Pitchers in each class

[jabberhog]

Who are some of the better pitchers in the state to go watch during the high school season for fans that want to see good pitching?

Name, year, school

[LowerAR]

Ooo, I hate to put names of girls on the site, so I will just refer to the school and year.

Russellville-Senior
Sheridan-2 Seniors

You should see some good mound time from these 6A schools. 

[vhsladyeagles]

I'll agree with not putting names -

In 5A, I know of : 

Vilonia - Junior - D1 Verbal Commit
White Hall - Junior - D1 Verbal Commit

and there are some others in 5A  but I will need someone else to give specifics....

[BIG_K]

I'll agree with not putting names -

In 5A, I know of : 

Vilonia - Junior - D1 Verbal Commit
White Hall - Junior - D1 Verbal Commit

and there are some others in 5A  but I will need someone else to give specifics....

What Colleges?

[Lionheart88]

I'll agree with not putting names -

In 5A, I know of : 

Vilonia - Junior - D1 Verbal Commit
White Hall - Junior - D1 Verbal Commit

and there are some others in 5A  but I will need someone else to give specifics....

What Colleges?

The White Hall pitcher is Idaho State I think.  Seems like I remember reading that in the Commercial a while back.

[LowerAR]

The junior from Vilonia is commited to U of Louisiana at Monroe.
The senior from Russellville is commit to U of Alabama, I heard.
The 2 seniors from Sheridan and the junior from Whitehall, I have no idea.

[NEASPORTSFAN]

It just kills me that there is this level of talent in the state but U of A continues to miss on these kids. Unbelievable.

[500 hitter]

Ashdown- Senior pitcher
Mena - Junior UCA commit
Mena - Sophomore very good also 

[softballjunkie1985]

Arkansas has other restrictions on academic money how many have to be on roster and so on...I wouldn't say they missed because they did offer many of the kids going out of state but maybe they  couldn't offer as much as the school the kid is going to. I think Coach Larabee is a fine Coach and man but the Arkansas job is a tough job.

[NEASPORTSFAN]

Maybe so. I want to see them do well. It's just frustrating that we have a hard time keeping our best players at home.

[softballjunkie1985]

Agreed!

[LowerAR]

The times I spoke to Coach Larabee, he seems like a real nice guy. I don't know him personally or anything, but I have seen him and talked to him several times at showcases and camps. Like I said he seems nice, but when you look at his record of girls who go there and then leave the next year it doesn't inspire much confidence. Again, I will not post a name, but I noticed that a really good pitcher from Forman who pitched for the University last year has transferred to SAU. I know she got hurt, but that really doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I know that the U of A has a high washout rate of all students, but I don't like it. I not going to blame anyone for the reason because I don't know, except to say that it is his program.       

[Bismarck_lions]

In lower classification there is....

Bald Knob's pitcher must be good if they beat bigger schools like Whitehall etc....

Foreman's pitcher is a senior this year, another state champion pitcher

Genoa Central has a senior pitcher I believe that is very underrated 

The junior from Vilonia is commited to U of Louisiana at Monroe.
The senior from Russellville is commit to U of Alabama, I heard.

She is going to Alabama?? wow how hard does she throw??
The 2 seniors from Sheridan and the junior from Whitehall, I have no idea.

[SportsLover65]

The times I spoke to Coach Larabee, he seems like a real nice guy. I don't know him personally or anything, but I have seen him and talked to him several times at showcases and camps. Like I said he seems nice, but when you look at his record of girls who go there and then leave the next year it doesn't inspire much confidence. Again, I will not post a name, but I noticed that a really good pitcher from Forman who pitched for the University last year has transferred to SAU. I know she got hurt, but that really doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I know that the U of A has a high washout rate of all students, but I don't like it. I not going to blame anyone for the reason because I don't know, except to say that it is his program.     

From what I understand the majority of the student athletes don't like him for various reasons and it is my opinion that we need a coach from the South to be in charge of that program.

[LowerAR]

Well I have heard the same thing about Larabee, but who really knows, I mean so many times athletes don't like there coach, but the program and even the players will be successful, but you can look at indicators and they don't speak to favorable of the U of A right now.
 
As for the Senior at Russellville, I have heard that it's consistently around 65 with good movement in all directions, but I promise her rise ball is a thing of beauty. She has been being courted by Bama and everyone else for awhile now. I would go out on a limb and say she is the best I've seen anywhere in the last 2 years. 

[lee71]

Beebe has a D1 signed pitcher. She is a good one to watch.

[maxswine]

Well I have heard the same thing about Larabee, but who really knows, I mean so many times athletes don't like there coach, but the program and even the players will be successful, but you can look at indicators and they don't speak to favorable of the U of A right now.
 
As for the Senior at Russellville, I have heard that it's consistently around 65 with good movement in all directions, but I promise her rise ball is a thing of beauty. She has been being courted by Bama and everyone else for awhile now. I would go out on a limb and say she is the best I've seen anywhere in the last 2 years.

The word around Russellville is that Arkansas did not want her as a pitcher early on....as a hitter only.  So, when Tennessee, Alabama, etc. were recruiting her as both, that helped their chances. 

[jabberhog]

The word I heard was that Alabama offered her a whole lot more funding than Arkansas did.  Hard to turn a better offer down.

[NEASPORTSFAN]

Well they had to so they could cover out of state tuition. I bet it evened out. I don't buy the money part of it. U of A has bank.

[softballjunkie1985]

Has nothing to with bank, it has everything to do with how you value a kid...in d1 softball teams get 12 scholarships to offer, pitchers are first with many getting 100% athletic next they go up the middle...shortstops, centerfielders and catchers getting more money than say a projected right fielder. Arkansas is at huge disadvantage, it takes a very high ACT (31)score to get significant academic money where at a school like Bama a 29 can get you 50% academic money...they need to address this and they can get some ladies that may go elsewhere

[maxswine]

It had nothing to do with funding.  Arkansas lost her before she committed to Alabama.  They blundered that whole thing. 

[snowhawk16]

 
Mansfield LADY TIGERS; KY KY JUNIOR VARIETY OF JUNK PITCHES CAN HIT 60 AT TIMES YEAR ROUND PRACTICE ROUTINE WITH A PITCHING COACH 3A CLASS

[Lionheart88]

WHY ARE YOU YELLING?   

[jacosportsfreak]

   Heard claims, yesterday, of a sopohomore pitching in the mid 70's.

[500 hitter]

Think their radar gun has been messed up from the cold weather.

[LowerAR]

I would never say that you can't put that much stock in a gun, but in October my DD was clocked at a camp at 65, then in December was clocked at 58 at a Showcase. There are so many variables when you look at speeds of pitches that I don't really take the numbers that serious. If she can actually throw that fast and get it around the plate, the truth will come out. We played with a tourney team this summer who had a girl that signed with UAM out of Texas. She came to play for us and the coach told me she could throw around 65. I went to warm her up at the tourney and I jokingly told her that I had never caught anyone that could throw that fast and I would appreciate her not hurting me. She just laughed and said she didn't throw that fast, and she didn't. Turned out she had great movement and several nice pitches but nothing that fast. Thing is we often make a big deal out of speed, but the truth is that it isn't everything. I watched a Benton team beat a very good pitcher from Russellville last year in the 6A state semifinals.         

[GatorBall]

I would never say that you can't put that much stock in a gun, but in October my DD was clocked at a camp at 65, then in December was clocked at 58 at a Showcase. There are so many variables when you look at speeds of pitches that I don't really take the numbers that serious. If she can actually throw that fast and get it around the plate, the truth will come out. We played with a tourney team this summer who had a girl that signed with UAM out of Texas. She came to play for us and the coach told me she could throw around 65. I went to warm her up at the tourney and I jokingly told her that I had never caught anyone that could throw that fast and I would appreciate her not hurting me. She just laughed and said she didn't throw that fast, and she didn't. Turned out she had great movement and several nice pitches but nothing that fast. Thing is we often make a big deal out of speed, but the truth is that it isn't everything. I watched a Benton team beat a very good pitcher from Russellville last year in the 6A state semifinals.         

I totally agree!!! Just like in business there are three keys to good pitching....LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!!!! If you have that and speed, then you have something.

[softballjunkie1985]

I would never say that you can't put that much stock in a gun, but in October my DD was clocked at a camp at 65, then in December was clocked at 58 at a Showcase. There are so many variables when you look at speeds of pitches that I don't really take the numbers that serious. If she can actually throw that fast and get it around the plate, the truth will come out. We played with a tourney team this summer who had a girl that signed with UAM out of Texas. She came to play for us and the coach told me she could throw around 65. I went to warm her up at the tourney and I jokingly told her that I had never caught anyone that could throw that fast and I would appreciate her not hurting me. She just laughed and said she didn't throw that fast, and she didn't. Turned out she had great movement and several nice pitches but nothing that fast. Thing is we often make a big deal out of speed, but the truth is that it isn't everything. I watched a Benton team beat a very good pitcher from Russellville last year in the 6A state semifinals.         

We played against  10 of the top 20 travel teams in the country according to triple crown and only 1 pitcher threw  above 65..Kelly Barnhill..we saw way more 62/63 than anything and that includes pitchers that are signed or committed to Florida,  Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, Arizona State and Oklahoma

[GobsRule]

   Heard claims, yesterday, of a sopohomore pitching in the mid 70's.

Seriously, has there been any 70+ pitchers come out of Arkansas recently? My oldest DD traveled all over the country 5 or 6 years ago and we seen only one  legit 70mph pitcher that could come close to getting over the plate. 70 would be nice I guess, but I like to see the upper 50's low 60's kids with great movement.

[LowerAR]

Well from what I've seen speed will get you in trouble faster, until you get to around 65, then many just can't catch up in a game setting, but there will be those that can at least in 6A and travel ball. Until you can throw that speed you better be able to move the ball. Break a pitch hard and be able to spot that pitch where you want it and you will do well. Just don't loose those taters in the middle and you might be real good.

[jacosportsfreak]

   I don't believe for one second that she is throwing in the mid 70's.  A 75 mph pitch from 43 feet, is the equizalent of 106 mph in MLB.  How many have done that?!?

[GatorBall]

   I don't believe for one second that she is throwing in the mid 70's.  A 75 mph pitch from 43 feet, is the equizalent of 106 mph in MLB.  How many have done that?!?

AMEN! World Class speed is 72-73...which is almost impossible to catch up to.

[softballjunkie1985]

Traina  and Ricketts could  touch 72 but that's all U have seen

[BBRB]

   Heard claims, yesterday, of a sopohomore pitching in the mid 70's.

Pretty impressive....They usually slow down to the low to mid 60s after their freshman year (unless they have mound time)  HA!

[BIG_K]

   Heard claims, yesterday, of a sopohomore pitching in the mid 70's.

Pretty impressive....They usually slow down to the low to mid 60s after their freshman year (unless they have mound time)  HA!

I believe this belongs in the 2015 Freshman Impact Player Thread.   

[LowerAR]

Well I've seen 75 or 76 on guns while watching college softball on the TV, but that brings back the discussion of the effectiveness of guns. I've never seen anything live, that I thought was that fast. Back just a few years ago, if someone could throw over 60 it was thought that they were blistering the ball; now that is not even an after thought. I don't know how fast girls can throw a ball now, but I'm not seeing the speed that most people claim. Just to compare, at the Showcase where my DD threw 58; the fastest time that day was 61.           

[softballjunkie1985]

I agree, there are far more at 58-62 than 63+

[BIG_K]

Yep, Agreed! The more pitches you have and speeds you can throw are just as important as top end speed.