SOFTBALL: SHE HAS WRIGHT STUFF TO BE NOTICED LANCASTER SLUGGER NOT WIDELY KNOWN, BUT HER HITTING PROWESS MAY SOON CHANGE THAT.Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Staff Writer LANCASTER - At a far-off desert high school amidst a·midst prep. Variant of amid. [Middle English amiddes : amidde; see amid + -es, adverbial suffix; see -s3.] the blustery blus·ter v. blus·tered, blus·ter·ing, blus·ters v.intr. 1. To blow in loud, violent gusts, as the wind during a storm. 2. a. To speak in a loudly arrogant or bullying manner. winds and cactus cactus, any plant of the family Cactaceae, a large group of succulents found almost entirely in the New World. A cactus plant is conspicuous for its fleshy green stem, which performs the functions of leaves (commonly insignificant or absent), and for the spines (not trees, Shawna Wright is like an oasis oasis (ōā`sĭs), an area within a desert where the water table reaches the surface, with enough moisture to permit the growth of vegetation. The water may come up to the surface in springs, or it may collect in mountain hollows. . The Lancaster High sophomore is the best player you've never heard of, performing in relative anonymity but scaring the daylights out of opposing Golden League pitchers who know enough about Wright not to dare give the slugger a decent pitch to hit. Wright already has eight home runs and 21 RBIs in just 12 games for the Eagles (6-6) heading into Saturday's 10 a.m. doubleheader against Harvard-Westlake at L.A. Valley College. Last season as a freshman, she batted .443 with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs and a .977 slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is the most popular measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats: -- out-of-sight numbers for a large-school player -- but didn't even earn All-Southern Section recognition. That's what happens when you play at Lancaster, where people forget about you faster than a high-desert wind gust. "That's OK, I'm used to it by now," Wright said. "In travel ball, I tell my teammates I'm from Lancaster, and they think I come from a town that doesn't even have any buildings in it." Wright doesn't even read the sports section Noun 1. sports section - the section of a newspaper that reports on sports sports page - any page in the sports section of a newspaper newspaper, paper - a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements; "he read -- who can blame her? -- mainly because she's too busy hitting softballs over the fence. "I don't play to be in the newspaper. I play because I like softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' ," she said. "I just practice every day and try to get better." Teammate Rhea rhea, in zoology rhea (rē`ə), common name for a South American bird of the family Rheidae, which is related to the ostrich. Weighing from 44 to 55 lb (20–25 kg) and standing up to 60 in. Murphy believes the less folks know about Wright and Lancaster, the better. "I kind of feel like everyone underestimates us, and no one thinks we're as good as we really are," Murphy said. "We show up, and the other team thinks we're a weak team, but we really aren't. They think it's going to be an easy win, but it never is." Then Wright blasts a home run 50 feet over the fence, and the secret is out. "Shawna's just buff, and she hits the ball really well," Murphy said. "When she hits a home run, not only do we score runs, but it helps us get more pumped. When you know she can hit a home run at any time, that's good for the whole team." If the Eagles can rally around their standout catcher, perhaps they can make a run at favored Quartz Hill and surprising Knight of Palmdale for the league title. "It's nice to have someone like Shawna Wright on the team," first-year Lancaster coach Krista Humphries said. "She's the superstar, and everyone knows that. She just loves to compete, even during batting practice when she's hitting off me. It's true no one really knows about her. She just needs to keep proving herself and paying her dues." And Lancaster will keep celebrating Wright's home runs, even though the party isn't the huge bash it should be. "The best thing about hitting home runs is getting to hear my teammate, Nicole Castro, sing her little song -- 'Nah nah nah interj. Informal No. [Variant of no1.] nah nah, hey hey hey, goodbye,'" Wright said. "She sings it a lot." She sure does. With 19 home runs and counting with 21/2 seasons still remaining, Wright is on pace to shatter shat·ter v. shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters v.tr. 1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. 2. a. former Quartz Hill standout Jodie Cox's career league record of 29. Maybe then the masses finally will learn the name of Shawna Wright, who for now remains a hidden desert treasure. gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com (661) 257-5218 CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 7 boxes Photo: (1) no caption (Shawna Wright) Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News (2) REYNOLDS Box: (1) AROUND the DIAMOND (2) LEAGUE UPDATES (3) DAILY NEWS TOP 25 (4) KEEPING TABS (5) OFF THE CHARTS (6) SHE SAID IT (7) BY THE NUMBERS |
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