FALL WRAPUP: Eagles Continue To Work, Improve Heading Into 2023
10/26/2022 2:00:00 PM | Softball
Georgia Southern won five of six Fall games, showed improvement each time out for Coach Perkins
STATESBORO - Georgia Southern completed the competitive portion of its 2022 Fall schedule over the weekend, hosting a pair of doubleheaders at Eagle FIeld. Head Coach Sharon Perkins is pleased with the team's growth and work ethic as she heads into her second season at the helm of the Eagles.
On October 8, the Eagles traveled to Columbia, S.C., to take on South Carolina and USC Aiken. Georgia Southern defeated USC Aiken and lost a tight one-run decision to the Gamecocks.
The Eagles then returned home on Saturday and Sunday, October 22 and 23, hosting ABAC and Georgia Highlands. Georgia Southern swept doubleheaders from both schools to conclude the Fall schedule.
We caught up with Coach Perkins to get her thoughts on how her second Fall season went and what lies ahead for the Eagles as they prepare for February.
What's been the main difference between this Fall and last Fall (your first with the team)?
I think we're more prepared for games, for outside competition, this season. And it starts in the circle. To be able to have enough arms, and they're different arms, too. Every one of our pitchers is different. And that has definitely helped us.
What were the team's strengths on display this Fall?
I think pitching-wise, you could see improvement in their pitch location. Our pitchers were executing their pitches and changing speeds. And even this past weekend, just from Saturday's games to Sunday's games, you could see the difference with each pitcher. They've been progressing throughout the Fall, but even this past weekend that improvement was awesome to see.
What is the biggest area that you think the team needs to work on before February comes?
A little bit of everything. I do think we've improved defensively. We were making crazy plays on Sunday. I like that the field was hard, so it was not always easy, especially with a drop ball pitcher - where they're rolling over balls and our fielders are comign in and having to get tough hops, make those tough plays. A big focus from South Carolina to this past weekend was on the infield. With better hands, better glove work as well as quicker transfers. There were some very specific things that really paid off this weekend. Offensively, I could see a big change early just by doing gameplay stuff with our kids. Getting them to recognize offspeed pitches, pitches that are balls. There was a better balance on all of those. Facing pitching in games or game play, you can see those hitters doing a good job on what they'd been working on early on this Fall.
Overall level of satisfaction on the Fall?
I'm super proud of them for the whole Fall. I thought we were good in all aspects. On a scale of 1-5? I'm super happy - probably 4 something, or 4 1/2. Proud of how they are as a team, and how they are gelling. How they are acting in the dugout. Different things like that - not just skill things. You can tell that we're not clique-y. We have different people hanging out with different people. We have upperclassmen taking the newbies under their wing. Just things like that. We have different people who have stepped up in a leadership role, which are things we haven't had in the past.
