I believe this is Clemson’s third season of softball. They are ranked #6 nationally according to the Pitt website.
How does a team go from nothing to being ranked nationally in 3 years? Their opening day roster for their first game ever had 9 pitchers on it. Based on their high school and club softball credentials, it appeared that 8 likely were on scholarship. The ninth was a local pitcher who was fairly dominant in the area but not credentialed anywhere near the other 8. I’m assuming she was a walk-on.
They had been recruiting for 3 years, so their first class had been recruited over that length of time. Their coach understood that pitching is the key to winning in softball and she zealously recruited pitchers. They don’t have 9 on the current roster. In the time they have been playing, some have been weeded out. But their pitching is pretty stacked.
Hermanek hasn’t recruited 8 pitchers in 5 years. I don’t think she has recruited 3. I don’t believe she recruited Abby Edwards; I think Holly did. I’m not even sure she recruited Dani. The last two years she has gone to the transfer portal to get desperately needed pitching and has gotten dreck. I say that with some degree of expertise. I played competitive fast pitch softball when I was younger (slightly after dinosaurs ruled the earth.) On my best day 50-plus years ago, I couldn’t have more than sporadically touched the top college pitchers; but I think today at age 76, I could hit .500 against Romano, the transfer portal arm recruited. I just wouldn’t have the power to take her deep too often. There have been many quality arms out there; Hermanek hasn’t gotten any of them.
Since Stallings left, she has been the worst coach at Pitt. White might have had a worse record, but I think he was a better coach.
If Hermanek has a plan, I would love to know what it is. Because the results have been pathetic. They play enough patsies to win some games, but she is paid to win in the ACC. She hasn’t don't that.
Clemson has proved you can win in three years. They actually were pretty good their first two seasons as well. Hermanek hasn’t won in 5. Has she built a foundation to win next year and thereafter? The pitching answers that one in the negative. She has destroyed a program that Aprile was more than decent; it was on the doorstep of being top flight.
How does a team go from nothing to being ranked nationally in 3 years? Their opening day roster for their first game ever had 9 pitchers on it. Based on their high school and club softball credentials, it appeared that 8 likely were on scholarship. The ninth was a local pitcher who was fairly dominant in the area but not credentialed anywhere near the other 8. I’m assuming she was a walk-on.
They had been recruiting for 3 years, so their first class had been recruited over that length of time. Their coach understood that pitching is the key to winning in softball and she zealously recruited pitchers. They don’t have 9 on the current roster. In the time they have been playing, some have been weeded out. But their pitching is pretty stacked.
Hermanek hasn’t recruited 8 pitchers in 5 years. I don’t think she has recruited 3. I don’t believe she recruited Abby Edwards; I think Holly did. I’m not even sure she recruited Dani. The last two years she has gone to the transfer portal to get desperately needed pitching and has gotten dreck. I say that with some degree of expertise. I played competitive fast pitch softball when I was younger (slightly after dinosaurs ruled the earth.) On my best day 50-plus years ago, I couldn’t have more than sporadically touched the top college pitchers; but I think today at age 76, I could hit .500 against Romano, the transfer portal arm recruited. I just wouldn’t have the power to take her deep too often. There have been many quality arms out there; Hermanek hasn’t gotten any of them.
Since Stallings left, she has been the worst coach at Pitt. White might have had a worse record, but I think he was a better coach.
If Hermanek has a plan, I would love to know what it is. Because the results have been pathetic. They play enough patsies to win some games, but she is paid to win in the ACC. She hasn’t don't that.
Clemson has proved you can win in three years. They actually were pretty good their first two seasons as well. Hermanek hasn’t won in 5. Has she built a foundation to win next year and thereafter? The pitching answers that one in the negative. She has destroyed a program that Aprile was more than decent; it was on the doorstep of being top flight.
