BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Typically, three seasons is not enough time to establish a winning culture, but Sharyland Pioneer has turned that notion upside down.
The Diamondbacks are owners of three playoff appearances during that time, including the last two district championships, posting a flawless 28-0 record against district opponents.
This season, however, Pioneer (10-6, 6-1) is dealing with roster turnover the likes of which the program hasn’t experienced in its short history. The Diamondbacks graduated five seniors from last year’s team, including pitcher Mariah Youngblood and shortstop Emily Michki, who are currently playing college softball at Division I Texas Southern and Coastal Bend, a junior college in Beeville, respectively.
“We have a young group of girls, and very few of them are seniors,” Sharyland Pioneer coach Orlando Garcia said. “But a lot of them did play with our five seniors last year, so they know what it’s like to be part of a group like that. Now that those seniors are gone, other girls have stepped up and have picked up where we left off. The girls don’t want to be the group that lets go of what we started here.”
Junior first baseman Sarah Odale is the kind of player Garcia needed to step up, and she has. A member of the back-to-back undefeated teams in district play, Odale has shown tremendous discipline at the plate, hitting .486 with a home run and 20 runs batted in while only striking out once so far this season.
“At first I thought I wasn’t doing that well at the plate, but when coach told us our stats, I was pretty surprised,” Odale said. “I definitely felt a responsibility to be a better hitter this year, because we were losing a lot of talent and gaining a lot of talent. I didn’t know what to expect from the other girls, so I knew from my perspective, I knew I had to step it up.”
Odale’s versatility has come in handy for Garcia.
“Sarah has felt what it’s like to be part of those teams and, because of that, hasn’t felt a lot of defeats,” Garcia said. “She’s also a pitcher, so if we need an additional pitcher, Sarah’s right there for us.”
Sophomore catcher Alexia Hernandez is one of the new kids on the block. She spent her freshman season playing at Mission Veterans before transferring to Pioneer.
Hernandez is batting .556 with five doubles, three triples, three home runs and 18 runs driven in so far this season.
“I feel more confident coming in as a sophomore than I did as a freshman,” Hernandez said. “I was a little scared being a freshman on varsity. Whenever I step to the plate now, I try to drive the ball as far as I can.”
“Alex has been a welcome addition to Pioneer High School,” Garcia said. “What she did in the past made her one of the best freshmen in the Valley. We have them (Alexia and Sarah) at the right spots in the batting order. That’s why they have so many RBIs and runs scored — because the girls in front of them have done a good job of getting on base, and they’ve done their job as our two of our big bats on the team.”
Hernandez hit .489 with seven doubles and 14 runs batted in 2017 as a freshman at Mission Veterans.
“She has a role, but everything doesn’t fall on her shoulders,” Garcia said. “Her role is supplemented by everyone else on the team. She’s fit well at the catcher position but really can play any other position except for pitcher.”
For all the success Sharyland Pioneer has attained over the years, one distinction evades them. The Diamondbacks qualified for the second round of the playoffs each of the last three years but have yet to advance to the third round. After sweeping Brownsville Lopez in the bi-district round in 2017, Pioneer was swept out of the postseason by Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway.
“The goals we set for this year are to win our third district title and make it to the third round,” Odale said. “I know we’ve never been there before, but as a team, I think we can accomplish that.”
“That third round has really eluded us, so that’s what we want to strive for with this team,” Garcia said. “Getting to the third round is something, I think, any team would want. These girls have to maintain that focus.”