What About Taryn Kern??

[TropicalSooner]

There is quite a warm debate going on about the Freshman Indiana infielder Taryn Kern that's in the transfer portal.
She has probably the best hitting stats of anyone in the portal: BA .412 | 2B 13 | HR 22 | BB 42 | HP 22 | SO 38 | OB% .584 | SLG% .959
She was also troublesome at fielding with 11 errors and a fld% .930.
Would she be worth taking a flyer on?
It is hard for me to see her taking an infield spot with that fielding record. Would she work in RF? or as DP?
We have 4 awesome freshmen coming in this fall. I am very eager to see Pickering in the OF--and RF seems to be the only spot available currently. Also, I'm eager to see Parker's bat in the DP spot.
The thing about incoming freshmen is that you don't really know how they are going to adjust to D1 College Softball's faster game. At the same time you have a proven track record of someone in the portal.
On the other hand, transfers sometimes don't perform as well as we thought they would after arriving on the Sooner squad. I think we all were disappointed in last year's incoming transfers for at least the first part of the season, at least until they started to settle in as we went into the post season, and then became invaluable in the WCWS.
Personally, I would like to see the freshmen come in and develop into the future stars we think they will be as we go into the SEC.
But we also have a chance to get shot at a 4th National Championship, and we know what Kern's bat can do, even though it was largely due to the competition in the B1G--such as it was.
What do you think?
Do we take a shot with Kern?

[inconnu]

Well. we lost 7 players due to the portal and graduation. How many freshmen are we getting? I'm thinking Kern could be worth chancing on her being a DH.

[OUBeliever56A]

i haven't been asked, but I will weigh in on this subject.

My opinion is as follows.

Kern looks like a hitter. But, after 2023 where the Sooners picked up 3 AA-type players from the Pac-12 and the SEC that did not hit as well as they had previously I am a bit warry of a Big 10 player. I have no real idea why that Lee, Sanders had the least effective years offensively of their last 2 or 1 years of college ball. Torres had her best full-season BA but far less power. so all three underperformed in 2023.

As for Kern, I doubt she reproduces her .404 BA, .578 OB%, .942 Slug% 2023 season playing somewhere besides the Big 10 in a Power 5 conference. I think it is very difficult to predict her 2024 season. She will have power and if she hits .325 BA with 15 HRs she is still valuable and can help a team. If she hits .290 BA with 12 HRs, I am not sure she really is that helpful and would not commit 3 years to her playing at OU.

BUT, it is really the 16 errors at 2B that bothers me most. I just doubt that the Oklahoma Sooners need to pick up a DP for 3 seasons if she cannot play defense. All Sooner fans know that if you can't catch and throw the ball, that you do not play the field much for Oklahoma. I have no idea if she can become an 'average' fielder in her career.

I will admit that the fact of having 2 good freshman hitters not play all that much the last two years also weighs in on my thoughts, especially since Nugent and Erickson are no longer Sooners.

So, I would pass. But I tend to think long term instead of winning this year, end of story. OU does have the players that allows them to believe they can make a serious run at the WCWS and their 8th Natty and the exalted '4-in-a-row' history making mark for the program. If we are only ONE big hitter away from seriously doing so, I guess I understand picking up Kern, but I think we have the players to do that now and we do not muddy the waters for incoming freshman.

Just my opinion.

With regards to Kern being a DP, I have this thought.

To me it is troublesome to pick up Kern due to her defense which is my #1 concern. To fall back on the belief that she can just be the DP, doesn't work for me even if she can hit for this reason. Currently Ella Parker is about the same quality of an OF as Alo was. If by the end of the day, that is true. Parker pretty much is destined to be the DP or the 1B. 1B is full for two more years probably. Kern will occupy the DP for 3 years maybe. That leaves Parker where? Oklahoma will have much better defensive outfielders that Parker.

Oklahoma will also have very good defensive infielders with what is coming in 2025. If you cannot get Parker and Kern both on the field, it is troublesome to me.

[soonerTroll2]

Kern would seem a natural fit, coach her up her fielding, put her at 2nd. Move Tiare to SS and DP and RF are open for Parker and Pickering.
Will that work out if Kern portals to OU? All I can answer is I trust Coach Gasso to know what is best for the team.

[soonerTroll2]

As far as Haley Lee's power #'s being down from 22, wasn't damn near every one's #'s down from 22? Nobody on OU's squad hit 20 HR, and the NCAA HR leaders Malloy and Wallace didn't get to 20 till the last week of the regular season.

[inconnu]

4 proven top notch players in Coleman, Boone, Hansen and Jennings, and you add Torres and May, giving OU 6 players that are gone after next year. The time is now for winning another NC. It might be considerably more difficult the following year. Hard to say how many of the younger players we have who will pan out. After next year, the 2024 season, OU will have LOTS of new and/or pretty new players at most of the positions.

[OUBeliever56A]

4 proven top notch players in Coleman, Boone, Hansen and Jennings, and you add Torres and May, giving OU 6 players that are gone after next year. The time is now for winning another NC. It might be considerably more difficult the following year. Hard to say how many of the younger players we have who will pan out. After next year, the 2024 season, OU will have LOTS of new and/or pretty new players at most of the positions.

Add Brito to that list.

[The Far Journey]

i haven't been asked, but I will weigh in on this subject.

My opinion is as follows.

Kern looks like a hitter. But, after 2023 where the Sooners picked up 3 AA-type players from the Pac-12 and the SEC that did not hit as well as they had previously I am a bit warry of a Big 10 player. I have no real idea why that Lee, Sanders had the least effective years offensively of their last 2 or 1 years of college ball. Torres had her best full-season BA but far less power. so all three underperformed in 2023.

As for Kern, I doubt she reproduces her .404 BA, .578 OB%, .942 Slug% 2023 season playing somewhere besides the Big 10 in a Power 5 conference. I think it is very difficult to predict her 2024 season. She will have power and if she hits .325 BA with 15 HRs she is still valuable and can help a team. If she hits .290 BA with 12 HRs, I am not sure she really is that helpful and would not commit 3 years to her playing at OU.

BUT, it is really the 16 errors at 2B that bothers me most. I just doubt that the Oklahoma Sooners need to pick up a DP for 3 seasons if she cannot play defense. All Sooner fans know that if you can't catch and throw the ball, that you do not play the field much for Oklahoma. I have no idea if she can become an 'average' fielder in her career.

I will admit that the fact of having 2 good freshman hitters not play all that much the last two years also weighs in on my thoughts, especially since Nugent and Erickson are no longer Sooners.

So, I would pass. But I tend to think long term instead of winning this year, end of story. OU does have the players that allows them to believe they can make a serious run at the WCWS and their 8th Natty and the exalted '4-in-a-row' history making mark for the program. If we are only ONE big hitter away from seriously doing so, I guess I understand picking up Kern, but I think we have the players to do that now and we do not muddy the waters for incoming freshman.

Just my opinion.

With regards to Kern being a DP, I have this thought.

To me it is troublesome to pick up Kern due to her defense which is my #1 concern. To fall back on the belief that she can just be the DP, doesn't work for me even if she can hit for this reason. Currently Ella Parker is about the same quality of an OF as Alo was. If by the end of the day, that is true. Parker pretty much is destined to be the DP or the 1B. 1B is full for two more years probably. Kern will occupy the DP for 3 years maybe. That leaves Parker where? Oklahoma will have much better defensive outfielders that Parker.

Oklahoma will also have very good defensive infielders with what is coming in 2025. If you cannot get Parker and Kern both on the field, it is troublesome to me.

Ditto. Our needs in the portal are a pitcher and maybe, only maybe, a catcher. We have good position players. When Lyons was out for several games early on, Lilio played second and Jennings short. If I remember correctly, and I may not, Lilio hit in the upper 300s and made no errors. Simply put, she looked the part. Jennings at short and Lilio at second is what Patty sees fopr next season at this time. she said that in an interview before mid-season. With SEC and seven great players leaving after this year, we need to bring in top freshman and keep them, especially when there's no great need for position players.

[The Far Journey]

Kern would seem a natural fit, coach her up her fielding, put her at 2nd. Move Tiare to SS and DP and RF are open for Parker and Pickering.
Will that work out if Kern portals to OU? All I can answer is I trust Coach Gasso to know what is best for the team.

It's a reasonable look at things, but as good as Kern is, it doesn't seem like she's quite the top, top player like a Haley Lee or Cydney Sanders. Maybe she is. Who can say. I look at this alternate universe view. What if Kern came to OU at the beginning of her career and sat the bench behind Tiara, getting the occasional pinch hitting role. And Lilio started her career at Indiana. Q, one of the top two or three recruits in her class, goes on to hit .405. Then she enters the portal. What are we thinking?

I believe Lilio will start at second next season and, as you suggest, Jennings moves to short, and we won't miss a beat.

[TropicalSooner]

i haven't been asked, but I will weigh in on this subject.

My opinion is as follows.

Kern looks like a hitter. But, after 2023 where the Sooners picked up 3 AA-type players from the Pac-12 and the SEC that did not hit as well as they had previously I am a bit warry of a Big 10 player. I have no real idea why that Lee, Sanders had the least effective years offensively of their last 2 or 1 years of college ball. Torres had her best full-season BA but far less power. so all three underperformed in 2023.

As for Kern, I doubt she reproduces her .404 BA, .578 OB%, .942 Slug% 2023 season playing somewhere besides the Big 10 in a Power 5 conference. I think it is very difficult to predict her 2024 season. She will have power and if she hits .325 BA with 15 HRs she is still valuable and can help a team. If she hits .290 BA with 12 HRs, I am not sure she really is that helpful and would not commit 3 years to her playing at OU.

BUT, it is really the 16 errors at 2B that bothers me most. I just doubt that the Oklahoma Sooners need to pick up a DP for 3 seasons if she cannot play defense. All Sooner fans know that if you can't catch and throw the ball, that you do not play the field much for Oklahoma. I have no idea if she can become an 'average' fielder in her career.

I will admit that the fact of having 2 good freshman hitters not play all that much the last two years also weighs in on my thoughts, especially since Nugent and Erickson are no longer Sooners.

So, I would pass. But I tend to think long term instead of winning this year, end of story. OU does have the players that allows them to believe they can make a serious run at the WCWS and their 8th Natty and the exalted '4-in-a-row' history making mark for the program. If we are only ONE big hitter away from seriously doing so, I guess I understand picking up Kern, but I think we have the players to do that now and we do not muddy the waters for incoming freshman.

Just my opinion.

With regards to Kern being a DP, I have this thought.

To me it is troublesome to pick up Kern due to her defense which is my #1 concern. To fall back on the belief that she can just be the DP, doesn't work for me even if she can hit for this reason. Currently Ella Parker is about the same quality of an OF as Alo was. If by the end of the day, that is true. Parker pretty much is destined to be the DP or the 1B. 1B is full for two more years probably. Kern will occupy the DP for 3 years maybe. That leaves Parker where? Oklahoma will have much better defensive outfielders that Parker.

Oklahoma will also have very good defensive infielders with what is coming in 2025. If you cannot get Parker and Kern both on the field, it is troublesome to me.

'56....you are always welcome to comment on anything I post. Consider this an open invitation to offer your wisdom, knowledge, and insights to any topic I post up.
That said....
I'm thinking about the possible lineup this fall, primarily at DP. After watching our incoming freshmen last weekend and also from last summer, who do you think might challenge Parker for the DP spot in the lineup. Does MM or Bland have her kind of power? Lilio?
I'm guessing that when Torres spells Hansen at Catcher, then Hansen goes to DP, but in the regular lineup.....I've always had Parker penciled in there since she won't have Nugent or Erickson to challenger her.
Anybody else?
Thanks

[OUBeliever56A]

[/quote]
'56....you are always welcome to comment on anything I post. Consider this an open invitation to offer your wisdom, knowledge, and insights to any topic I post up.
That said....
I'm thinking about the possible lineup this fall, primarily at DP. After watching our incoming freshmen last weekend and also from last summer, who do you think might challenge Parker for the DP spot in the lineup. Does MM or Bland have her kind of power? Lilio?
I'm guessing that when Torres spells Hansen at Catcher, then Hansen goes to DP, but in the regular lineup.....I've always had Parker penciled in there since she won't have Nugent or Erickson to challenger her.
Anybody else?
Thanks
[/quote]

None of us know who the nine players that will start for OU in February of 2024. What we do know, barring something unforeseen is that Hansen (C), Sanders (1B), Jennings (2B), Brito (3B), Boone (LF), Coleman (CF) and Torres (RF) are returning 'starters'. That leaves two positions, SS and DP.

Humor for a minute and let's say that none of the freshman (Parker, Pickering, McEnroe-Marinas and Bland) start at SS. That would likely mean that the freshman would be odds on favorite to man the DP spot. (This would really surprise me!)

IMO, from what I have seen by watching Parker (LH), Pickering (LH) and Bland (LH) and by reading and watching videos of McEnroe-Marians (RH), three of them are roughly the same player offensively. Bland is a different type of hitter though.

Parker, Pickering and McEnroe-Marinas are hitters that will hit between .350 and .400 and all three would probably hit 15-ish HRs in a full season of at bats. Parker and Pickering will probably walk more than McEnroe-Marinas. Pickering will steal more bases than the other two. Defensively, they would rank in order like this, Pickering (OF), McEnroe-Marinas (INF) and Parker (UT), Parker and McEnroe-Marinas probably will hit a few more HRs than Pickering but they all will likely produce really good numbers. The trio of them can be really a good nucleus for the Sooners for 4 years.

Bland has the most speed and is probably the only lead-off type of hitter among them. Bland can slap and hit straight away. She does have HR power and could hit 10-ish in a full season probably as a starter. She could hit for the same type of average as the other but probably tops out at .375. She should know how to get on base by walking as well by batting leadoff. Bland is a really good 4th player in this class.

So, if none of the freshman start, all four could compete for the DP role at a pretty high level.

I would offer that I feel that would be a shame if that happens.

In a perfect world to me, all 3 would start from day one so that the Sooners could carry three returning starters into the 2024-25 season, when the lineup will be totally new with 7 freshman everywhere and probably a few transfers as well trying to replace the 7 AA-types that are leaving.

Boomer Sooner!

[Bixby_Sooner]

I've seen Taryn Kern's name come up with reference to her batting average HRs, hits, etc., I've read the good and bad. Is she a take or isn't she? - I've read both sides, here and other places, so I thought I'd add my $0.02 worth. I have always been skeptical of her stats, because based on the level of competition (or lack thereof) she faced.

I researched her hitting in the games against Nationally Ranked Top 25 teams that Indiana played this year. I chose that because I feel it would be representative of the level of pitching she would predominately face if she plays for OU. Those games include regular season games and the NCAA regionals where they lost to Tennessee. Overall Indiana went 44-18 on the year. The overall Indiana team record against 13 Nationally Ranked Top 25 teams was 5-8.

Indiana's stats as posted on their website does not show the type of hits so I can't say how many HRs she hit in those 13 games. In those 13 games, she officially went 10 for 34 for a .294 batting average.

Comparing that to the OU statistics, she would fall 13th on the depth chart for batting average for this years team. The player that would be above her is Jordy Bahl who went 13-32 for a .406 batting average. The players below her in batting average, like Jordy, were not starters every game. Lastly, OUs team batting average for the season was .366.

Based on my research, she doesn't seem to me to be the big time hitter many think. She might be able to break into the line up, but from some of the things I've read, her (lack of) fielding ability would be a big negative and would most likely keep her off the field on a PG team.

Whether she signs with OU or not, it will be interesting to find out what the thoughts are on her abilities and how they might (or might not) fit in with the current team.

[OUBeliever56A]

Thanks to Bixby_Sooner for doing the stats that I could not get myself to go do. Kudos!

[RahOKU]

When you compare Kern's numbers vs. top 25 opponents and then measure her against OU's team and individual batting stats, are the OU stats also limited to performance against top 25 opponents? Just checking.

[Bixby_Sooner]

When you compare Kern's numbers vs. top 25 opponents and then measure her against OU's team and individual batting stats, are the OU stats also limited to performance against top 25 opponents? Just checking.

No, I didn't do that drill down, because this was arguably the toughtest season schedule that PG has put together since arriving in Norman. I also felt that getting her stats for 13 games was more of an advantage for her than batting for the whole season - especially since full hitting details were not available on their website. If anyone fees that skews the numbers, then so be it.

There were a few common opponents, i.e Mississippi State, Tennessee and Louisville to name 3. I'll go back and measure her numbers and our averages against common opponents and see what it looks like.