Katy has an abundance of big bats as softball playoffs commence.
Since taking over at Mayde Creek, softball coach Jill Voss has put an emphasis on scouting opponents and their dangerous hitters and relaying that information to her team. Those scouting reports are in the dugout and typically list between two and five hitters with whom her pitchers should be careful. But with district rival Katy, which moved up to ninth in this week’s MaxPreps.com top 25 national rankings, the list is longer. Much longer.
“It’s all nine,” said Voss, a former Katy standout herself. “It’s benchwarmers for them. Their expectations are very high, and that is why they play the way they do.
“Losing isn’t an option for them.”
Katy (27-3) is the state’s top-ranked team in Class 6A going into the playoffs. The Tigers have two state appearances and won it all in 2015.
Starting in that championship game two years ago were current seniors Bailee Shashack, McKay Bloxham and Kylie Redding and junior Kayla Garcia. They now lead a lineup with few holes and more power than any previous team in program history.
“They’re knocking the crap out of the ball,” said longtime Katy coach Kalum Haack. “I bet this year we’ve hit more home runs than all my other teams combined.
“They’re good hitters before they get to us. It wasn’t something where we just magically made them good hitters, but we try to work on the little bitty things that will make their swings a little bit more efficient and be a little bit more successful.”
Dominant in district
In going 12-0 in District 19-6A, Katy outscored its opponents 162-12, with only one game not finishing early due to the mercy rule. The Tigers also own wins over fellow district champions Barbers Hill, Katy, Klein Collins and Corpus Christi Carroll.
The lineup’s chemistry isn’t driven by competitiveness among the players but by the hitting-is-contagious mantra routinely used by coaches. And the hits don’t stop once pitchers get past the heart of the batting order.
“We’re able to depend on each other a lot,” Garcia said. “So throughout the lineup, we’re able to know that with whoever’s next, they’ve got it, and they’ll be able to get on base. We have confidence in everybody in the lineup.”
Added Voss: “They’re going to cause havoc on the bases. They have small-ball and power hitters. And they’ve got speed on the bases. He has a package every coach would want.”
That doesn’t make Region III-6A a given for the Tigers. Alvin, Kingwood and Deer Park all finished among the state’s top 10 to end the regular season. Atascocita joins Kingwood as former Region II perennial powers moving over, while newcomer Ridge Point won 20-6A and is just two years removed from the 5A state semifinals.
Katy also must fight complacency, as it hasn’t played a close game in more than seven weeks. It’s a topic the coaches harp on. The Tigers have countered by upping the intensity in practice.
Travis up first
They’ll know where they are starting Thursday in a one-game playoff at home against Travis.
“I think we learned a lot from (the early part of schedule),” Haack said. “When we see those teams later in the future, those teams will have improved and made some adjustments to what we’re going to do, but I’m hoping we’ve improved and we’ll make some adjustments also.
“We’re getting ready to see better teams and better pitching … but I think we’ll be all right.”