[JMCCATS]

7-0 start to the season after last night's shutout of #4 LSU. It's early, but this is great stuff.

BEAR DOWN!!!

[Irish27]

It all comes down to pitching and this year's staff is the best Candrea has had since Fowler's freshmen year.

[Stallion]

It all comes down to pitching

So true. If LSU is the real deal, and O'Toole is the real deal, then...it's about to get real.

The Cats dropped one to Central Michigan today, which isn't ideal, but O'Toole didn't pitch (she's throwing right now vs. #15 UCF).

Very encouraging start of the season.

BEAR DOWN!

[Wildcat Jones]

...but dropping two on Sunday to Tex A&M and Cal Poly (dropping overall record to 8-3 after that 7-0 start) doesn't look to good. O'Toole took her first loss of the season to A&M and Bowling took loss in the Cal Poly game. McQuillan took first loss of the season in that Cent Michigan loss. So on surface, doesn't look like we're "back" to fully elite level nor have dominant pitcher. A&M was barely ranked coming in at 25 and Cal Poly and Cent Michigan unranked. So not really any good losses. In fairness, two of our wins have come over ranked teams, beating #4 LSU and #15 UCF.

Time will tell.

[Irish27]

...but dropping two on Sunday to Tex A&M and Cal Poly (dropping overall record to 8-3 after that 7-0 start) doesn't look to good. O'Toole took her first loss of the season to A&M and Bowling took loss in the Cal Poly game. McQuillan took first loss of the season in that Cent Michigan loss. So on surface, doesn't look like we're "back" to fully elite level nor have dominant pitcher. A&M was barely ranked coming in at 25 and Cal Poly and Cent Michigan unranked. So not really any good losses. In fairness, two of our wins have come over ranked teams, beating #4 LSU and #15 UCF.

Time will tell.

Eva Watson got hurt in the first inning of the first game yesterday and did not play the rest of the day. Fortunately, she will be ok but losing her bat and speed in the #2 spot affected the offense yesterday.

[ValleyCat]

So far, at least, freshman pitcher Taylor McQuillan does not appear to be special.

[Stallion]

Ranked #20, 5th in Pac-12.

So....no.

[Irish27]

So far, at least, freshman pitcher Taylor McQuillan does not appear to be special.

Freshman Player of the Week the past two weeks.

[Wildcat Jones]

This thread is about the team, and while it's subjective, at least at this point, we are certainly not back to UA standards of the glory years prior to the fall from grace in 2011. As a team, we currently sit at 18-8, with HOME losses to BYU and two to James Freaking Madison. Again, those 3 recent losses all at Hillenbrand, where we once were nearly unbeatable from '93 to '10.

I hope, as we all do, that this team comes around as a whole and makes a run at the WCWS. It's been 5 long seasons from what used to be nearly a given. I know the game has changed, and there is far more/better competition. But the point is, we are NOT an elite level program anymore. We are, at best, a good/solid program with one of the top two histories of the college sport.

So I will cheer this team on, to Bear Down and improve greatly as this season continues, so that they are playing their best softball at the right time and make it to Oklahoma City once again.

PS - As for McQuillen? We can all agree it's far to early in her career to make a judgement on how good/great she may become. Right now, she's 7-3 with a 2.54 ERA. Solid, good numbers. Far from dominating pitcher numbers, but hopefully with experience, she'll become that dominating pitcher that is needed for our program to be elite again.

[Irish27]

James Madison was the 10th ranked team in the country when they played the Cats.