Batting average?

[NVfishing]

Where can I find information on the best players, pro or college, for their batting average?

I was trying to explain to my daughter she had a great tournament by batting .600.

I've seen some phenomenal averages in softball vs baseball. What is the BA of softball players typically.

 

[sluggers]

.600 is a good average. Usually, if you go the web sites for the college team, they will have stats.

softball statistics report for NCAA

Here are the top 10, NCAA--


1 Re'Quincia Mack, Alabama A&M Sr. C 36 116 58 0.500
2 Amber Patton, DePaul Sr. 3B 53 179 89 0.497
3 Amberly Waits, Louisiana Tech Jr. SS 55 166 81 0.488
4 Chelsea Bramlett, Mississippi St. Jr. C 56 181 88 0.486
5 Brittany Lastrapes, Arizona So. OF 58 200 95 0.475
6 Jenna Rhodes, Virginia Tech Sr. OF 56 192 91 0.474
7 Leigh Godfrey, Radford Fr. OF 51 179 84 0.469
8 Christa Fullwood, G-W So. - 46 139 64 0.460
9 Alisa Goler, Georgia So. INF 52 148 68 0.459
10 Lisa Kingsmore, Winthrop Sr. OF 47 153 70 0.458


Generally, batting averages (and ERAs) are misleading. There are some really bad teams out there--for every 40-2 Florida, there is a 2-40 team. The question is always, "What can you do against the good pitchers?"

Lastrapes plays in the PAC-10, the most difficult softball conference in D1. She is probably the best hitter in the list. For her to rack up that average playing regularly against Arizona State, UCLA, Cal, Stanford and Washington is amazing.

 

[Flash101]

Good info from Sluggers. I love to watch Lastrapes.

I suggest forgetting about BA and looking at OPS - a better measure of offensive productivity (on base percentage plus slugging percentage).

 

[ssarge]

I suggest forgetting about BA and looking at OPS - a better measure of offensive productivity (on base percentage plus slugging percentage).

Good advice. The top of batting average lists are usually dominated by slappers. Not that slapping isn't valuable - it is. But not as valuable as someone who has almost the same average, but also hits for power (a full swing hitter). Think Cochran of Arizona State or Chambers of Arizona.

Plus, NCAA slapper's averages are positively affected by the fact that slaps which advance runners are counted as sacrifices (like a bunt). Which makes comparison of averages with full-swing hitters ludicrous. Probably adds 40-50 points to the season BA for slappers.

Someone like Cochran - who gets on base over 6 times out of 10 (63 BBs this year, mostly out of fear of letting her swing) - and has a slug % of about 1.000, all against the best pitching in the country, simply has an incalcuable value. Which is only partially captured by her .422 average. This is why she was one of the 3 finalisits for the NCAA Player of the Year award (along with two pitchers). She didn't win - non pitchers NEVER win, and the NCAA should have a separate award for pitchers and for position players. But she made the final 3.

BTW, LaStrapes is a great player.

Best regards,

Scott