Five Questions for Conference USA in 2018
In 2017 Conference USA (C-USA) put three teams into NCAA Tournament with Marshall, FIU, and Louisiana Tech. One questions out of the gate are can the league duplicate that success in 2018?
No. 5: How will UAB do in the Post Marla Townsend Era?
For the first time in UAB Softball history, the Blazers will start a season without Head Coach Marla Townsend at the helm. Townsend left after 18 seasons.
Amanda Ellis takes over as Head Coach after three seasons as an assistant coach with the Blazers. Ellis played for Townsend from 2001-2004. She will look to turnaround a Blazers team that is coming off a 21-33 season.
No. 4: Can FAU Bounce Back from a Disappointing End to 2017?
2017 was a year of high expectations in Boca Raton for Head Coach Joan Joyce and the Owls coming off a magical 2016 season. That season FAU went 51-9 and dominated winning the conference regular season and tournament titles. But an early-season injury to All-American Kylee Hanson derailed FAU’s momentum as the Owls limped to the finish line going 10-9 in their final 19 games. That included getting knocked out in the opening round of the C-USA Tournament by Western Kentucky which dashed any hopes of making the NCAA Tournament.
Now The Owls enter 2018 without Hanson who transferred to Florida State. Pitching will be the big question mark heading into the season. FAU will depend on the offense early. Leading the Owls is C-USA player of the year candidate and FPN Preseason All-American Emily Lochten. How quickly can the Owls pitching staff evolve will determine if FAU can compete for a conference title.
No. 3 How Will Jenn Steele do at Marshall?
We mentioned earlier that UAB would play for the first time without Marla Townsend. Another Coach who has long been associated with a program and a conference that no longer will be around in 2018 is Shonda Stanton who after spending 18 seasons as the Thundering Herd Head Coach left to become the new Indiana Head Coach.
The Thundering Herd hired Jenn Steele who had spent the previous three seasons at Jacksonville as Head Coach. Steele may have one of toughest jobs as first season coach. Marshall lost a big group of seniors that included 2017 C-USA pitcher of Year Jordan Dixon and All-American Morgan Zerkle.
The offense will be led by Elicia D’Orazio who, in 2017, led the country in stolen bases (59) a number that set a new program and conference record. D’Orazio finished the season batting .397 with a .462 slugging percentage. Steele’s style of offense at JU was similar to Stanton. In Steele’s last season with at Jacksonville, the Dolphins ranked ninth in the NCAA in stolen bases per game (2.05). Marshall was number one in the NCAA in stolen bases per game (3.00).
“We ran a similar offense,” said Steele on comparing the style of offense Steele ran at Jacksonville in 2017 compared to what Stanton ran at Marshall when she appeared on the October 5th edition of In The Circle Fastpitch News podcast. “Shonda ran a similar offense and had done it for multiple years, and it has been a big part of her philosophy, and its something that I started implementing in this past season so having the personnel to be able to do that is a lot of fun.”
Still losing Dixon, who broke most of Andi Williamson pitching records at Marshall, will be tough. Coach Steele may have to go to, a staff by committee approach to start the season. 2018 could prove to be a year of transition for Steele and Marshall. Steele was able to turn around the Dolphins program in her three seasons by adjusting to what she had to work with in Jacksonville which led the Dolphins to win 30 games in her last season in 2017. Those 30 wins are the most since 2013 which was also the last time Jacksonville had a winning season. Marshall is in good hands with Steele.
No. 2: What does Shannon Saile Have for an Encore at FIU?
Shannon Saile burst onto the college softball scene out of nowhere in 2017. She posted a 1.38 ERA with 234 strikeouts, and 19 wins over 198.1 innings pitched in her first collegiate season. Those numbers earned her C-USA Freshman of The Year and 1st Team All-CUSA honors. Saile help lead the Panthers to an NCAA Tournament bid as an at-large team.
“When I first saw Shannon pitch in the fall of 2016 at FIU I knew there was something special about her,” said FIU Assistant Coach Hillary Barrow on seeing Saile for the time.
“I decided to go back there myself and catch a bullpen session to see if she did have the potential I thought I was seeing. Shannon had a great spin, movement, and explosion but lacked how to control it both physically and mentally. She bought in right away and trusted the process, and I believe she blossomed in our three-game series vs. Marshall.”
FIU ended up beating Marshall two of three from April 14-15 as Saile got the best of Marshall’s Dixon.
The question now is what Saile will do in her sophomore season, now that she has high expectations put on her? Can she even be better?
“This season Shannon is more driven and has grown tremendously in such a short time,” said Barrow in comparing Saile from last year to this upcoming season. ” She is motivated and ready to help guide this team to the programs first ever conference championship in 2018. We believe she has the potential to shine this year and become a household name.”
If Barrow’s prediction comes true, FIU could win the conference and be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 1: Will Conference USA Recieve Multiple Bids in 2018?
In 2017 Conference USA was a three-team bid thanks in part to Lousiana Tech dramatically winning Conference USA Tournament overcoming an early loss in the double-elimination tournament. They bounced back to capture the title after securing wins over higher seeds Marshall and FIU.
Mark Montgomery has returned his one-two pitching punch in Krystal de la Cruz and Presless Gallaway, but the Lady Techsters’ most significant question to answer will be replacing offensive standout Pauline Tufi, who graduated after 2017. If they do find players to replace the production of Tufi, then Louisiana Tech should challenge FIU for the conference title and help the conference be at least a two-bid league for the NCAA Tournament.
