Actually fast pitch is such a pitcher dominated game that you only need one superior pitcher to become instantly competitive with the better teams.

 

If you have a pitcher and someone who can catch behind the plate you really don't need that many hitters or fielders to be in most games.

 

So small schools won't have a giant hill to climb if they have a pitcher.

Very untrue..

 

You still need to have at least an above average defense to be competitive with good teams. As a very recent example, look at E-Town High School over the last several years. They had a very dominate pitcher in Whitney Valentine, anybody involved in Fast Pitch over the last 4 years or familiar with the Louisville Sluggers knows of her. She is a great pitcher & good power hitter but she had a just an average defense behind her. I don't remember her team every winning their district tournament much less making the state tournament. I'm sure there are many other examples very similar to this all around the state.

 

On the other hand, if you have a good pitcher (not necessarily dominate) along with a solid aggressive defense, you can be competitive with nearly every team in the state. You can also develop good defensive players much faster than you can a dominate pitcher.

Aren't most states fast pitch now anyway?

Very untrue..

 

You still need to have at least an above average defense to be competitive with good teams. As a very recent example, look at E-Town High School over the last several years. They had a very dominate pitcher in Whitney Valentine, anybody involved in Fast Pitch over the last 4 years or familiar with the Louisville Sluggers knows of her. She is a great pitcher & good power hitter but she had a just an average defense behind her. I don't remember her team every winning their district tournament much less making the state tournament. I'm sure there are many other examples very similar to this all around the state.

 

On the other hand, if you have a good pitcher (not necessarily dominate) along with a solid aggressive defense, you can be competitive with nearly every team in the state. You can also develop good defensive players much faster than you can a dominate pitcher.

 

I said be competitive not win state championships.

 

I'll tell you what. Give me that Freshman pitcher from Ryle and have her being along her catcher and I'll make Ludlow, Dayton, Bellevue, etc. competitive in their districts and region over the next three years. Slow pitch players are at least used to handling the ball so the defense, while different in fast pitch, at least has a basis to build on. Hitting will be the biggest obstacle to learning the fast pitch game. They might lose games 2-0 or 4-1 but they wouldn't be getting blown out.

A state championship for 6 teams .

They might as well bring back fencing as a state tournament sport. I guarantee they'd have more than 6 teams involved. OBI used to win the fencing title quite often, when the tournament still existed.

A state championship for 6 teams .

They might as well bring back fencing as a state tournament sport. I guarantee they'd have more than 6 teams involved. OBI used to win the fencing title quite often, when the tournament still existed.

 

You didn't read the responses in the thread. The thread title is not a true statement.

You didn't read the responses in the thread. The thread title is not a true statement.

I went back and read all the responses and links. The link posted said the KHSAA was going to have a slow pitch softball state tournament championship for the next two years. Sounds like a state tournament to me, at least for the next two years.

I went back and read all the responses and links. The link posted said the KHSAA was going to have a slow pitch softball state tournament championship for the next two years. Sounds like a state tournament to me, at least for the next two years.

 

The state offered the continue the state tournament for all the teams that participated (20 teams) for the next two years. To help those teams transition to fast pitch, the state is going to require those teams to also play at least 10 fast pitch games in addition to their slow pitch games.

I said be competitive not win state championships.

 

I'll tell you what. Give me that Freshman pitcher from Ryle and have her being along her catcher and I'll make Ludlow, Dayton, Bellevue, etc. competitive in their districts and region over the next three years. Slow pitch players are at least used to handling the ball so the defense, while different in fast pitch, at least has a basis to build on. Hitting will be the biggest obstacle to learning the fast pitch game. They might lose games 2-0 or 4-1 but they wouldn't be getting blown out.

I never said win state championships either. I said get to the state tournament, BIG difference. See, in fast pitch, only the best team from each region gets to play in the state tournament. Unlike slow pitch where all the teams were invited.

 

If you took Allen from Ryle & put her on a team with below average defense, such as the teams you mentioned would have till they learned how to play fast pitch defense (there is a difference), they wouldn't make it out of the district either for at least three years. Kirstin is a very talented pitcher but she was also the benefactor of have a solid defense already in place with a good catcher, along with a veteran infield, talented out fielders and a good offense.

 

These teams would be "competitive" in 3-5 years without having a dominate pitcher from the start, that is what I'm trying to get across, i.e. Highlands.

With a pitcher of her caliber, you should be much more that "competitive" in that time frame.

 

These team that change, will struggle when they do switch, just like every other team has. But once you do, you'll realize, just like I did over six years ago, that fast pitch is so much better.

250 Ks in 163 innings. How much defense do you need?

 

Fast pitch has its positives and negatives as does slowpitch.

 

No one has answered why Girls have never been afforded the opportunity to play baseball like their male counterparts.

250 Ks in 163 innings. How much defense do you need?

 

Fast pitch has its positives and negatives as does slowpitch.

 

No one has answered why Girls have never been afforded the opportunity to play baseball like their male counterparts.

 

Kirsten Allen is amazing, but she still does need a supporting cast to pull it all off. One player cannot win it all.

250 Ks in 163 innings. How much defense do you need?

For the other 300-400 batters she faced. 250 strike outs in a season isn't even in the top ten for a season in the state.

 

Fast pitch has its positives and negatives as does slowpitch.

Agreed.

 

No one has answered why Girls have never been afforded the opportunity to play baseball like their male counterparts.

Not sure why would they would want to play baseball. Fast pitch is a more exciting sport and entertaining game.

Six teams?

Six teams?

 

Read the entire thread and you will see what it all means.

Six teams ... 20 teams ... what difference does it make? It's still a waste of time on a game that 17-year-olds have no business playing until they are at least 18 and graduated from high school.

 

Most beer league softballers eat these for breakfast:

The state offered the continue the state tournament for all the teams that participated (20 teams) for the next two years. To help those teams transition to fast pitch, the state is going to require those teams to also play at least 10 fast pitch games in addition to their slow pitch games.

 

To ask the same girls to play slow pitch and fast pitch games in the same season is very difficult. It is hard enough to hit a good fast pitch hurler, much less if you have been facing slow pitch. The defense is also much different as the ball comes off the bat much quicker. This will be tough to do. I say when you make the switch, go all the way so the girls can adapt to a different game.