At this point, after five straight seasons have resulted in a
Central Coast Section Division I Championship, one would think
there would be few accolades remaining for the San Benito Haybalers
to reach, few things for this year’s team to stamp their name
on
— except, of course, a sixth straight CCS title. But while a
fast start has been practically assured over the last five seasons,
few softball teams from San Benito have enjoyed as good of a start
as this year’s squad. Case in point: With its dominating 15-0
victory over North Salinas last Thursday
, the Balers are 5-0 in the Tri-County Athletic League, 13-0
overall, and are off to the program’s best start in at least 10
years.
HOLLISTER
At this point, after five straight seasons have resulted in a Central Coast Section Division I Championship, one would think there would be few accolades remaining for the San Benito Haybalers to reach, few things for this year’s team to stamp their name on — except, of course, a sixth straight CCS title.
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But while a fast start has been practically assured over the last five seasons, few softball teams from San Benito have enjoyed as good of a start as this year’s squad.
Case in point: With its dominating 15-0 victory over North Salinas last Thursday, the Balers are 5-0 in the Tri-County Athletic League, 13-0 overall, and are off to the program’s best start in at least 10 years.
Not since the 2000-01 team, which jumped out to a 12-0 record before falling to Mitty in its 13th game of the year, have the Balers enjoyed as many wins to start the season, without registering a loss. Normally, the season starts with six or seven victories before a Carlmont or Notre Dame gets in the way of things.
But manager Scott Smith’s team this year has not only displayed a readiness from the get-go, but also a progression through all facets of the game, from the start of the season to the middle of the season, that hasn’t been as evident in years past.
And it all equaled Lucky No. 13 last Thursday, a streak that has included wins over Gilroy, Leigh, Los Gatos, and even Notre Dame and Carlmont, among others.
“The big picture is that we’re 13-0. The little picture is we just try to play and improve every game,” Smith said. “With that in mind, we go to every game like it’s our first one and we just try to build off of that. So I think the record is just a by-product of how hard the girls work at practice.”
Yes, we’re talking about practice.
From the defense to the pitching to the hitting, Smith said the Balers have realized their inadequacies and looked to improve upon them at practice, not relying on a hot start to carry them through the year. And Smith, too, said he’s even eased up on the pressure he may or may not put on his players while in the batter’s box.
“I think I’ve always put a lot of pressure on the kids when they’re up batting,” he said. “But two weeks ago, when I talked to them about it, I felt like I was putting too much pressure on them. From that point on I have seen them start to flourish at the plate.”
“I just think the kids are hitting their stride right now,” he later added.
Pressure at the plate is one thing. If there was a pressure to win, though, the Balers aren’t exactly experiencing that, either.
Recently, seniors Mari Vallejo and Jessica Vest were asked by one of their teachers what was the team’s record.
Looking at each other, as if the other one might have the answer, neither Vallejo nor Vest could immediately recall.
“We had to think about it. Neither of us knew,” said Vallejo, who starts in center field for the Balers. “It didn’t come to mind that we had won every game.”
“We don’t really pay attention to our record, just take it game by game,” added Vest, the team’s starting shortstop.
“We don’t even talk about no losses yet or 13-0. It’s not even mentioned,” Smith said. “It’s not that we try not to mention it because of superstition. It’s just, we don’t think about it. We just try to come out and get better. And I think it really shows the maturity of the group we have here.”
One publication that has been keeping track of San Benito’s win-loss progress is ESPN RISE, which last Wednesday ranked the Balers softball team No. 33 in the nation in its latest Powerade Fab 50 softball poll — the highest ranked newcomer to the Fab 50.
This is at least the third top-50 national ranking the Balers’ softball program has received in recent years, reaching as high as No. 23 in 2008.
Similarly to its 13-0 record, though, San Benito views its No. 33 standing as an honor, but right now, it’s just a subjective number.
“It doesn’t change anything,” said senior right fielder Brittany Hoff.
“In years past, I’d be worried because it meant a lot to the kids,” Smith said. “It still means a lot, but it doesn’t put any pressure on them … And again, I think it comes from the groundwork that these other teams laid before them. It’s made them be able to relax and not have those expectations.”
If there ever was a need to reach the win column, though, it was perhaps at the very start of the season, when jumping out to a fast start has been the norm of past Balers teams. And Smith said the Balers had some close calls earlier this season, where a call here or a bounce there would have completely changed the outcome.
But something should be said for the amount of breaks the Balers receive. The ball often bounces San Benito’s way for a reason.
“We are so comfortable with how we’re playing, on all facets of the game, that we don’t really stress out about our win-loss record,” Smith said. “You know, at 13-0, we expect to play really good and we figure if a team is going to beat us, they’re going to have to play really good to beat us.
“And there is no shame in that.”
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Following their home game against Salinas on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., the San Benito Haybalers will travel to Las Vegas to compete in the 2011 Spring Jamboree at Majestic Park, hosted by Centennial High School of Las Vegas, Nev.
The Balers have been slotted into Pool B, which includes Schurr (Montebello, Calif.), Pleasant Grove and host Centennial. San Benito will open against Centennial on Thursday at 5 p.m.
Other teams at the Spring Jamboree include Palo Verde, Edison, Winslow, El Camino, Rancho, Maranatha, Sylmar, Marshall, Pahrump, San Fernando, Malibu, Bell, Jordan Long Beach and Cheyenne.
