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Sunday, February 11, 2001
Ladycats taking year a step at a time
Strong G-P team more concerned with local rivals than postseason
By Lee Goddard
Caller-Times

George Tuley/Caller-Times

The Gregory-Portland softball team returns five of last year’s starting aces that helped lead the team to the state final four. They are (from left to right) Lauren Terry, Christy Cortez, Lauren Tanner, Tania Yanta and Olivia Galan.

PORTLAND - It would figure after being just two outs away from a trip to the state championship game and, with five key starters returning, the Gregory-Portland softball team would be collectively talking about a return trip.
   That is definitely not the case.
   The Ladycats are thinking about winning, but it's Tuesday's season opener against King High School that is foremost on their minds.
   There's no talk about a state title. No talk about regional or district championships, no discussion about last season's 33-3-1 record and no talk about last year's trip to the state semifinals, where G-P lost 2-1 to Brenham in eight innings.
   "We don't set goals to win district. We don't set goals in the state tournament," coach Laurie Beveridge said. "We never talk about that. We just want that every time we go out here, we're going to go as hard as we can. Sometimes when you have high expectations, it's an added pressure to reach those goals."
   There are some goals. Players mention that they want to improve game-by-game. And, though the Ladycats were the only area team to reach the final four last season, they want to keep pace with the rest of the area teams.
   "We're just trying to make ourselves better, like the teams around us," said Lauren Tanner, the Ladycats' Harvard-bound pitching ace. "All the area teams have been getting better. We need to keep getting better."
   That's not to say the desire for a return trip isn't there. It's just the knowledge of how much work needs to be done that prevents any of the players - or coaches - from thinking beyond the next game on the slate.
   "Playing in that game and being in that atmosphere is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Beveridge said. "It's hard to get there once, but it's even harder to get there twice. The kids came in hungry to get back, and put last year behind us. They just haven't talked about it. That's because they know the work they had to put in to get there last year."
   But it's tough to do better than the five starters that Beveridge returns. Should G-P survive the district, march into the regional and move beyond, it will be with their guidance.
   Each has statistics that merit attention. But, as Beveridge sees things, it's the intangibles that make them special:

Tanner, a three-time district Most Valuable Player and three-time Caller-Times All-South Texas MVP, has fired six no-hitters per year and won 84 games in her high school career. "Sometimes, you get a fear with a great senior player," Beveridge said. "My focus is to keep her hungry. But she's such a good kid that it's not a worry."

Senior leftfielder Christy Cortez, a three-year starter, led the Ladycats with a .408 average and made All-South Texas last year. "She's a real solid player," Beveridge said. "She's someone I can always count on. Very reliable."

Senior first baseman Olivia Galan who, in her first year on varsity, hit .348 and claimed all-district honors. "She is one of those kids that believes our team can accomplish anything," Beveridge said. "She builds up everyone around her. She's a great builder."

Junior Lauren Terry, who plays third base, hit leadoff last year for G-P and was named to the All-South Texas team. "She's a kid that if the game's on the line, I'm going to go to her," Beveridge said. "She has a focus about her. She's a headstrong player."

Junior Tania Yanta, Tanner's batterymate at catcher, batted .398 and was All-South Texas second team last season. "She's tough," Beveridge said. "She'll get hit in the head or beaned with a bat, and get up and be all right. She is without a doubt our sparkplug."
   A nice foundation for sure, but one that needs accessories. If the team fares as well as last year, it will need new starters to step up in the middle infield and in the outfield.
   And, after what Beveridge termed a disappointing scrimmage last week, the team could use some more pop at the plate.
   "I think we need to focus on hitting, offense," Cortez said. "I'm sure if we keep working at it, we'll get there."
   Could "there" be the state tournament? Of course, no one will say for sure.
   But while the state tournament trip of last year is not a topic of conversation, Beveridge and her players admit they all learned something from last season, subtle differences from one year to the next.
   Brenham had a far worse record, entering the semifinals at 27-14. That, said Beverdige, is due to the quantity of top pitching they faced.
   This season, the coach has placed the Ladycats in an early-season tournament in San Antonio, and G-P has drawn a pool made up of 5A and 4A playoff teams.
   Tanner points out that the camaraderie on this year's team may be stronger, with more players taking on leadership roles.
   Cortez notices improved communication between players, particularly on defense.
   Whatever the weaknesses may be, there is an entire season to improve. There is time to be ready for the pressure of a playoff run.
   "You learn something new every game," Terry said. "The higher the level of playoffs, the tougher it gets. But we're not looking toward state, we're looking toward (the next game).
   "We have weeks and weeks to get better. We have time."
   And, given time, Terry and her teammates may be talking about the state semifinals.
   In June, of course.

Staff writer Lee Goddard can be reached at 886-3613 or by e-mail at goddardl@caller.com

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