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LOL, no thanks. But I will clarify...
Posted on: November 12, 2018 at 13:58:43 CT
bluetiger_ MU
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I meant the several players who left more recently were not expected to contribute, Mitchell, McKinney etc. not the better players who left closer to the ending of the season. This is to be expected because you can't give meaningful playing time to a roster of 30+, it's just not possible. And all these kids came to college to play as much as possible, not to sit on the bench.
In terms of the others who left, Sanchez and Pierce hurt the most, and Sanchez's average tanked in SEC play last year. But teams lose good players every year and someone steps in and tried to make it up. Certainly losing those two wasn't good, but it hurt far more to lose Fagan, Crane and Gadbois to graduation in a single year.
As for the others, Burnside was no great loss IMO. For all her accolades coming out of high school, she was an average player, never came close to her potential here. She racked up a lot of RBIs her first year against average to poor teams, and couldn't hit SEC pitching for the life of her. She was awful at the plate in conference play her first two seasons. And was an average fielder at best. She is easily replaceable. She did lead the nation in long distance foul balls pulled down the left field line, I will give her that.
Edwards has great potential, but she really struggled at the plate too, and once Moore established herself as a far superior defensive catcher, Edwards didn't really have a position here, save DH. Plenty of those around. Interesting that she chose to play at a mediocre school (Texas Tech) in a mediocre conference, after aspiring to play in the SEC. Maybe she realized something after facing SEC pitching.
And Rice certainly had potential, if she got in shape, and continued to develop. But remember, she didn't even finish in the top 40 in the SEC in ERA last year. She too chose to dumb down her competition level considerably when she went to Ohio State. Wonder why. She went 1-1 against mediocre competition in the fall season at OSU, then got absolutely hammered in an exhibition game against Kentucky, giving up 4 runs, 2 walks, 2 wild pitches in just one inning. Apparently the second time through the SEC wasn't much of an improvement.
Edited by bluetiger_ at 14:00:34 on 11/12/18
In terms of the others who left, Sanchez and Pierce hurt the most, and Sanchez's average tanked in SEC play last year. But teams lose good players every year and someone steps in and tried to make it up. Certainly losing those two wasn't good, but it hurt far more to lose Fagan, Crane and Gadbois to graduation in a single year.
As for the others, Burnside was no great loss IMO. For all her accolades coming out of high school, she was an average player, never came close to her potential here. She racked up a lot of RBIs her first year against average to poor teams, and couldn't hit SEC pitching for the life of her. She was awful at the plate in conference play her first two seasons. And was an average fielder at best. She is easily replaceable. She did lead the nation in long distance foul balls pulled down the left field line, I will give her that.
Edwards has great potential, but she really struggled at the plate too, and once Moore established herself as a far superior defensive catcher, Edwards didn't really have a position here, save DH. Plenty of those around. Interesting that she chose to play at a mediocre school (Texas Tech) in a mediocre conference, after aspiring to play in the SEC. Maybe she realized something after facing SEC pitching.
And Rice certainly had potential, if she got in shape, and continued to develop. But remember, she didn't even finish in the top 40 in the SEC in ERA last year. She too chose to dumb down her competition level considerably when she went to Ohio State. Wonder why. She went 1-1 against mediocre competition in the fall season at OSU, then got absolutely hammered in an exhibition game against Kentucky, giving up 4 runs, 2 walks, 2 wild pitches in just one inning. Apparently the second time through the SEC wasn't much of an improvement.
Edited by bluetiger_ at 14:00:34 on 11/12/18
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LOL, no thanks. But I will clarify... - bluetiger_ MU - 11/12 13:58:43
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