Some Thoughts Arising From the Texas Series Loss

[TropicalSooner]

After sleeping on losing the Texas series and digesting what we witnessed this weekend, I think SoonerGirl1201 is right--the world did not come to an end.
And I agree with a couple of points she made. I too think the lack of continuity in the batting order of the lineup is having some unintended consequences. I get that it's supposed to be an analytical metric derived lineup based on things that I have no idea about. But, when it comes to crunch time, and we go through the lineup 3 up and 3 down a bunch of times, I think in the end I want to have Jayda Coleman and my two captains, Jennings and Hansen taking the final swings. I have lost count how many times over the last three years of their careers than one of those three provided the magical hit, double, or homerun that literally won the game for us in that last inning. We've had that magical lineup for a couple of years now that has worked very well so why are we trying to fix it? I mean, if you're going to play mind games with the opposing team, I rather the opposing pitcher have to sweat getting her final three outs against the three concensus all-americans and players of the year. Not that the others in our lineup aren't good enough to get the needed timely hit--but if I was that pitcher, I'd rather take my chances with anyone not named Coleman or Jennings or Hansen.

I've also read a lot of irate posters (not on this board though) griping about our pitching staff....saying it's all their fault, and that we can't hold a lead, and we will never make it to OKC with this pitching staff, and on and on.
I do not agree with that at all. In fact I think that way of thinking is a bunch of horse junk. The pitching staff didn't lose the games this weekend. The team did---and that was led by our lack of offensive production. We have a wonderful group of posters here that will provide all the stats and numbers that our offense didn't produce so I won't duplicate it here. But any time your pitching staff holds the #4 team in the country to only two runs a game in a three game series, a team with the stats of the OU Sooners is supposed to win those games.
And saying the Texas pitchers were better than ours? I don't think they were particularly better. Maxwell in game one had 10 K's. Morgan and Czech had 2 combined. Game two: May had 6 and Gutierrez had 2. Even in the final game, Maxwell got 6 K's to Kavan and Czech's combined 4. Our combined pitching held the whorns to a total of 12 hits for the whole weekend. We had 19. We played error free ball. Texas had 1. We held them to three 2 run games for the series. The only team to fare better against them was OSU.
Yet, Texas's hits and free bases were perfectly strung together to give them the runs needed to win the last two games.

I will make one observation about our pitching though. Free bases. We didn't give up a lot of them, but it was enough. In my preview I posted before the weekend, I noted how in the OSU series, the games that Kilfoyl won she only gave up one walk in each of the two games she won. In our first game with Texas, KellyMax did give up 3 walks, but our offense was enough to overcome those. In the following two games, the free bases were much more critical in the outcome of the games.
Still, I would not trade our staff for any other in the country. It may not be the same as the last two years with Bahl and Trautwein followed by Storako, but I think it's better than '21 and we won the Natty then. I think Maxwell has been a good replacement for Jordy. What we may be lacking is the replcement for Storako.
Lastly about the pitching, when I heard the lineup for the game yesterday, I was fully expecting Deal to get the call to go against probably Kavan. When Maxwell was announced to start, I had a real concern about what kind of message it was sending to Deal. Do the coaches think she doesn't have enough game to start and win against Texas? Deal is positioned to be our #1 next season--assuming she doesn't feel left out of the starting rotation this year and wondering if she's getting the preparation she needs to lead the staff into the SEC.

The other thing I wondered about from this weekend, which SoonerGirl1201 also touched on, is the intensity, or urgency, or "Fire" that the girls are playing with--or not playing with. More than half the team already has three rings. Is that drive and "Fire" still burning in the belly of the team this year? I am not at all saying they're not giving 100% to try to win. But for the Magnificent Seven plus Three, it's been said more than once that this is their last run being a Sooner and they just want to "enjoy that moment" to the fullest. It just makes me wonder if there isn't an unconscious element of "it's over" that might be hindering them when they go to the plate right now?

And I guess I'm wondering if JT is ok? It was mentioned he was missing a few days last week with a "bug".....but I guess he was on board and fully back against Texas? I wish we had some time to take some batting practice before the next game but we go to Wichita on Tuesday and I think someone mentioned that Mondays were a mandated "day off" by the NcAA (unless you have a game that day) to rest and recover--so no batting practice for us this week.
I'm guessing we go with Keeney against the Shockers since she had the least work of the starters this last weekend.

I fully expect that next year as we head into the SEC, we will be a lot more focused on getting Series Wins as opposed to "Sweeps" like we have in the past. And they will be a lot more "series losses" than we have seen in a very, very long time. We graduate a team full of Veterans. We have no idea what how the Portal is going to treat us (both outgoing and incoming). We will go to SEC war with a team full of freshmen and sophomores. I fully expect to have a year of "transition" or "rebuilding". A year where we are struggling to win a series let alone the conference, and being able to make it back to OKC.

I hope the team can use the losses from this weekend to refocus and realize we still have everything on the table. After all, we still only have 3 losses. Way better than everyone else.

[inconnu]

It's hard to understand just what factors/issues are present right now, that have been keeping us from performing anywhere near our best, but one thing I think will be very positive is when the team will be able to practice on Love's Field, and even better when all the facilities are completed, and ready to be used. I sure hope there is considerably more completion in time for the series with orange aggy.

[oufanforever]

One thing I want to point out is the hitting depth of our bench has been depleted by the portal somewhat. I don't remember Patty using a single pinch hitter in game 2 and 3 when we really needed a clutch 2 out hit. In previous years, we had Elam, Green, Nugent, Erickson, and other bats that can come in depending on match ups to provide a clutch hit. I can understand Hodge and Lilio were probably bad match ups against Czech, but I was surprised Ludlam was not given a shot considering the struggles Sanders and Torres had at the plate.

[TropicalSooner]

One thing I want to point out is the hitting depth of our bench has been depleted by the portal somewhat. I don't remember Patty using a single pinch hitter in game 2 and 3 when we really needed a clutch 2 out hit. In previous years, we had Elam, Green, Nugent, Erickson, and other bats that can come in depending on match ups to provide a clutch hit. I can understand Hodge and Lilio were probably bad match ups against Czech, but I was surprised Ludlam was not given a shot considering the struggles Sanders and Torres had at the plate.

Good point about the bench depth. Thinking about it, I'm surprised too that we didn't at least give Ludlam a few shots. Nobody else seemed to be having any luck.

[OUBeliever56A]

A group of us was talking last night driving back from Austin. We identified that after the starting nine players right now, that there are not many options to make changes or to pinch-hit. Coor had the only at bat by non-starters this weekend and that was after a defensive replacement.

I think only Ludlam could be considered for a replacement for a starter right now. My only thought it that Ludlam really does have a bad finger and perhaps was just not able to hit well still. She was about the only pitch hitter with odds in her favor against Czech. Lilio not being used at all for Torres or Sanders is telling to me.

Sanders and Torres were 0 for 15 this weekend with 2 walks, 1 HB and 2 Ks. We gotta have more from these two.

The Big 5 (Coleman, Jennings, Brito, Hansen and Boone) were 15 for 47, with 1 double (Boone) and a HR (Coleman), 2 walks and 4 Ks. they had 6 RBIs and 5 RS.

The two freshman (Parker and Pickering) were 4 for 15 with 2 doubles and HR with 2 walks and 1 K with 1 RS and 1 RBI.

Coor was 0/1 with a K.

[oufanforever]

A group of us was talking last night driving back from Austin. We identified that after the starting nine players right now, that there are not many options to make changes or to pinch-hit. Coor had the only at bat by non-starters this weekend and that was after a defensive replacement.

I think only Ludlam could be considered for a replacement for a starter right now. My only thought it that Ludlam really does have a bad finger and perhaps was just not able to hit well still. She was about the only pitch hitter with odds in her favor against Czech. Lilio not being used at all for Torres or Sanders is telling to me.

Sanders and Torres were 0 for 15 this weekend with 2 walks, 1 HB and 2 Ks. We gotta have more from these two.

The Big 5 (Coleman, Jennings, Brito, Hansen and Boone) were 15 for 47, with 1 double (Boone) and a HR (Coleman), 2 walks and 4 Ks. they had 6 RBIs and 5 RS.

The two freshman (Parker and Pickering) were 4 for 15 with 2 doubles and HR with 2 walks and 1 K with 1 RS and 1 RBI.

Coor was 0/1 with a K.

Thank you for the break down on the offensive numbers. I think the numbers for the big 5 and freshmen are acceptable consider Texas's pitching. It really is the struggle by Sanders and Torres that hurt us. Hopefully they can adjust and find some success next time we face Texas.