This year, there are five freshmen on the varsity girls softball team: pitchers Maya Balangi and Camilla Guardado, infielders Kalia Tenedor and Athena Alvarez, and Ileana Bar del Meyer, a utility player, girls varsity softball coach Deana Querubin said.
The freshmen girls on the varsity team have a set of skills that the varsity coaching staff knew were needed on the team, Querubin said. The staff was fortunate enough that the freshmen were in positions that they needed, she added.
“We knew that we just needed more depth when it comes to the infield, with the defense, and then we just needed also players who can hit,” she said. “We have a pretty good upper class — the juniors, seniors, and sophomores. So, we wanted to just choose people to contribute.”
Bar del Meyer started playing when she was four years old, she said.
“I started with rec and 6U, and then I just went all the way up until 14U,” Meyer said. “And then I quit, and came back in high school.”
Alveraz was really happy about her varsity selection, she said. She didn’t think she was going to be selected for a little bit, she added.
When she found out she made the team, “it felt refreshing,” Alvarez said. “It took a weight off my shoulder. It was relieving.”
When you are on a team with upperclassmen, you do have to fight for your spot a lot, Tenedor said.
“You have to prove that you deserve to play there over upperclassmen,” Tenedor said.
There’s also a sense of having to play well, Alveraz said.
“There’s a lot of pressure on you to do well, just because there are all these seniors that have been playing for so long and D1 commits,” she said. “It’s just having to remember that you’ve been playing this game.”
Querubin’s never been shy about taking freshmen on the varsity team, she said. Since the skill difference between JV and varsity softball is significant, it’s really hard to jump into softball and be good at it, Querubin added.
“You have to have developed skills at this point in time to be able to play at a high level,” Querubin said. “So for me, if I see that there are freshmen who have skills and can contribute to what we have, then I’m not shy about taking freshmen.”
They try to build a family culture within the team, Querubin said. As staff, they try their best to empower the freshmen and reassure them that they belong with us, she added.
“Even with the upperclassmen, we just make sure to say, ‘Hey, your teammate, who’s a freshman, might be unsure of themselves, but when they feel and hear reassurance or confidence from you as an upperclassman, that’s empowering,’” Querubin said. “We definitely try to foster that type of camaraderie and friendship within our team. We can always set the environment, but it’s up to the girls to keep fostering that, and they’ve been doing a good job about it.”
The experience so far has been good, Guardado said.
“It’s been nice playing with older girls and getting to know all of their knowledge,” Guardado said.
Tenedor loves their team because they have a lot of experience and many leaders to guide them, she said.
“If we need anyone, they’ll always be there,” Tenedor said.
The freshmen’s goal for the season is to get better overall, Alveraz said.
They would like to get “to where the seniors are now, and how they’re able to know the game so well and play through every play so smoothly,” she said.
Querubin is excited about this season, she said. She thinks they’re in a good place to start rebuilding and regrowing, she added.
“We had a little bit of a tough season last year, but I think this year, with our upperclassmen and with our freshmen, we can really build something we could be proud of and get to the postseason.”
