Softball America's Top 25
by hibernianangst (2024-01-14 23:28:56)
Edited on 2024-01-14 23:31:02
Post Reply Return to Jake's Field

Nothing to see here for Notre Dame.

Unranked and underperforming. Nothing changes. It is a tradition. No one in the Notre Dame athletic administration appears to care.

FSU #3, Clemson #5, Duke #9, VT #18.







D1 Softball Preseason Rankings
by hibernianangst  (2024-01-16 14:35:23)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Duke, which started softball in 2015, comes in at #8.

Clemson, which started softball in 2017, comes in at #7.

Notre Dame, entering 23 years under the tutelage of the same head coach and has never won an NCAA Regional, is unranked.

Sigh.

So disheartening. Same thing year in & year out.
by maverick  (2024-01-18 12:52:20)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Northern teams like Northwestern & Michigan(UGH) don't trot out the location excuse.
ND baseball lost that excuse forever under Link Jarrett.
by hibernianangst  (2024-01-18 16:46:29)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Call me crazy but it sure appears that competent recruiting and coaching matters as much or perhaps more than location.

Don't kid yourself, location still matters.
by usaf_irish  (2024-01-22 14:57:07)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Your high end recruits are still going to head the warm climates where they can play outdoors 12 months out of the year. You might be able to steal one or two, especially if they're two sport players, but it's going to be tough.

Northern teams have ALWAYS been able to win, it's just a much tougher path. You need to find those "diamonds in the rough" and have the coaching staff in place to develop them.
Irish lacking in your second paragraph ND has no excuse *
by maverick  (2024-01-30 18:09:49)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

You're right, but the same can be said of all sports.
by usaf_irish  (2024-01-31 07:39:39)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

There's no excuse for hockey's continued mediocrity. Softball. Track.

I have hope that Coach Stiffler can bounce back from a bad season and get us back to the NCAAs. But if he doesn't, hopefully the new administration will follow through on their promise of world class athletics.