Women’s Softball-what ails the Lady Gators this year?

[Gator87]

Barnhill gave up 21 home runs last year and after yesterday she's given up 20 this year. Her first 2 years she gave up 12 total I think. As great as she is, she's never developed an off speed pitch to get batters a little bit off balance. She has developed a drop ball that has been effective this year. But she still relies on her 3 level rise ball and every pitch is 64-72 mph. So teams and players that have faced her over and over for 4 years have made adjustments and so she is susceptible to the long ball. But she's thrown 286 innings this year, so 20 HR's is 1 every 14.5 innings (2+ games). Unfortunately some of them have come at crucial moments in big games.

I just did a comparison of Stacey Nelson’s last two seasons to Barnhill’s. Nelson’s numbers are unbelievable especially homers allowed.

Nelson “08
47-5 record
352.1 innings pitched
0.75 ERA
2 Home runs allowed

Nelson ‘09
41-5 record
287.1 innings pitched
0.79 ERA
1 Home run allowed

Barnhill ‘18
29-3 record
214.1 innings pitched
1.08 ERA
21 Home runs allowed

Barnhill ‘19
34-13 record
286.1 innings pitched
1.47 ERA
20 Home runs allowed

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

UCLA doesn’t seem to have a problem hitting & scoring runs. Up 6-1 on ‘Zona in the top of the 7th. Sure wish our team could do that.

 

[Ocalaman]

UCLA doesn’t seem to have a problem hitting & scoring runs. Up 6-1 on ‘Zona in the top of the 7th. Sure wish our team could do that.

And you notice that both teams have gotten down nice sacrifice bunts. Huh?

 

[NVGator]

Sully is 10x worse with small ball. Not even close.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

And you notice that both teams have gotten down nice sacrifice bunts. Huh?

And as I already said, a bunch of hits, too...what’s your point? That we suck as bad at bunting as we do hitting?

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Sully is 10x worse with small ball. Not even close.

Walton learned from the master!

 

[Scott512]

I just did a comparison of Stacey Nelson’s last two seasons to Barnhill’s. Nelson’s numbers are unbelievable especially homers allowed.

Nelson “08
47-5 record
352.1 innings pitched
0.75 ERA
2 Home runs allowed

Nelson ‘09
41-5 record
287.1 innings pitched
0.79 ERA
1 Home run allowed

Barnhill ‘18
29-3 record
214.1 innings pitched
1.08 ERA
21 Home runs allowed

Barnhill ‘19
34-13 record
286.1 innings pitched
1.47 ERA
20 Home runs allowed

No comparison. Walton cost Nelson player of the year for sure in 2009 by sitting her and so many starts for Brombacher.

Definitely great to squeak into the World Series the last 2 years. They were fortunate to do so. The gator girls will have to do better next year and they will have to recruit better. The hitting is weak for a Gator team and Barnhill gives up bombs.. As good as she is the Gopher ball kills her.

 

[Ocalaman]

No comparison. Walton cost Nelson player of the year for sure in 2009 by sitting her and so many starts for Brombacher.

Definitely great to squeak into the World Series the last 2 years. They were fortunate to do so. The gator girls will have to do better next year and they will have to recruit better. The hitting is weak for a Gator team and Barnhill gives up bombs.. As good as she is the Gopher ball kills her.

That's why we have Stacey Nelson PLaza at the new softball stadium. She was our first true superstar and paved the way for all the great players who followed her to Gainesville. I've been following Gator softball since the early 90's and Stacey Nelson is where the program turned the corner and became great. If we ever do a Wall of Fame like they have at the football stadium, she would be the 1st name up, followed by Lauren Haeger.

 

[Ocalaman]

And as I already said, a bunch of hits, too...what’s your point? That we suck as bad at bunting as we do hitting?

Absolutely, yes!!!

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Absolutely, yes!!!

Ocalaman, we all know that! I want us to hit like the Oklahoma’s and UCLA’s of the world...and that’s not asking too much for a program like ours with the money we’ve sunk into it.

Look, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve always been on good terms with you. Heck, I still like you. But I’m convinced after this thread that either A) your lady cracked you upside the head with a wine bottle and rattled your brain or B) you’re related to Walton. Nothing else explains your defense of his crap coaching last night.

 

[Gator87]

No comparison. Walton cost Nelson player of the year for sure in 2009 by sitting her and so many starts for Brombacher.

Definitely great to squeak into the World Series the last 2 years. They were fortunate to do so. The gator girls will have to do better next year and they will have to recruit better. The hitting is weak for a Gator team and Barnhill gives up bombs.. As good as she is the Gopher ball kills her.

Because she’s never learned to throw an off speed pitch. You can’t throw the same speed the whole game, eventually good hitters are going to time you up. Probably one of the reasons she wasn’t selected for the USA squad this year.

 

[Ocalaman]

Ocalaman, we all know that! I want us to hit like the Oklahoma’s and UCLA’s of the world...and that’s not asking too much for a program like ours with the money we’ve sunk into it.

Look, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve always been on good terms with you. Heck, I still like you. But I’m convinced after this thread that either A) your lady cracked you upside the head with a wine bottle and rattled your brain or B) you’re related to Walton. Nothing else explains your defense of his crap coaching last night.

I'm agreeing with you, man. This is the weakest hitting team of the Walton era and we should have been playing more small ball all year to scratch out runs when we can. Last night we should have sac. bunted at least twice and it likely would have resulted in a run each time. But our girls either don't know how or just can't execute. That's unacceptable. When Walton said in the press conference that he didn't ask Caraway to bunt because she can't bunt, my first thought was "Well pinch hit with someone who can at least give it a shot!!" But Tim Walton is, in fact, the winningest coach in D1 over the last 12 years. That's a fact. But I think when his buddy Gajewski left, our offense started going downhill. And I think Rocha leaving for Oklahoma has affected the development of the pitching staff. I don't know the answer, but why didn't Walton and Rocha insist on Barnhill developing an offspeed pitch beginning in her freshman year? That Alabama stud freshman, Fouts, is already working on one according to the announcers and her coach. I just have a hard time jumping on a coach who has won as much as Walton has and has maneuvered this team to the WCWS in an acknowledged "down" year for the program. I agree with the criticism you and others have made, but I prefer to stay positive and give the guy a break. 10 WCWS and 2 national titles in 12 years has earned him the cred, IMO.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

I'm agreeing with you, man. This is the weakest hitting team of the Walton era and we should have been playing more small ball all year to scratch out runs when we can. Last night we should have sac. bunted at least twice and it likely would have resulted in a run each time. But our girls either don't know how or just can't execute. That's unacceptable. When Walton said in the press conference that he didn't ask Caraway to bunt because she can't bunt, my first thought was "Well pinch hit with someone who can at least give it a shot!!" But Tim Walton is, in fact, the winningest coach in D1 over the last 12 years. That's a fact. But I think when his buddy Gajewski left, our offense started going downhill. And I think Rocha leaving for Oklahoma has affected the development of the pitching staff. I don't know the answer, but why didn't Walton and Rocha insist on Barnhill developing an offspeed pitch beginning in her freshman year? That Alabama stud freshman, Fouts, is already working on one according to the announcers and her coach. I just have a hard time jumping on a coach who has won as much as Walton has and has maneuvered this team to the WCWS in an acknowledged "down" year for the program. I agree with the criticism you and others have made, but I prefer to stay positive and give the guy a break. 10 WCWS and 2 national titles in 12 years has earned him the cred, IMO.

It’s settled then, your lady cracked you with a wine bottle and your brain is scrambled...because you should know we jump on successful coaches all the time on this board!

 

[Gator87]

I'm agreeing with you, man. This is the weakest hitting team of the Walton era and we should have been playing more small ball all year to scratch out runs when we can. Last night we should have sac. bunted at least twice and it likely would have resulted in a run each time. But our girls either don't know how or just can't execute. That's unacceptable. When Walton said in the press conference that he didn't ask Caraway to bunt because she can't bunt, my first thought was "Well pinch hit with someone who can at least give it a shot!!" But Tim Walton is, in fact, the winningest coach in D1 over the last 12 years. That's a fact. But I think when his buddy Gajewski left, our offense started going downhill. And I think Rocha leaving for Oklahoma has affected the development of the pitching staff. I don't know the answer, but why didn't Walton and Rocha insist on Barnhill developing an offspeed pitch beginning in her freshman year? That Alabama stud freshman, Fouts, is already working on one according to the announcers and her coach. I just have a hard time jumping on a coach who has won as much as Walton has and has maneuvered this team to the WCWS in an acknowledged "down" year for the program. I agree with the criticism you and others have made, but I prefer to stay positive and give the guy a break. 10 WCWS and 2 national titles in 12 years has earned him the cred, IMO.

The hitting has been going downhill since 2016, the year we lost to UGA in the Super Regional, and it’s seems to be getting worse every year especially the last 2 years since Thomas has been here as hitting coach and I use that term loosely. The last two years our offensive numbers have been the worst since 2006.

 

[Gatorphan]

OU is reversing the Cowgirl;)

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Oklahoma is reversing the Cowgirl;)

Sounds pretty hot!

 

[Ocalaman]

The hitting has been going downhill since 2016, the year we lost to UGA in the Super Regional, and it’s seems to be getting worse every year especially the last 2 years since Thomas has been here as hitting coach and I use that term loosely. The last two years our offensive numbers have been the worst since 2006.

Agree, I think we've missed on some highly rated recruits as well. They just haven't lived up to their recruiting rankings. We have a great class coming in this year and it will be real interesting to see how this team responds next year without Lorenz & Barnhill. What ladies will step up and lead by example? And will the coaches adjust their style to the type of talent we have?

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

Huh?? What does pitching around their home run hitter have to do with Tebow playing QB for us? I dunno, were opposing team defenses allowed a free pass to force Tebow to stand on the sidelines for several plays whenever they felt like it, like we could have done pitching around that girl last night?

 

[diehardg8r]

Because she’s never learned to throw an off speed pitch. You can’t throw the same speed the whole game, eventually good hitters are going to time you up. Probably one of the reasons she wasn’t selected for the USA squad this year.

Been saying this since she stepped on campus. Why no one on our staff sat her ass down and told her you need to develop a change up this offseason is beyond me. Maybe they did and she refused to throw one but my guess is that she probably has one but that dingle berry calling pitches doesn't call it. Believe me, alot of pitching coaches and coaches in general don't like the change up.



Same principle applies to softball.

 

[Gator87]

Been saying this since she stepped on campus. Why no one on our staff sat her ass down and told her you need to develop a change up this offseason is beyond me. Maybe they did and she refused to throw one but my guess is that she probably has one but that dingle berry calling pitches doesn't call it. Believe me, alot of pitching coaches and coaches in general don't like the change up.



Same principle applies to softball.

Don’t know about the coach not calling for it. Rocha had her for 3 years and no change up either. I’ve got a feeling there may have been some friction between the Barnhill’s and Rocha, which led to her leaving to go to Oklahoma. It’s not like it was a promotion going to Oklahoma it’s basically a lateral move. It was rumored that they told her that she would be the coach when Gasso retires but how many years from now will that be. Kind of odd that you stay at one place for 12 years and leave for the same exact job you already have.
Just my theory, don’t know if there’s anything to it.