The three straight CIF Championships are not enough as the UC Varsity Softball Team is hungry for a fourth straight title in the 2012 campaign.
Despite losing former UC star pitcher Amanda Hansen to California State Long Beach, the UC pitching staff has two new faces who will try to make names for themselves.
Juniors Ashlei Lathrop and Katie Patterson are the team’s newest starters who will try to lead UC to its fourth straight championship. Patterson said, “My favorite thing about being a pitcher is mentally psyching out the batter, throwing them off guard, and I like having control of the game.” Lathrop said, “[My favorite] part would be that the pitcher controls the game.”
Along with Hansen, UC lost numerous seniors in the 2011 season. Another notable loss is Alexis Curtiss. The team will miss her leadership and batting.
The Lady Cents still have high hopes for the 2012 season. To go to the CIF title game they are going to have to work as a team. Lathop said, “We really need to work well together as a team.” There can’t be one player narrowed down as the key player. Patterson said, “I think all the players are key to a successful year.”
The team competes in one of San Diego’s toughest leagues, the Western League. UC will have to go through Cathedral Catholic and Point Loma High School to win a league championship.
The girls know the importance of winning a CIF title. “Going to CIF again would mean the world to our team and our coach because it shows that it doesn’t matter what players we lost last year, we can do anything with hard work and dedication,” Patterson said. Lathrop said, “It [CIF] would mean a lot, because so many people doubt us because we lost a lot of players.”
The team will be lead by Head Coach Michael Roberts who has been at the helm for all three CIF Championships. “Mr. Roberts is a very motivated, optimistic man who never gives up on us and who believes we can win CIF again,” Patterson said.
Each pitcher gave their keys to success. “[We need] to work hard of course and also we really need to work well together as a team,” said Lathrop. “The biggest key to success, I think, would be believing in each other and never giving up,” said Patterson.