Texas heat

GETTING READY-WAGS pitcher Jamie DePippo, 12, does some throwing from the mound at Agoura High last week in preparation for the team's trip to Midland, Texas, for the national tournament. A trip deep into the heart of Texas might not be the ideal destination for someone looking to beat the heat this summer, but the U12 All-Star team from WestlakeAgoura Girls Softball (WAGS) is more than happy to brave tripledigit temperatures if it helps bring a national championship back to the Conejo Valley.

The team, composed of girls 11 and 12 years old, leaves this weekend for Midland, Texas, a city famous for being the hometown of President George W. Bush."

Once in Midland, the WAGS All-Stars, a group that's been playing together since May, will join 90 other girls' softball teams from around the country for a weeklong tournament. When the dust settles, only one squad will walk away as national champions.

"Coach Jim (DePippo) sat them all down at the beginning of the year and asked them what they wanted to do this year, what they wanted to get out of this," coach Scott Morrison said. "And they all wanted to win the national championship. That's their goal, they set it themselves."

Seven of the players on this year's team were on the WAGS U-10 squad that won a national title last year in San Antonio.

Shortstop Morgan Schlobohm, a seventh-grader, was part of the 2005 championship winning team. She said getting to play in the national tournament is a "pretty cool experience," and although she expects it to be very hot again in the Lone Star State, Schlobohm said the weather won't bother her team at all.

"We're going there to have fun and try to win," Schlobohm said. "Hopefully it'll be just like last year when we did so well."

DePippo, a WAGS coach since 1993, has coached a dozen tournament teams over the years. Next week will be the second time in DePippo's tenure in which he's taken a group to a national championship.

"We'll be facing the best teams in the western half of the nation," DePippo said. "Every team going has qualified and has earned their right by seeding in a tournament or winning a tournament. The competition level is far better than anything we play during the weekends."

To qualify for the trip to Midland, the WAGS group placed fourth at the state championships.

While the competition is expected to be intense, the tournament will also be a great opportunity for his girls to meet new friends and to interact with and learn from other youth softball players, the coach said.

"We definitely want them to meet as many players as they can," DePippo said. "There will be a pin-trading ceremony right after the opening ceremonies, so they can exchange pins with others at that time and get to know the girls from the other teams.

"Who knows, as these girls get older and play club softball or travel softball, these other girls could be their teammates," he said. "We definitely encourage all the camaraderie the sport brings."

Kelsey Jensen has played for WAGS for eight years-over half her life-and this will be the first time she's been to a national championship tournament, although she has previously participated in state championships.

"We have to prepare really hard and we're doing that," said Jensen, a pitcher/right fielder who bats in the middle of the team's lineup.

"The defense is a lot better now, too," she said. "Everyone is very serious on this team and we all want to win. So that's really good."

Funding for the trip has come individually from each family, DePippo said, and the team is still seeking donations to help cover travel expenses. For more information about making a contribution, visit the website www.wagsb.org.