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Can Montana compete vs. the Big Sky?

grizzlyjournal

grizzlyjournal

Well-known member
Maybe, if stats matter.
After an encouraging weekend in Seattle, behind stellar pitching from Allie Brock and steadily improving pitching from frosh Grace Haegele, the GrizSB, solidly in last place, nonetheless compare decently against the other Big Sky teams.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances of pitching injuries to Allie and Dana Butterfield, and Montana’s frosh pitchers Haegele and Evelyn O'Brien thus being thrown to the lions, the Griz pitching era is 5th of the 6 teams at 7.18, almost a full point better than PSU at 8.08. UNC and ISU have eras of 4.37 and 4.63 while WSU is down a notch at 6.58.

Montana fares best defensively, with a fielding percentage of 0.952 (29 errors), tied for third with Sac (29 errors) and barely behind PSU at 0.955 (23 errors). Weber (967) is clearly the best defensive team with only 18 errors while UNC (.943 & 34 errors) and ISU (.938 & 41 errors) clearly lower.

Conversely Montana fares the worst (by far) in offense, with a batting average of .209, well below the other five teams. The Griz have lost four one-run games (1-0, 2-1, 2-1, 5-4) though, so their record might be slightly deceptive. Unless the bats come alive, I can’t see Montana being very competitive, even if Allie returns to form.

At this point, Sac State looks like the clear favorite.

I've watched every game that's been streamed (not very many) and rank Montana's outfield and catching as good as last season, the right side of the infield as very solid and the left side of the infield as a question mark. Ironically, two of Montana's close losses hinged on fielding errors by pitchers.What I've seen of soph Hannah Jablonski at 1b is very promising.

Most disappointing to me, which has no bearing on this team, is that there are only 10 home games this year. That compares to 17 last spring. Yikes.
 
A part of the reason for fewer home games this year is the loss of one conference member--Southern Utah. That accounts for the loss of 3 home games.
 
maroonandsilver said:
A part of the reason for fewer home games this year is the loss of one conference member--Southern Utah. That accounts for the loss of 3 home games.
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We also didn’t host the Montana Invitational, a weekend invite we’ve hosted the last 2-3 years right before the con schedule starts. I’m guessing we were attempting to schedule it but opponents probably fell through cus we’re going the next two weekends without any invites or con play. My guess is this weekend would have been the Montana Invite and next weekend would have been the first weekend of con play if we still had seven members.
 
grizzlyjournal said:
Maybe, if stats matter.
After an encouraging weekend in Seattle, behind stellar pitching from Allie Brock and steadily improving pitching from frosh Grace Haegele, the GrizSB, solidly in last place, nonetheless compare decently against the other Big Sky teams.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances of pitching injuries to Allie and Dana Butterfield, and Montana’s frosh pitchers Haegele and Evelyn O'Brien thus being thrown to the lions, the Griz pitching era is 5th of the 6 teams at 7.18, almost a full point better than PSU at 8.08. UNC and ISU have eras of 4.37 and 4.63 while WSU is down a notch at 6.58.

Montana fares best defensively, with a fielding percentage of 0.952 (29 errors), tied for third with Sac (29 errors) and barely behind PSU at 0.955 (23 errors). Weber (967) is clearly the best defensive team with only 18 errors while UNC (.943 & 34 errors) and ISU (.938 & 41 errors) clearly lower.

Conversely Montana fares the worst (by far) in offense, with a batting average of .209, well below the other five teams. The Griz have lost four one-run games (1-0, 2-1, 2-1, 5-4) though, so their record might be slightly deceptive. Unless the bats come alive, I can’t see Montana being very competitive, even if Allie returns to form.

At this point, Sac State looks like the clear favorite.

I've watched every game that's been streamed (not very many) and rank Montana's outfield and catching as good as last season, the right side of the infield as very solid and the left side of the infield as a question mark. Ironically, two of Montana's close losses hinged on fielding errors by pitchers.What I've seen of soph Hannah Jablonski at 1b is very promising.

Most disappointing to me, which has no bearing on this team, is that there are only 10 home games this year. That compares to 17 last spring. Yikes.
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I would have to say yes but I definitely would have said no before your post and seeing how we compare to the rest of the conference. Pitching and fielding are very comparable to the rest of the league and the hitting is beginning to trend upwards. I know it’s not a huge jump but we hit .211 in Seattle with some clutch hitting and great pitching. If we are able to get Butterfield back also, then we’ll be that match stronger. Unfortunately the next couple weeks we won’t see any favorable competition but we can start the con season off on a high note facing PSU. One positive also is we get Sac and WSU at home but the counter to that is we’ll face the other teams that we’re more equal with on the road.
 
Those of you who know Jamie Pinkerton also know how willing he was to chat with any & all fans about softball & his GrizSB team. I still remember a conversation where he empasized that northern D1 softball teams essentially missed the entire spring training that all southern & western teams got. Thus, northern teams were a full month behind. No indoor facility, no matter how fancy, could replicate pre-season games, he emphasized. It takes that month of games, he said, before Montana players get their hitting strokes timed and their pitches painting the corners. That made a huge impression on me.

If y'all recall (using a touch of southern slang here) Jamie's championship Griz peaked a bit late... but just in time. :)

This year, the absence of a Montana Invite or 4-5 late March games vs. D1 competition might affect this young team. Regardless, I think this team -- if it gets & remains healthy -- has the potential to compete in the Big Sky.
 
I would give my right testicle to have Pinkerton back. Melanie and staff are in way over their heads. I knew it 4 years ago and it’s worse than ever.

If our team ERA in in the 7s (vomited a little bit) then we need to be batting about .390 as a team and averaging 8 runs per game…..we aren’t close to that and that’s not going to suddenly or magically be fixed. I’m fully prepared to have another crap year of Griz softball with this staff…..it’s been what, 4-5 straight years of absolute mediocrity with them. Why would it change? It may be the worst it’s ever been if we are being honest.

With that said I will cheer the team on all year and be pumped as hell if I’m wrong. But I won’t be :)
 
1-5 so far. Offense still horrible. Defense shaky at best . Are Stanfield, Bonkavich and Strong injured? Why so few chances for those three? Where is the power?
Can they finish 7-2 and get to 10 D1 wins?
 
No they can’t compete. They are in a world of trouble. This will be the worst Griz team since the inception of Griz softball. Something that is unforgivable at this point in my opinion. Need a big change and need it sooner than later. Coaches have struck out looking 3 times in one game here (the golden sombrero where I’m from).
 
I started this thread pre-Big Sky Conf with a rhetorical Q and.... at the halfway point of the season, the answer is tilting "No." :( But I see some signs of improvement, so humor me and my optimism.
I've sat through every home game and watched every road live-streamed game. What I've seen is a relatively young team struggling for identity behind a pitching staff hindered by early injuries. But here goes...
1. The struggles:
-- The offense is clearly the worst in the Big Sky. Griz batters are getting hits, but not stringing any together. Bunting... again, is non-existent. The absence of a power bat is significant. When runners are on base, Montana clearly has speed, but has not gotten the hits to advance those runners. Thus: very high LOB numbers.
-- The defense is a work in progress. Despite having four outstanding defensive players (Ontiveros, LF; Phelps, CF; Curtis, 2B; and C Stockton, C) the bulk of Montana's errors are coming from the left side of the infield, and at P, and uneared run stats are high.
-- Pitching is the singular area where I've seen the steadiest improvement. Senior Maggie Joseph has shown steady improvement and frosh Grace Haegele has the stuff, but has struggled with control at crucial points. Allie Brock is the ace, but has struggled with control after suffering an injury during the second week of the season (she sat our for 2 weeks). In truth, even if pitching continues to improve, wins will be hard to come by until the GrizSB offense generates some runs.
2 . The improvements:
-- Montana's defense is improving game by game. In fact, Montana's whole-game effort in its 5-3 loss to Sac State (which was tied 2-2 in the top of the 7th inning) was on par with the best defensive games I've seen from any Montana team. The team has solid defensive fundamentals and I think has shown improvement game by game.
-- Pitching. Despite its pitching struggles, Montana's pitchers are improving at a rate that is Big Sky average (still not so good). Because of that improvement, the ability to remain competitive is high.... depending upon some support from hitters, of course.
3. A prediction: I believe Montana has the ability to compete with ISU, NAU and WSU and -- given a solid pitching outing from any of Brock, Haegele or Joseph has the ability to win some Big Sky games.. This isn't the boldest of predictions, but I believe the GrizSB have the potential for 3-5 wins in the Big Sky.
I know... that still places the Griz in 5th or 6th place in the Big Sky.
What I'm saying, is that this is a young team capable of significant improvement by the end of the season.

SO: My supportive arguments are in the long-shot category.
I do know this: Montana's paid attendance numbers for last weekend's three games was: 1472 for 3 games. That number is more than DOUBLE the total for all of the other Big Sky Conf games... combined. Conclusion: I think you get what I'm hinting at.
 
grizzlyjournal said:
I do know this: Montana's paid attendance numbers for last weekend's three games was: 1472 for 3 games. That number is more than DOUBLE the total for all of the other Big Sky Conf games... combined. Conclusion: I think you get what I'm hinting at.
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:clap: :clap: :clap: To the best fans in the Big Sky and one of the best in the country.
 
Don't really like to be negative...

But I've watched parts of 14 games or so and Griz Softball is not very good
Pitcher is the most important one position in any team sport and the Griz don't have a #1 or even a #2
Add that with being below average at hitting and its no surprise they haven't won 10 games

9 WIns
UNLV 3-2
UNLV 5-4
Carrol 9-1
Carrol 7-5
Providence 6-4
Providence 5-1
Portland State 2-1
N Colorado 9-8
ISU 5-4

So really 5 wins over D-1 schools and 33 L's
UM will be looking for a new coach in a few weeks

Hopefully the Indoor practice facility will help, but there is no excuse for 5-33
 
Paytonlives said:
Don't really like to be negative...

But I've watched parts of 14 games or so and Griz Softball is not very good
Pitcher is the most important one position in any team sport and the Griz don't have a #1 or even a #2
Add that with being below average at hitting and its no surprise they haven't won 10 games

9 WIns
UNLV 3-2
UNLV 5-4
Carrol 9-1
Carrol 7-5
Providence 6-4
Providence 5-1
Portland State 2-1
N Colorado 9-8
ISU 5-4

So really 5 wins over D-1 schools and 33 L's
UM will be looking for a new coach in a few weeks

Hopefully the Indoor practice facility will help, but there is no excuse for 5-33
Click to expand...

Totally agree, what an embarrassing year, and they already have an indoor facility to work on fundamentals. Clean house.
 
We need an entire new coaching staff and to be honest, better recruits. Every team has injuries and they get through it without looking like the worst softball team to ever step onto a field. This year has been a disaster and an embarrassment.
 
Watching the PSU game.



Brock's velo is down, and has struggled for the most part on back to back pitching appearances during conference season. Again she is getting two strikes, but is struggling to put players away. The key for today would be for her to keep her pitch count down, and that isn't happening. Yesterday she was great until the 4th and the wheels fell off as she lost velo.

Top of the 2nd was a bit excruciating. Two hit batters. A seeing eye single, a deflection for a single, and A 14 pitch at-bat, a tight zone, and an eventual hit batter led to another run. Then grooved a 2-0 fast ball that the PSU hitter flipped to opposite field for 2 runs. 4-0 PSU and Haegele is in to pitch.
 
Haegele looks good so far. Navigated the 2 out bases loaded jam she inherited in the second and had a little stress in the 3rd but ended it w/ an emphatic K to end the inning.

The offense is what it has been most of the year. No-Hit through three. 1 baserunner (Saxton ROE) and the LG stranded her at second with a weak ground out to third to end the 3rd. Not a ton of hard contact and a ton of check swings. Curtis (PSU Pitcher) has 4 k's through her first turn through the lineup.

4-0 after three.
 
There will be no noise as the LG will go out with a whimper.

Brock wasn't at all good, low velo and couldn't put people away, in the limited innings she threw (1.2). Haegele was good until she wasn't (2nd time through lineup), and O'Brien came in and couldn't get an out but gave up 4 runs. Brock re-entered to get the last two outs.

The LG got no-hit in the 5 inning affair and lost 13-0. Just an ugly way to end the year.

Pitching didn't give them a chance, defense let them down, but having just one baserunner all game sort of limits your ability to be competitive.

Gotta think change has to come. Big fan of Mel and the staff, but this is just not good. Hard to say just flush this season and move on to the next without significant changes to parts or all of the staff, players and how they go about things.
 
Grizfan-24 said:
There will be no noise as the LG will go out with a whimper.

Brock wasn't at all good, low velo and couldn't put people away, in the limited innings she threw (1.2). Haegele was good until she wasn't (2nd time through lineup), and O'Brien came in and couldn't get an out but gave up 4 runs. Brock re-entered to get the last two outs.

The LG got no-hit in the 5 inning affair and lost 13-0. Just an ugly way to end the year.

Pitching didn't give them a chance, defense let them down, but having just one baserunner all game sort of limits your ability to be competitive.

Gotta think change has to come. Big fan of Mel and the staff, but this is just not good. Hard to say just flush this season and move on to the next without significant changes to parts or all of the staff, players and how they go about things.
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That just sucks. I didn't get to watch. When you're talking low velocity for Brock, what are we talking on the gun? Upper 50s-low 60s?
Agree 100% on the rest of the post.
 
What an embarrassing way to end a very poor season. Give up 13 runs on 15 hits, and leave 10 on base. And get no-hit to top it off, with one baserunner on by an error or it would have been a perfect game.
 
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