AVC SOFTBALL SELLING ITSELF AS A START POINT COACH HOPES TO BUILD ON TEAM'S SUCCESS.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News

LANCASTER -- Antelope Valley College softball coach Cindy Vargas is trying to get the word out to local athletes that her program is a beginning, not an end point, for those with four-year college aspirations.

But Vargas acknowledged that nothing can bolster such a claim better than tangible results.

And although advancing to the state playoffs in its most successful season in school history as it did last season was nice, that in itself might not have been enough to sell ambitious young area athletes on AVC.

Over the summer, AVC got the results that would tend to bolster Vargas' assertion, with the addition of three four-year college signings that brought the program's single-season total to four - the most successful from a recruiting standpoint in recent program history.

Tayler Wilson (Paraclete), AVC's Junior College All-American, was the first, signing with Div. II Abilene (Texas) Christian early in the season.

Since AVC came within a game of playing for the state title in May, All-American second baseman Erica Ricker (Quartz Hill High) signed with NAIA Div. I Pt. Loma Nazarene, third baseman Jamie Parker (Antelope Valley) signed with Abilene Christian, and pitcher Laura Calvert (Quartz Hill) signed with Northwestern Christian (Orange City, Iowa).

``It just proves that all our hard work in junior college paid off,'' Ricker said. ``Some people think they'll get their two years at junior college in and then they're done, but there's more after that.

``For recruiting purposes, it's going to help out for next year. It's going to encourage other players to strive to be like us because they're going to see we're moving on, we're taking the next step.''

Wilson batted .479 (56 for 165) with 23 extra-base hits and 48 RBIs, and set single-season and career AVC records for sacrifices (16 and 30).

Ricker batted .375 (69 for 184) with 18 extra-base hits. She led the team with 17 stolen bases and set single-season and career school records for runs scored (68 and 112).

Parker batted .368 (57 for 155) with 21 extra-base hits including seven homers and 38 RBIs.

Calvert, who transferred after just one year at AVC, was 14-2 with a 1.55 ERA.

Vargas said she's spoken with several top high school players who've expressed interest in her program.

AVC figures to produce another blockbuster recruiting class next year. The Marauders return a solid nucleus that includes pitcher Nikkie Perez (Littlerock) and first baseman Katie Cornelison (Lancaster), both All-American selections.

``I think this is just going to open more doors for other players,'' Vargas said.

gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com.

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4 photos

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(1) CALVERT

(2) PARKER

(3) RICKER

(4) WILSON