That's good stuff! Good job softball. I hope McKenzie is ready to pitch in 10 years.

She has plenty of time to work on the drop ball. Welcome to the team, McKenzie!

Megan Good out for the year, will redshirt.

ooph...been a rough few months for the softball program.

Post on JMUSports.Com that Megan will miss the 2018 season due to an undisclosed knee injury. Bummer to say the least. Hope she heals well and is ready for 2019.

So looking at the staff I guess it will be Odicci as one starter. Jessica McCabe as the other veteran starter and three incoming freshman labeled as pitchers. Anyone have any info on the new players?

Brian

Crap! Gonna feel like forever till football starts.

All 3 FR played at the highest level travel ball has to offer with the Bandits and Mustangs/Heat. Difficult to tell much of anything from the profiles, Buresch's doesn't give much info but if she pitched for the Bandits then she's legit. If you subscribe to the notion that height (and thus release point) matters at this level, then Buresch, Newton, File is your order. If you stick to our history of playing a 2nd pitcher, whether in the field or at least as the DP, then you might put Newton at the top of the list with File next. It's really hard to say until you see them throw live against quality competition, but again they are battle-tested with the ASA/PGF level national tournaments they've played in.

JMU83 will have to chime in on McCabe, I haven't seen much of her live since her senior year in HS when she eliminated us from the regionals in a 1-0 game. Feel bad for LaPorte, you have to think this hurts her bid to keep this job. All indications are that we would open it up to national competition at the end of the year, I suppose on the flip-side if she gets us back to a regional without Megan then it's a huge feather in her cap. We are still very talented, but there is no way to overcome losing one of the top 5 pitchers in the country. A senior who didn't pitch much last year, a sophomore and 3 freshmen means a lot of rotating I have to believe.

Time for Odicci Alexander to step up.

(01-18-2018 09:32 PM)JMUska Wrote:  You know you’re big time when people make up crazy rumors about you. Big compliment to both Good and the program. Excited for the season to start. Go Dukes!

This crazy rumor is going too far...

I’ll bet on April 1 we will find out it was a joke..

(01-24-2018 12:53 PM)JMUSteeler Wrote:  All 3 FR played at the highest level travel ball has to offer with the Bandits and Mustangs/Heat. Difficult to tell much of anything from the profiles, Buresch's doesn't give much info but if she pitched for the Bandits then she's legit. If you subscribe to the notion that height (and thus release point) matters at this level, then Buresch, Newton, File is your order. If you stick to our history of playing a 2nd pitcher, whether in the field or at least as the DP, then you might put Newton at the top of the list with File next. It's really hard to say until you see them throw live against quality competition, but again they are battle-tested with the ASA/PGF level national tournaments they've played in.

JMU83 will have to chime in on McCabe, I haven't seen much of her live since her senior year in HS when she eliminated us from the regionals in a 1-0 game. Feel bad for LaPorte, you have to think this hurts her bid to keep this job. All indications are that we would open it up to national competition at the end of the year, I suppose on the flip-side if she gets us back to a regional without Megan then it's a huge feather in her cap. We are still very talented, but there is no way to overcome losing one of the top 5 pitchers in the country. A senior who didn't pitch much last year, a sophomore and 3 freshmen means a lot of rotating I have to believe.

I hope we can come close to what we've done in recent years. Jessica McCabe has only pitched 47 innings for JMU so it's hard to say if she can dominate at the level the team needs her to. This will be her 4th season, so hopefully she has all of her pitches down. The only thing that sticks in my mind is when we would have a big lead and Mickey Dean would pull Megan and put in a reliever only to put Megan back in later to close it out.
I think this team will be like our WBB team. They're doing well but nothing to get excited about. Softball is all about pitching.

Someone mentioned height earlier regarding our softball pitchers. I took a look at our overall roster. 9 players listed at 5'4" or shorter ( one is only 4'11"). Only 3 listed at 5'9" or taller (one is Megan Good). Watching the NCAAs the past few years, it seemed that the elite teams were loaded with amazons. Our roster surprised me a bit.

(01-24-2018 02:20 PM)olddawg Wrote:  Someone mentioned height earlier regarding our softball pitchers. I took a look at our overall roster. 9 players listed at 5'4" or shorter ( one is only 4'11"). Only 3 listed at 5'9" or taller (one is Megan Good). Watching the NCAAs the past few years, it seemed that the elite teams were loaded with amazons. Our roster surprised me a bit.

Height certainly doesnt hurt.

(01-24-2018 12:53 PM)JMUSteeler Wrote:  Feel bad for LaPorte, you have to think this hurts her bid to keep this job. All indications are that we would open it up to national competition at the end of the year, I suppose on the flip-side if she gets us back to a regional without Megan then it's a huge feather in her cap. We are still very talented, but there is no way to overcome losing one of the top 5 pitchers in the country. A senior who didn't pitch much last year, a sophomore and 3 freshmen means a lot of rotating I have to believe.

Was LaPorte named interim coach (for the 2018 season only) or was she elevated to our new head coach? Would have to think an interim status would really hurt recruiting.

(01-24-2018 02:51 PM)olddawg Wrote:  

(01-24-2018 12:53 PM)JMUSteeler Wrote:  Feel bad for LaPorte, you have to think this hurts her bid to keep this job. All indications are that we would open it up to national competition at the end of the year, I suppose on the flip-side if she gets us back to a regional without Megan then it's a huge feather in her cap. We are still very talented, but there is no way to overcome losing one of the top 5 pitchers in the country. A senior who didn't pitch much last year, a sophomore and 3 freshmen means a lot of rotating I have to believe.

Was LaPorte named interim coach (for the 2018 season only) or was she elevated to our new head coach? Would have to think an interim status would really hurt recruiting.

What was specifically said aloud was this is a job that requires a national search and there wasn't time for that with Mickey's late departure, implication being there would be a national search after this season. Last I saw from Jeff Bourne was she was an interim head coach, so unless that's changed I would imagine it's a 1 year gig and an evaluation after the season.

"JMU stands today as the preeminent program on the East Coast and a national contender and we are committed to maintaining that status as we transition," Bourne said. "Loren's appointment as interim coach is an important piece to that commitment to success. She has a great rapport with our student-athletes, has been a key piece to our success over the last five years and is committed to our departmental vision. Without question, Mickey Dean elevated JMU softball to become a consistent top-25 program on the national level and we wish him well."

(01-24-2018 02:51 PM)olddawg Wrote:  

(01-24-2018 12:53 PM)JMUSteeler Wrote:  Feel bad for LaPorte, you have to think this hurts her bid to keep this job. All indications are that we would open it up to national competition at the end of the year, I suppose on the flip-side if she gets us back to a regional without Megan then it's a huge feather in her cap. We are still very talented, but there is no way to overcome losing one of the top 5 pitchers in the country. A senior who didn't pitch much last year, a sophomore and 3 freshmen means a lot of rotating I have to believe.

Was LaPorte named interim coach (for the 2018 season only) or was she elevated to our new head coach? Would have to think an interim status would really hurt recruiting.

She was named permanent HC... http://www.jmusports.com/news/2017/9/14/...h=softball

LaPorte will not be fired after 1 season - especially one where the team lost its best pitcher and hitter just before the season starts. Poor gal. Haven't even played a game with her as HC and already talk about her being removed? Kinda sad.

(01-24-2018 03:02 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(01-24-2018 02:51 PM)olddawg Wrote:  

(01-24-2018 12:53 PM)JMUSteeler Wrote:  Feel bad for LaPorte, you have to think this hurts her bid to keep this job. All indications are that we would open it up to national competition at the end of the year, I suppose on the flip-side if she gets us back to a regional without Megan then it's a huge feather in her cap. We are still very talented, but there is no way to overcome losing one of the top 5 pitchers in the country. A senior who didn't pitch much last year, a sophomore and 3 freshmen means a lot of rotating I have to believe.

Was LaPorte named interim coach (for the 2018 season only) or was she elevated to our new head coach? Would have to think an interim status would really hurt recruiting.

She was named permanent HC... http://www.jmusports.com/news/2017/9/14/...h=softball

LaPorte will not be fired after 1 season - especially one where the team lost its best pitcher and hitter just before the season starts. Poor gal. Haven't even played a game with her as HC and already talk about her being removed? Kinda sad.

That article specifically names her an interim coach, what do you think that means? Now if there's something that removes that interim tag, please share it.

And I'll add that at my last Parent's Council meeting the softball job was specifically discussed, and the answer was it's a job that deserves a national search. I was left to assume that national search was going to be taking place after this season, but hopefully Loren will do such a great job that one won't be needed.

Fair enough. Definitely agree on your last sentence after the "but".

(01-24-2018 03:29 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Fair enough. Definitely agree on your last sentence after the "but".

Absolutely, I actually brought a team to Mickey's team camp a couple of summers ago and coach LaPorte (she was Coach Messick then) and coach Herzig were great. I hope she experiences great success, but I also agree recruiting for next season is going to be tough if we keep that interim tag on there.

(01-24-2018 01:12 PM)Dukester Wrote:  

(01-18-2018 09:32 PM)JMUska Wrote:  You know you’re big time when people make up crazy rumors about you. Big compliment to both Good and the program. Excited for the season to start. Go Dukes!

This crazy rumor is going too far...

I’ll bet on April 1 we will find out it was a joke..

Eh, I’m fine with not believing things until actually reported as fact.

If Good comes back healthy in 2019, this whole thing sets up a unique, exciting scenario. The team this year gets to figure out the whole “life after Good” situation, and then they’ll presumably come in fully loaded for 2019.

The performance of the Duke’s this season will show a lot about the coaching staff, but they’ve also got a little bit of the whole “everybody’s counting us out” motivation that can go a long way with younger athletes. I don’t believe in that whole narrative at the pro level, but for a college team I think it can work.

Still excited to watch the team this year and support the Dukes. I think making the NCAAs is still a reasonable expectation.

@Josh_DNRSports "Some minor news: Loren LaPorte had the interim tag removed in September. She is the full-time #JMU softball coach."

Just a few minutes ago from Josh Walfish at the DNR.