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CSUB Cathy Weber Classic

Grizfan-24

Grizfan-24

Well-known member
Staff member
The schedule:

Friday:
10am (MST): v. Saint Marys (5-5)- No Video
12:30pm (MST): v. Cal State Bakersfield (1-7) - ESPN+

Saturday:
10am (MST): v. Saint Mary's - No Video
3:00 (MST): v. Cal State Bakersfield- ???

Sunday:
10:30 am: (MST): v. Cal State Bakersfield- ???

What to expect:

- Both team who UM plays this week are in a similar position and profile. Both lower tier D1 teams with a number of common opponents in the past or future. Sort of a litmus test after two weekends against opposition that stood to be better than most BSC opponents. Each of these teams would be similar to any BSC team minus maybe ISU or Sac State.

For Montana:
1. Make positive moves offensively. When the offense has shown up, it has been good. When it hasn't it has be a repeat of last year. Montana currently is dead last in the conference in most offensive categories and with the return of Ontiveros hopefully we'll see some improvement. There have been bright spots, but like last year not all the team hit at the same time. This is a good weekend to get the offense on track.

2. Get consistency from the pitching staff. Week 1: Brinka performed well and Haegele struggled. Week 2: Haegele improved and Brinka struggled. Would be nice to see both perform well over the weekend. The staff is better than it was a year ago but there were hiccups both weekends where you saw similar outcomes (walks, hit batters and shoddy defense) that hurt the overall effectiveness. Each week we've seen an improved performances out of Rehbein, if they can leave this tournament with three days of consistency, it'll bode well for conference season.

3. Cleaner defensive play. Getting Onitveros back is going to help, but the defense has to make the plays they've been given. This isn't a strikeout staff and the defense should be a strength of the squad. Better defensive play is something that this team can lean on come conference play but they've gotta clean up some of the nagging mistakes.
 
Haegele continues to struggle in the first inning. In all but maybe 1 outing, Haegele has given up at least 1 run and cant get out of the first today. Gave up 4 runs, all earned, and clearly wasn't hitting her spots. Rehbein replaced Haegele, and got UM out of the inning. If Montana is going to be successful, it is going to be Haegele can reign in her control issues, because when she is on, she's been good. When she hasn't, ugh.

Rehbein can help the cause and force herself into the conversation about roles going forward if she can perform well in relief today.


UM got a run back in the second off of a solo HR by Sweyer.
 
Griz get back two runs in the top of the 3rd with a solo HR by Stanfield and a based loaded walk by Grace Hardy that plated Makena Strong to make it 4-3.The Griz are striking out a ton more this year and have racked up 6 K's through four innings included a couple looking. Not sure it is indicative of anything, but one of the strengths last year was the teams ability to put the ball in play. Griz don't score in the top of the 4th. Still trail SMC 4-3.

Rehbein dodged a two on no out scenario by getting K and the a line-out DP to end the inning in the bottom of the 3rd. Follows it up with a solid bottom of the fourth. Allowed a leadoff single, but then retired the next three batters in a row on two bunt pop ups and a backwards K.

Regardless of what happens the rest of the game, the ability of Rehbein to stabilize the game with 3.3 of no run pitching is exactly what Montana needed.
 
Montana's bats didn't arrive in game 1, still somewhere on the Bayou apparently. For outside of fits and starts it is the only somewhat consistent performance we've seen with the bats.

UM only generated 4 hits through seven innings, two homeruns and two singles. They struck out 8 times and a good number of them looking. Regardless, the Griz had the tying run three times in the last four innings after crawling within 4-3 in the top of the 3rd. Just couldn't come through with anything substantive.

The story was however the Griz gave up 4 runs in the bottom of the first, and Haegele just wasn't very good again to start. Rylie Rehbein was great in relief scattering 7 hits over 5.3 innings of really solid relief. Her ERA is now a team best 2.42 and has 16 strikeouts in 17 innings and only 4 walks. Haegele like last year can't seem to find consistent control and has 17K's and 17 walks in her 31 innings.

Had Haegele been right, this was a game the Griz should have won. I don't know what the answer is, but a frustrating loss to say the least. One bad inning on the mound and they lose. They've lost 5 straight.

No rest for the wicked, as the Griz turn around immediately and face host Cal State Bakersfield in about a half hour.
 
Agree with all of your analysis above, 24. A good sign, to me, is Rylee Rehbein's pitching box score. There's no doubt she's a contact pitcher. If, as a frosh, she can start honing her control, it'll be a solid sign for Montana's pitching depth.
 
CSB Game:
The bottom of the lineup outside of Stanfield in both games has been a bit of a black hole. To be honest the whole lineup is as in today's second game has 6 players hitting below .200.


1st Inning:
- Griz had runners on second and 3rd w/ no out in the first. Don't score.

- CSB had similar situation and got a sac fly and a bloop to go up 2-0. Walks, hits and plays not made.

2nd inning
- Griz had a single from Peschek and a walk from Stanfield but couldn't get anything going yet again. Two innings 4 baserunners .... Zero Runs.

- Brinka recovers after a rough first inning, gives up a soft single, but as her MO is ground ball after ground ball, its gonna happen.

CSB 2 UM 0
 
Story of the game so far:

Griz: 5 baserunners, 4 in scoring position 0 runs.

CSB: 5 baserunners, 3 in scoring position 3 runs.
 
Griz have bases loaded with no outs in top of fifth. 1 pitch force out to the 3rd baseman, and then a 6-4-3 DP to end inning. Don't score. 8 runners left on base through 5 innings and just 2 runs. Ugh.
 
CSB 8 UM 3.

- UM had their chances ( A LOT OF THEM). But couldn't get a hit when they needed it. Sprayed 7 hits over 7 innings and traffic all game long but just came up short.
- Brinka outside of the first inning was relatively consistent. Got ground balls. Some traffic but didn't walk people. Gave up 5 runs but only 3 were earned. Herndon was a bit wild in her lone inning include a few wild pitches. gave up 3 hits, 3 runs and 1 walk. Wasn't in the zone and when she was it got hammered.


UM goes 0-2 on the day and you could tell in the bottom of the 6th when Meuchel met with Herndon she was a tad bit frustrated. Three really bad innings over two games led to the loss. The pitching besides that indifferent inning by Herndon was the bright spot on the day. The pitching really did enough to win both games, though the score line won't really reflect it.

You aren't going to win many ball games if your pitching just to be perfect and they really needed to be today. Offense was terribly anemic in both games and much of the competitive at bats are being given by three players (Jantzi, Ontiveros, Eisen). 9 players regardless of at bats have averages below 220. It is almost inexplicable how bad it was today. Just two extra base hits (HR's) and the team has gone from a lot of hard line outs over the first week to week and a half of games to a lot of pressing where they are getting themselves out with weak contact.

They could finish the weekend 3-2 very easily, but it is has to come from the offense finding a groove. I just don't know if that is going to happen when you have to depend on 4 players at the top of your lineup to provide everything. Super frustrating. This is starting to have the feel of last year all over again. They've now lost 3 games in a row to teams they should beat (Purdue, SMC, and CSB). Just not a good trend.
 
CSUB gave us plenty of opportunities to score- 3 walks, 3 hit batters, 1 error. Unfortunately, we just can't hit and while our pitching appears to be slightly improved from last year, we still have a WHIP above 2 which is on par with last year and well above 1.5 which is where we need be to for our pitchers to keep us in games. And the defense: 5 more stolen bases allowed to go with 2 errors. I think we have given up almost 20 steals while swiping one! Probably gonna be a long season ...
 
Another 10-40 season coming up. If it was mostly any of the other sports people would actually be held accountable. One year of 10-40 should result in some kind of action but I guess they’re content with it happening two years in a row! Good luck finding anyone wanting to take the program over or play here.
 
Saturday morning and Grace Haegele's second try at St. Marys with similar results. Not able to get three outs. Emmalyn Brinka comes on in relief to finish the bottom of the first. :roll:
Griz down four runs before they swing their first bat, lose 8-1 in 7 innings. Brinka allowed 4 runs through 6.1 innings.
 
Montana37 said:
Another 10-40 season coming up. If it was mostly any of the other sports people would actually be held accountable. One year of 10-40 should result in some kind of action but I guess they’re content with it happening two years in a row! Good luck finding anyone wanting to take the program over or play here.
Click to expand...

I love softball. Have coached it for a decade on the youth/high school side. Played college baseball so I am not a complete idiot. I loved following the Griz when Pink was Coach. They had a totally different style and he used small ball to pressure the defense. He also had much better players and some big hitters.

I have a hard time following the Griz anymore unfortunately. You cannot have the results and downward skid this staff has had for the last 4-5 years and stay in that job. Small ball is non existent. We don’t have the horses to play big ball. We leave more stranded on base than probably any big sky team. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. That is what is happening with Griz Softball year after year after year. This team is going to struggle again all year long like I stated, from the very beginning. They’ve already had a 7 game losing streak. Expect more of that unfortunately and it starts at the top.
 
Grizfan-24 said:
Story of the game so far:

Griz: 5 baserunners, 4 in scoring position 0 runs.

CSB: 5 baserunners, 3 in scoring position 3 runs.
Click to expand...

This right here as been the synopsis of the Griz offense since Pinkerton left.
 
alabamagrizzly said:
Grizfan-24 said:
Story of the game so far:

Griz: 5 baserunners, 4 in scoring position 0 runs.

CSB: 5 baserunners, 3 in scoring position 3 runs.
Click to expand...

This right here as been the synopsis of the Griz offense since Pinkerton left.
Click to expand...

Ding ding ding. No small ball whatsoever to generate any offense. Doing the same thing over and over thinking somehow it will lead to a different result. Haslam should have let this staff loose 2 years ago and 100% last year yet he is fine with softball mediocrity.
 
HookedonGriz said:
alabamagrizzly said:
This right here as been the synopsis of the Griz offense since Pinkerton left.
Click to expand...

Ding ding ding. No small ball whatsoever to generate any offense. Doing the same thing over and over thinking somehow it will lead to a different result. Haslam should have let this staff loose 2 years ago and 100% last year yet he is fine with softball mediocrity.
Click to expand...

I get it that this will be the toughest firing he’s had to do but at some point….
 
Anybody know what's up with Brock? Will we see her later in the season?

This team lacks speed (Ontiveros and Saxton are probably best on team) so I kinda wish we saw Saxton more at least in pinch running situations.
 
I think it's notable that frosh pitcher Rylee Rehbein is getting a second-straight start for the GrizBB vs. Cal Bakersfield this morning. In Rehbein's 6-4 win over the Roadrunners Saturday, she allowed 4 runs early, but then pitched very well, striking out 7 batters in the complete game win.
Congrats to Rylee on her first Griz W. Depending on her outing this morning, she may well move up in the Griz starting rotation.
 
Griz win their second in a row behind Rehbein's 5-hit shutout. That's 5 wins so far for the Griz, 5 more than they won all pre-conference tourneys last season.
 
Brock had shoulder surgery and will miss the season.

Griz win 2-0. Rehbein is clearly a or the #1 starter at this point. Strikes out 11 (which has been almost unheard of the last two years), and has done more the last two weeks to show she’s the best arm the Griz have.

This was a game the Griz lost all too often last year. Griz go 2-3 in the tournament and would’ve been 4-1 if Rehbein started 3 games instead of two.

The Griz player pretty clean this weekend. Getting good play out of their newcomers (Rehbein, Brinka, Peschek, etc). Friday was a mess, but after the first two innings on Saturday, they played some of their better softball of the spring.
 
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