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D1Softball Weekly Chat: Week Five
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Kevin
3:30
I'm curious which team you guys think has the best unis in softball? Also I always enjoy reading the content you guys put out.
Tara Henry
3:34
Hi Kevin, Thank you for the kind comment. Those are much appreciated. My top five uniforms: LSU, Oregon, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Texas. The Tigers always look sharp and you cannot beat those white helmets with the chrome decal. UCLA enters this category for the first time ever thanks to the new Nike/Jumpman deal.
Guest
3:35
Oregon. Lol
Boomer Sooner
3:35
Or OU all whites
Guest
3:40
Do you think VT will make top 5 in your eyes? They are hitting now!!
Tara Henry
3:44
The Hokies are knocking on the door. The offense was never an issue for me. Finding a compliment to Rochard was the key and looks like Pete D'Amour found that in Emma Lemley. The unranked loss to Charlotte previously kept them out of the top five. They do not play Duke in the ACC this year which will hurt VT's SOS. A series win over FSU (April 8th) will bump them up or if UCLA/Florida/Bama lose a series + the Hokies keep winning.
Jason
3:45
Which team from each of the Power 5 are your biggest surprises so far?
Brady Vernon
3:45
ACC - VT/Duke. We all knew that Virginia Tech and Duke were good leading into this season, but right now both feel almost like top 8 locks. Emma Lemley becoming the No. 2 to Keely Rochard has made the Hokies so much better and taking a load off of Rochard. Meanwhile, Duke’s bats of Jameson Kavel, Kristina Foreman, Kelly Torres and Ana Gold have all been really good. Plus the Blue Devils have been winning without Shelby Walters recently. 

Big 12 - Texas. We expected the Longhorns to be in play for a regional host much like last year. While they’ve played better of late, it’s hard to see them getting back up into the top 16 with OU, Oklahoma State and LSU still on the horizon. 

Big 10 - Northwestern. This team had a ton of experience coming back and we probably doubted them a bit because of the landscape of the world the past two seasons. We all saw the Wildcats as a decent team but maybe not a really good team like they are now. Danielle Williams has been as good as her freshman season.
cool 1
3:46
They have tough games this week against Missouri and Stanford coming up as part of a loaded non-conference. 

Pac-12 and SEC - Oregon State and Auburn. Combining these two because each had the pitching. Beavers had their ace in Mariah Mazon with talented newcomers in pitchers Tarni Stepto and Sarah Haendiges coming in. Auburn has Maddie Penta and Shelby Lowe locking down the circle. None of us really thought the young bats for each squad would hit as well as they have, especially the Tigers power numbers.
Chris
3:53
With Oklahoma and Texas leaving the B12 do you think it is still a power 5 conference for softball. And if not who would you think replaces the B12
Brady Vernon
3:53
The Big 12 should still be a Power Five conference for softball. It’ll still have Oklahoma State as a top program. Baylor and Texas Tech have had their moments the past decade-plus. The first conference I’d think of as a replacement for the Power Five is the American, but the Big 12 will be taking one of the best softball programs from the American in UCF as well as Houston. BYU’s addition to the Big 12 also helps as a strong team that made a regional final last season for example.
Aubrey Myers
3:55
Why do so many plate umpires have such a small strike zone  ? and inconsistent strike zone ?
Tara Henry
4:01
Hey Aubrey! Great to hear from you. The zone seems to be different across the board more inconisistent than I'd say small. I did sit by a group of umpires at the Clearwater tournament and I did overhear them saying the, "The freshmen parents will realize the zone is tighter in college than travel ball." Here is the actual definition of the strike zone: The zone is the area above home plate between the bottom of the batter’s sternum and the top of her knees when she assumes her natural batting stance. The top of the ball must be on or within the horizontal plane, and either side of the ball must be on or within the vertical plane of the strike zone to be a strike unless the ball touches the ground before reaching home plate.11.3.1.1 The pitch shall be judged to be a strike or a ball as it crosses home plate, not where it is caught by the catcher, and in relation to the batter’s natural position as the pitch crosses home plate.
Randy D
4:02
Who would be your top 5 player of the year finalists as of today ? Thank you all !
Brady Vernon
4:02
As of this moment the top five POY finalists for me would be USF’s Georgina Corrick, Alabama’s Montana Fouts, UCLA’s Megan Faraimo, Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo and Arkansas’ Hannah Gamill. Alo and Fouts are given. While Faraimo’s numbers are inflated a bit right now, she’s on another level at the moment. For UCLA to be title contenders she has to be at her peak which she’s starting to show. Gammill is second in the nation in OPS on a top 10 team. The Hogs haven’t started SEC play yet but those stats are eye popping. I don’t know what else to say about Georgina Corrick. She’s single-handedly put USF in the Top 25 and literally has one earned run in 111 innings pitched. It’s just so crazy.
Guest
4:06
Where is Stanford at in the top 25 discussion?
Brady Vernon
4:06
I don’t think Stanford is near the Top 25 at this moment. The Cardinal don’t have a strong strength of schedule right now. The win in Stillwater was nice but at the end of the day Stanford split with the Cowgirls and also lost to DePaul. The losses to Boise State and BYU don’t help either. However, all of this can change with a good weekend in Missouri against the Tigers and Northwestern. If the Cardinal can win two of three against those Top 20 teams, you’ll probably see Stanford considered for the Top 25.
Boomer Sooner
4:11
What do you think about the Oklahoma Sooners ? seems like they are just putting all teams on notice
Tara Henry
4:12
The Oklahoma Sooners are the defending national champions and the only undefeated team remaining in  Division I Softball. It's safe to say the Sooners are the team to beat. Pitching was the biggest question mark entering the 2022 season >> enter Jordy Bahl << as OU lost G Juarez and Shannon Saile to graduation.  The pitching staff has tossed four no-hitters between Bahl, Nicole May and Hope Trautwein. Add in the arguably the most potent offense we have seen in ages and it's no wonder the Sooners have won by way of the run-rule 16 of its 20 games.
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