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PAGE B-8 THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
Lady Bulldogs begin with 005-0 record
BY CANDACE BEGODY
NAVAJO TIMES
lineup and solidify positions, we
will be looking good."
Rotating as pitchers are freshman
Halle Hayes, junior Kelly Puth, and
senior Mellory Smith.
"They're all very good in their
own ways and depending on
who we are up against, that will
determine who pitches," said
Barris.
Winslow has won 10 consecutive
regional championships. The team
won its first state title last year after
defeating Estrella Foothills, 4-3 -
the school's first title since 1988
and the first in Bards' career.
They ended their season with an
overall record of 36-2, with losses
to Nevada and California teams.
The year before their state-title
year, the team was runner-up to
Blue Ridge at the state tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs will head
to a tournament in Payson this
weekend.
"The tournament this weekend
will give us a good idea of where
we are at," Bards said.
Winslow's Gabby Stacey
(4) takes off from third
base during a game
against the Chinle
Wildcats on Tuesday in
Chinle. (Times photo -
Paul Natonabah)
WINDOW ROCK - The Winslow
Lady Bulldogs, the defending state
softball champions, are starting off
the season right.
They have started with a winning
streak of 5-0, with wins against
Tuba City (4-0), Payson, (6-4),
Valley (21-0), Greyhills (23-0) and
Chinle (21-0).
"We're just a little bit different
that last year," said 1 I-year head
coach Becky Bards.
The team returned six starters
- including the team's two-time
defensive player of the year
Gabrielle Stacey - from last Year
and welcomed 18 freshmen to the
roster.
"The freshman lack high school
experience but they do have a lot
of game experience," Barris said.
"All the kids have done a great job
so far."
The team graduated four starters
from last year's lineup - three
of whom are currently playing
for South Mountain Community
College and the other is playing
at Paradise Valley Community
College, both in Phoenix.
Until the team finalizes its batting
lineup, Barris said the strongest
bunch is her pitching staff.
-I have a very talented group of
kids," Bards said. "The challenge
has been finding the right mix.
Once I have finalized a batting
TC softball team focuses on fundamentals
BY CANDACE BEGODY
NAVAJO TIMES
GANADO, Ariz. - This year,
fans and opponents can expect the
Tuba City Lady Warriors to bring
a college-style kind of game to the
softball fields.
"The coaching staff attends a
lot of coaching clinics and we
find things that we can use in our
programs," said Tuba City's third-
year head coach Jon Yazzie. "Every
university we've visited is playing
in the Pac- 10. so that is the style we
are pl"/i[ig on our team."
The coaches have instilled in the
Lady Warriors from those clinics
one thing that is sure to impress
fans - fundamentals at their finest.
"We use fundamentals," said
Yazzie. "We throw exactly the way
colleges want - the glove, hand,
even our footwork - they are all
fundamentally sound.
"We like to emulate the
University of Arizona's style,"
Yazzie added. "Every university
has a research and development
team and we take those th's and
apply them t
The Lady
3-1, with double-header wins
against Greyhills (24-4, 14-4), and
Ganado (19-2). Theironly loss was
to the defending state champions
in a near-shutout - the Winslow
Bulldogs (12-1).
Last year, the Lady Warriors
finished their season with a 16-3
record and were No. 4 in the 3A
North region. They were runners-
up in the regional tournament
to Winslow and lost in the first
round of the 3A state tournament
to improve and as much as I'd like
to say we'll be in the final four, we
are just setting our goals one day at
a time. The only team that seems
to fluster us is Winslow."
Yazzie said every inch of
preparation was for Winslow. But
this year, that has changed.
"We are changing it up by first
improving ourselves as a team and
refocusing our priorities," he said.
"We are preparing for every team
individually.'"
to.nofiake with a score of 12-3. The team graduated six senior
to get better from. starters from last year's squad.
1. "We want "We have no seniors on the
or Invisalign
team and we are pretty young,"
Yazzie said. "The core of team is
sophomores. We are still hoping to
be competitive.".
Four have stepped up including
sophomore pitcher Shiniya Henry.
"I think we're looking pretty
good," said Henry. "We can go
farther than last year because we
are getting better at our batting,
learning how to communicate
All of our players are helping one
another, and we aren't letting our
age get in the way of things. We
have pushed past our young age."
Others leading the team are
sophomore catcher Juliett Yazzie,
junior centerfielder Kailee
Birdinground and Jalen Posey, a
junior at third base.
"Shiniya is very competitive,
she works hard and has good work
ethic," Yazzie said. "She didn't
play much last year due to ankle
injury but she is coming back
strong this year."
This will be Henry's first year as
a starting pitcher for the team.
"She's got great speed and great
location," Yazzie added.
Last year. Juliett Yazzie batted
.393 and had 17 steals for the team.
"She is doing good this year,"
Yazzie said. "She started the year a
little rusty but she's getting better.
She was the only one who scored
against Winslow and batted a cycle
against Ganado - a single, double,
triple and a home run."
Of Posey, Yazzie said, "She is
definitely a big hitter for us and
she has great hands at third. She
can dig up a hard line drive, she's
got good reflexes and she can hit.
The first day at practice she already
put a few over the fence and that's
something we will build off of."
Birdinground also hit two
doubles, a single and a triple
against Ganado.
"She's got some speed and i
great arm," Yazzie said.
The Lady Warriors will host
Holbrook Tuesday, travel to Red
Mesa next Thursday for a double
header and then host Ganado next
Friday.
"We're not trying to win a state
championship yet," Yazzie said.
"We tend to play at the other
team's level rather than setting
the pace and right now we are just
celebrating any improvements and
then building off of that."
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