CAN’T-MISS KID—Oak Park High junior third baseman Christie Langlois has been red-hot at the plate this season. Through 14 games she posted a .619 batting average and hit five home runs. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers Christie Langlois is the girl, the myth, the legend.

Langlois puts up mythical numbers that would make the Loch Ness Monster shrivel into a banana slug.

Her softball statistics are the stuff of fables and folklore. Stories will be passed down from generation to generation, in the spirit of Babe Ruth, Paul Bunyan and Rip Van Winkle.

Through 14 games the Oak Park High junior produced a .619 batting average, 1.262 slugging percentage, five home runs, 24 RBI and 15 runs scored—all while displaying a vacuumlike glove at third base.

Christie Langlois. Remember the name.

“She’s got the whole package,” Oak Park head coach Roger Newell said. “That comes from a love of softball.”

Langlois hits for power and average.

She’s hit safely in every game this season except a tournament outing against Royal in which the junior walked three times.

“I came into this year with a different mentality,” Langlois said. “I’m older and more confident. . . .

“I’ve never really hit this well before. I didn’t expect to hit so well.”

The Eagle constantly works on her mechanics, keeping her hands inside the ball and generating more power from her legs.

She can hammer pitches on the inside or outside part of the plate. She’s also working on her opposite-field power.

Newell said Langlois makes precise adjustments at the plate.

“She adapts so quickly to everything,” the skipper said. “She’s one of those kids you don’t have to coach a lot. She’s very good at making adjustments.

“She’s very cognizant of her ‘weaknesses,’ if you can call them that. She can hit all types of balls she sees.”

Teammates marvel a t Langlois’ skill in the batter’s box and on the field.

“Her hitting is unbelievable,” said junior second baseman Kelsey Haines. “She leads by example and her positivity in the dugout. She’s real supportive of the younger girls on the team.

“We all look up to her.”

Junior catcher Emily Dinino agreed with Haines.

“She’s very funny, competitive and fun to be around,” Dinino said of Langlois. “She keeps our spirits high. She’s encouraging, and she makes us all be better, focused players.

“She’s an inspiring player and a great friend on and off the field.”

Is there anything Langlois needs to work on?

“I always have to work on everything,” Langlois said. “For offense, I want to hit with more power to the right side. On defense, I want to have better bunt coverage.”

Dinino laughed.

“There’s not much she has to work on,” Dinino said.

Langlois, 16, is focused on the team goals: win a Tri-Valley League championship and make a deep postseason scamper. She also wants to maintain her stellar batting average.

She started playing softball at age 7 with Westlake Agoura Girls Softball Association.

Now a year- round player, Langlois has always enjoyed competing on the diamond, even for six and a half hours on most Sundays.

She still gets jitters before games, believe it or not.

“I love it,” she said. “It’s my favorite sport. I’m lucky to still like it. And I still get nervous before every game.”

Langlois isn’t the only Eagle enjoying a solid season.

Morgan Schlobohm (. 462 batting average, 19 runs, nine stolen bases), Morgan Simmons (.394 batting average), Carly Silliman (.326 batting average, 13 RBI), Haines (.375 batting average), Kelsey Jensen (.375 batting average) and Taylor Deshotel (10 RBI) have also been raking the ball at the plate for Oak Park (9-5 overall, 3-0 in league).

Before every game, Langlois, Dinino and Haines apply eye black and smear it across their faces.

“It looks cool,” Dinino said. “It’s intimidating.”

As if teams weren’t already scared of Langlois.

Langlois’ brother Bryan suits up for Pepperdine’s baseball team after starring at Oak Park.

An honors student with a 3.4 grade-point average, Langlois plays for the Combat Panthers travel softball squad.

To her fellow Eagles, Langlois is the consummate teammate. She’s not afraid to crack jokes or pull good-natured pranks on teammates and coaches.

“She may be intimidating to other teams. But to her teammates, she’s just one of the girls,” Newell said. “She’s a great kid.”