By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — Regardless of how much she produces, Edinburg North’s Jaqui Chapa never feels like it’s quite enough.
Whether she’s slugging .779, posting 30 runs, 43 hits, 40 RBIs and five home runs, the senior hardly boasted any sense of contentment.
“It was a really great year,” Chapa said, “but I still would’ve liked to have done so much better.
“I always feel like what I do is not the best, it’s not enough.”
By any measure, Chapa did more than carry her weight for the Lady Cougars. She was a four-year letterman, splitting time between pitching and third base, and she improved year-to-year at the plate. She was named to the RGVSports.com All-Valley first team as a third baseman last season, and this year she earned a superlative spot as the Offensive Player of the Year.
“She’s a kid that everyone expected to do what she did, and she did,” North coach Richard Tressler said. “She lived up to the expectations for her, and she did a good job.”
“She came through with a lot of big stuff,” he added, “and you can’t ask anymore of a kid than what she did.”
Year-round, Chapa played softball. She joined minicamps and traveling teams during the summer, and worked with as many as three hitting coaches outside the program to improve her swing. It wasn’t so much that her mechanics were flawed, Tressler said. But once she became more patient the plate, Chapa enjoyed better results, netting a .585 OBP as North advanced to the area round of the playoffs this year.
“Jaqui has been a very big part of our offense since sophomore year, and you just don’t replace somebody like that,” Tressler said. “I hope I’ll have someone that’ll contribute like she did, but it’s tough. It’s tough to replace a third-plate hitter (in the batting order), it really is. She did a great job for us.”
Having played varsity since her freshman season, Chapa said she gained plenty from watching how the seniors carried themselves, from “managing the excitement and pressures of the game” to their preparation leading up to each contest.
With time, Chapa became more selective with her swings, but it never compromised her aggressiveness. The District 31-6A Offensive MVP consistently hit with plenty of force, and it helped her team nab a share of the district title this year.
By the time her season came to a close last month, Chapa closed out her career with more than 100 RBIs and 100 hits, having contributed to more than 100 team victories.
“It was a really great year,” Chapa said. “I’m happy with the way it went. We could’ve gone further, but everything happens for a reason. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I just love my team, and I’m grateful for everything we’ve all done for each other. It was a great year.”