Crunching Numbers -- Season Wrap Up

It’s been almost two weeks since the Hancock Tournament and the end of the season, we’ve had our meetings, handed out the evaluations and have only the celebratory banquet ahead before we begin our off-season activity and we start all over again. I thought this might a good time to do a summary of our year and put some meaning into the numbers.

Softball and baseball are numbers-oriented sports and numbers geeks, like me, spend (probably way too much) time crunching the numbers to provide an objective assessment of the season and the individuals who, in our case, made it so successful. You may want to skip this unless you, too, are a numbers geek or want to learn about the numbers and how they’re figured. One other note: scoring is always subjective, and the decisions about hits/errors are mine. What might be considered a “tough” error on the varsity level might be ruled a hit on the JV.

On a subjective scale, this was the equal of any team I’ve had since returning to the program in 2006 in terms of accomplishing the goals of improving as a team and as individual players, of building camaraderie, and integrating the goals of the Webster Groves High School softball program.

I will admit that this team far exceeded my expectations – I certainly did not predict 13 wins as we finalized our roster in August, but what can never be predicted is a team’s character and heart. Neither can it be measured in a number, but if it could, this team’s stat would be off the charts.

The offensive numbers that can be compared paint an interesting (to me, of course) picture. It’s a fair comparison to look at the numbers from 2011, 2012 and 2013 (numbers will be presented in that order). The number of games (24-24-23) was similar, as were the records (13-11, 14-10, 13-10). Despite playing one less game than the two previous years, we actually played more innings than the previous two years (138, 128 & 140) and took far more at bats (AB), (621, 658, 693) and had more plate appearances (PA=AB+BB [walks] + HB [hit by pitch] + Sac [sacrifices]), (731, 804, 810). We scored runs at a better pace than either of the previous years (235, 253, 251), despite a lower batting average and slugging percentage than the year before (.343/.456, .372/.517, .358/.443).

Defensively, our fielding percentage continued to rise (.842, .862, .870). Most significantly, the number of assists was way up, which means that we made lots more plays on ground balls and didn’t need to wait for someone to pop up or strike out. “Catch and throw,” “Take care of the softball,” we did that. Our pitchers did exactly what we asked them to do, throw strikes. While opponent strikeouts were down by almost 50%, so were our opponent walks, the fewest since at least 2007. That helped everyone as we learned about how to play in a variety of defensive situations, a key component to our growth and success as the season wore on.

As a side note, I’m including a link to some articles on my personal blog that are softball related, although not necessarily to this team. Content warning: Because it’s my personal blog it contains personal (and occasionally political) opinions that not everyone may like. I’m not intentionally provocative, but if you’re easily provoked, well, consider this fair warning!

On Cheering

Worst Part of Coaching

Accidental Coach
    Coach

End of Year Meeting & Other Announcements

We will be meeting with the JV and undergrad varsity players on Tuesday after school, usually in a math room down the hall from the athletic office. They should be prepared to turn in their (washed) uniforms and equipment. I am preparing a personalized letter/evaluation for them and one of us will meet with each of them. As mentioned previously, please emphasize to your daughters that these evaluations may appear overly negative because we are focusing on areas where they can and need to improve to continue moving up in the program. Don't let them ignore the positive comments and focus just on the negative. It was a great year and each girl played an important part in that.

Also, we will be having our softball banquet a week from Tuesday in the Commons. More information will be handed out at the meeting.

Final Stats from 2013

These stats are unofficial, although I don't expect any significant changes as I review the score cards and boxes from our 23 games. They are helpful and misleading at the same time. There are hard .250 hitters and soft .300 hitters (if those numbers land on any particular player it is PURELY coincidence). In fielding, some positions are more prone to errors than others. I am offering the season ending stats from some of our previous season for sake of comparison only (they have been previously published). Have fun all you stats-junkies (of which I am one).
I've been asked to provide a key: RoE=Reached on Error; CS=Caught Stealing; TB=Total Bases (1 for a single, 2 for a double, etc.); Slug%=Slugging Percentage (TB/AB); OB%=On-Base Percentage (Hits + Walks + ROE divided by PA (Plate Appearances=AB+BB+Sac). Hope this helps, Paton!

Pictures from the Hancock Tournament

Thanks once again to Beth Kazlauskus for the skill and time she devoted to providing pictures for this blog. I hope someone will step up next year. Softball is a tough sport to shoot (says the former yearbook adviser) and we've been lucky to see so many great shots. There's one of every girl who played yesterday, and that was every girl. Enjoy.

Playing for Plastic: Hancock Tournament Champions

We treat the annual Hancock Tournament as a showcase event. We want every girl to get a chance to display her skills and improvement since early August. For that reason, we take advantage of the rule (unique to this high school tournament, as far as I know) to “bat the line-up” and use free substitution. None of our opponents did that, which is certainly their prerogative; their goals may be different than ours. Still, it was nice to not only win this tournament for the first time, but to do it “our way,” with every girl playing and contributing. We have some celebratory pictures for now, with a promise of more to come from the games themselves.

Game 1: Webster 7, Bishop DuBourg 6

After the Cavaliers jumped out to a 4-0 lead, it seemed as if they expected us to fold. They don’t know our team. Our defense tightened and clutch hitting inched us closer, so that we were just down by 2, 6-4, going into the home half of the seventh. Mind you, this is a JV game being played on a one hour, twenty minute clock. We hustled in and out, played fast, and preserved our shot. Apparently we saw the whites of their eyes and scored 3 runs without giving up an out in the seventh, as Brittany “Clutch” Hartung knocked in another game-winner, her third and fourth RBI of the game, stunning the DuBourg players, coaches and fans. Sami Meyer closed strong over the last 5 innings and Hannah Love (at least) tied a record by recording all three assists from third base in the bottom of the sixth.

Game 2: Webster 11, Duchesne 1

Fresh from their own walk-off win over Parkway South, Duchesne won the toss and took home field advantage. That ploy may have backfired as we rocked them with 6 first-inning runs, featuring homers by Bekah Perman and Hannah Leatherbarrow. Megan McClure added her own in the third. AnnaClaire Bryant tossed a shutout for three innings and Sami finished up. Although the outcome was never in doubt after the first inning, it was nice to finish early with the 10-run rule against the team that knocked us into the consolation bracket last year in Game 2.

Championship Game: Webster 17, Ritenour 2

We dropped our opening game to the Huskies by an 8-6 score as they jumped us with a 4-run sixth inning at Plymouth. We exacted more than a little revenge with a mercy rule trouncing that took only 3+ innings. Hitting stars included Kate Kazlaukus (3 runs), Brittany Hartung, Molly Kurtz, Maia Langdon, Bekah Perman (bases loaded triple and a 2 RBI single to end the game) and Roschan Rao. Sami Meyer’s gimpy ankle gave out, but she turned the ball over to AnnaClaire Bryant who shut down Riternour and preserved the win. A word about our pitching this year: our pitchers walked only 4 batters between them in all three games today. Their ability to throw strikes kept our defense in the games and allowed us to play so many full-inning games. Kudos to them.

Clinic Opportunity & End of Season Notes

As we head into our final weekend and what I consider a "Showcase" Tournament, where the girls get one last chance to demonstrate their skills, I wanted to make you aware of an opportunity. I'll give out the forms (with most of this post on the back) at this afternoon's practice, but the form is also available through the link highlighted in the next paragraph or you can the form below.

Because of our connection through Coach Rosner, we have been fortunate to develop an advantageous partnership with Fontbonne’s softball program. I wanted you to be aware of an opportunity for your daughter to participate in a clinic in a couple weeks. 

A few parents have also asked about summer opportunities. Last year a couple Dads put together a Webster team, the Mayhem, that played over at Affton and in some tournaments, as well. I don’t know of anyone doing that this year, but below are three websites connected to softball venues as close as Affton and as far as Chesterfield. It would be to your daughter’s advantage to play or gain experience after the season ends, because we know we have a very strong 8^th grade class coming in.

Finally, when the season concludes, and we hope it’s not for at least a couple weeks, we’ll hold an end-of-season debriefing where players will turn in their uniforms, hold some meetings, and (the JV players) receive Coaches’ evaluations. Because I have more time this year, my plan is for a more comprehensive player evaluation. It will include her season statistics (from both years if she is a sophomore) and a summary of her final evaluation. Right now I’m thinking it will rank each girl as 1, 2, or 3 (Top Third, Middle Third, Bottom Third) in various offensive and defensive categories. This will not be just a piece of paper, but will be in conjunction with an individual meeting with either Coach Poe or myself to explain the ratings.

I’m also going to be (gently) candid about her long-term future. I need your help in this because players are often sensitive, interpreting criticism and suggestions for improvement as being more negative than I intend.  The LAST thing I want is to discourage a player, and candor can have that effect, because girls tend to be less delusional than guys, all of whom secretly believe he can play in the majors. Every player will have areas where she can improve; if and when she starts playing at the varsity level she will STILL have areas for improvement. For the freshmen, especially, please understand that I have been surprised by players’ progress between seasons.

Two sophomores, in particular, from this year’s squad did not exactly receive glowing appraisals and I now consider them serious competitors for not only varsity positions next year but significant playing time. That’s how much they improved from last October ‘til now.  Both would have had several categories rated as a “3.” I’m delighted they have proved me wrong. I also love to use Beth Sitterly as an example. Beth played two years of JV softball and was not even a consistent starter her freshman year. She ended up with All Conference honors her senior year and is now a member of Hope College’s squad.

I have enjoyed this team as much as I’ve enjoyed any of the 39 I have coached. I could not have asked for a more coachable, responsive group and I’m looking forward to working with those who want to come back next season.

Websites for Teams and Leagues looking for players:

http://everysport.net/chesterfield/softball/softballteamslookingforplayers.aspx

http://www.kwdaa.com/discus/messages/4/4.html

http://www.afftonaa.com/Programs/Softball/default.htm

Whew! Walking Off Against Kirkwood: Webster 11, Kirkwood 10

Back in the day when I was the guidance counselor at Hancock High School I would often arrive before 6:30 and plan my day. That agenda was always blown by 8:00 a.m. Planning JV softball games is kind of like that. I had a master plan to honor the sophomores and finish with a big victory over Kirkwood. I guess it's my fault I didn't share the script and let Kirkwood know the part they were supposed to play.

Going into the bottom of third we were trailing the Pioneers 6-0 and not looking very good to that point. The team, however, decided to fight for the win, putting a 6-spot on the board, highlighted by a 2-run triple by Megan McClure to tie the game. 

Kirkwood, however, kept putting the pressure on us and tacked on a pair of extra runs in each of the fourth and fifth, and we again trailed, this time by 4 going into the bottom of the sixth. Sami Meyer returned to the circle in the top of the sixth and threw a pair of zeroes to give us the chance, as we scored 4 more runs in the bottom of the sixth with Emily Rapp adding the big blow off the bench, delivering a key pinch-hit, 2-RBI, 2-out single. Kate Kazlauskus reached base with her fourth hit in the bottom of the seventh and stole two bases. She stayed in a run-down long enough to let Bekah Perman make it to second on the fielder’s choice; Bekah then raced home on Brittany Hartung's game-winning single for a walk-off 11-10 win over our rivals.

Kirkwood is to be complimented on their approach to this game and they actually outplayed, outran, and outhit us. But they couldn’t “outheart” us as the team just refused to quit and gave the fans an exciting win and a great conclusion for the sophomore’s last JV game here at Plymouth.

Resisting Temptation but Sweet Revenge: Webster 14, Mehlville 3

Parents who witnessed last year's game against Mehlville have at least a little idea how hard it was to not run it up and rub it in, given the way the Panthers and their parents treated some of our players last year, and how their parents and coach complained about our sportsmanship. Ironically, we had the same umpire as last year; he remembered and DID know how hard it was. But Sophie & Sydney, this one's for you.

Nevertheless, after kind of a flat start, we jumped all over an overmatched squad in the second and third innings to pound out a 10-0 lead behind Sami Meyer's 3 innings of no-hit pitching and supported by strong infield defense. 

Batting stars included Emily Rapp with a triple and a grand slam homer and Megan McClure with three hits including her first home run and five RBI. 

I feel good about how our girls handled themselves, cheering on their teammates and winning with class. We just took our W and got on the bus. Kirkwood at home tomorrow is our “Sophomore Game” and with a win we can take a 10-10 record into Hancock’s tournament on Saturday.