New coach, same result for Klein Oak
Second consecutive district title just business as usual for Panthers
The Klein Oak Panthers softball team not only repeated as District 15-6A champions in their first year under coach Lise DeBruin, who replaced longtime coach Jav Vela, they went undefeated, finishing 14-0. Above, senior catcher Rebecca Snow leads the offense with a .662 batting average and 28 RBIs from the cleanup spot.
Klein Oak didn’t skip a beat.
The Panthers softball team not only repeated as District 15-6A champions in their first year under coach Lise DeBruin, who replaced longtime coach Jav Vela, they went undefeated, finishing 14-0.
“It was a smooth transition,” DeBruin said.
“Obviously, I took over a good program, which made it easier to come in and try to continue what had been going on.”
It helped that DeBruin had eight seniors on her first roster at Klein Oak.
They provided the leadership and experience that helped the Panthers navigate district without a loss.
The Panthers shared the district title with Spring last season.
“We had everyone on the team step in and contribute something big at some point during district, and we’re hoping to continue that in the playoffs,” DeBruin said.
Klein Oak opens the Class 6A Region II playoffs with a best-of-three bi-district series with The Woodlands.
DeBruin hopes their pre-district schedule helped prepare them.
The Panthers saw several tough teams before 156A play began, including Atascocita, Seven Lakes, Barbers Hill and Kingwood.
They dropped all four games, but they were close, and they’ve improved since then.
“We played some really good teams in the preseason, and we played all of them close, which gives us confidence heading into the playoffs that we can play with the best teams out there,” DeBruin said.
Klein Oak outscored its opponents 79-2 in the second round of district.
Its toughest contest came in the first round, when Spring scored two runs in the sixth to force extra innings, then took a 5-3 led in the eighth before Oak rallied with three runs in the bottom of the eighth.
“That was big for our season,” DeBruin said.
“It was a big turning point, in that they gained confidence that even when they were behind they have a chance to come back.”
Pitcher Taylor Makowsky gave them confidence in the circle.
The senior went 14-0 in district and has 110 strikeouts and a 1.20 ERA in 97 innings pitched this season.
She also boasts a .509 batting average with four home runs.
“She’s a senior, so she has lots of experience, she throws the ball hard (and) she also has good offspeed when she needs it,” DeBruin said.
“She’s just very competitive.”
Makowsky also had help from a defense that improved steadily through district.
“Defense is something that we have stressed,” DeBruin said. “Early on in the season we were making a handful of errors a game, and throughout district we cut that down. We had minimal errors in district.
“The pitching was great, but she didn’t just strike everybody out, so our defense played well behind her.”
Senior catcher Rebecca Snow leads the offense with a .662 batting average and 28 RBIs from the cleanup spot.
She’s only struck out twice in 80 plate appearances.
Junior shortstop Sarah Briers, the leadoff, is hitting .591 with 31 runs scored, and sophomore first baseman Kaitlyn Bagby has 30 RBIs.
Klein Oak and The Woodlands play Thursday, Friday and Saturday, if necessary.
“They’re a good team, (and) they come from a really strong district,” DeBruin said. “They beat Atascocita this year, who we played against, and I know they’re a really good team. And with our location, we’re so close together, a lot of these kids know each other. They play with each other outside of school, and so that always causes a little bit of a rivalry.”
Klein Oak returned to the playoffs last year after sitting out in 2013 and 2014, but it lost in the first round. The team hasn’t advanced past the first round since 2009.
“Having The Woodlands as an opponent makes it a tough first round, but we think we have what we need, if we do everything we need to do, to make it through,” DeBruin said.