A.V. TRYING TO CLOSE GAP.Byline: Rob Rundquist Special to the Daily News It took only two games for Wayne Ekimoto to realize what has happened to softball in the 15 years he has been away. Watching perennial powerhouse Mater Dei High School Mater Dei High School is the name of several high schools:
The Antelope Valley , the Antelopes' new coach couldn't believe how the level of talent has improved since he was coaching his daughter in the early 1980s. ``I've seen some good softball players in the past, but none could compare with the ones from Mater Dei Mater Dei is Latin for "Mother of God", referring to the Virgin Mary. The term has been used to name various institutions, often Catholic, including:
``Girls are better athletes now, and a lot stronger. They've caught up with the boys in many ways.'' The challenge for Ekimoto, also the defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a football team in the National Football League or college football who is in charge of the defense. This position aids the head coach a great deal in many ways by delegating play calling to other coaches and allowing the head on the football team, is to narrow the gap between his team and the elite. Antelope Valley has gotten off to a slow start, losing their first four nonleague games. Besides the doubleheader, the team lost one-run games to El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
The Antelopes finished fifth in the Golden League last season with a 3-7 record and return only three players. They aren't expected to challenge league favorite Quartz Hill, but hope to improve defensively. ``You just have to play basic softball to win,'' said Ekimoto. ``We had one costly mistake both times against El Camino Real and Monroe. If we stop making those types of mistakes, we'll be OK.'' Antelope Valley's top player is senior shortstop Tashie Aguinaga, a three-time all-league selection, whose career batting average batting average n. Baseball A measure of a batter's performance obtained by dividing the total of base hits by the number of times at bat, not including walks. Noun 1. is above .500. ``(Aguinaga) could be college material,'' Ekimoto said of his only returning starter. ``She's got a strong arm and can cover a lot of ground. She's also got a real good bat.'' Ekimoto is eager to get back sophomore pitcher Kelly Bleyl, sidelined with a knee injury. ``I think the High Desert Classic (at the end of the week) will be her first work,'' Ekimoto said. ``She has about three or four pitches that she's developed and done good with.'' Brittany Drennan is the Antelopes' No. 2 pitcher. The sophomore will also move in from the outfield to play first base. ``(Drennan) is a junk-ball pitcher, not a power pitcher In baseball, a power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of power. ,'' said Ekimoto. ``She has a good curve and changeup. ``Last year she played outfield, but she's played first base on a lot of her winter teams and traveling teams.'' Moving up from last year's junior varsity team For the American rock band, see . In sports, usually at the high school and college levels, members of a team who are not the main players in a competition (such as a football or basketball game) are called junior varsity players. is catcher Tria Boyette. The senior already has had an impact, hitting a three-run triple against Monroe. Senior Cheryl Bragg split time last season between varsity and junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. and will be playing third base this year. ``Bragg is a solid player, a good contact hitter In baseball, the term contact hitter is used to describe a hitter who does not strike out often. Thus, they are usually able to use their bats to make contact with the ball (hence the name contact hitter) and put it in play. ,'' Ekimoto said. ``She'll definitely contribute.'' Sophomore Nicole Swearingin is the team's fastest player. He starts at second and is the team's third pitcher. ``We've had a lot of girls sick and injured, so its been hard getting started. But I think we're going to be fine, and I hope when league starts we'll be competitive.'' WELCOME BACK Key returners for Antelope Valley High School's 1997 softball team: Tashie Aguinaga, Sr., shortstop Kelly Bleyl, So., P Brittany Drennan, So., P/1B Tria Boyette, Sr., C Cheryl Bragg, Sr., 3B Box: WELCOME BACK (see text) CAPTION(S): Box |
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