Former Haybaler Stephanie Azevedo is swinging a mighty bat for
the Cuesta Community College softball team.
Former Haybaler Stephanie Azevedo is swinging a mighty bat for the Cuesta Community College softball team.
Her offensive efforts during the month of March helped her earn recognition as the school’s Female Athlete of the Month.
The third baseman has six triples and has the team’s only home run of the year. In the 25 games Azevedo has played, she is 36 for 81 for a .444 batting average.
“She is a real hard worker,” said Sports Information Director Pete Schuler, who coached the team at the start of the year while head coach Allison Merzon was out. “She is very much into every game. She never shows any weaknesses during the games. She is fast. Stephanie doesn’t look like she is very strong, but she has been really slugging the ball this season.”
At 5-foot-4, the sophomore makes good use of her speed to leg out hits and turn routine hits into extra bases. She is second on the team in stolen bases with 17.
“I finally got my head on this year,” Azevedo said. “I have really been concentrating on my hitting because it has always been my weakest point. I have just been playing every day like it is the last because you never know what can happen. ‘Control the controllables’ my coach always says.”
When she graduated from San Benito High in 2002, Azevedo wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but after talking to Merzon, she knew Cuesta was where she wanted to go.
“It was kind of a last-minute thing,” Azevedo said. “Some of my friends went there and I liked the coach. I just wanted to get out of Hollister.”
Azevedo and three other roommates rent a house near the school. One of her roommates is Aptos High grad Erika Campbell, who Azevedo played against.
“Everyone gets along pretty good on the team,” said Azevedo, who is one of the team captains. “I would consider everyone a close friend.”
Even though the team has compiled a 15-11 overall and 12-3 conference record, playing ball at Cuesta hasn’t been all fun and games because of the rigorous workouts that Merzon has, Azevedo said.
“The coach has helped me come a long ways,” Azevedo said. “It has been a wonderful experience, but it has been tough also. We do a lot of running and hill climbing. Last year, she really kicked our butts, making sure we were in shape.”
Azevedo said she was considering hanging up her cleats after this season and concentrating on her major, Liberal Studies. But her hot bat and fundamentally-strong game has generated some interest from four-year schools like Sonoma State, where she is thinking about attending.
But right now, she is just trying to finish off the season strong.
“I try not be selfish and just try to execute,” Azevedo said. “I try to have a clear head every time I go up to the plate. We all set goals before the game. And mine is always to have a good at-bat each time.”
# NAME GAMES AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB SBA SAC HBP BB SO AVG SLG OBA
5 Stephanie Azevedo- 3b/ss25 81 25 36 4 6 1 24 17 18 1 2 6 3 .444 .679 .494
