How Much Should We Really Buy Into Syracuse Softball After A Hot Start?
By Cole Purvis | @Cole_Purvis
It’s easy to scoff at the opponents Syracuse softball has faced en route to its 9-0 start. After all, the Orange have only played mid-major opponents so far. But for a program that came into the season with tempered expectations, Syracuse fans should not take this early success for granted.
First, look at the utter domination in which SU has played with. The Orange are outscoring opponents 52-7, only having given up multiple runs in a game once. Syracuse’s rotation has been sharp from the get-go, despite losing top pitchers Lindsey Hendrix and Jessie DiPasquale from a year ago. SU’s top three hurlers have an ERA of under 1.0, with junior Madison Knight not having allowed an earned run through 19 innings of work. A sport like softball differs from baseball in that a pitcher can throw a lot more pitches, and operate under fewer days of rest, meaning if a team has a reliable ace, that pitcher can be used a lot. It appears early on that Knight is that player for the ‘Cuse.
Next, let’s look at this year’s start comparatively. These non-conference early season tournaments haven’t been dominated by coach Shannon Doepking’s squad in the past. Through nine games last season, Syracuse was 6-3. The year before? Just 4-5. These games were still largely against mid-major schools, just as they have been this year. The difference, however, is that the Orange are taking care of business, sitting at 9-0 with nine games in the books.
An Upcoming Measuring Stick
Syracuse is back in the Peach State this weekend. After playing in Columbus, Georgia last time out, the Orange now venture to SEC country, for the Georgia Classic in Athens. Two of SU’s five games will come against the host school, no. 11 Georgia. After what will have been eleven games against mid-majors, this game represents a step up in weight class for the Central New York squad. The Bulldogs are also 9-0, outscoring their opponents 74-19. Even if the Orange don’t come out on top when the two teams meet Saturday afternoon, just keeping it close would go a long way in proving that Syracuse’s good start is not a fluke.
For an SU team that was ranked fourteenth out of fifteen teams in the ACC preseason coaches poll, putting up a fight against a top-25 opponent would be highly encouraging. Conversely, if the game gets out of hand early, or if SU trips up against any of its other opponents this weekend, we may be discussing how the Orange fell back down to earth by this time next week. Either way, this weekend will tell us if this team is legitimate, or if it looks like the team that was picked as the second-worst in the ACC.
The first game of the Georgia Classic is at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, when Syracuse battles Buffalo. For live updates on that game, and all the others this weekend, drop a follow to @Cole_Purvis and @CitrusTVSports on X.
