grizzlyjournal
Well-known member
With this post and my add-on post below, I give a brief general overview of the 2024 Montana Griz Softball team.
As a longtime Griz sports fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the GrizSB doubleheader vs. Carroll College, in which the team split games with the Saints... losing the first 4-3 in eight innings and winning the second 9-1.The games were watched by 418 fans at the same time as 700+ fans watched GrizSOC beat Idaho State on the adjacent field.
I am aware of the opinions of many on this board regarding Montana softball, so I'll be clear: I'm a season-ticket holding fan and fully support the Montana teams I regularly follow each season. Following are a few observations from a diehard fan... for those interested:
1 -- Though there are four returning seniors (pitcher Allie Brock, catcher Riley Stockton, CF Elise Ontiveros and DB Kelly Sweyer) this team had the aura of youth, especially with its addition of three young pitchers to a 5-pitcher staff.
2 -- All five pitchers logged innings and, if all remain healthy, signify a major roster improvement over the past two seasons. I didn't see enough to make any predictions for the upcoming 2024 season. The frosh especially were pretty nervous, but displayed Big Sky level talent.
3 -- Strengths: Ontiveros is, I believe, a potential All Big Sky outfielder. She's now playing CF and today was the leadoff hitter (with two perfect leadoff bunt singles) and had two line-drive doubles, I believe. Catcher Riley Stockton returns and is a very solid receiver. She'll be platooned with jr.Kynzie Mohl... possibly the best power hitter on the team. Kynzie hit a 2-rbi homer to right field today. Allie Brock will assume the role of Montana's pitching ace. She appears fully recovered from an injury she suffered last Februrary... which affected her over the full season. Sweyer returns as Montana's DP and has good power and today batted fourth.
4. -- The full defensive lineup: A guess on my part at this point. 2023 transfer Jessica Stanfield looks solid defensively in LF while 2024 transfer jr. Jocelyn Eisen (UNLV) looks to be competing with jr. Grace Hardy (Missoula Sentinel) at 3B. Juniors Presley Jantzi in LF and Hannah Jablonski at 1B appear to be locks at their positions. The best defensive play of the day (by far) was Jablonski's unflinching snare of a low liner down the 1B line. Sophomore Chloe Saxton and frosh Riley Peschek look to be competing for playing time at SS. Both are solid defenders with good range. Montana played both games without commiting a fielding error. I really believe this team has the potential to be the best all-around defensive Montana unit I've seen in at least 4-5 seasons.
5. -- Hitting could be a concern once again. Montana hitters were pretty well shut down by Carroll sophomore pitcher Kennedy Venner (Billings Senior) who -- in my opinion -- pitched at a solid mid-D1 caliber game vs. the Griz. She has two very nice changeups & had Griz hitters on their heels for the entire game. A Montana 2-run base-running error probably sealed the loss for the Girz though. At this juncture, hitting appears to -- once again -- leave several questions unanswered.
6. -- All that said, I like the makeup of this team. I believe it has the ability to compete defensively in the Big Sky. I look forward to seeing how this fairly young team can develop offensively. I plan to watch their next two outings of the fall & might add info as I deem necessary. Go GrizSB.
As a longtime Griz sports fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the GrizSB doubleheader vs. Carroll College, in which the team split games with the Saints... losing the first 4-3 in eight innings and winning the second 9-1.The games were watched by 418 fans at the same time as 700+ fans watched GrizSOC beat Idaho State on the adjacent field.
I am aware of the opinions of many on this board regarding Montana softball, so I'll be clear: I'm a season-ticket holding fan and fully support the Montana teams I regularly follow each season. Following are a few observations from a diehard fan... for those interested:
1 -- Though there are four returning seniors (pitcher Allie Brock, catcher Riley Stockton, CF Elise Ontiveros and DB Kelly Sweyer) this team had the aura of youth, especially with its addition of three young pitchers to a 5-pitcher staff.
2 -- All five pitchers logged innings and, if all remain healthy, signify a major roster improvement over the past two seasons. I didn't see enough to make any predictions for the upcoming 2024 season. The frosh especially were pretty nervous, but displayed Big Sky level talent.
3 -- Strengths: Ontiveros is, I believe, a potential All Big Sky outfielder. She's now playing CF and today was the leadoff hitter (with two perfect leadoff bunt singles) and had two line-drive doubles, I believe. Catcher Riley Stockton returns and is a very solid receiver. She'll be platooned with jr.Kynzie Mohl... possibly the best power hitter on the team. Kynzie hit a 2-rbi homer to right field today. Allie Brock will assume the role of Montana's pitching ace. She appears fully recovered from an injury she suffered last Februrary... which affected her over the full season. Sweyer returns as Montana's DP and has good power and today batted fourth.
4. -- The full defensive lineup: A guess on my part at this point. 2023 transfer Jessica Stanfield looks solid defensively in LF while 2024 transfer jr. Jocelyn Eisen (UNLV) looks to be competing with jr. Grace Hardy (Missoula Sentinel) at 3B. Juniors Presley Jantzi in LF and Hannah Jablonski at 1B appear to be locks at their positions. The best defensive play of the day (by far) was Jablonski's unflinching snare of a low liner down the 1B line. Sophomore Chloe Saxton and frosh Riley Peschek look to be competing for playing time at SS. Both are solid defenders with good range. Montana played both games without commiting a fielding error. I really believe this team has the potential to be the best all-around defensive Montana unit I've seen in at least 4-5 seasons.
5. -- Hitting could be a concern once again. Montana hitters were pretty well shut down by Carroll sophomore pitcher Kennedy Venner (Billings Senior) who -- in my opinion -- pitched at a solid mid-D1 caliber game vs. the Griz. She has two very nice changeups & had Griz hitters on their heels for the entire game. A Montana 2-run base-running error probably sealed the loss for the Girz though. At this juncture, hitting appears to -- once again -- leave several questions unanswered.
6. -- All that said, I like the makeup of this team. I believe it has the ability to compete defensively in the Big Sky. I look forward to seeing how this fairly young team can develop offensively. I plan to watch their next two outings of the fall & might add info as I deem necessary. Go GrizSB.