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Athlete of the Week: Sullivan coming up huge for Titans

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Just earning a starting spot as a freshman on the loaded Poway High softball team is impressive. But to then perform at the level Colleen Sullivan has this season is jaw-dropping.

Sullivan, who committed to UCLA last November, is hitting .418 with five home runs and 28 RBIs. The right-handed hitter has struck out just four times, moving from near the bottom of the lineup in the beginning of the season to the No. 5 slot now.

“She has real good power with a nice short stroke,” said Poway coach Jim Bennet. “It is not like she is trying to hit home runs. She just has a lot of power and most of her home runs are line drives.”

Sullivan has played her best in the biggest games for the Titans. In the prestigious Michelle Carew Classic, she homered twice and was named to the all-tournament team while helping Poway finish in second place.

Now she is delivering in the postseason. Sullivan had a three-run homer and five RBIs against Cathedral Catholic in the second round of the San Diego Section Open Division playoffs. That performance helped the Titans advance to Thursday’s upper-bracket final.

“It was amazing,” Sullivan said of her home run against the Dons. “I personally really wanted to win that game because there are a couple players on that team I have known for a long time. That was probably the biggest game of the year for me. I focused on that game more than any other.”

Sullivan has had to get accustomed to a few changes while playing at the varsity level. In travel ball she plays the field and hits, but for the Titans she is only hitting the majority of the time. Learning to stay in the game mentally was a challenge.

“It is definitely an adjustment,” said Sullivan, who can catch or play third base. “I am not really used to it, but it helped me see a whole new side. I realize how important it is to keep my energy up in the dugout because that affects the mood of the team. I think I have more mental strength now because it is harder to stay in the game when you are not on the field.”

Bennet has had no trouble with Sullivan staying in games.

“She is always in the game,” Bennet said. “She is a real smart kid. She will remember what the opposing batter did their last at-bat and tell me before I even ask her.”

It hasn’t been all highs for Sullivan, though. She struggled with the bat during Palomar League play. She was hitless in 15 straight appearances at one point.

“She was down a little bit about it,” Bennet said. “But she kept working hard in batting practice and she is still learning how to hit all kinds of different pitching.”

Said Sullivan: “It was discouraging, but it was good because it opened my eyes and made me realize that I am not always going to hit well. It showed me that I still have to keep my energy up for my team even if I am not hitting.”

Sullivan has also learned how to deal with the pressure of committing to a big-time program like UCLA at such a young age.

“I was nervous at first of living up to that,” she said. “But Bennet pulled me aside and basically told me that I am not at UCLA right now and I still have four years until I get there. So, I don’t even acknowledge it. I just think about this team and the goals we are working toward.”

That would be an Open Division championship. Sullivan thinks the team has what it takes to win its first section crown since 2002.

“I think we have all the tools to do it,” she said. “We are working really hard and we just have an awesome vibe going. I think we have confidence in ourselves and who are as a team, and I think that is going to carry us to the title.”

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