I've been wracking my brain the last few days for an offseason that has been more painful for an Oregon fanbase than the one softball is going through right now.

I haven't found one.

The Ducks were the No. 1 overall seed in Oklahoma City in June. They didn't win it all, which had become the unfortunate norm in recent years — a top seed and an early exit. But, the Ducks had a lot to look forward to in 2019: another year of Mike White coaching a highly talented roster, it felt like it could become the year where the team's stay in OKC lasts a little longer and they come home with the ultimate prize.

But, three weeks after being bounced, White announced he'd be heading to Austin. A few weeks later longtime Oklahoma assistant Missy Lombardi was hand-picked to replace the program's all-time winningest coach.

Although losing White was heart-wrenching, Lombardi appeared an apt replacement. She had the pedigree. Despite it being her first head coaching gig, she'd helped build a trio of national title teams alongside Patty Gasso at Oklahoma.

The subsequent six months have not gone well. And that's putting it lightly. Six players have announced their transfers during that time, most recently All-American pitcher Megan Kleist. These haven't been reserve players either, these have been the expected stars of 2019 and beyond. It would be like if Dana Altman had taken off prior the 2016-17 season and with it Dillon Brooks, Jordan Bell, Tyler Dorsey and Chris Boucher had followed him out the door.

A core of Kleist and Miranda Elish at pitcher along with the bats of Shannon Rhodes, Mary Iakopo, Lauren Burke and Alyssa Pinto would be a fine one to build around in an introductory season. Likely, they could've contended for another Pac-12 title. Instead, that's the list of players that have left. Four of those players were All-Pac-12 selections in 2018, including Kleist and Elish who were considered among the five or so best arms nationally.

I don't want to take time speculating as to what's going on. I've seen the rumors on our message boards, and heard rumblings myself. What I do want to communicate is just how brutal this has to be for diehard softball fans, and there are many of them.

If fans didn't care about Oregon's softball team, then the implosion of its roster in recent months would go nearly unnoticed — a tree falling with no one around to hear the landing. But, what my time covering this team has taught me, is that that's not the case. Far from it.

Jane Sanders Stadium has been packed each time I've attended games. They've often needed more seating times to accommodate the demand. Stories I've written about softball games have rivaled men's basketball stories in terms of page views. None of this is lost on this reporter. Nor is the fact that fans of women's sports seem to share a special bond. It's why Sabrina Ionescu received a more heartfelt reception at this year's basketball kickoff event than any men's players. These players shared special relationships with the community, and those have been broken.

I'm not sure what the future holds for Oregon softball. I'm not even sure yet that Lombardi was the wrong hire. She's yet to coach a game. Let's see what she can do. But I do know fans are upset right now, and rightfully so.

Perhaps I'm most curious as to how competitive a team Lombardi can trot out there. Oregon currently has 13 players on its roster. They have one pitcher and no player identified as a catcher. The new transfer rule, which will allow each of Oregon's outgoing transfers to play immediately, could also benefit Oregon. The Ducks could add a heap of them.

For this team to be competitive, Lombardi must be as advertised as a coach if not better. Still, at the end of the day, I doubt this team will be a contender, and that will be one of just a few things Oregon softball fans will have to get used to this season.