Hard to believe but we're back again with a new season. I know I've mentioned it before but I truly believe this is the deepest squad of talent that Patty Gasso has ever assembled.
Let's start with Pitching.
Sr Alex Storako(Right handed transfer from Michigan)
Jr Nicole May (R)
So Jordy Bahl (R)
Fr Kirsten Deal (L)
Fr SJ Guerin (L)
I touched on this a bit yesterday in the softball thread. The depth chart seems to be lining up as follows
Jordy Bahl #1
Nicole May #2
Alex Storako #3
Kirsten Deal(Relief)
SJ Guerin(Relief)
Jordy Bahl being #1 is not really debatable. When healthy she is a dominant force in the circle. What is debatable among some fans is who is the true #2, May or Storako? I'm going with May for a couple reasons 1) Loyalty to the program is huge for Coach Gasso and May could've transferred out at any time in the past couple years. There are no shortage of Power 5 teams who would've taken her. May has all the tools to be dominant. 2) Right now from what I saw in Fall Ball, I don't think Storako is a better Pitcher than May. Storako has really good movement to her pitches and is definitely capable of supplanting May as the #2 at some point during the season.
Deal and Guerin are the lefty freshmen that have a bright future in this program but unless there is an injury, I just don't see them getting anything more than spot duty early in the season. Another year in the strength and conditioning program will do wonders for the both of them. Deal is a friggin Wizard with the ball and I think Guerin will eventually be a power pitcher.
Next up? The Outfield!
Junior Jayda Coleman has Centerfield locked up. She's coming into the season in the best shape she has ever been in adding a lot of strength to her game. So much so that I'll go on record and say that it won't shock me at all to see 20 Homer's from her this season.
Senior Kylie Boone has Right Field locked up. She's fast, has a great arm, and she is the perfect kind of hitter that Coach Gasso loves to have in the back of the lineup.
Leftfield is where we'll see a lot of platooning. The player's most active in this platooning early in the season will probably be Sr Alyna Torres(Arizona St transfer), Jr Alyssa Brito, So Hannah Coor, and So Jordy Bahl. I expect by conference play either Brito or Torres will be the established starter.
Alright, on to the Infield. There are a few positions that appears to have a lot platooning and it will carry over into the first couple of months of the season. First Base, Catcher, and Third Base.
Shortstop and Second Base is locked up by Lyons and Jennings. Fr Avery Hodge is the established back up to Lyons and is the future at that position. Unless someone else steps up I see Soph Quincee Lilio as Jennings back up at 2B. She had a great season in summer league ball here in Florida.
There will be a lot of platooning at First Base early in the season between Senior Kinzie Hansen, Senior Haley Lee, Sophomore Cydney Sanders(Arizona St transfer), and Freshman Jocelyn Erickson. By conference play I see Sanders establishing herself at the position. Sanders is a true power hitter and it wouldn't shock me at all to see 30+ dingers from her this year as she platoons back and forth between 1B and DP. Because of the depth of this lineup there is just no way to pitch around her.
Third Base comes down to two player's in my opinion, Sr Alyna Torres and Jr Alyssa Brtio. In the beginning of Fall Ball I thought that Brito had done enough last year to keep her in Leftfield but from what I saw of her and Torres in Fall Ball, I think Brito is a sensational defensive 3B. I think Torres will eventually get most of her playing time in Left.
There is no position deeper than Catcher in my opinion. A far cry from just few years ago. We have Sr Kinzie Hansen, Sr Haley Lee, So Sophia Nugent, and Fr Jocelyn Erickson. In my eyes Hansen is the Starter(For some reason the coach's of the Big XII don't see it that way) with Lee as her backup. Nugent and Erickson are the future at this position but the future isn't now for either of them.
A spot in the lineup that should be talked about is DP. There will be a lot of platooning here and unless someone truly lights it up it will probably continue through out the season. Here we'll see Bahl, Lee, Nugent, Erickson, and Sanders. I think in the end it will be Lee and Bahl that will establish themselves at DP.
What do I expect from this team? Nothing short than another National Championship. Coach Gasso has said that this is her deepest team ever and her biggest problem right now is trying to keep all this talent engaged. I know the schedule this year looks much tougher than it did last year but I would be shocked if this team drops more than 3 games.
My lineup to start the season would be as follows
1) Jayda Coleman CF
2) Tiare Jennings 2B
3) Cydney Sanders 1B
4) Kinzie Hansen C
5) Haley Lee DP
6) Alyssa Brito 3B
7) Grace Lyons SS
8) Alyna Torres LF
9) Rylie Boone RF
Boomer Sooner!
Oger
Let's start with Pitching.
Sr Alex Storako(Right handed transfer from Michigan)
Jr Nicole May (R)
So Jordy Bahl (R)
Fr Kirsten Deal (L)
Fr SJ Guerin (L)
I touched on this a bit yesterday in the softball thread. The depth chart seems to be lining up as follows
Jordy Bahl #1
Nicole May #2
Alex Storako #3
Kirsten Deal(Relief)
SJ Guerin(Relief)
Jordy Bahl being #1 is not really debatable. When healthy she is a dominant force in the circle. What is debatable among some fans is who is the true #2, May or Storako? I'm going with May for a couple reasons 1) Loyalty to the program is huge for Coach Gasso and May could've transferred out at any time in the past couple years. There are no shortage of Power 5 teams who would've taken her. May has all the tools to be dominant. 2) Right now from what I saw in Fall Ball, I don't think Storako is a better Pitcher than May. Storako has really good movement to her pitches and is definitely capable of supplanting May as the #2 at some point during the season.
Deal and Guerin are the lefty freshmen that have a bright future in this program but unless there is an injury, I just don't see them getting anything more than spot duty early in the season. Another year in the strength and conditioning program will do wonders for the both of them. Deal is a friggin Wizard with the ball and I think Guerin will eventually be a power pitcher.
Next up? The Outfield!
Junior Jayda Coleman has Centerfield locked up. She's coming into the season in the best shape she has ever been in adding a lot of strength to her game. So much so that I'll go on record and say that it won't shock me at all to see 20 Homer's from her this season.
Senior Kylie Boone has Right Field locked up. She's fast, has a great arm, and she is the perfect kind of hitter that Coach Gasso loves to have in the back of the lineup.
Leftfield is where we'll see a lot of platooning. The player's most active in this platooning early in the season will probably be Sr Alyna Torres(Arizona St transfer), Jr Alyssa Brito, So Hannah Coor, and So Jordy Bahl. I expect by conference play either Brito or Torres will be the established starter.
Alright, on to the Infield. There are a few positions that appears to have a lot platooning and it will carry over into the first couple of months of the season. First Base, Catcher, and Third Base.
Shortstop and Second Base is locked up by Lyons and Jennings. Fr Avery Hodge is the established back up to Lyons and is the future at that position. Unless someone else steps up I see Soph Quincee Lilio as Jennings back up at 2B. She had a great season in summer league ball here in Florida.
There will be a lot of platooning at First Base early in the season between Senior Kinzie Hansen, Senior Haley Lee, Sophomore Cydney Sanders(Arizona St transfer), and Freshman Jocelyn Erickson. By conference play I see Sanders establishing herself at the position. Sanders is a true power hitter and it wouldn't shock me at all to see 30+ dingers from her this year as she platoons back and forth between 1B and DP. Because of the depth of this lineup there is just no way to pitch around her.
Third Base comes down to two player's in my opinion, Sr Alyna Torres and Jr Alyssa Brtio. In the beginning of Fall Ball I thought that Brito had done enough last year to keep her in Leftfield but from what I saw of her and Torres in Fall Ball, I think Brito is a sensational defensive 3B. I think Torres will eventually get most of her playing time in Left.
There is no position deeper than Catcher in my opinion. A far cry from just few years ago. We have Sr Kinzie Hansen, Sr Haley Lee, So Sophia Nugent, and Fr Jocelyn Erickson. In my eyes Hansen is the Starter(For some reason the coach's of the Big XII don't see it that way) with Lee as her backup. Nugent and Erickson are the future at this position but the future isn't now for either of them.
A spot in the lineup that should be talked about is DP. There will be a lot of platooning here and unless someone truly lights it up it will probably continue through out the season. Here we'll see Bahl, Lee, Nugent, Erickson, and Sanders. I think in the end it will be Lee and Bahl that will establish themselves at DP.
What do I expect from this team? Nothing short than another National Championship. Coach Gasso has said that this is her deepest team ever and her biggest problem right now is trying to keep all this talent engaged. I know the schedule this year looks much tougher than it did last year but I would be shocked if this team drops more than 3 games.
My lineup to start the season would be as follows
1) Jayda Coleman CF
2) Tiare Jennings 2B
3) Cydney Sanders 1B
4) Kinzie Hansen C
5) Haley Lee DP
6) Alyssa Brito 3B
7) Grace Lyons SS
8) Alyna Torres LF
9) Rylie Boone RF
Boomer Sooner!
Oger
