If one were to grade the Hollister High softball team at the
halfway point of the Tri-County Athletic League season, the Balers
would grade out reasonably well.
If one were to grade the Hollister High softball team at the halfway point of the Tri-County Athletic League season, the Balers would grade out reasonably well.
Pitching would receive an A grade. Defense an A-minus. Hitting is a little below where the Balers want it to be. Call it a B-minus.
The Balers, 12-4 overall and 5-2 in the mighty T-CAL, have roadblocks ahead to improve their on-field GPA. Of the eight final regular season games, two each are against North Salinas, ranked third in the Central Coast Section, and Notre Dame, the section’s No. 1 ranked team.
With the Balers ranked sixth, that makes three of the top six teams in CCS from the T-CAL, a statement in itself.
A run of the table by the Balers would, not only garner them the T-CAL title, it would forge them into unchartered waters as far as state rankings go. With too many huge games in league ahead, it’s too early for the Balers to think about Division I of CCS. The Balers will cross that bridge when they come to it.
“We can win league,” said Baler shortstop/second baseman Jenny Maheu. “As long as we don’t come into games lackadaisical.”
Before a major road trip to North Salinas on Tuesday to face fireballing Monica Abbott, the Balers will be tested heavily at Saturday’s Watsonville Tournament with pool play games vs. Capuchino (12:15 p.m.) and Milpitas (5:45 p.m.). The final day of the 24-team tournament is April 26.
Pitching
If the subject is fastpitch softball, pitching portends to be the biggest part of the game – especially with the mound at 40-feet. The Balers don’t have a strikeout artist such as Abbott, so head coach Scott Smith implements the two-pitcher system. Either senior Alyssa Baker (7-2) or sophomore Dani Hernandez (5-2) starts and the other finishes. So far, so good.
“To their credit, they’ve accepted it,” said Smith of Baker and Hernandez. “We’ve never had a problem with any complaining. We ask a lot of pitchers. For example, we’ve been having them work the outside corner and bring our right fielder in. If they get the ball up, the ball is hit over the right fielder’s head.”
The pitchers are as different as night and day. Hernandez has a tremendous drop ball, while Baker has been getting batters out with a fastball/curveball 1-2 punch.
“It works out well becuase she’s down and I’m up,” said Baker, who played with the Salinas Wildcats last fall. “I’ve been pitching inside a lot. My curveball has really helped this year.”
“I’ve been pitching o.k., not as good as I’d like,” said Hernandez.
“I’ve known Dani for four or five years,” said center fielder Julie Broyer. “She has improved so much. She’s much faster to the plate now.”
The two pitchers certainly have the backing of their teammates.
“We have all the faith in both pitchers to do the job,” said Maheu.
“I couldn’t ask for anything more out of them,” said Smith of Baker and Hernandez.
Defense
One of the strengths of this team is its defense. Yet, with the closeness of games, Smith knows that one little miscue can cost his team the game.
“In all four of our losses we made at least one crucial error,” said Smith. “Pitching and defense is 90 per cent of what we do. It’s what we are. The teams we play are too good to make mistakes against.”
The Balers have made 23 total errors this season, but six of them came in a 6-1 defeat to Carlmont in the Circle of Champions Tournament at Twin Creeks. Even if one eliminates that game, calling it an aberration, the Balers are averaging 1.1 errors per game. That number is still too high considering the stiff competition.
That stated, Smith is blessed with two outstanding shortstops in the junior Maheu and senior Kim Dabo, both of whom can make the spectacular play. When Dabo plays short, which has been a little over half of the games, Maheu is at second. When Maheu is at short, Dabo is in center field. Dabo missed one game due to illness and hasn’t missed any games due to club volleyball.
“I like playing shortstop better,” said Dabo, who will walk-on at BYU next year in volleyball and softball. “There’s more action.”
“I’ll do whatever the team wants,” said Maheu. “Whatever’s best for the team.”
Smith can’t rave enough about either player.
“If Kim would have concentrated on softball like she did volleyball, there is no doubt in my mind she could have written her own ticket for softball,” said Smith. “She has a god-given arm that you can’t teach. Good speed. And she’s such a competitor. I’ve had her up at the plate in big games when I’d have most girls bunting. I have so much confidence in her to get a hit I let her swing away because I know she’ll come through.”
And on Maheu: “Jenny has made five or six plays this year that I don’t know how she did it,” said Smith. “She gives me a lot of versatility. She’s the best hitter on the team. She can play Division I softball after she graduates.”
“This defense is better than last year’s,” said Maheu. “It’s a solid defense. There aren’t any holes.”
Three players have played first base – freshman J.T. Temperino, senior Nashia Alvarez and junior Liz Stewart. Alvarez can also play second and in the outfield, while Temperino, who is gaining immeasurable experience this season, has also played some center field this season.
“It depends what kind of lineup I want hitting-wise,” said Smith as to what player he’ll go with in the starting lineup. “After that it’s a matter of the numbers game. Liz is the best all-around first baseman. She’s smart, has an accurate arm. She’s starting to hit the ball now. J.T. has done a great job and Nashia is such an experienced player. I ask the kids to play at least three positions. That gives me that much more versatility.”
With the season-ending injury to Hillary Williams, sophomore Megan Smith has been thrust into the starting third baseman role, not an easy task with the abundance of skillful bunters in the CCS.
“Megan covers the bunt real well,” said Scott of his daughter. “She reacts quickly.”
The cliche that outfielders don’t get much action was disproved last Friday in the Balers 1-0, 10-inning win at Gilroy. Right fielder Shelbi Dillon took away five potential basehits when she threw out five Mustang runners at first base, with Stewart on the reception each time.
“After the first couple, it was like, ‘This is crazy’!”, said Dillon, recruited by Humboldt State as a third baseman. “It was big because three times runners were on at third when I did it.”
“I’m so glad Shelbi threw out those runners,” said Baker with a sigh of relief. “We have the best defense anywhere.”
“The defense is perfect,” added Hernandez.
Scott Smith was duly impressed.
“Shelbi gets great jumps and she can fire the ball to first,” said Smith. “She has a strong, accurate arm.”
Sophomore Rachelle Barrientos has been learning on the job in left field and has been passing with flying and, sometimes, diving colors.
“Lindsay Schutzler of Notre Dame lined one down the left field line against us and Rachelle hustled over there and dove to cut it off,” said Scott Smith. “If Rachelle doesn’t do it, it’s a double because Lindsay is so fast. Rachelle has come a long way.”
Behind the plate is junior Amy Baxter, whom Smith calls “the best catcher in the league”.
“Schutzler got on base twice against us and she didn’t try to steal once,” said Smith. “Amy blocks anything back there and makes great decisions. She can almost call the pitches for me, we think so much alike.”
Hitting
Before the year started, the Balers had hoped to hit better. As a team, they’re hitting just .165. Only Maheu is over .300 overall with a .315 average. And only Dabo (.229) and Smith (.205) are over .200. In their defense, the Balers are facing many of the top pitchers in the CCS, such as Abbott, Kim Reeder of Notre Dame, Jen Olvera of Gilroy and Jerrica Castagno of Carlmont to name some. The Balers, who have earned their stripes as one of the section’s best teams the past four years, will get everyone’s ace.
“We’ve been impatient at the plate,” said Scott Smith. “That’s been our problem. We never go 3-1, 3-2 in the count. They seldom throw strikes on the first pitch and we go after it. We’re not taking enough pitches.”
Smith said Maheu would have a higher average, but he’s asked her not too bunt as much this season.
“Jenny would have a lot more hits if she bunted more,” said Smith. “But I need her to hit doubles and triples for us.”
Smith isn’t too worried.
“I’m glad we’re struggling at the plate right now,” said Smith. “I don’t want to see us peak too early. Baxter’s going to start tearing it up soon and so is Dabo. They’re real close right now.”
The Balers have a win over North Salinas, ranked 18th in the state, and a 1-0 loss to Notre Dame, ranked 11th in the state, in nine innings. If the Balers can grade out in the three major categories any higher in the second half of the season, this will be one year to remember.
