Stars begin season with tourney victory

     By W.G. Ramirez
     View staff writer
      Coming in second can become contagious, and though it can be quite an accomplishment among hundreds of teams, it also becomes frustrating.
      Maybe that is why the Vegas Stars 18-and-under fastpitch softball team decided to begin its 1999 campaign on a winning note.
      After making it a habit to finish second in tournaments last year, including the 128-team American Fastpitch Association National Championships in Shawnee, Kan., the Stars shined two weeks ago in the Amateur Softball Association's 1999 Las Vegas Junior Olympic Classic.
      Blitzing the field, the Stars went 6-0 to capture the title.
      "People keep asking me why I continue coming back each season, rather than finally taking a summer off," said Stars coach Chuck Pope, who coaches at Silverado High School. "It's because Las Vegas girls can play with anyone in the country. After enduring the grind of a high school season, these all-stars make it a joy to coach."
      Especially when his team is winning.
      The Stars averaged more than nine runs a game, while allowing less than a run per game.
      The locals were led by April Arata in the championship game, as the Wichita State-bound shortstop went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in a 9-3 win over Southern California's Destiny.
      "We could have easily fell back into our 1998 way and let this team get past us, but the girls never let up," Pope said. "There was one point I thought for sure they had our number, but nope, the girls weren't going to let that happen."
      Pope was speaking about the third inning, with the game tied at 3. Destiny loaded the bases with one out, but pitcher Tiffany Finateri struck out one batter and made the next ground out to second to get out of the jam.
      From there, the Boston University-bound hurler retired 12 of the last 15 batters she faced to shut Destiny down.
      The Stars hit .438 (77-for-176) for the tournament, and were led at the plate by Kristen Toner (.600, one double, five runs and three stolen bases), Sara Bausher (.550, one double, two triples and four runs scored), Stormy Hanson (.545, one double, two triples and nine runs scored) and Chrystal Stevens (.500, two doubles, one triple, two home runs and eight runs scored).
      "From last year, this team is young, but they're good," said Stevens, who finished 12th in the nation in Division I hitting after her freshman season with Southern Mississippi. "There are some new faces on this team, but you can't tell they're young after watching them play together."
      Stevens, the 1998 Sunset Division Player of the Year, and Nicole Truax, the 1998 Sunrise Division Pitcher of the Year who now pitches for UNLV, returned to spend the summer with the Stars.
      "We've been burnt out with a long season and competing with a (women's) open team would probably be tougher," Truax said. "Doing this is a bit easier because with an open team, that would have meant traveling to California for practices and games."
      It also meant the Stars instantly have a shot at returning to nationals with a legitimate chance at capturing the title.
      After talking to most of the players from last summer's squad, Bausher said this year's version of the Stars has started much better than last year's.
      "We've just clicked once we got back together," she said. "We were all glad that high school was over and that we were all getting back together. I've also noticed the excitement that grew within the team once Coley and Chrystal arrived. Everyone was thrilled that we were going to get to play with them again, especially with Chrystal coming back from the College World Series."
      The main focus for travel ball is to get exposure for aspiring young softball players looking to take their game to the collegiate level.
      With five players spoken for (two in college and three signed), several graduates are hoping they can get looked at and still make it to the next level.
      "I think we carried the momentum over from state," said Hanson, who played for Silverado, which finished in second place at last month's state tournament. "I'm going to go out and have fun. I play hard every day, and hopefully someone will see that. I mean, I still want to play, but I'm not going to be out here to think about all that. I'm just out here to play, and if something good happens from that, so be it."
      Finateri said she plans to make the best of her summer, since it will likely be the last chance to play with many of the girls she has played with for at least four years now.
      "I'm just really trying to have fun," she said. "I'm also trying to learn everything I can from Pope."
      For players like Bausher, who still has two years ahead of her, it's all about getting their names out.
      "All I really want is to get on some lists and have a few coaches see me play," Bausher said.
      The remaining members of the Stars include several all-state, all-conference and all-division players, including: Silverado's Toner, Emilee Moores and Mindy Ogan; Bonanza's Bausher; Durango's Tisha Salamino and Sara Spenia; 1999 graduates Arata, Christina Conrad, Finateri, Hanson, Jody Lupo, Courtney McCandless; and, 1998 graduates Stevens and Truax.