2026 Softball Offseason

[RaginDave]

Look at Lauren Allred, and granted that was after transferring to Texas Tech, but she had a breakout freshman year, struggled mightily in year 2, then broke out again at Texas Tech after that. It is not unheard of, that is why it is called a sophomore slump. Hopefully she can turn it around in 2027.

[JMV Just My View]

My personal opinion is that the coaches think that the Smith thing was a sophomore slump and she can turn it around in 2027. Remember, Smith was arguably our best hitter in 2025 hitting .362 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs in 141 AB's. She led the team in HRs by a large margin, was 3rd in batting average, 1st in Slugging, 2nd in OBA, 1st in Total bases, and 4th in base on balls. Again, I think the coaching staff is thinking 2026 was an anomaly, not the norm.

Smith hit 12 home runs during the 2025 season. 10 of the 12 were hit by mid-season. Not knocking Smith, but she has been in a 1 1/2 year long slump.

[JMV Just My View]

Look at Lauren Allred, and granted that was after transferring to Texas Tech, but she had a breakout freshman year, struggled mightily in year 2, then broke out again at Texas Tech after that. It is not unheard of, which is why it is called a sophomore slump. Hopefully, she can turn it around in 2027.

Lauren took a medical redshirt in year two after 32 at-bats. Not the same comparison. She has never struggled at Texas Tech.

[Roarman]

Right! Allred was injured. I saw Allred practice before her freshman season started. She was an unknown. Everyone was focused on other players who had better high school and travel ball careers than she did. I told everyone who would listen that Allred was going to be the best hitter out of all of them and that pretty much, turned out to be true.

[JMV Just My View]

I always wondered why she was not given more at-bats.

The crazy thing is that Aly asked her to go play summer ball last summer so that she could get some reps in to be able to show the staff what she was capable of doing. She went and finished fifth in the entire league in hitting average and second in home runs. Came back to UL and still wasn't given an opportunity.

[RaginDave]

Lauren took a medical redshirt in year two after 32 at-bats. Not the same comparison.

4

I am just saying she was hitting a wopping .125 in 32 AB's. Nobody knows if Smith was playing with an injury this year that was keeping her from doing what she did in 2025.

Not to mention your numbers are off. If you take the 47 games she played and start at the 1st game of the Coastal series, that would be 23 of 47 games, she actually hit .370 with 5 homeruns in that time period. So, she hit 7 in the first 24 games and 5 in the last 23 games, not much of a dropoff. Her overall BA was .346, but in those 23 games her batting average was 24 points higher than her season average. And the game before that was the LSU game where she hit a HR, so, if you count the last 24 vs the last 23, she had 6 HR's in the first 23 and 6 HR's in the last 24.

The slump was this season.

[Suave]

There is no comparison between Soto and Smith. You have to earn those at bats in practice. She had 3 yrs to earn it. She is not a D1 player. I hope she proves me wrong.

[JMV Just My View]

There is no comparison between Soto and Smith. You have to earn those at-bats in practice. She had 3 yrs to earn it. She is not a D1 player. I hope she proves me wrong.

Ok, compare Manning and Soto. Soto should have earned more at-bats just by her game performances. If she isn't a D1 player why did Gerry recruit her, and how did she hit three home runs off of P4 pitchers in one tournament.

[JMV Just My View]

4

I am just saying she was hitting a wopping .125 in 32 AB's. Nobody knows if Smith was playing with an injury this year that was keeping her from doing what she did in 2025.

Not to mention your numbers are off. If you take the 47 games she played and start at the 1st game of the Coastal series, that would be 23 of 47 games, she actually hit .370 with 5 homeruns in that time period. So, she hit 7 in the first 24 games and 5 in the last 23 games, not much of a dropoff. Her overall BA was .346, but in those 23 games her batting average was 24 points higher than her season average. And the game before that was the LSU game where she hit a HR, so, if you count the last 24 vs the last 23, she had 6 HR's in the first 23 and 6 HR's in the last 24.

The slump was this season.

"If" Smith had an injury, that's more reasons to get others some at-bats.

[RaginDave]

"If" Smith had an injury, that's more reasons to get others some at-bats.

I don't know if she had an injury, I think it was probably mental. The thing to remember is there was a stretch of the season where Emily started to get hot and got her average up near .240, so, I think the coaches thought she was fighting out of it. But then she hit a long stretch where she went ice cold again. I think Aly and staff thought she could just work through whatever was going on, but she just could not consistently do it. Based on what she did in 2025, I am willing to give her another chance, Soto on the other hand has not shown that she can hit D1 pitching on a regular basis, Smith has.

[JMV Just My View]

I don't know if she had an injury, I think it was probably mental. The thing to remember is there was a stretch of the season where Emily started to get hot and got her average up near .240, so, I think the coaches thought she was fighting out of it. But then she hit a long stretch where she went ice cold again. I think Aly and staff thought she could just work through whatever was going on, but she just could not consistently do it. Based on what she did in 2025, I am willing to give her another chance, Soto on the other hand has not shown that she can hit D1 pitching on a regular basis, Smith has.

Soto hasn't been allowed to show what she can or can't do. When Smith stayed cold, why wasn't Soto or others given a chance? Smith and Manning got chances and just didn't produce much. If I were the head coach, Manning would not have returned.

[RaginDave]

Soto hasn't been allowed to show what she can or can't do. When Smith stayed cold, why wasn't Soto or others given a chance? Smith and Manning got chances and just didn't produce much. If I were the head coach, Manning would not have returned.

In early March, Manning was hitting close to .300. Hard to take that out of the lineup. She struggled down the stretch for sure. Again, Smith, to me got a pass because of what she is capable of. I am not sure why Soto did not get more chances, I would assume as someone else stated, it might have been that she was not showing anything in practice that led the coaches to believe she was the best option.

[Suave]

Ok, compare Manning and Soto. Soto should have earned more at-bats just by her game performances. If she isn't a D1 player why did Gerry recruit her, and how did she hit three home runs off of P4 pitchers in one tournament.

If I remember correctly, Manning committed to Oklahoma in 8th grade. My point is, coaches make mistakes. Or maybe Soto was a project worth taking a chance on by Glasco. She hasn’t panned out either way. She has what 4 hits in 3 yrs. I don’t think anyone who finishes a career with only 4 hits has an argument for more playing time.

[JMV Just My View]

If I remember correctly, Manning committed to Oklahoma in 8th grade. My point is, coaches make mistakes. Or maybe Soto was a project worth taking a chance on by Glasco. She hasn’t panned out either way. She has what 4 hits in 3 yrs. I don’t think anyone who finishes a career with only 4 hits has an argument for more playing time.

My point of views on my posts was to express that the team had a major lack of production at first base last season, and Soto didn't get much of an opportunity. Soto had five hits last season in 20 at bats. Three of those five were homeruns. Manning had 104 at bats and only one homerun. I think you can agree with me that Manning had many opportunities and didn't produce. Did she get 84 more at bats because she was a SEC transfer? Soto wasn't given a chance to get in and get comfortable. A good coach plays to win and if you're not producing then someone else gets a chance to thrive in that role. Coach never took Smith or Manning out of the lineup for more than a few at bats or at the longest 2 games. Soto had 20 at bats scattered over 55 games and the only game she started in was in Oklahoma and she was 1-3 with a HR, line out and a pop-up. If Soto was told that the best option was to get in the portal like someone mentioned in an earlier post, then others that are still on the team should have been told to enter the portal.

[Suave]

My point of views on my posts was to express that the team had a major lack of production at first base last season, and Soto didn't get much of an opportunity. Soto had five hits last season in 20 at bats. Three of those five were homeruns. Manning had 104 at bats and only one homerun. I think you can agree with me that Manning had many opportunities and didn't produce. Did she get 84 more at bats because she was a SEC transfer? Soto wasn't given a chance to get in and get comfortable. A good coach plays to win and if you're not producing then someone else gets a chance to thrive in that role. Coach never took Smith or Manning out of the lineup for more than a few at bats or at the longest 2 games. Soto had 20 at bats scattered over 55 games and the only game she started in was in Oklahoma and she was 1-3 with a HR, line out and a pop-up. If Soto was told that the best option was to get in the portal like someone mentioned in an earlier post, then others that are still on the team should have been told to enter the portal.

Now I agree with that. I had a conversation with a parent and we talked about Aly needing to clean house after her 1st year. the parent stated that she is too loyal to these kids that stayed onboard when she got the job. Now Im starting to get worried that we haven’t sign anyone out of the portal yet. We might be having a repeat year next year.