Sure, there’s no “I” in team, but every tribe must have a chief.
For the Indians II, Santa Maria’s 12 and Under Girls’ All-Star softball team, it’s starting pitcher Hannah Diaz, a fixture of the team’s run to the Amateur Softball Association’s Nationals tournament.
The Indians’ No. 1 hurler, Diaz has played softball since the age of 5, and has felt at home on the mound almost from the start.
“I like how you’re right there next to the batter,” she said. “I feel I need work on some areas, but I’ve been doing pretty good.”
Not one to hog the spotlight, Diaz gave all the credit for her success this year to her teammates.
“[Opponents] hit the ball off me, but my team backs me up. They make the plays for me,” she said. “We do everything as a team.”
As a group, the Indians II fashioned a superb summer, recently finishing second to Goleta in the Metro Qualifier tournament held at the Hagerman Sports Complex. Overall, Diaz led the team to five tournaments this season, winning one and taking second in the rest.
“We call her our workhorse,” said Indians manager and Diaz’s father Jason. “We use her a lot. She’s a big difference between what’s being done and not being done on the mound.”
Though the team has its share of standout players, the elder Diaz stressed, the Indians’ run wouldn’t have been possible without a group effort.
“This is one of the best sets of girls we’ve ever put together,” he said. “It takes every girl’s effort on offense and defense. They all make a difference one way or another.”
The Indians II also qualified for the Nationals in 2009. In her second year with the team, Diaz is thrilled to return to the tournament along with other familiar faces.
“They’re great,” she said of her teammates. “It’s like having another family.”
The 12-year-old recently finished classes at Tunnell Elementary and is headed to Kuntz Junior High. She’s looking forward to moving up to Division III in the city recreational league and pitching at the high school level someday.
This article appears in Jul 15-22, 2010.
