I don’t watch softball games but for a team to hit nearly 200 HR in a season seems like a flaw in the game. I get that the sooner girls were all mountains but also the strike zone was so small. Either you get a grooved pitch or you walk
Softball
- Thread starter BTCMoonBoy
- Start date
Just some friendly advice. Don’t look at it through the lens of baseball. Just watch the game for what it is. It’s literally 10x more beautiful and exciting.
Just a fair warning, if you watch for a while you’ll likely get extremely hooked. If you then go back to baseball you’ll be like my gosh this is so boring and want to watch softball more.
I grew up in a baseball 24/7 household and coached softball for many years. One is a far superior game imo and people are finally waking up to it. Still has a long ways to go but absolutely going in the right direction in my view.
My wife and kids and I have women’s sports on 90% of the time in our home and we absolutely love it.
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I tend to agree. It’s a long shot to knock off OU again but crazy things often happen.
Go look at their schedule. They won games 35-0, 32-0, etc. against some bad teams. a lot of the home runs came in those games. Here’s the deal about women’s sports and one of the reasons you rarely see upset until the round of 16. There is a huge gap between the top and the middle. And a bigger gap between the middle and the bottom.
Alabama run ruled LSU yesterday and they were both seeded teams. LSU looked like they did not belong on the field with Bama.
What stood out to me is more than half of Oklahoma's lineup was overweight to significantly overweight. Yeah, they're big and strong and can launch balls out of those small ballparks, but they sure didn't handle multiple balls being slapped to their left and right very well.
I expect them to drill us two straight games now (just seems like too big of a hitting advantage), but they definitely seem to be trading some defense for all that power. It's not just errors, it's balls they just don't get to because they aren't quick enough carrying those extra lbs.
I'd also really like to see what ABS would say about that strike zone yesterday. Seemed extremely small.
I expect them to drill us two straight games now (just seems like too big of a hitting advantage), but they definitely seem to be trading some defense for all that power. It's not just errors, it's balls they just don't get to because they aren't quick enough carrying those extra lbs.
I'd also really like to see what ABS would say about that strike zone yesterday. Seemed extremely small.
I think OU has it down to a science. They recruit perfect bodies for softball. There’s a reason they’ve won so many nattys. I don’t think all those errors are very commonplace to them. Overweight may not be the best term used to describe their players. They live in the weight room and are built to rake.
I see OU’s problem as lack of good pitching. I think the errors are an outlier. I certainly don’t have any inside intel on their recruiting processes but I’m willing to bet they ONLY target certain body types. It’s incredible the lineup they’ve built and how they develop their players. Exit velocity and weight room
OU’s entire lineup is like Mya Perez at Texas A&M. If they had an elite pitcher they’d be nearly unbeatable. Maybe they whiffed or ran out of NIL funds to Texas, Texas Tech, etc…
I have no doubt they are strong as hell, but they're definitely carrying a lot of fat lbs as well. Those azzes and guts aren't all muscle.
I think you're absolutely right about them having the formula down. Pitching seems like the missing piece for them.
Oklahoma recruits husky girls. No doubt about it. when you score 10 runs a game like they do, you don’t have to have elite pitching.
The freshman Wells looks like a softball player you would build in a lab.
The freshman Wells looks like a softball player you would build in a lab.
I hear you it’s a fair point. I know I’d be scared for my life to stand on that mound and pitch to their girls without a lot of protection.
Teagan Kavan, Canady, Frahm, etc… I’d imagine most programs cannot afford pitchers of that caliber. We fall into that category. Not sure what’s going on with OU. Don’t quote me on it, but I believe I saw their lifelong pitching coach developed cancer recently. Sad to hear.
The batting average and HR stats for them are just video game silly.
They showed the scoreboard at one point with their lineup next to the averages and I swear 8 of the 9 were over .370.
They showed the scoreboard at one point with their lineup next to the averages and I swear 8 of the 9 were over .370.
Our best hitter may be lucky to crack their lineup at the 9th spot. It’s not a slight on our girls it’s just facts in terms of talent level. Hopefully this run will inspire more donors/leadership to step up and invest more in the program. These girls are doing amazing and pushing the sport forward in a grand way.
They had an elite pitcher, and she pitched them to two natties, but she got homesick and missed her boyfriend so she transferred back home to Nebraska, where she has now pitched them to a super regional. Oklahoma hasn’t been able to replace her in the circle.
As someone with daughters there is a lot to this. Successful coaches of women have to be able to navigate emotions.
Oklahoma thought they would be able to get whoever from the portal and NIL has changed that.
I think it’s just to opposite. You see very few well hit balls or defensive plays to be made.
I see I'm not the only person who thinks we are still behind the ball, even though we're up one game to none. If we can keep the ball in the ballpark, we send a chance; otherwise, it's gonna be a tough row to hoe. Good luck to our girls!
Expect it tomorrow too, the suffering without zero u at the world series would be too much for the sport.
Happy for you to love softball so much.
The bases are too close and the fence is too close. Move the mound back as well.
It looks like grown women playing on a little league field. Four steps between bases and the outfield is really the infield.
Learned a lot about softball in this thread, but I think I can boil it down to something even I can understand. Big girl hit ball far.
Technically, you are correct. Their infield dimensions are the same as Little League.
As for softball being more "action packed," it is definitely faster. Pitchers don't mess around between pitches like baseball players, that's for sure.
Thanks, it’s a similar but very different sport. Softball is more compact and action packed and the players are much more fun and beautiful. Some people really enjoy watching men in tight pants complain for hours… it’s ok, softball isn’t for everyone. It’s what makes the sport more fun.
Probably because they have to pee.**
Softball is the only team sport where morbidly obese players can dominate
Male athletes always have their height and weight listed. Female athletes only have height - no weight. Why is that?
That’s a great question. Personally, I don’t concern myself with, study their anatomy, obsess over, or enjoy watching other men with my free time. To each their own, as they say.