2016 Softball
- Thread starter LinusPF
- Start date
Gayle Blevins to be inducted into the National Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame, co-sponsored by the Athletic Dept.
http://www.hawkeyesports.com/genrel/062816aaa.html
Could get interesting if Barta is involved in the ceremony. I'd almost buy a ticket.
http://www.hawkeyesports.com/genrel/062816aaa.html
Could get interesting if Barta is involved in the ceremony. I'd almost buy a ticket.
I'm trying to wrap my head around the concept of firing two successful female coaches on pretextual grounds who've had consistent histories of NCAA tournament appearances. If Griesbaum can get by Summary Judgement on the liquidated damages/buyout/settlement issue, the ticket to get will be to see Gary Barta's direct and cross examination testimony in U.S District Court in Des Moines. It'll be a hoot. Ron White's "You can't fix stupid" will take on a complete new dimension.
Keep in mind that Blevins wasn't fired but resigned when she was not supported by the athletic administration like she thought she should be in response to a complaint(s) by player(s).
I don't have first hand knowledge, but the talk on the old Hawkeye Hideout board was that Barta was insisting that one of the assistants be let go in response to player/parent complaints. Blevins would not do so, and decided to resign instead. IMHO, that's being forced out.
The perception on the Ultimate College Softball board at the time was that Blevins was treated shabbily. Fair to say that applicants were not tripping over each other for the job, for a program that up to that point frequently made the NCAA tournament
The perception on the Ultimate College Softball board at the time was that Blevins was treated shabbily. Fair to say that applicants were not tripping over each other for the job, for a program that up to that point frequently made the NCAA tournament
Last edited:
Griesbaum's position that there is a double standard in the athletic department holds water. If you expect your alleged athletes to show up early, stay late, do what they're told, take some initiative, and on occasion play hurt (not injured) if the team needs you, you'll get fired at Iowa because snowflake's mom will complain to Coleman, Skorton, Mason, Harreld or Barta that the successful women's coach is abusive. But if your coach is a successful men's coach and they lose on the road to Iowa State and then have to run from the Lark Restaurant to Carver Hawkeye for a punitive 3:00 a.m. practice, or you have an epidemic of rhabdomyolysis, you're home free.
Where does insubordination enter the picture... say if you are sleeping with a superior in the very department you work within?
The inmates were running the asylum and the complaints were against Blevins. The players lodging the complaints never sniffed the NCAA Tournament after Blevins was pushed out.
I have posted this before but after a game on an autograph/ice cream night, players were openly complaining about Coach Blevins. Without regard to the fans around them. The biggest complainer was a future all conference player from the metro. She was considered a leader on the team, but after this outburst, I had little respect for her. Coach Blevins made the correct decision to leave. Inmates were running the asylum.
Yup. Neither the players nor the parents hid their disdain with Blevins. If you ask them now, I'm sure the current state of Iowa Softball is Blevins' fault, not theirs.
And Mizzou's AD leaves Columbia to go to Baylor......which is a dumpster fire right now with all of the Art Briles issues.
The Missouri situation has a twist to it - first, a group of players and parents complain to the AD about EE. Then, when the AD begins investigating the complaints, another group of players protests about the AD's interference in the program. Sounds like the players are split into two factions, and I'd guess that had a part Lowary's decision to transfer. Be interesting to see how EE handles the situation, provided he survives.
Lowary's parents are the ones who sent the AD the emails complaining about EE
Interesting. AFAIK he's had a rep for being crude and crusty for quite a while, did they not know this when they signed the LOI?
I think he took it to a new level. I believe she wanted to wear head protection after she was hit in the head by a nasty line drive, and he wouldn't let her.
This is correct. Whether there were other complaints I don't know. I have not heard about the head protection situation but heard on good authority that Lowary butted heads with the pitching coach.
We need to actually recruits these stud pitchers ourselves, which is more of a problem. The Fisher girl from Benton Community, which is about an hour away from campus I'm guessing, just mowed through the 4A field with 46 K's in 3 games, including a 19 K 1 hit performance in the championship game. Too bad we let her get away to Minnesota.
Looks like she's fine. Not sure B1G caliber though.
http://quikstatsiowa.com/Public/BBS...b934f&IDTeam=h201605070902266429bb364cc985f44
Last edited:
The Doocy girl is pretty good, but she's not on the level of the Fiser girl. We're talking the difference between an ace and a #3 starter in the big leagues.
Not to be nit-picking but Benton was in class 3A. Otherwise I agree with everything you said.
Her stats may be inflated but she's absolutely a B1G pitcher. She has the best HS fastball one coach has seen since Amanda Zust, and that's pretty good.
At this point in their careers Fiser is better than Zust and it isn't even close.
I've know Amber for years and she is the real deal. her rise ball is crazy good and she throws really hard. Missing on her was a huge mistake for Iowa, along with the two girls from waukee. That would be nice stable of pitchers from Iowa with those 3. Alas.. Iowa will get to see them up close and in person in the next several years. I know there are others around that would have helped too. Plenty of hitters that the Hawks passed on.
For those following the Mizzou SB situation, the investigation into EE found no violations:
[URL]http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/mizzou-s-earleywine-awaits-word-on-future/article_d8efa0f0-0a6d-5a97-8c21-34eaabdfeb7b.html[/URL]
News to me is that the other half of Mizzou's 1-2 pitching punch, Tori Finucane, is also transferring out, this time to Minnesota (grrr). (Interestingly, in the accompanying photo, she is shown wearing a mask):
[URL]http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/eye-on-the-tigers/mizzou-s-tori-finucane-transfers-to-minnesota/article_804aa370-e706-53e6-956d-719105ab7f94.html[/URL]
[URL]http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/mizzou-s-earleywine-awaits-word-on-future/article_d8efa0f0-0a6d-5a97-8c21-34eaabdfeb7b.html[/URL]
News to me is that the other half of Mizzou's 1-2 pitching punch, Tori Finucane, is also transferring out, this time to Minnesota (grrr). (Interestingly, in the accompanying photo, she is shown wearing a mask):
[URL]http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/eye-on-the-tigers/mizzou-s-tori-finucane-transfers-to-minnesota/article_804aa370-e706-53e6-956d-719105ab7f94.html[/URL]
This story makes me happy for the state of Iowa softball, and sad for the state of Iowa (Hawkeye) softball - http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...a-softball-team-wins-national-title/88047540/
So there are national level softball players in Iowa? Did anybody send that to the Coach?
I'm afraid I'd be a little nervous to watch Iowa Premier Gold play the 2017 Iowa Hawkeyes.
"The learning curve is a little bit steeper,” Iowa Coach Marla Looper said about Iowa high school players. “I don’t think there’s worse talent or better talent at other places. It’s when we’re recruiting, what is it you need to replace, how much time do we have to do that, how quickly do you think that person you replace them with can develop?”
So she needs to go get players who aren't on the national championship team? And if I am a coach and I know the talent is there and it may just need some coaching I wouldn't be afraid of doing that crazy concept called coaching them up.
Similar threads
