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Next Monday-- Oct 3rd 6pm
We play Seminole State at Marita Hynes Field.
Pack the Stadium. The Vets all know about their fans but lets show these New Freshmen and New Transfers how much we support Sooner Softball---Even in The Fall!!!!
Boomer!!

It is nice to be within 7 days of seeing the 2023 version of the Sooners on the field playing. There is a real excitement about the team and how the Sooners replace 5 very good players for the Sooners that have left the program after winning 2-straight championships. The four tremendous transfers joining the will help with replacing the ex-players but it will take more than that in all likelihood. Here is where the team stands 4.5 months before the first game in February of 2023.

The Sooners return starters at these positions and batting order from the World Series in June of 2022:

CF - Coleman
XX -
2B - Jennings
SS - Lyons
LF - Brito
C - Hansen
XX -
XX -
RF - Boone

SP1 - XX
SP2 - May
SP3 - Bahl
- - - - -

The transfer of Alex Storako RHP to the Sooners fills the gap left by Trautwein playing her last season. Storako should improve at OU over her seasons at Michigan just like Trautwein did. With an order of Bahl, Storako and May as the top 3 the Sooners will be very strong in the circle. When the Sooners add the two freshman lefties in Deal and Geurin they have two additional puzzle pieces to add to the staff. I expect Deal to make an impact and Geurin will add depth to the staff. I also hope than Nicole May takes a step upward in her pitching in the 3rd season at OU. If the Sooners ERA in 2023 is not below 1.50, I will be very surprised. I might even say 1.25 will be high, but it is really hard to force myself to say they will repeat the 1.05 ERA of 2022. that is just very hard to do.

The transfer of the 3 offensive players to the Sooners, Torres (3B), Sanders (1B) and Lee (C/1B) have the very real potential to replace those three holes in the lineup and more or less keep the Sooners at the same level offensively that will once again produce the best offense in D1 softball. It is pretty easy to place Sanders and Lee somewhere between the 2nd and 4th spots in the batting order with Lyons moving down one spot and Jennings filling a spot between 2 and 4. I would think that Hansen would be 6th after Lyons to start. Then after Brito, Torres probably fills the 8th spot.

With that said, that makes one wonder where do Lilio and Erickson and perhaps Green fit in the plans. Well at first, they probably will be substitutes unless one of them have a great fall and push for playing time. Nugent, Coor and Hodge will fill roles also but may not be in the cards for them to start in 2023.

However, I will mention this. In 2022, not to many fans thought that Makenzie Donihoo would not be a starter in 2022. It was a great thing that Elam was available in 2022 to fill in for Hansen when she was dealing with an injury most of the season. Some of us are still wondering why Green did not get any more at bats. The late season injury to Bahl took us all by surprise in 2022. In 2021, Green starting out with an injury and became a pinch-hitter which led to the emergence of Donihoo playing OF and Snow moving to 1B were surprises for the Sooners. We should not forget the pitching issues in 2021 that were erased by the emergence of Juarez in the WCWS. In 2020, Hansen playing most of the time at 1B, Mendes' and Boone's injuries changed the lineup radically in the shortened season.

So the odds are that something unexpected will occur in 2023 that will cause changes in the lineup. It is rarely as simple as just plug and play and go win.

The first glimpse of the 2023 Sooners is next Monday. See you all in line well before they open the gates.

Boomer Sooner!

I'm anxious to see how the 2 freshman fit in. They'll have my eye during fall ball. Erickson was the MVP of the Alliance tournament so she's going to be someone that needs to be in the lineup. I still think Hodge is the future short stop. Of course you've got Lyons blocking you for one year. Could she be in play to compete for 3rd base. I had her penciled in at 3rd base before the transfers.

Lilio also had a great summer. It would be cool if Erickson, Lilio or Hodge could just over one of the transfers to get major playing time. I think most of us assume that since Torres (3B), Sanders (1B) and Lee were All Americans/All Pac 12 that they are basically a lock to be starters but maybe one of the kids will shock us

OU_Tom wrote: ↑Mon Sep 26, 2022 10:39 pm Lilio also had a great summer. It would be cool if Erickson, Lilio or Hodge could just over one of the transfers to get major playing time. I think most of us assume that since Torres (3B), Sanders (1B) and Lee were All Americans/All Pac 12 that they are basically a lock to be starters but maybe one of the kids will shock us

Yeah, getting some impressive brand new talent, and hopefully have them for 4 years.

Like 'cclift38' and 'OU_Tom' I am also interested in seeing Erickson, Hodge and Lilio in action this fall.

Jocelyn Erickson is coming off a great spring High School season and a great summer campaign for the Batbusters. She probably has never played as well as she has so far in 2022. My expectations are sky high for her. But C and 1B and DP are positions that will be hard to crack. I simply do not know if she can play somewhere else. Or if some of the competition she faces can play somewhere else.

'OU_Tom' makes a good point about Lilio. Quincee Lilio is very talented and has always been one of the best players on very good teams. Her summer in the FGCL shows she is still that player. I think she does have a shot at pressing for playing time in the OF in 2023. She could be the surprise of 2023.

Like 'cclift38', I was very high on Hodge. This summer when I watched several games played by the Bombers in Norman, my thoughts transformed a bit. She is very good and very fast. But I came away with these thoughts. Hodge will probably not be a leadoff hitter for the Sooners. She will likely be a 9-hole hitter. She has worth as a defensive player and with her speed. But she does rely on slap hits for the most part. Can she develop into more of an offensive player, I do not know. With Jennings, Torres and even Brito on the team, I think one of them is more likely to play SS in 2024 than Hodge. Maybe Hodge plays 2B for the Sooners. All summer for the Bombers, Hodge alternated between 2B and SS every inning. I saw her make more plays at 2B than I did at SS. When you add Nelian McEnroe-Marinas (MIF) to the mix in 2024, Hodge just may not be on the field for the Sooners in 2024.

I am also very interested to See Deal and Geurin pitch this fall. Especially against the Sooner hitters. This will give us a great look at them against very good hitters.

Boomer Sooner!

I have to admit I don't know much about Torres except she had good numbers and has a reputation as a good fielding 3rd baseman. I could see Jennings sliding to short as a veteran. I've seen Patty move veterans to short before, Pendley comes to mind. From what I've seen Brito has struggled in the infield. Seems to be a better fit in the outfield in my opinion. Personally I think Hodge is underrated by some coming in. She was on the younger USA team and seemed to get a lot of playing time. But time will tell on that one. 56 and I can revisit who was right on that one in a few years.lol. Some of you maybe a little more high on Lilio than I am. Maybe its just me looking at her stature vs other girls on the team. She did have a good Florida league which has showed to be a plus in the past. Latest being Boone. Lilio mostly played outfield in club ball with some time in the infield but I see her as an outfielder. I do kind of root for her though as she seems like a good girl. The outfield in the future is going to be stacked. You still have 2 years of Brito, Coleman, and Boone. Coor, Lilio on roster. Pickering, Bland, Parker all committed. That's a deep and hard starting position to crack. Personally I am very high on Pickering. 4 year starter in my opinion, even though freshman year maybe a tough ask. Ella Parker's bat will need to be in the lineup. Whether in the outfield or DP.

OUBeliever56A wrote: ↑Mon Sep 26, 2022 11:56 am

However, I will mention this. In 2022, not to many fans thought that Makenzie Donihoo would not be a starter in 2022. It was a great thing that Elam was available in 2022 to fill in for Hansen when she was dealing with an injury most of the season. Some of us are still wondering why Green did not get any more at bats. The late season injury to Bahl took us all by surprise in 2022. In 2021, Green starting out with an injury and became a pinch-hitter which led to the emergence of Donihoo playing OF and Snow moving to 1B were surprises for the Sooners. We should not forget the pitching issues in 2021 that were erased by the emergence of Juarez in the WCWS. In 2020, Hansen playing most of the time at 1B, Mendes' and Boone's injuries changed the lineup radically in the shortened season.

So the odds are that something unexpected will occur in 2023 that will cause changes in the lineup. It is rarely as simple as just plug and play and go win.

Great point. It is really hard to predict what is going to happen. You can always use a talented player somewhere even as a backup.

The group of players that OU has is on par with last years. I am not sure it is possible to assemble a better team of 20/21 players

Last year's team coasted thru the playoffs and world series even without Bahl. I do think last year was a down year for the WCWS; it seemed like some of the better teams managed to get knocked out early. Now OU did have 2 of the best hitters to ever play college ball, Jennings and Alo, who were both on fire during the WCWS so that might be part reason OU outclassed the test of the teams in 2022. I suspect next years WCWS will be more challenging

It is a great time to be an fan