UCA Softball

[txdad]

I have watched UCA play softball a number of times this year and I hate to state the obvious...But you just can't build a team around Arkansas softball recruits.  They may be good in their high schools, but they struggle in the GSC.  It is a good thing they have a few Texas recruits or they probably wouldn't have won a single game.  For everyone that thinks there are a number of "big" time softball players in Arkansas, just look at the in-state DII schools that have Arkansas players.  Either that school isn't very good or only a few of the Arkansas kids get much playing time.  So, let's be honest... Arkansas softball is still lagging behind most states.  Parents, don't get mad if your child doesn't get recruited by an in-state school and also don't get too excited if they do... because it means the team will be bad or they won't get much playing time.

If the recruiting doesn't change immediately, they are going to be absolutely horrendous in DI next year.

[Radiohead Bear]

you know what, you are stating the obvious, but when the obvious is correct, then who's to argue.  In that past Shock got players from all over the country, she hit the juco's hard in KS and got her fair share from TX and OK.  But for the most part of her tenure as head coach, the state of AR's fast pitch was not even half of what it is today, if you can call it that, so she had to to begin with.

With that being said, I have no idea how good this new coach for UCA is, or will be.  I hope he continues to look for those out of staters, jsut because UCA has success finding a lot of talent in all sports from other states, but can be selective in getting only the best in AR as well.

As for being absolutely horrendous nest year, probably most our sports might be horrendus next year (depending on what your definition of horrendous is) with the exception of football, who should be able to keep more than their share of games at least competitive and win their fair share, esp the D2 ones.

[R. A.™]

Plus Fastpitch hasn't been in Arkansas as long as other states.

[txdad]

I agree with the previous 2 posts.  I just want UCA to be successful, but in softball, they are going to have to change their recruiting philosophy quickly.  Obviously, there are a few players in Arkansas that may be able to contribute, but they need to concentrate on getting those few and then look elsewhere for the rest.  As fastpitch gets bigger and more mature in Arkansas, then they can recruit more "local" kids.  They just need to do something fast.

[Radiohead Bear]

I'm not sure there is a quick fix with UCA unless they hit the Juco's hard again.  This may be one of thise situations where we have to be extremely patient, as bad as that sounds.  But yes going back and hitting TX and OK hard will work, while cherry picking the best in-state talent.

[R. A.™]

JUCOS are a quick fix....well it might be. Maybe there is some "heat" coming from somewhere to have more arkansas kids on the team.

[Radiohead Bear]

yeah who knows about the heat from higher ups...doesnt sound like something they would do for softball necessarily but I have been surprised before.

[txdad]

I really think that UCA has an advantage over the other DII schools in the state from a recruiting standpoint.  None of them have great facilities, but UCA is a fast growing school and has a lot to offer.  Those things just come with a bigger school and I'm sure facility upgrades are in the future.

[UCAMOM]

I have just been observing FF for over a year now, but I couldn't pass this up.  Yes, I am a newbie, but here goes.

UCA softball is struggling.  Whether you want to blame it on Arkansas recruits or the previous coach or even the new coach, they are trying to find theselves.  Coach K is trying to build a team.  The team has worked harder and become stronger than they ever have in the past seasons.  Yes the Arkansas recurits were successful in Arkansas High School, but college ball is definitely a level above.  Thank goodness we have our Tx, Ok, and Ka.  players.  But if you look at the stats you will see some of UCA's best bats and pitchers are from Arkansas.  UCA is young, playing mostly sophomores and freshman with a few Juniors and two Seniors. It takes a team and that's what they are trying to develop. 

Ouachita is another team full of Arkansas Girls.  It has taken Ouachita a couple of years, but they are now ranked in the region.  Arkansas High schools have only had fastpitch no more than 7 years.  Arkansas fastpitch is still growing up.   I think the Arkansas girls that have made it to College level are the ground breakers for the talent coming up.  Give them a chance.   

[Radiohead Bear]

I like what both of you have said and brought up to this discussion.  UCA does have an advantage over all the D2 schools, but unfortuantely that wont cut it now, because now we are against the big girls of the world!  That being said our campus is growing, money spending is going, and I really DO like where this new coach is taking things,  at least from what I'm being told and reading about from people on here and elsewhere in Conway and the UCA campus.  Upgrade over the last few years of the previous coach that's for sure.


ps-What's sad is that I cant even get this much discussion about UCA Softball on our own board at UCAfans.com where we have threads and forums for this stuff...hint hint

[txdad]

I don't know what it is going to take to get UCA at the level we all want it, but it is going to take a while.  I know a number of the players in the Southland Conference and have watched many of them play for 4-6 years.  There are a few of the Texas players on UCA that are very familiar with them too as they played with and against them for years.  It isn't going to be an easy transition.  The level of pitching in the SLC is many steps above what they see on a normal basis with their current schedule.  On top of that, the quality of players is much greater.  I think the coach is going to have to concentrate on some transfers first so he can be competitive next year, then worry about winning.  It is going to be very tough.  Good luck.

[UCAMOM]

It's hard to have much discussion on a  struggling sport.  The girls have allot of talent and heart, but the games have just not fallen their way.  You can see how many games we have lost by just a few runs.  That big inning seems to always get us.  One thing I can say about Coach K is that he has given all the pitchers and most of of the rest of the players all the chances in the word to succeed.  I have to give him that.   Errors are killing us.  The team just has forgot how to pull through with a win.  I hope this weekend at the GSC Crossover Tourney we can turn things around.  I'm rooting for them.

  GO BEARS!!

[txdad]

Good luck this weekend.

[Radiohead Bear]

Indeed good luck to the Bears this weekend! 

[UCAMOM]

UCA has finally come through wiih win. Lost to West Ala. 3-2, Lost to Ala Huntsville 10-4 one big inning lost it. Lost to Valdosta @ 3:00pm, close game.  Then won against North Alabama (2-1).  North Ala. lost to Delta State 3-2. They beat Christian Brothers 4-2.  North Ala beat Henderson 2-1.  Then UCA BEat North Ala by  2-1. 

A win is just what we needed.  Not a season but a win,  what we needed.


Even during all of this we had cars that belong to the team vandalised., tires/ rims removed/ slashed and windows shot out in our parking lot.  The girls came above all this and still pulled it together.


I am proud.
Go BEARS.

[txdad]

UCAMOM,

Sounds like a tough weekend in Decatur... other than softball.  Good win for the program.  Hopefully, they can build on this and keep getting better and gaining confidence.

[UCAMOM]

txtdad:

Thanks.  The tough weekend wasn't in Decatur.  It was in our own parking lot at the UCA Ball Field.  Really sad and stupid.....................

Just to let you know on our win against North Alabama --  It was an Arkansas pitcher ** Amanda Burgess - Greenbrier, Ar, walkon freshman -  9h,1R, 1ER, 1BB, 7SO.

And UCA's three hits for the scores was by one Arkansas girl and two Texas girls.

We love our Texas girls.

Just hope we can use this for confidence.   We play Lincoln Memorial and West Georgia today.

[wonderboyfan]

Amanda Burgess is good, but UCA is terrible.  They will be terrible next year too, in all sports.  I am looking forward to the TECH v. UCA softball games towards the end of the month.

[UCAMOM]

OK wonderboyfan -----  I'm a TECHMOM also.

Tech isn't doing any better in the GSC Crossover. They have lost all their games. 

They lost to:
Valdosta State 3-0
West Florida 6-4
Alabama Huntsville 9-1
They are playing West Georgia now

We played Lincoln Memorial this morning and lost 10-9.  We had the last bat and left two on base in the last out.  Close buy not quite.

[Radiohead Bear]

I'd like to send out a huge Congrats to the Softball Bears who at least won 2 games vs very very good opponents!  they tripped up North Al and then beat GSC East leading West Florida 1-0 in a three hit shutout this afternoon!   

Yes UCA is not that good as we have discussed already, and may not be for a couple more years just because they are moving up, but in the past i'm not sure they would have won 2 games at this thing, much less beat the 2 teams they did beat this weekend.  Keep up the good work...

[UCAMOM]

Sometimes the hardest thing is to believe  * ** * believe in yourself.  They said we just slipped by North Alabama.  But against West Florida we played ball.  Our pitcher - Natalie Faulkner had not won a game all season and held them to three hits while UCA had eleven hits against them. UCA was West Florida's only loss the whole GSC tourney.  For that game we believed in ourselves.  I hope they can pull that feeling again and come up with a decent showing the rest of the season.  These girls deserve it.


GO BEARS ****** *********

[Logchain20]

Congrats to Coach Kissel and UCA!  I think the future is bright under him. 

[2 strike hitter]

Anyone have a list of all the UCA softball signees for this fall?

[D-way Trey]

It's like they knew that you wanted to know. They just put this out today.
Link to story

UCA SOFTBALL INKS EIGHT

CONWAY, Ark- University of Central Arkansas softball head coach Steve Kissel has signed eight players to join the Bears program in the fall. Brittany Bearden of Birmingham, Ala., Audra Finley and Ashley Ray of Sheridan, Ark., Catherine Jones and Keatha Tollett of Nashville, Ark., Mallarie Stone of Frisco, Texas, Lauren Tracy of Pottsville, Ark., and Lindsey White of Star City, Ark. have all signed National of Letters of Intent to play for UCA.

Bearden is hitting .344 with 12 doubles, 34 runs socred, four home runs and 33 runs batted in for Wallace State College in Hanceville, Ala. As a freshman, Bearden hit .387 with 10 homers, 20 doubles and 55 RBI. She has helped Wallace State to a 43-17 record this season.

Ray, a shortstop, has hit .429 with three home runs, 23 runs scored, 14 RBI and 21 stolen bases for Sheridan High School her senior year. Finley, a third baseman at Sheridan, has hit .301 with 26 runs scored and 24 stolen bases this season.

Jones and Tollett both play for the Scrapperettes of Nashville High School. Jones, a shortstop, has hit .350 this season with seven doubles and 13 RBI. For her four-year career, she has batted .403 with three homers, 27 doubles and 82 runs knocked in. Tollett, a four-year starter at catcher, has a career .488 batting average with 130 runs batted in and 56 doubles.

Stone is 6-0 with a 0.20 earned run average and 54 strikeouts in 35 innings. She has three shutouts in six starts this season, including a no-hitter. She has helped Frisco High School to a 23-5 mark this year.

Tracy, a pitcher for Pottsville High School, has a career record of 47-14 with a 1.09 ERA in 347 innings. She also has 526 strikeouts in her four-year career.

White, also a pitcher, is 13-6 this season with a 1.67 earned run average for Star City High School. She has a 139 strikeouts in 113 innings pitched.

"I am excited about the talent we have coming in," Kissell said. "These players solidify the already strong class we signed in the early period. I feel we will have a competitive group of players as we enter into Division I and Southland Conference play."

[True Fan]

oh no, txdad, they signed "Arkansas" players.

Congratulations ladies. The two from Nashville will be an assett to the bears. Shoulda been on a state champ team last year. Dang Farmington!

[txdad]

oh no, txdad, they signed "Arkansas" players.

Congratulations ladies. The two from Nashville will be an assett to the bears. Shoulda been on a state champ team last year. Dang Farmington!

I saw that.  Good Luck in the future!

[txdad]

Just curious if anyone knows how many players were signed in the Fall?  The current roster shows 19 players with 1 senior.  Are all of those players still active players?  If so, 18 returning plus 8 signed in the spring plus ? signed in the Fall.  That is a lot of players?  Will all of them travel? 

[2 strike hitter]

By my count there were a total of 17 who signed, 9 in the fall and 8 this spring.  I am also aware of at least 2 that have been invited to walk on.  There were two seniors until the series with SAU and then one of them just disappeared from the roster.  I have seen a few others fall off the roster in the past few months also.  There are 21 listed in the stats as having played at some point and 1 more on the roster who doesn't appear in the stats.  So I guess at one point there has been as many as 22 or more on the roster.  I feel the present roster to be accurate.

The math says 18 returning + 17 signed + 2 walk ons = 37 (enough for 2 teams).

I doubt any coach would ever travel over 25, 20-23 is more realistic.

Maybe coach K is trying to field a D1 AND a D2 team, 

[UCAMOM]

2 strike hitter:

You are very good at math.  There is a good percentage of 2006 roster players that do not plan to return.  Coach K is making a very deep roster.  Girls will have to work very hard to be part of the starters.  Right now he has a possibility of 10 pitchers.  Only the  best will survive.  We will all have to wait to see who shows up and who succeeds.

[2 strike hitter]

Does anyone really know what is going to happen this fall?  From all the rumors I have heard; there will be a few returning from the 2006 team, 17 signees, and a truck load of girls that were individually led to believe they would be on the team, just not receive any assistance THIS year.  Now its beginning to sound like a big open tryout to see who gets the privilege of playing for nothing, and very likely nothing from here on out.  I think that if this is really the plan, coach K should be right up front with everyone.  It would be a shame for a girl to make UCA her college choice based upon a promise of getting to play softball, only to find out she was cut in some big tryout.

[txdad]

Does anyone really know what is going to happen this fall? From all the rumors I have heard; there will be a few returning from the 2006 team, 17 signees, and a truck load of girls that were individually led to believe they would be on the team, just not receive any assistance THIS year. Now its beginning to sound like a big open tryout to see who gets the privilege of playing for nothing, and very likely nothing from here on out. I think that if this is really the plan, coach K should be right up front with everyone. It would be a shame for a girl to make UCA her college choice based upon a promise of getting to play softball, only to find out she was cut in some big tryout.

I hope this isn't what is going on.  I also hope the girls and parents asked a lot of questions during the recruiting process.

[Radiohead Bear]

Now its beginning to sound like a big open tryout to see who gets the privilege of playing for nothing, and very likely nothing from here on out.

Now when you say nothing, are you implying that UCA is cutting out women's softball scholarships altogether?  Or is your "nothing" referring to the fact they won't be postseason eligible for a few years at least.   Because if they are cutting scholarships out completely, wont that mean they will have tocut a men's program as well?   I'm just looking for some clarification...

[2 strike hitter]

What I was trying to say was that any of the walk-ons that make the team will not receive any scholarship money (hence "play for nothing"), it is supposedly all gone and has been since early last fall.

Now the part that seems strange to me is the fact coach K has at least a few of the present players returning, and 17 signees.....plenty to fill a roster.  So why all the "invited" walk-ons?  Seems like almost every ranked high school has one girl that was told he really wanted her but he just flat ran out of money and that she should go ahead and show up in the fall ready to play, maybe something could be worked out in the mean time.  Does this mean he is gonna carry like 30 or more on the roster?  Or are there going to be alot of disappointed girls that were led to believe they were really needed, only to find out they were just being used to fill a large talent pool and then be cherry-picked over for just a few spots?

[ss-mom]

My daughter signed with UCA this spring, during our recruiting vist last fall, Coach K indicated that he intended to have a try-out of walk-ons during the fall, but only keep just one or two players from that group.  Exactly what did these girls hear about playing at UCA next year.   Did they hear what they wanted to hear or did Coach K mislead them.  I can't speak to their conversation.  But I know what Coach K told us. 

He also told us that he intended to redshirt severals girls, from this class.  Even indicating to my daughter that she could be one of them.  She would have to earn playing time just like anyone else.

He was very candid in our conversations about players returning next year.  He stated that most of the girls on this roster were recruited as DIV II players, and he needed to upgrade to players with DIV I talent.  No knock on current players just stating facts.

During the recruiting process for my daughter, we have talk to coaches who have promised the moon, have lied repeatedly and said just about anything you want to hear just to get you to come to their school.  In my dealings with Coach K , he has been very forthwright with us.  One thing that people need to understand, coaches generally will not provide you with every bit of information, unless you asked direct questions.  I suspect that is the case with these invited walk-ons. 

[2 strike hitter]

Well everything I have repeated so far is just a cumulative of rumors, a few facts, and a few 2+2's.  I only have knowlege of one girl's account of her recruitment firsthand.  She was told during her visit to UCA last fall that she played a position that he (coach K) really needed some help with.  His current 2nd basemen might not play her senior year due to nursing internship conflicts.  He also told her he hadnt seen her play but she came highly recommended from another recruit and a professional scout.  He told her all his offers had been extended but not all had been accepted yet so there was still hope of scholarship money.  Another possibility was getting some of his signees qualified for some academic money, therefore freeing up some of his money.  He told her she could expect to hear from him on a regular basis, keeping her updated.  According to this girl, the only contacts since then were those that she or her dad initiated.  All coach K has told her lately is "sorry, no money became available, but she was still needed and he hoped to see her in the fall".  I guess the part that bothers me is I have heard second-handed that this same story is being told to several other girls too.  That they all "just missed" getting scholarship money but they were still very much needed to make the jump to D1.  None of them, to my knowlege, were told anything about walk-on tryouts.

Maybe he IS forthwright with the girls he really wants and promises the moon to the "maybe's"?

[Radiohead Bear]

1st off, ss-mom...please welcome your daughter on my behalf to UCA!  We are certainly excited to have her!

it is a little disheartening to hear recruiting problems at UCA, but then again, not sure it surprises me, because I'm pretty sure some stuff like this goes on at a ton of places in all sports on all levels, whether it is right or not, that is just the way it is.....Now as we know some of the problems this coach is faced with is  1) the coaching change just last year and trying to get himself and his own players into his system. and  2) the fact we are moving up from D2 to Division 1.  I can understand if the funds werent available why he would tell recruits that funds might become available and then offer a walk-on position.  With the move up and frank admittance most of the old players were recruited as D2 players, one would only expect some dropping out among players who might have previously had scholarships, thus openeing up other opportunities for those who walked on.  And as most of you know and also stated it is NOT unheard of for others to play athletics with an educational scholarship and not athletics one, thus freeing up more money to other recruits. Now obviously I have no first hand experince with this coach as of yet, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for several reasons.  1) I'm a UCA Bear...2)  It's only his 2nd year and in your second year it cant be easy trying to cycle out D2 players in a transition to D1 when most of the old players weren't yours to begin with...and 3)  it sure looked and sounded like, maybe not by the record exactly, that his club was a heck of a lot more competitive this year than UCA had been in the past, and I can live with that, especially with the competition upgrade that is about to occur game in and game out.

[UCAMOM]

3)  it sure looked and sounded like, maybe not by the record exactly, that his club was a heck of a lot more competitive this year than UCA had been in the past, and I can live with that,


I like what Bear Card said!!.  UCA softball had 15 games out of 46 games that were a 1 point difference and many more that were 3 or less points difference.  We were right on the edge especially at the end of the season.  Coach K lost his father within the first few weeks of the season.  It was a difficult time for him and the team.  I think success will be hard earned, but will come.  I just hope my daughter will be apart of it.  Coach K had himself and one GA for the season.  That's tough for 22+ girls.  Next season we are told there will be additional help.  That should help the team focus more on wins.  Time will tell.

[2 strike hitter]

Being an old stats person, I look at more than just the score.  There were two stats in particular that really stood out to me and easily added to the runs allowed total.  One was the number of steals against the catchers, basically, teams stole second at will.  That turns alot of singles into a "doubles" an eliminates the need for SAC bunts and costs a few easy outs for UCA.  Another glaring stat was errors by the infield, again, outs became baserunners.

Pitching....no need in even going there. 

Offensively, UCA held their own, but you just can't give up that many runs defensively.

[UCAMOM]

2 strike

I am in to stats too.  All I can do is agree with you.  At times this season we held the top spot in the GSC for stolen bases against us and committing errors.  The issue "outs becoming baserunners" didn't help our pitching either.  Offensively, you are right.  Defensively, sorry , you are right.

[arreferee]

Not that there is anything wrong with it here (other than UCA not being in the GSC anymore  ), but this would be a great thread to have on UCAFANS.com's forum.  There could be many other fans of UCA's softball team there who could add to this great conversation.

[okieinark]

Well I would hesitate to say I am a UCA fan as of yet.  My daughter hasn't been treated to well during the UCA recruiting process.  So I guess I will keep my comments here.

[Radiohead Bear]

Not that there is anything wrong with it here (other than UCA not being in the GSC anymore  ), but this would be a great thread to have on UCAFANS.com's forum.  There could be many other fans of UCA's softball team there who could add to this great conversation.

THANK you for that link....I was not just going to come out and post that on here openly soliciting for people to carry these conversations over there as well...but I'm NOT against PMing people which I have tried to do.  That is why that site is there, for people TO discuss and cuss, UCA athletics...ALL of them...the good and the bad...no matter which sport, so come on over to UCAFans.com  some of the others over there would like to know what others think or don't think of a coach or situation.

and as a side note, we actually still are GSC technically until later the summer....but I know what you are saying and only playing around with you! lol

[txdad]

Ok, here is my 2 cents worth... and it will be controversial, I am sure.  First, moving out the DII players for DI players?  Come on.  How many DI schools are knocking on the doors of these recruits?  My guess would be none.  Let's be very realistic and not too optimistic about this.  I have followed UCA for many years and know many of the current out of state players and have seen them play in high school and summer ball.  A number of the so-called DII players have played with and against much stronger competition than any of the Arkansas recruits that are coming in next year.  I have coached and recruited fastpitch ball for many years... many more years than it has been in Arkansas as a sport below the college level.  I am also very familiar with the GSC and the Southland conference.  Let me tell you, there are close 1 run ballgames and 1 run games that are never in doubt.  So, don't think that just losing by 1 indicates anything.  It really doesn't.   Once I see next years schedule, I will give you my prediction for victories.  The pitching isn't there for DI competition, the defense isn't there, I suspect the offense will struggle a lot next year.  The Arkansas high school players have not seen anything close to the pitching they will see in the Southland next year.  I have said previously on this thread that you can't build a program around Arkansas recruits.  This isn't a knock on all players in Arkansas, it is just reality and the fact that the sport hasn't been played long enough in Arkansas to be producing a large enough pool of talent yet.  My prediction for next year is for a very long year and if the recruiting doesn't change, a coaching change in a few years.

[Radiohead Bear]

txdad, as far as next year, no matter which players we have, I don't think too many of us ARE expecting a wining season with the move up, because we will likely see the likes of OU or Texas and obviously all the SLC schools more often that just this one time this year like we did see OU, which still shocked me they played UCA while still a full fledged D2 school.

As far as recruiting Arkansas players over out of state (TX or OK) players, I'll give to you on that because I don't know squat about that, other than when I think fastpitch, I think TX, OK, Arizona and California first.  As far as how many you take from Arkansas compared to out of staters, I dont have a clue on what a good number would be either.  All I know is all our sports are about to face a semi-similar situaion in regards to moving up and playing much tougher competition on a daily and nightly basis in all sports.

[txdad]

Congratulations to Maegen Bell and Amy Sperle for being named All-Gulf South Conference-West Second Team.  They both had a very good year and it is nice to see them recognized for it.

[True Fan]

With all of the talk about the jump to D1, How big of a difference are we really looking at?
The Southland Conf only had 3 teams that finished over 500. Since most of the schools are in TX and LA shouldn't they have outstanding programs? The program is what you make it, not where your players come. It looks like UCA is making a turn for the better. Good luck in the big league ladies.


Texas-San Antonio 22-5 .815 36-12 .750 
Texas State 18-5 .783 34-21 .618 
Texas-Arlington 16-9 .640 31-21 .596 
McNeese State 13-13 .500 21-30 .412 
Northwestern State 12-13 .480 28-32 .467 
Nicholls State 11-15 .423 23-33 .411 
Sam Houston State 11-16 .407 18-30 .375 
Louisiana-Monroe 10-16 .385 27-30 .474 
Stephen F. Austin 9-15 .375 20-27 .426 
Southeastern Louisiana 6-21 .222 10-36 .217

[Logchain20]

If UCA puts the money and effort into it Coach Kissel will get the job done.  What I mean by that....1) Fully fund the softball program with 12 scholarships.  That is going to be tough since the DII maxium is 7.4 I believe. 2) They must give the man a recruiting budget. 3)  He must be given a full time assistant.  A Graduate assistant will create a turnover year to year that will be tough to overcome.  If UCA will do that  to jump start the program; UCA will be up and running in two to three years in the Southland.  If they pay lip service to this stuff the man is coaching with both hands tied behind his back.