Posted by: beckym () on Wed Jun 4 12:21:21 2003

Anybody watch the Women's College World Series?
> >
> > 19 Homeruns, a new tournament record - the old record was 7.
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> > Veronica Nelson, Cal 1b, hit a couple despite being walked almost every other time. Is she rotational? How can you be that big/heavy and rotate your lower body quickly?
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> > Mims/UCLA hit some bombs too. It looked like she was more throw the hands. Anybody disagree?
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> > The monster shot of the tournament was from the freshman from Louisiana - Danyele Gomez - she hit the base of the 300 foot fence off of Osterman- the best pitcher. Power, no doubt.
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> > Texas got two homeruns from Poppe and Hall.
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> > Maybe the game is going to change. Any comments?
>
> I saw Mims differently. Classic no-stride approach; exaggerated back shoulder tilt and upswing; Hips lead the hands. I taped and watched her in slow-mo and thought she was the most rotational hitter I saw during the series.
>
> Another point: The Louisiana-Lafayette team upped their home run average by approximately ten-fold after getting Epstein's tapes. The coach himself admitted as much.

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I follow the Louisiana team. The hitting coach has only been there 3 years. Last year they hit 76 homeruns (a school record)- Alana Addison was invited to the Olympic trials and made the cut down to the top 25. Only Louisiana native to ever earn such an honor. She played in the Canada Cup and hit a two run bomb off of Fernandez to help the Elite team beat the Gold team. She graduated last year.

This year they hit 80 homeruns - led by a freshman, Danyele Gomez who hit 20. What is impressive about the team is that they all hit homeruns - all 9 in the line-up. They are definitely rotational - but he has his own "ideas" about the differences between a pure baseball swing and a softball POWER swing.

Watching Mims and Nelson hit homeruns is one thing but watching a "marginal", unrecruited athlete who never hit a homerun in her life and watching them hit with power and make it to the College World Series is fun. That was a remarkable story - when you think about the teams there: Arizona, Texas, UCLA, Cal, Oklahoma, Alabama, Washington, and Louisiana-Lafayette. Which one defied the odds? Which one is Cinderalla? Which one relates more to the average little girl out there overcoming odds and believing in her dreams to do something extraordinary? Some of the girls on the team are 5'2, some 5'5 140 lbs. hitting bombs.

Check out the website at www.ragincajuns.com.

Nobody believed in them or mentioned what style they hit until they get on TV and now everybody says it's this tape or that or whatever. This forum and the people who contribute to it all play a part in the ongoing discussion about the best way for our sons and daughters to get better and reach their potential. It is refreshing to see normal kids have a measure of success. Good for them.

From talking to him and the girls: The secret is hard work and believing in their dreams. Keep up the good work at this forum.

Go Cajuns!
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