Heading for new horizons

By Kyle Jorrey
jorrey@theacorn.com

LEADERSHIP-Returing all-CIF catcher Amber Peterson is one of six seniors on this year's Oaks Christian ball club.

Every new season brings with it new realities and new challenges—even if you’re the two-time defending CIF champion Oaks Christian girls’ softball team.

Some you can control, most you can’t.

A year after the Lions powered their way to a near-perfect 34-1 overall record and their second straight Div. IV championship, the program—which is only in its fifth year of existence—is moving up to Div. III, along with the rest of the Frontier League.

The decision by CIF is clearly motivated by a desire to find the Lions’ better suited competition, and while it seems unusual to have a school with less than 500 students compete against schools with enrollments up to 4,000, it’s a change the competition-hungry OC players welcome with open mitts.

BACK AT IT AGAIN-Above, last year's CIF Div. IV Most Valuable Player Ashlee Veilleux grabs a hard-hit line drive out of the air. Below, head coach Pete Ackerman makes a point to his players during a sunny, Monday afternoon practice.

"We’re really excited about this season, its definitely something new for us to reach for," said senior shorstop/pitcher Ashlee Veilleux, last year’s Div. IV Most Valuable Player. "We’re ready to take on teams that might be better than us. We’re ready to be challenged."

Returning sophomore pitching ace Taylor Schlopy (19-1, 0.43 ERA), an all-CIF first team selection as a freshman, had a similar point of view on the advanced placement.

"It’s really something that’s motivating us to work harder," Schlopy said. "We’ve won in the old division, now we want to prove to people we can win in this one too. We want to show we can keep succeeding even if they keep moving us up."

Head coach Pete Ackermann hasn’t made up his mind yet on whether or not the move will work, not because of its impact on the Lions, but because of the fate of the rest of the Frontier League schools, such as Malibu, Santa Clara and Nordhoff.

"Whether it’s the right thing to do, I’m not sure," Ackermann said. "We’ve been fortunate enough to play in a league we’ve dominated in the past, but for CIF to move the entire league, it’s not really fair to the other teams in the league. . . But for us it’s just another challenge. We’ve been moved up before, now we’ve been moved up again. Hopefully, the girls will respond to the challenge."

On paper, things couldn’t look better for Oaks Christian. Having lost only Tiffany Day to graduation, the Lions return three all-CIF first team selections in Veilleux, Schlopy and senior catcher Amber Peterson. On the mound, Veilleux (15-0, 0.67 ERA) and Schlopy are two proven winners with similar competitiveness but different style of pitching.

"They complement one another so well," Ackermann said. "One is a power pitcher and one is a finesse pitcher. Mix them together in one game and they become very difficult to hit."

The strength of their pitching staff should give the Lions a heads up, even in Div. III.

"When you can return two all-CIF pitchers, I think you’ve got a head start on a lot of people," Ackermann said. "As dominate as pitching is in softball, having pitchers like Ashlee and Taylor back, fills a big question mark right away."

Complementing the big three in a stellar OC infield are Kaslin Tucker (third base), Julia Humphries (second base) and sole newcomer Courtney Lee, who replaces Day at first base. Humphries was a late arrival because of her responsibilities as goalie for the CIF winning soccer team; Lee was the team’s leading home run hitter (6) as a freshman.

"It’s fortunate to only replace one infielder and have the rest return," Ackermann said. "They know what each other is capable of. It’s not a matter of getting in sync, it’s a matter of getting in shape."

Other notables include senior Erin Sakakini and sophomore Casey DaSilva, who is filling in for injured centerfielder Bryeanne Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald severely separated her shoulder during the Lions’ first scrimmage of the season and the team is uncertain yet of whether she can return.

"That’s a huge loss for us," Ackermann said. "She led this team in batting during last year’s playoff run and she’s a big part of this group. We’re really hoping she can comeback and play."

With the loss of Fitzgerald and a string of other illnesses and injuries, it’s been a bumpy start to the new season. Last weekend the Lions lost two out of four games at a tournament in St. George, Utah, more than it had lost in the prior year and a half.

"It was hard for us in the beginning in Utah because none of us were used to losing, but it was also an awakening," Schlopy said. "It told us we need to slow down, sit together and get in a place where we’re all comfortable. . . . This year we’re going to have to work harder than last year and we want to know we’re all up for the challenge."

With expectations on the rise after four CIF title game appearances in four years, the pressure to win at Oaks Christian is constant. Only at this point, it’s something most of the Lions are well used to dealing with."

"If you don’t perform well under pressure the Oaks Christian softball team probably isn’t the best place for you," said Peterson, the team’s anchor behind the plate. "But if you don’t know how to deal with pressure at first, I guarantee you learn quickly."

Veilleux agreed, saying the girls have set the bar high for themselves.

"Yes, expectations are high, but we’ve made them that way," Veilleux said. "We just need to fulfill them. That’s why we always stay hungry to win, because there’s always new challenges and new goals to try and reach. This year, for the six seniors, it’s about leaving a legacy and being the first team to win a title in Div. III."