ESPN / USA 2015 Pre-Season Poll

[SoAZDad]

Top 25 Polls

ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll – Preseason (Jan. 27)
1. Florida (15)
2. Oregon (4)
3. Oklahoma
4. Alabama
5. Florida State
6. UCLA
7. Kentucky
8. Michigan
9. Louisiana
10. Georgia
11. Baylor
12. Arizona
13. Washington
14. Tennessee
15. Minnesota
16. Arizona State
17. Missouri
18. LSU
19. Auburn
20. Nebraska
21. Notre Dame
22. Tulsa
23. South Alabama
24. Texas A&M
25. Texas

 

[smashdad]

Looks like Ole Miss, Miss St, and Vandy need to up their game. The SEC may be kinda tough this year.

 

[CoachKirk]

Looks like Ole Miss, Miss St, and Vandy need to up their game. The SEC may be kinda tough this year.

Umm.... Vanderbilt would need a team first in order to 'up their game'...

Anyway, I like Ole Miss. Why? Because my daughter plays there. Go Rebs!!

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Not seeing Louisiana Tech having the glory they did last year - they lost their pitching and along with that their identity (the fake black glasses)

 

[maksoftball]

Not seeing Louisiana Tech having the glory they did last year - they lost their pitching and along with that their identity (the fake black glasses)

Do you mean ULL? Thought the fake black glasses was Christina Hamilton...unless I missed the point. LOL.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Do you mean ULL? Thought the fake black glasses was Christina Hamilton...unless I missed the point. LOL.

Ya I misspoke - what you said.

I am assuming that "Louisiana" = ULL,......No??

 

[Ratmantate]

Ya I misspoke - what you said.

I am assuming that "Louisiana" = ULL,......No??

You are correct in assuming that ULL is Louisiana. It's listed as Louisiana because that's what the university's athletics are called.

But you are incorrect in your comment about pitching. ALL of the pitching is back for 2015, including Christina Hamilton. But the difference is that Jordan Wallace is healthy again and looked great last weekend, throwing a 2-hitter against NC State. She was the pitcher of the year in the state of Louisiana in 2013 and looks the part this year. With Hamilton and Wallace in the circle on a regular basis, this team isn't going to lose many games. Plus there is some great young pitching behind her.

This is a team that had a total of 2 seniors on last year's College World Series team and has only 3 seniors this season. Pretty much all of the hitting is back as well for a team that finished 49-10, 2nd the country in HR, 12th in scoring and 14th in slugging percentage.

And the identity of this team is fully intact, you can bet on that. They're gonna hit, get on base A LOT and press you. Expectations are extremely high for this squad.

Not sure why you thought Hamilton was gone...

 

[RubberBiscuit]

You are correct in assuming that ULL is Louisiana. It's listed as Louisiana because that's what the university's athletics are called.

But you are incorrect in your comment about pitching. ALL of the pitching is back for 2015, including Christina Hamilton. But the difference is that Jordan Wallace is healthy again and looked great last weekend, throwing a 2-hitter against NC State. She was the pitcher of the year in the state of Louisiana in 2013 and looks the part this year. With Hamilton and Wallace in the circle on a regular basis, this team isn't going to lose many games. Plus there is some great young pitching behind her.

This is a team that had a total of 2 seniors on last year's College World Series team and has only 3 seniors this season. Pretty much all of the hitting is back as well for a team that finished 49-10, 2nd the country in HR, 12th in scoring and 14th in slugging percentage.

And the identity of this team is fully intact, you can bet on that. They're gonna hit, get on base A LOT and press you. Expectations are extremely high for this squad.

Not sure why you thought Hamilton was gone...

Oh wow - cool!

For some reason I thought that Hamilton was a senior last year.

Now on Wallace - I was originally hugely impressed with her pitching. Then last year the announcers said that Wallace was suffering mostly in her head than anything else. I guess yer saying that's not true....? Since you appear to know more about ULL than the announcers (no shock), can you disclose what type of injury she was afflicted with last year?

Well anyways - I will be rooting for this unique team from afar once again this year

 

[Ratmantate]

Oh wow - cool!

For some reason I thought that Hamilton was a senior last year.

Now on Wallace - I was originally hugely impressed with her pitching. Then last year the announcers said that Wallace was suffering mostly in her head than anything else. I guess yer saying that's not true....? Since you appear to know more about ULL than the announcers (no shock), can you disclose what type of injury she was afflicted with last year?

Well anyways - I will be rooting for this unique team from afar once again this year

What the announcers said were true - Wallace's issue had much more to do with her head than injury. She started out the season healthy and just couldn't hit the strike zone, hitting batters instead. Can't blame injury on that. Her ball had very little spin and she just wasn't getting people out. However, she did suffer a back injury pretty early on in the season (UL-Lafayette pitching rotation has new look | Sports | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana) that definitely didn't help her get back on track.

I've watched Wallace pitch for 3+ years now and you can almost tell within her first two batters if she has it or not. And last weekend vs. NC State, she DEFINITELY had it. Laser-focused, attacking batters. We had to roll with Hamilton almost exclusively during the postseason last year. If Wallace pitches like she can, we will be extremely dangerous in the postseason with that combo. Plus newcomers Alex Stewart (So.) and Kylee Jo Trahan (Fr.) looked impressive as well and should be able to chew up some innings. And that's not even counting Victoria Brown, who is currently hurt, and operated as our #2 pitcher for the most part of last year.

And we appreciate any rooting you can give us! ;-) Geaux Cajuns!

 

[knightsb]

ULL has 36 players on the roster?