLA may be the lone remaining west coast power that is a viable option for the kids to stay home

 

What report?

 

Looks like a pretty big edge in the top 7 going to the ACC.....which is really what matters. Those are the tourney teams that can consistently make noise most years and are legit "teams". The rest are just generally all going to be the same, mediocre to bad mostly dependent upon if they happen to have a solid arm or not

 

Let's opine on what any highly experienced and great pitcher transfer means to the program. By that I mean how would someone of that caliber affect next years great freshman pitcher as well as the 3 on the roster now? I'm not sure our current ace would enjoy a back seat much less the others that are still developing. How would you even go about developing a pitcher if you had canaday and rothrock? Ava would be getting dibs on remaining starts and Miller along with the new freshman would get basically nothing. I would imagine if that transfer happened the incoming freshman would have to redshirt or not enroll if that wasn't to their liking. Then you have to deal with the others and their lack of opportunities for the next two years. You could in theory be sitting here in 2 years with rothrock as your only experienced pitcher again because who is getting the experience and innings they need with her and canady on the same team? Interesting situation and decisions for the coach if this is a possibility. Obviously
Florida would be a favorite to win the next two titles if those two pitchers are on the team but does that go beyond two years and do others leave, or other recruits go elsewhere? I guess it's a good problem to have when elite players like your program. As for retirement rumors, I think something as big as this transfer would be THE exact reason why people start those rumors...to tamper with the possibility of such a move. Happens all the time in football, the old story other teams tell recruits about how long a coach has on contract and why go there if they are gone in a year.

 

I would hope for a quality transfer so we are still in good shape should one of the pitchers unfortunately be injured, as happened two years ago.

 

Two years in this environment is far too long to predict. There is no reason why, even if Canady were to magically appear, that an elite pitcher would not commit a year from now (not this year) and be willing to bide time for a year.

 

Look at Texas' pitching staff. They have 3 legimimate aces, plus 2 support pitchers. The 3 main ones shared pretty much equal innings. That's the way most big time programs are handling their pitching staffs now. You just have to find young ladies willing to share the limelight and the load in order to help the team be as successful as possible. I think Keagan Rothrock and Ava Brown and hopefully Olivia Miller and incoming freshman Kaitlyn Oxley will look at it that way if Canady or any other elite pitcher joins the staff. Canady as well. She won't have to carry the full load like she did at Stanford and will be fresher and stronger any time she's called upon. If the want or demand to be THE STAR, then maybe they belong somewhere besides Florida.

 

OU has a deep staff too. If you can get maybe the best pitcher in the nation, you do and work out the innings later.

 

It would take so much wear and tear off of the pitchers if you're able to develop 3-4 top-notch pitchers.

 

Could you imagine Canady with run support and being fresh and not having to carry the entire team?

 

I'll get blasted for this but I hope we don't get Canady. We don't need a hired gun to win the WCWS. Our current players plus the incoming freshman should be better than this year's team so let these girls finish what they started.

 

I wouldn't want to lose any of the pitchers to get her as well. It only works if everyone is on the same page and knows their role and excels in it