BATTLE CREEK – It wasn’t their sport and it wasn’t their practice time. But the entire Lakeview softball team was in the school cafeteria to support one of their teammates as she was focused on her bowling future.
If team chemistry was part of the scoreboard, the Spartans might already be state champs.
And, since team chemistry might not be everything, but it is a big part of any program’s success, Lakeview is a district champion once again and has a chance at more future trophies, as they are still alive in the softball postseason.
MORE: Lakeview wins district championship in softball
“That says a lot about the camaraderie of this team. Their teammate was signing to join the bowling team at KCC, and the whole team was their to support her,” Lakeview coach Jason McCullough said. “These girls have been together since sixth grade, they are always there for each other, and that has a lot to do with their success.”
Lakeview (18-19-1) is heading to the Division 1 regionals in the Michigan High School Athletic Association state softball tournament with the Spartans playing Howell (17-11) at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 6 at Hartland High School.
The Spartans are led by a group of seven seniors who have been playing together for seven seasons. They were part of the start of a Lakeview middle school softball program that was designed to create the current success the team is enjoying this season.
“(Former coach) Brian (Ratliff) had me start that middle school program and this group was the first set of sixth graders we had,” McCullough said. “Then, it was about getting better numbers in the program. We were down numbers and it’s hard to be competitive when the numbers were so low. So the middle school program started and soon we had about 30 kids in that program per class and that really helped. It was a big part of what he envisioned going forward. And this is part of that kind of foresight.”
Top Lakeview pitcher Angelia Palma, who hurled a five-inning no-hitter in the district title game last week, said those early days are why winning has become part of the Spartan program.
“Our team chemistry is great,” Palma said. “To win games, you have to have good team chemistry and the fact we have played together for so many years really helps.
“The middle school program they started made a huge difference. Playing together in sixth, seven and eighth grade made a difference for us and can make a difference for future groups. Younger girls are coming to our games and they see what it takes to win and I think that can help build the program.”
Along with Palma, Lakeview’s senior group includes Claire VanDis, Brooklyn Berning, Kelsey Krick, Madison Lancaster, Payton O’Brien, Jordan Edwards.
Extra time together, extra games, since middle school, have all made their high school years more successful.
“Lot of softball IQ and skill development was gained,” McCullough said. “Pace of play is so much faster nowadays and these girls learning and developing at a younger level and getting game reps has been huge.”
After winning a title on Saturday, the group has now won a district championship in two of the last three years, plus winning a share of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference crown during that time.
“I think the amount of time we have played together plays a role in the success we’ve had,” VanDis said. “All that time helps how we mesh during the game. Winning our sophomore year gave us a boost of confidence that we really needed, showed us we could beat some of the teams we haven’t beaten in the past. Now, we want to leave it all on the field and see how far we can go.”
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Experience of these seven seniors has Lakeview softball heading to regionals
Reporting by Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
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By Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
