[image-2]
Perfection. It’s a rarity in athletics, but the girls of the Orcutt Khaos, the 10-and-under fast-pitch champions of the Orcutt Youth Softball League, are making it look like a walk in the park.
At odds with their nickname, the Khaos are in actuality a finely tuned machine. Undefeated in 18 games this season, they’re the top-ranked 10U softball team in the entire region, an area stretching from Fresno to Goleta.
“I’ve been coaching for 15 years, and I’ve never seen a team come together so quick and do what they do,” said team manager Ray Pacheco. “They never quit. They never give up. They play hard every inning.”
On June 26, the Khaos took their perfect season to the next level, qualifying for the Amateur Softball Association’s Western National Championships by virtue of taking the top spot in the Central California ASA’s year-end championships. More than 40 teams will arrive in Clovis to compete at the ASA Nationals, taking place Aug. 1 to 8.
According to Pacheco, on the road to the championships, the Khaos have proven their character, picking up the slack for each other and pulling together to win some come-from-behind ballgames.
“The girls just gelled together,” Pacheco said. “For being so young, it’s like they turn it off and on when they need to. When someone’s struggling in a game, [they pick] each other up.”
Few teams ever reach the championship grounds, but for six Khaos players, this will be their second trip in as many years. Last season, the team, known as the Rampage, finished ninth out of 42 teams at the
tournament.
Ray’s daughter Adiana, the team’s second baseman, is heading back to the tournament after playing with the Rampage last season. In her seven years playing softball, it’s the first time she’s been part of a team that hasn’t lost a single game.
“It’s exciting, like it was last year,” Adiana said. “It’s a better experience since we’re undefeated. We’re a pretty good team.”
[image-3] [image-4]
Rightfielder Seyenna Cavazos, 11, also played for the Rampage last year, and said the Khaos are getting the job done this season by working as a team.
“It’s exciting because all the girls who didn’t get to go last year get to go this year,” Cavazos said. “We just have a target on our back, but I know we can do it in the end.”
An All-Star team selected from the Orcutt league’s year-end tryouts, the Khaos roster features 14 girls ranging in age from 8 to 10. No one superstar stands out above the rest; it’s a well-balanced squad Pacheco said he could count on from top to bottom.
“I have options on this team,” Pacheco said. “I can pull girls from the outfield to play infield, and pull girls off the bench to get a hit. It’s amazing how much talent is on this team, and they’re only getting better.”
Pitcher Zane Sheckherd, 10, is the ace of the Khaos’ staff. In her fourth year as an All-Star, Sheckherd said knowing her team can beat anybody in the area has built up the team’s confidence to the highest level.
“Every day we come out here to practice, we always key on and do everything we’re told to,” she said. “If we make a mistake we just learn from that mistake.”
So far this season, Sheckherd has amassed a record of 13-0, with 102 strikeouts in 67.5 innings pitched. She also leads the team with 27 hits. Not one to brag about her own accomplishments, Sheckherd gave all the credit for her success on the mound to her teammates.
“They do their job. I can trust them,” she said. “Some games I don’t have to pitch as hard and wear out my arms. I can just pitch slow and know they’re back there and helpful, instead of me having to throw my hardest every single game.”
[image-5] [image-6]
About half of the Khaos players are going to the nationals for the first time, including third baseman Amaya Hernandez, who’s racked up a batting average of .426.
“I’m excited because I’ve never been there and I heard it’s a lot of fun,” Hernandez said. “I’m looking forward to just playing my favorite game, having fun, trying my hardest and being with my team.”
First time All-Star Daisy Esparza, a 10-year-old outfielder/pitcher, said she looks forward to spending more time with her friends and bringing a softball championship home to Orcutt.
“We help each other. We try to pick one another up when somebody’s down,” she said. “My teammates are good friends, and they help me out when I’m down.”
The Khaos have won all four tournaments they’ve entered this year. As a tune-up for the nationals, the team was scheduled to hold its own tournament during the Fourth of July weekend, but no opponents signed up to play.
Before heading to Clovis, the Khaos will compete in at least one more tournament in Santa Maria, and possibly another down south. To afford the trip to the nationals, the players and their parents will be taking part in fundraising efforts, including cow chip bingo, barbecues, and accepting donations. It’s the part of the experience Adiana Pacheco said she’s looking forward to the most—besides winning.
“I think we’ve progressed pretty much since the first practice. I can’t wait to see the end of the season,” Adiana said. “It’s a good feeling.”
Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas knows it’s more than a feeling. Send comments to jthomas@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 7-14, 2011.