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PGSL Diamonds reach Western Nationals

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The Poway Girls Softball League’s 14U Diamonds All-Star team had been hit with a wave of setbacks at the worst possible time – during the North San Diego District championships.

No matter where head coach Doug Vick looked, there seemed to be someone hurting in his view. One girl was throwing up sick. Another was out with a back injury. His catcher courageously played in right field with a splint on her dislocated finger, just so the Diamonds could field enough players in the semi finals of the winners bracket.

But then came the knockout blow. The Diamonds’ second baseman took a shot to the knee on the final out of the third game in the tournament and could not continue. That left PGSL with just seven players and Vick was forced to tell the tournament director they would have to forfeit in the semifinals and settle for third place.

The bad news was a chance at a championship was lost. The good news was the Diamonds had done enough to qualify for the state tournament, which meant Vick had to deliver on his promise of letting the girls wear white pants.

“That really was their motivator to get to state,” Vick said. “They wore white pants every day at state.”

Back to full strength and beaming in their white pants, the Diamonds shined at the state tournament in Lancaster and became the first PGSL all-star team to qualify for the Western National Championships since the 14U team did it back in 2006.

The Diamonds went 4-2 and took fourth place at state to earn a spot in the ASA 14U B Western Nationals. The opening ceremony, which features a parade and a skills competition, is slated for Tuesday in La Habra. Pool play for the 51-team tournament will start July 27 and bracket play begins July 29.

“The core of this team has been together since the fall of 2014,” said Vick, whose coaching staff includes his daughter Caylee Vick, a Poway High graduate and former PGSL player, Bob Kates and Eddie Chapman. Neither Vick nor Chapman have a daughter on the team. “Only two of the girls had ever played in the state tournament and none of them have played in nationals. It should be a lot of fun.”

If the Diamonds (23-8-2 overall record) continue to pound the softball around the yard like they have been, it will be even more fun. The team batted a blistering .493 in the district tournament and followed that up with a .326 performance in the state tournament.

Left-hander Corissa Burgoyne, who stepped in to pitch the game that qualified the Diamonds to the state tournament, leads the team in hits (54), batting average (.651) and home runs (six). Cassandra Hoppe, a catcher, is not far behind, hitting .508. Sophia Knapp, one of the team’s top pitchers, is hitting .400. Kaitlyn Praught, Elena Burge, Riley Barger and Izzy Chacon are all hitting over .336.

“We are a really great hitting team,” Vick said. “We put up a lot of runs and we do it with power hitting and speed and our defense is one of the best I have seen let alone coach.”

Barger and Knapp are the top two hurlers. Barger has pitched over 86 innings this all-star season and has been the workhorse for the Diamonds in the circle. Both Knapp and Barger pitched well in the state tournament to help the Diamonds advance to nationals. The Diamonds will be close to full strength for their final tournament, only missing one player (Burge) due to a broken thumb which she suffered during her last at bat at the state tournament.

“Our catcher is down so that will hurt us, but we picked up a 12U girl to help us,” Vick said. “Overall, I think we have a good chance to do well and we are hoping to place in the top six at least.”

The best PGSL has ever showed at the national tournament is a runner-up finish by the 14U team in 2006. That team was coached by Richard Shea, who offered up some advice for this year’s 14U team.

“Embrace the experience, but don’t let it consume you,” he said. “Ultimately, you have to stick with what got you there and not try to be something you aren’t. It is a big stage and you will experience many challenges and unexpected twists and turns along the way so you have to rely on your instincts, routines and relationships with your teammates that you have built over the season to get you through as opposed to trying to play at a higher level or changing things just because it is nationals.

“The teams you will see are different than in California, many are bigger, stronger and more aggressive but not necessarily better. Just play your game and that will give you the best chance to win … I know my players to this day say their experience at nationals was a life highlight. So, bottom line is have purpose, but also have fun.”

Having fun has been no problem for the Diamonds, especially with coach Caylee Vick around.

“My daughter is only 18 so she is close to them,” Doug said. “She knows them well and gets them together before the game and rallies them up. She is kind of the leader of the group.”

Doug knows his team will represent Poway well.

“I want them to remember the experience and how fun it was to be around other teams from all over and being in the top 50 in the western United States and knowing they are representing Poway and that they always believed they are that good and deserved to be there,” he said. “I know they will go out there and play hard for the name on the front of their jersey instead of the one on the back.”

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