High number of homeruns

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Just wondering if anyone else thinks there are a lot of homeruns being hit this spring. In nw ohio I know of 2 girls that have had 3 in 1 game. Our varsity and jv games combined for 9 by 6 different girls in 1 night. All 9 were over the fence with a left to right cross wind.

 

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In general pitching is weaker than normal this year

 

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In general pitching is weaker than normal this year

Could it be that the hitters are actually better? Seems like people like to associate it to lack of pitching but I think hitting has actually started to catch up.

 

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Haven't seen any statistics for the area overall but my sense is that there may be fewer this year with the colder spring, or maybe about the same. In general, I suspect that hitting stats have increased significantly since the rubber was moved from 40' to 43' a few years ago. I agree that hitters may be improving too thru specialized training and continued development of bats.

 

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Those hitting lessons are paying off!!! And moving the rubber back 3 feet.

 

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What are some of the top individual HR totals out there for players around the state this season?

The best I know of is 11 HRs as of 4-21. Taylor Miokovic - Poland

 

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I would say yes to more home runs this year. I had a kid hit her first last week and one hit two in one game, which was her entire total for last year and she is now at 5. Plus some against us that were shots. I think it's the 43 feet and at times poor pitchin. Each HR was a mistake that was over the meat of the plate. Now hitters make you pay for a mistake.

 

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Our group of hitters have compiled 20 in 14 or 15 games . But the pitching in our league is awful. I did hear about and see a couple absolute MAMMOTH shots this weekend at the Wendy's in severe cold weather .. Taryn Alvelo from Bloom Carroll hit one friday night over the temp fence AND over the mens slow pitch fence which is about 30-40 feet beyond the temp fence. And a kid from Nequa Valley hit one off the very top of the mens fence on Field Two at Brookside West , they have no temp fence so it cost their team the go ahead run late in the game because she only got a doub or trip out of a 250 ft shot .

 

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I doubt the pitching is worse ... I think the hitting has improved a lot more though, and more girls have better bats. They are making pitchers pay for mistakes they used to get away with. Perhaps 43' has helped, especially against pitchers who don't have much movement and/or who don't work the edges/corners. I personally think that 200' feet fences are too short given the bat technology we have today as well. But then I am a pitcher's dad!

 

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And a kid from Nequa Valley hit one off the very top of the mens fence on Field Two at Brookside West , they have no temp fence so it cost their team the go ahead run late in the game because she only got a doub or trip out of a 250 ft shot .

The Keystone girl hit 2 off that fence so it sorta went both ways. Would have been at least 6 total in that game if not for the 250' distance.

 

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I agree with Coach, the fences I believe should be moved to '220 and being at 43 ft has even the playing field in high school ball. We will see what happens this summer when everyone faces better pitching.

 

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I agree that the hitters are getting better, bats are better, but of the 8 HS games I have attended, the pitching is sliding down hill big time. You still have your good ones, but not near the caliber overall as 2-3 years ago. 43 feet also made difference.

 

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I can be convinced that the pitching isn't as good, but what is the theory as to why?

 

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It's not rocket science!! moving it to 43 feet has made the elite pitchers seperate themselves even farther from the good pitchers and NOW the decent pitchers are not very good. We talked about this a couple years ago. Not sure what was wrong with 40 feet.

 

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Kroeter ... in college football, the field is 100 yards long, in high school it is 100 yards ... in college baseball, the bases are 90' apart, in high school they are 90' apart ... in college basketball, the rim is 10' up, in high school its 10' up ... in college softball, the pitching rubber is 43', so the high school rubber should be 40'?

 

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Kroeter must be good with rocket science but have a poor understanding of softball.

 

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I also think the temperature has a lot to do with it. A colder ball combined with the composite bats and stronger batters makes for some good trampolining (if that even is a word???). I'm not sure if the science would back it up but that is what I have seen over the last couple of years. The majority of my DD's HR's her senior year were when the temp was below 60 degrees. We played about half of our schedule that year when temp was below 60 degrees and the other half when the temp was above 60 degrees. Good pitchers on both sides of that divide.

 

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The pitching in central ohio is not as good. In past years, you have had a handful of dominant pitchers. This year, you have a few but the Emma Johnson's and Savannah Dorsey's are just not here this year. Mason Robinson was first team all state last year and is a senior but outside of that, I have not seen dominant pitching. Our team has not scored a bunch of runs but you are not seeing the high number of strike outs. Also, some of the better pitchers in Central Ohio are at Division II and III.

 

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43 ft. made it a hitter's game in high school just like in college. Only the very best pitchers keep the score low which is what the people in charge wanted. Speaking for our league which is more than half of our games, the pitching overall has dropped off in the last few years. Not sure if it's the distance change alone. I think there are more kids taking hitting lessons and using composite bats than ever before as well.

 

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FWIW , the pitching in SEO is very down also. West Ports had a dominant thrower for a couple years , at the same time Lucasville Valley had a dominant thrower . Piketon had a great arm for a couple years. this year in the entire region there isn't one dominant thrower . and there is no depth . for most teams you go beyond the number one it gets weak fast.