Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com

Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com
[ Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com ]

Oh Tyra

Posted by Parent on April 2, 2026, 4:33 pm

Illinois lost to Illinois State.

She's gotta go.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by Told Ya on April 3, 2026, 3:30 pm, in reply to "Oh Tyra"

Be careful when commenting on the decisions and program in Champaign. Certain people that patrol this site will complain that you are criticizing the players.
I’m not criticizing the players at all. They’d all fit in well at Wisconsin Parkside.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by @Told Ya on April 4, 2026, 10:08 am, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

Wouldn't they be taking your daughter's roster spot?

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by Boo Hoo on April 4, 2026, 11:18 am, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

Seems as if you approve of the performance at Illinois!

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by @boo hoo on April 4, 2026, 11:23 am, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

I'm more worried about Parkside. Again, Illinois is never going to be great because no matter who the Coach is, it's still going to be Champaign. To be good in the Big Ten, you need to keep the best players in your state, and historically, the best players in Illinois don't stay home, no matter who the Coach is. It's a great degree that requires some academic talent, so admission is difficult.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by New Latitude = New Attitude on April 4, 2026, 9:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

Champaign is a great school and a perfectly fine campus. Not the best, but not the worst.

The problem that ANY coach will face at Illinois is that softball is a warm weather sport.

In the past five WCWS, a total of only 3 cold weather teams made the 8-team field (James Madison, Northwestern and Utah).

That's THREE teams out of FORTY spots (2.5%). The last cold weather team to win a WCWS was Michigan, 20 years ago.

Tyra deserves the criticism, and you can build a consistent winner in Illinois - look at NW. But... the deck is definitely stacked against you.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by @New on April 5, 2026, 9:56 am, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

Would you consider Oregon and Washington as cold-weather schools?

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by @@New on April 5, 2026, 12:51 pm, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

Yeah, the coastals are a tough call that could go either way. But also James Madison ain’t exactly arctic.

I debated that a bit, but let Claude set the parameters.

But, however you look at it, it’s a warm weather sport and it’s TOUGH when your campus was put in a cornfield in the 19th Century.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by SB Dad on April 4, 2026, 1:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

I think both Underwood and Belima have shown that you can recruit to Champaign. It is a sleepy town, but it is obvious that kids will come and thrive in Champaign.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by @SB Dad on April 4, 2026, 2:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

I'm not sure it's realistic to compare NIL sports to softball. Pretty sure most of the kids that move the needle in Illini Football and Basketball are there because it was the largest payday available.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by Oh Tyra on April 5, 2026, 8:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

Allow me to try to explain her problem like this:
Local Freshman starting at Ohio St
Local Freshman starting at NW
Local Freshman seeing lots of time at Iowa

None of these girls played for Chill or Bandits, thus Tyra did not recruit these girls.
And thus we have a problem.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by @Oh Tyra on April 7, 2026, 9:38 am, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

So she should have recruited .200 hitters with high error counts from sub .500 Big Ten teams? That's your answer? She's there already.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by Not The Point on April 7, 2026, 10:14 am, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"
Edited by board administrator April 7, 2026, 10:16 am

Not the point at all.

Tyra needs to expand her Rolodex to more orgs.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by @Not the point on April 7, 2026, 11:05 am, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

The point is, you referenced players who, based on their current performance levels, wouldn't positively impact the Illini programs at the Big Ten level. Stats are stats, no matter where they played their travel ball.

Re: Oh Tyra

Posted by Right Said Fred on April 7, 2026, 9:10 am, in reply to "Re: Oh Tyra"

What you are describing is Tyra recruiting with one eye closed.

« Back to index

[ Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com ]