WATCH: Courtney Deifel on Cold Weather, Fall Growth
Razorbacks softball coach Courtney Deifel previewed softball season and cold weather going on in Fayetteville right now while trying to get ready for coming season.
Transcript
00:00 I guess it's kind of fun that we're doing one of these again.
00:02 I know!
00:03 Hey, everybody!
00:04 So, I mean, obviously added a lot of new faces, you know, from since last season.
00:12 You spent a lot of time with them.
00:13 We haven't really gotten to, you know, see them a ton yet, but I guess what have you
00:16 learned from, you know, adding in all those new faces to the old ones so far about your
00:20 team?
00:21 Well, I've learned that they fit in really well here.
00:26 Our returners have done a really great job of getting them up to speed and welcoming
00:31 them and they worked their tail off and they just fit really well in our system and they've
00:36 made us a lot better.
00:38 So it's the combo of four transfers and four freshmen.
00:43 I think our freshmen are really athletic.
00:44 We have two catchers and we saw the same transition that we typically do with our freshmen of
00:52 coming in, maybe getting a little bit like a big-eyed and then settling in and they've
00:58 settled in and they've done a really great job and our four transfers are huge additions
01:05 as well.
01:06 So with Bree and Nia and Reese and Morgan, they're four impact players that we're going
01:11 to ask a lot of this season and they've had a great fall and just really glad they're
01:17 here.
01:18 Yeah, and I know the last time that we talked you said that the plan is maybe just a lot
01:22 of pitching by tandem just because you don't have your Shanice this year, your lockdown
01:27 ace.
01:28 Is that still the plan moving forward?
01:31 Yeah, very much so.
01:32 We've been working a lot in the break of just getting really comfortable with who pairs
01:37 well with the others and the type of offenses they might match up well with and just getting
01:42 really comfortable with that.
01:44 But yeah, I still expect us to pitch by committee.
01:47 And I think we have the deepest and the most arms that we have a really well-rounded staff.
01:54 But it is different.
01:55 We haven't had that lockdown number one since, you know, my or we have since my second year.
02:04 This is the first year that we are going to pitch by committee, but that's the way the
02:07 sport's going and we have the group to do it.
02:09 So I'm excited for the challenge.
02:12 And then last thing I'll ask is just I know you'll always play in some early season tournaments
02:17 before you come home.
02:19 What stood out to you about, you know, the one in Boca Raton and then going to play in
02:22 Tucson about maybe those fields that Drew, y'all don't want to go play there?
02:27 Well, it's warm and on the beach in Boca.
02:30 So that's one thing.
02:33 And just the teams are really particular about who we play and who we play early to challenge
02:38 us but to also, you know, project them to have great seasons too.
02:43 So you know, the lineup in Boca is really appealing and obviously the weather and then
02:49 the teams in Tucson too are going to be a great challenge.
02:53 The thing that Tucson brings to is the ball flies there.
02:57 So you know, just kind of the challenge of, you know, a potent offense and keeping them
03:03 in the park and when the ball flies out of there real quick.
03:07 So it's just different dynamics, different, you know, challenges and they'll be great.
03:12 And then Matt handpicks our home tournament.
03:16 So he filled all three of those and they're really great tournaments.
03:22 So it'll be great.
03:24 Dudley.
03:25 Hey, talk to me a little bit about, you know, you've got some returnees, obviously, you
03:31 played a lot of games and you've got some newcomers.
03:33 How does the leadership fit in all that with the veterans coming back and the newcomers?
03:40 Well I think it's good.
03:41 I think that's a good chunk of what you learn through the fall is every team has a different
03:46 leadership dynamic and this one's different than last year, which was different than the
03:49 year before.
03:51 And so it's just finding, you know, when you graduate who might be your leaders of who's
03:56 going to step up and become that voice and who's going to hold that standard and just,
04:01 you know, and so we've found that through the fall.
04:04 I think we've had, you know, probably four or so really emerge as leaders and it wouldn't
04:10 have been necessarily who I would have chosen at the start of the year, you know, but that's
04:15 how every year kind of surprises you.
04:19 But this team has done an incredible job.
04:22 They've answered every challenge.
04:24 We've held them to a higher standard and more consistently than ever.
04:28 And so it was a fall of growth and I really like the spot that we're in right now to go
04:34 into this January and see this preseason before we start.
04:38 We've talked about how the batting lineup could go one to 13 if you wanted to, but about
04:43 these early games, these early tournaments, playing a lot of games that give you an idea
04:48 of what's going to be able to fit in best.
04:51 Yeah, yeah, I do.
04:53 You know, we play a lot of games.
04:54 It's, you know, it's a good thing and the bad thing.
04:57 You have to, you have to, as a coach, hope you're playing well in those first four or
05:00 five weeks because you're playing half your schedule.
05:03 So you hope you're firing, you hope you're playing well, you hope you're meshing.
05:07 I do think that we're going to see a couple positions kind of trade out.
05:13 I don't think that we have a clear starter.
05:16 I think we have a lot that we want to see what they do.
05:18 And then we have some that may not trade out.
05:21 You know, we have, which you could guess with a, you know, when you have a bat like Kylie
05:25 Halverson's or Bri Ellis or Hannah Gamble, they're, you know, they're, they're going
05:29 to be playing.
05:30 And so we have some positions up for grabs.
05:33 I don't think that whoever starts game one is going to be necessarily the starter in
05:38 game 30 or game 50.
05:42 But we have some really great depth.
05:44 We have some really great athletes.
05:46 And so you're going to see, you're going to see 13 or so get some solid at bats.
05:53 One last question.
05:54 Obviously Bri is, one last question.
05:57 Obviously Bri is so shy.
05:59 And sarcastic, obviously, but talk about how her infectious personalities probably fit
06:04 in well with your team.
06:06 You know, you know, the funny thing is I think when she came here, some people are like,
06:11 whoa, that's not who they thought she would gravitate towards or who she would choose.
06:17 And I'm telling you that she's, she's fit in beautifully and seamlessly.
06:22 I think she's outspoken, but I think she's incredibly confident and her confidence, it
06:28 spills out onto others.
06:31 So she builds up her teammates really well, but it's also this confidence of like, she
06:36 doesn't think anyone's going to get her out.
06:38 She really does think she's going to get a hit every time.
06:41 And when you have a player like that, that just kind of lives that way, a teammate like
06:45 that lives that way, you can't help but start to take on some of those, some of those traits.
06:49 So it has been a great fit and I'm really, really happy that she's here.
06:56 Appreciate it.
06:58 Eric.
06:59 Coach, as you start practice, I'm always curious, cause you get the players back from the holidays.
07:06 Are there specific things you as a staff look at coming back for the players coming back
07:11 from the holidays that you looked forward to see early on in the first couple of practices?
07:17 A little bit, a little bit.
07:19 We like to kind of test to see where they're at.
07:21 Cause we don't want to necessarily just dive in and think that they did everything over
07:27 the break, you know?
07:29 So just being really mindful of, of it being a little bit more of a marathon, not a sprint
07:33 to get ready.
07:34 Like we have time to get ready.
07:36 I think we have a different perspective than a lot of other programs that I was seeing
07:40 on social last week starting and we, today's our first day back.
07:45 And so I think we feel like we have the time.
07:48 And so just making sure that we're really mindful about their bodies and where they're
07:52 at and then more so for us, it's just figuring out the weather piece.
07:57 We were in the fifties last week and this week we're, you know, today it's snowing a
08:02 little bit and icing.
08:03 So just trying to map that out and seeing what we need, have the checklist of what we
08:07 need to get through.
08:08 And so yes and no.
08:13 You mentioned, obviously you got a lot of position battles and defense.
08:16 I know it's a big, important part of it.
08:18 How long, do you have a timetable when you go through these practices of, okay, we need
08:23 to be at this point by X amount of practice, especially when it comes to defense.
08:27 Cause I've had a lot of coaches mentioned, they always, the thing that keeps them up
08:31 and more times than not is the defensive fundamental.
08:34 Cause you only have so many hours, you can't cover everything.
08:37 So what, how do you kind of balance all that out from that standpoint?
08:42 Well, I think it's a little different for each team.
08:45 I think that we have that checklist of making sure that we've covered everything and that
08:50 we're comfortable with all our coverages and all the different situational things that
08:55 we need.
08:56 But also at the end of the day, it's still just the game and they know how to play the
09:00 game.
09:01 And so, so yeah, we have that checklist and we move through it as the team's ready and
09:07 just making sure that we have those very fundamental, those core things locked down.
09:14 And that's the nice thing is, you know, as you kind of change infield and outfield and
09:19 all those things and making sure you have your anchor, like Kylie Halverson's our anchor
09:22 in the infield.
09:24 We've moved her from first to second.
09:26 And that's the thing that like, she keeps everybody on that same page.
09:31 And she, and so it's just making sure that she's comfortable with all the moving pieces.
09:35 We run our defense really through our second basement.
09:37 And so it's just making sure that she's comfortable with all those coverages and then they just
09:42 kind of take care of each other, which is nice.
09:45 But yeah, we move through it as the team's ready and you know, Matt, so when he's working
09:51 our defense, we're going to make sure we do the things that hit us the most, the best.
09:56 And you know, when it comes down to it, it's still the game, so they'll do fine.
10:01 Obviously, yeah, you mentioned the young pitchers.
10:05 Obviously this year in the off season, there's the pitch clock, 20 seconds.
10:08 They had modified a little bit, the illegal pitches.
10:10 What's your reaction to those moves?
10:12 And does that affect you at all in how you teach your pitchers moving forward?
10:17 No, I mean, I like to think that we were a team that kept the game moving anyway.
10:23 We don't dilly dally very much.
10:25 We don't do a lot of timeouts.
10:26 We like to keep the pace of the game.
10:29 That's something I love about the game.
10:30 So we try to just do that.
10:33 So I don't know that the pitch clock's going to change a lot for us.
10:36 I do think the illegal pitches with like the foot, I think that helps a little bit.
10:43 There's just some that just don't have the mobility.
10:45 And those are the ones that are getting called.
10:47 They're getting literally zero advantage from leaving the ground.
10:51 So that's kind of freed us up to just focus on other things, which is really nice.
10:57 But I'm looking forward to these changes.
10:59 I think it's something that doesn't change our game a ton, especially the pitch clock.
11:03 It doesn't change our game a ton, but it's going to trim it down a little bit.
11:08 I mean, I know that my family went to a couple MLB games this summer, and the pace of game
11:14 was so different.
11:16 And obviously, it's a different game, and they had a lot more to trim.
11:19 But when you're going with a six and an eight-year-old, and you can see a baseball game in a lot less
11:26 time than you used to, it's really nice for parents.
11:30 So I hope that it just trims it enough to where we don't have to make any major changes
11:34 when we're looking at TV windows and those type of things.
11:36 So I'm really curious to see how it plays out.
11:38 I think it's going to be really positive.
11:42 Daniel?
11:43 Hi, Coach.
11:46 I was just wondering, second year with the Kamins and sisters kind of within your system,
11:54 just how have you seen them develop over the fall and then grow together?
11:59 Oh, well, they are workers.
12:03 They're two of the hardest workers we've ever had.
12:05 They're also two of the most mature level.
12:10 They don't have drama in them.
12:11 They just want to work.
12:12 They just want the best for everybody, and they just want to win.
12:16 And I love their dynamic, but what we've seen them this fall is just really found their
12:21 voice as leaders and just not being necessarily afraid to speak up in those hard times.
12:28 And I think that I've really enjoyed seeing them come out of that shell a little bit and
12:35 use their voice because they're players that you'd want to do that.
12:38 And it's not necessarily comfortable for them, although they're not players that you have
12:44 to worry about.
12:45 Like other leaders don't have to ask them to work harder or compete harder.
12:49 For them to hold their teammates to that same standard is something that this team needed.
12:54 And so I've really seen them step up this fall, and I love that.
12:59 But they're just so great.
13:02 They're so great.
13:03 And their dynamic is so fun to watch.
13:05 But it's just been really, really fun seeing them continue to grow in this program.
13:09 I guess you touched on it earlier, but it's going to get even colder up there.
13:16 Just kind of how are you, you know, I guess navigating?
13:20 I hate the cold.
13:21 So I hate the cold.
13:24 And we have a couple weeks stretch of it.
13:27 And the nice thing is we have, I believe, the best indoor in the country.
13:32 So we can do a full infield in there.
13:34 We don't skip a beat to train in there, which is really nice.
13:38 And it's ours.
13:39 So we can get in there whenever we want.
13:41 So the thing that we may have to do, we'll have to figure out some outfield balls.
13:45 But besides that, we can do everything that we need inside.
13:48 And then we'll just find those windows to get out.
13:51 But this is a stretch that's pretty rough.
13:53 Usually our weather changes pretty quick.
13:55 And like I said, it was like 50s last week.
13:57 And so now you're looking at the team showing up and it's snowing.
14:00 And you're like, doesn't that just figure?
14:03 But you know, we'll make the most of it.
14:05 And we can get everything that we need to done inside.
14:08 And we'll get out when we can.
14:12 Chip or Christina?
14:15 Hey, Courtney.
14:17 Hi.
14:19 How did you like Les Mis the other night?
14:20 I saw you were there.
14:21 I didn't get a chance to speak to you.
14:22 But how was that?
14:23 It was incredible.
14:25 It was incredible.
14:26 It was awesome.
14:27 So I know my husband and I left going, holy crap, that was so good.
14:32 It was our favorite.
14:34 We have season tickets to the Broadway shows that come through.
14:38 And that's probably been, if not our favorite, one of our top three
14:43 that we've gone to in Fayetteville, for sure.
14:45 It'd be hard to top it.
14:47 I'm always interested in how our local girls are fitting in and meshing
14:51 in with the program.
14:53 I'm asking about like Casey Wood and Ali Saki.
14:57 Do you see them having roles for you this year?
14:59 Or what do you see for someone like Casey, who
15:02 was kind of did a little bit of everything in high school,
15:04 pitched and did some other things?
15:07 Well, we see her still doing that.
15:09 She's still kind of a jack of all trades where she's pitching.
15:12 She's playing defense.
15:13 She's hitting.
15:14 I think that their roles are still getting
15:17 defined as they move forward.
15:19 But I will say that they are incredibly hard workers.
15:22 I think Casey is one of the toughest kids we've ever had come through here
15:25 and just is a worker.
15:27 I don't think she even cares, too.
15:28 She'll come and spin the ball against the wall for an hour.
15:33 She is one of the most low-maintenance workers.
15:35 She just wants to get that work in.
15:38 And so I just see them continuing to grow.
15:41 Casey's someone that just wants to push everyone and get as good as she can
15:46 and get better.
15:46 And we're seeing that, the growth through the fall.
15:50 Same with Saki, coming off her injury, I
15:52 think she's still settling in and getting back to full strength.
15:56 And we see that in Jaden Wells.
15:58 We love our Arkansas kids because they're always hard workers.
16:05 And then they just have such a pride for the Razorbacks.
16:08 And it's something that is an absolute must on this team.
16:12 And so they bring so much.
16:15 You guys have been a team that's relied on the long ball a lot
16:18 in the last couple of years.
16:19 Is that something you think you'll do again?
16:21 Will you be that again?
16:23 Or will you be a team that plays more small ball?
16:25 How will you be, you think?
16:27 I think you'll see a more balanced offense.
16:30 But yeah, you're definitely going to see the long ball.
16:32 When you have Hannah Gamill, Kylie Halverson, Rylan Hedgecock, and Brie
16:36 Ellis in your lineup, you're going to see the long ball.
16:39 But we're going to have a more balanced offense.
16:42 We have a lot more tools.
16:45 I think we have just--
16:48 I think we're more complete from top to bottom.
16:51 And so yeah, I think it's going to be very explosive, very dynamic,
16:55 and very fun to watch.
16:58 Thank you.
16:58 Ethan?
17:04 Yeah, I was just going to ask one last thing
17:05 about how I know as much as it's the girls learning the two new coaches,
17:10 the DJ and Danielle, it's them also having to learn the team.
17:13 Just how has that gone with learning each other?
17:16 Oh, I think it's gone great.
17:18 I think that-- and it's us learning them, too.
17:24 I think that's the big thing is when you add two new staff members,
17:27 we all have to learn how to work together, and what each other needs,
17:30 and all of those things.
17:32 And so I think it's been a fall, a lot of learning.
17:36 I think the team has absolutely embraced both of them,
17:40 as they've embraced the team.
17:42 But I think they work really well together.
17:45 And I think that they've done a tremendous job with this team this fall.
17:51 And I just love watching the dynamic of them teaching,
17:55 and our players just hanging on every word, just wanting to know.
17:59 And I think sometimes they're like, OK, let me just get by with something.
18:03 But no, it's so consistent and such a high standard every day.
18:07 And it has been a really great fall, a really great fall.
18:14 Do we have any final questions for Coach Steifel?
18:18 I just got one question.
18:20 Obviously, you mentioned you're being Boca.
18:22 Jordan Clark was on your staff.
18:25 She's looking forward to hosting you, and then going back
18:28 as kind of a de facto home and home.
18:30 My question is, did you ever face a coach that you looked up to,
18:35 or you were a mentor that either came to your place, or you just played him,
18:39 and you're like, wow, that meant a lot that I got to face someone
18:42 that I look up to and kind of try to model myself after?
18:47 Well, that was nice.
18:48 She actually did us a favor, too.
18:52 They let us in the tournament late.
18:54 We were in another one, and we had to pivot.
18:57 And so she did us a favor, which is nice.
19:00 Yeah, I know that earlier-- we haven't for a while now,
19:05 but we had some really good matches with Oklahoma.
19:08 And so being a GA in Patty's system and then playing against them
19:13 is a very interesting dynamic, because it's the game,
19:19 but it's so much bigger than that of just kind of getting to share the field
19:23 and compete against them.
19:24 And then the good thing is that just knowing them and knowing Jordan,
19:30 I know we're going to have a great game.
19:32 And it's just going to be about the game.
19:34 And although we obviously really want to win,
19:37 you always like playing good people and just playing the game the right way.
19:43 And so she's done such an incredible job.
19:45 It's really fun to watch her blossom and do her thing.
19:50 And you knew right away when she was here
19:52 that she was such an incredible leader.
19:54 And so she was born for this.
19:56 And it'll be exciting.
19:59 It'll be exciting matchups to see them out there
20:01 and then to get them home and have--
20:03 I think she's kind of doing the whole tour of her old stomping grounds.
20:07 So it'll be exciting.
20:09 All right.
20:12 Thank you, coach.
20:13 Thanks, guys.