DEFENSE

[Rolling Hard]

Do coaches even care about defense anymore? Has hitting really become the only criteria in recruiting? Has the if you can hit, you will play thing over done?
Watched a Coastal Carolina vs. Southern Mississippi game. Box score had 6 errors but there were actually at least 10 real errors. Sloppy would be an understatement.
Seems like every mid level D1 game I watch has a lot of errors and missed cuts and a general lack defensive skill.

 

[Tatonka]

I certainly understand where that question comes from at times, it can be shocking to watch in some games but I don't believe (ok, I don't want to believe) it's that way all the time on those teams.

 

[Rolling Hard]

That game's final was 11 to 9. 10 earned runs. I understand hitting is hard but ......
I am going to try to look up if errors per game is on a rise OR am I just watching some bad games. Watched Cal Poly vs Santa Barbra. Sloppy too! I mean really sloppy. I expect better out of a 16u team.
Don't even get me started on base running.

 

[Gambler Bob]

Maybe I am wrong but I am going to say that the way travel ball is currently being ran is one of the culprits to bad defense. What I mean is the amount of National teams that are popping up are not good for travel softball because there are less and less players that are practicing multiple times per week. There are not enough truly great softball players to fill out all the National teams. If you got girls on the team that all live a 2-5 hours apart it is almost impossible to get the together enough to have a lot of meaningful defensive practices.

Let be honest, there are not enough parents that can teach the finer details of defense. It is difficult to find a field to practice on consistently if you play on a National team. We are lucky that my daughter's high school coach lets us use either of the softball fields at the high school whenever we want. Lot of people are not that lucky to have multiple fields to practice on.

A lot of people pay for hitting and pitching lesson, that stuff can be done in a small area. I don't see many people paying for fielding lessons, a lot of that has to do with field availability.

 

[angispeds]

I agree that in the collegiate game defense is secondary to hitting. There just isn’t enough pitching to go around that can keep a game low scoring so you better be able to slug it out. Those players that can do both are special kids. What really suprises me defensively is the number of outfielders that don’t hit their cuts and seem to have below average arms.


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[Vertigo]

I really just thought it was the D3 level where the defense seemed lacking for a lot of teams until I began watching a lot of mid-major and lower-end P5 games on TV. Then again, I also question if a team should even be competing at the D1 level if the lowest ERA is a 7+.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Watch the highlights video of the Red Sox vs. Angels game last night. Box score shows 3 errors for Boston but there were at least 5.

 

[Westwind]

There is video floating around of a rundown in the Friday Indiana vs Minnesota game. I cant find it now.

It is painful. Really painful. It looks like a bad rundown drill gone viral.

 

[Gambler Bob]

There is video floating around of a rundown in the Friday Indiana vs Minnesota game. I cant find it now.

It is painful. Really painful. It looks like a bad rundown drill gone viral.

You can't reply that and not provide a link.

I struck out trying to find the play.

 

[Westwind]

You can't reply that and not provide a link.

I struck out trying to find the play.

My bad!

I saw it originally on X and couldn’t find it again but its in this clip too.

I bet they do rundown drills in practice so much that they have forgotten the ultimate point of what you are trying to do.

Minnesota Comes Up Short in 5-3 Loss to Indiana - University of Minnesota Athletics

Gophers will face Indiana again tomorrow

gophersports.com