Tennessee softball coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly met with the media Monday Mike Wilson/News Sentinel
Last spring, as a freshman catcher with the Tennessee softball team, Abby Lockman had her struggles — especially at the plate.
She started 40 games and played in 51, but had just 102 at-bats (with a .225 average, two homers and 21 RBIs). A lot of times the designated player hit for her.
That wasn’t good enough for Lockman, or Lady Vols co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly.
“We made some changes in her hitting,” Ralph Weekly said. “She was way too wide (in her stance). With women, they have to use the lower body more than men …
“We shortened her stride up. Last week, Karen made a change with her hands so she didn’t go too deep in her swing and her load.”
The changes paid off big-time last weekend in Arizona. Lockman’s bases-loaded double in the bottom of the seventh plated three runs and gave the Lady Vols a 6-5 walk-off win over 21st-ranked Utah and a 6-0 record for the trip.
More: Freshman pitcher Gabby Sprang leads Lady Vols into 2018 season
Tennessee, ranked 10th, travels to Clearwater, Fla., this weekend to meet No. 19 Oklahoma State and UMass on Friday, Florida Atlantic and South Florida on Saturday and Marshall on Sunday.
It’s another chance for Lockman, who had five hits (including a homer against Utah) in 18 at-bats while catching all six games, to get the results from the changes she has made.
“It was hard,” Lockman said of the adjustment process. “When I got back (to school) in the fall, (Ralph) nailed it down on the hammer what he wanted from me and the changes he wanted to make. The whole fall, I was struggling. I was like, ‘This is going to take a lot of time to get used to.’
“I spent a lot of time over (Christmas) break dialing it in. I came back here and felt really good. The past week, the work had shown off. It’s been a lot better."
Questions about pitching staff despite 6 wins
One pitching statistic from the Lady Vols’ first six games is already driving Ralph Weekly nuts: Walk-to-strikeout ratio.
In those 42 innings, UT pitchers Matty Moss, Gabby Sprang and Caylan Arnold struck out 32 batters, but walked 13. Sprang, who got credit for two wins in 9⅓ innings of work, struggled with six walks and four whiffs.
“The name of the game is fast-pitch,” Ralph Weekly said. “It doesn’t matter how well you hit if you don’t pitch well.
“Throw strikes and compete. They’ve got the ability. They know when they perform well and when they don’t perform well.
“We’ve stressed, ‘You cannot get behind (in the count) in this game. You cannot walk batters. You cannot have your defense on its heels the whole game.’ ”
The Lady Vols gave up 40 hits and 15 earned runs in those six games.
Umpires cracking down on slap hitters
Seven UT hitters — more than most teams have — rely on the “slap” to get on base. It’s a technique that calls for the hitter, batting lefthanded, to hit a slow grounder and get out of the box quickly in order to beat it out.
Umpires this season have been advised to crack down on hitters leaving the batter’s box too soon. Lady Vols slappers (Jenna Holcomn, Tianna Batts, C.J. McClain, Aubrey Leach, Callin Hannon, Brooke Langston and Sheridan Allen) were called out for leaving the box early three times over the weekend.
Tennessee assistant coach India Chiles, who made a successful career as a slapper (2004-07), is putting in a lot of work to perfect the art.
“The job for the umpires is harder than the job for the slap hitters,” Chiles said. “It’s hard to believe the (home plate) umpires can watch foot placement and pitch placement.
It’s more of a mental adjustment than physical for the players. My job is to put less of a mental strain for them.”
Al Lesar is a freelance contributor.
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