Western Carolina University Softball?

Can anyone confirm if Western Carolina University is starting a softball program? I have heard they are and will be hiring a coach this summer. However I have not seen an official announcement from WCU or the Southern Conference.

 

I emailed their Athletic Director last month and was told that they will be starting a softball program in the next year or two. That's all the info I was given.

 

I e-mailed the AD at Western about a month ago on the same subject. He confirmed they are going to start there program in '05 - '06 year. They are hoping to have a coach hired in August '04. Funding has been approved for field construction.

 

WAY TO GO CATS!!!!

 

WCU Softball Plan

Today, I discussed the WCU softball plan with Associate Athletic Director, Fred Cantler, who said they will be hiring a coach in August of this year and play a "non-traditional" schedule in the spring of 2005. Assuming WCU follows NCSU's recent entry schedule, they will play a schedule of scrimmage games with area NAIA and junior colleges. Playing a normal, Southern Conference schedule would be impractical since they will have recruited only a few scholarship players.

Their first team (spring of 2005) will most likely be composed of JC players and DI transfers, and perhaps a few walkons. Moreover, the new coach will be wanting to protect these players' eligibility so a limited schedule of scrimmages seems likely. The NCAA has strict guidelines for new programs and WCU will undoubtedly and carefully follow those rules. Their first full recruiting class will come from the 2005 graduating class of high school and junior colleges, along with transfers.

The Southern Conference plays in the NCAA's Division I. While the caliber of play is not up to the major conferences like the SEC or ACC, they are still a solid step above most DII programs. If history holds true, their 2005-06 schedule will be filled with DI teams and very few DII teams. They have little to win by playing DII teams.

Whoever the coach is, she or he will be wanting to field a competitive DI team ASAP. While all coaches love to get local talent, the fact is that we have very few players, at this point, who qualify, talent-wise, to play at that level. The 2004 class from the region simply isn't there and there is less than a handful of potential DI prospects from the '05 class.

Here are some base line numbers to look for in DI prospects:

Pitchers: Coaches look for one of two types - power and finesse. Regardless, a DI prospect has to hit her spots 90% of the time. Power pitchers need to throw from the mid-60s and up from 40 feet. (Remember, they will be moving to 43 feet in college.) Anything less is batting practice for DI hitters. Power pitchers also need an effective change and one movement pitch, at least. Finesse pitchers must have pinpoint control over three pitches - change, rise and either a curve or screwball. A finesse pitcher will throw maybe a half dozen fastballs during a game and they will be so far out of the strike zone no one will be able to reach them. Even so, their fastball will need to consistently be from 60 to 62 in high school. It's worth noting, too, that few high school pitchers get a lot of innings in college. They have to adjust to the 43' distance and learn the college game. The learning curve usually happens in practice and on the pine charting pitches and observing more experienced pitchers work.

Hitters: Regardless, DI prospect hitters typically have a legitimate batting average in the .500 and .600 range in high school. They have to show those types of numbers if they are going to contribute and be productive against DI pitchers.

Power hitters are just that in DI and prospects need to have shown that they have put up consistent power numbers in high school and travel ball. The potential to hit the ball out is not enough. They need to have hit a bunch of home runs in high school and travel ball and show big slugging percentage numbers to prove they are true power hitters. Power stats seldom lie. Unlike unreliable batting averages that too often come out of high school score books, power numbers are more in-your-face. Telling a coach that a kid can really hit the ball means nothing, as does saying she hit one or two over the fence. Heck, even most leadoff hitters in DI can hit it out on occasion.

Speed also sells, too, of course. Home to first in under 2.8 seconds and you'll get some attention. At or around 3.0 is considered average speed anymore. But, even then, a prospect needs to be able to handle a bat like a billiard stick. Effective and accurate slapping and bunting are valuable commodities and necessary at that level.

As for all the other hitters, video will tell the story. Outside of a Stephen King novel, high school score books are the most widely regarded products of fiction known. They are seldom correct. That's why college coaches insist on seeing proclaimed good hitters play in person (and typically then only after having seen a videotape of the prospect).

So, based on all that, when kids from WNC tell me they plan to walk on at WCU, I see a more stark reality than their dream allows them to see. The best thing they can do is go to a JC or NAIA school and prove their abilities next year and transfer, IF they are recruited.

Best of luck to all.

 

Thanks for providing some "real world" info. Sometimes the truth can be hard to take, but it can also be motivating.