Las Cruces softball seeks redemption in trying to win school's first state championship

Las Cruces has never won a New Mexico state softball title, let alone reach a final.

"We want to be the Las Cruces team that makes history," Bulldawgs shortstop Audrey Velasquez said. "We've been knocking on the door, and it's about time we finally win one."

Las Cruces (11-1 entering Tuesday's game at Mayfield) is certainly playing like a team on a mission. The top-ranked team in New Mexico and 60th nationally in the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings, has rarely been challenged in a season that will be defined on whether or not the team can capture that elusive state title.

"Winning district (3-5A) would be nice and being ranked No. 1 right now is cool, but we're not going to be happy unless we win the state championship," Velasquez said.

The Bulldawgs have reached the 5A state tournament semifinals in two of the last three years, only to suffer heartbreak in the process. In a 2010 semifinal, Las Cruces led Rio Rancho 5-3 in the top of the seventh inning, but was unable to hold on for the victory. A year later, the Bulldawgs were an out away from advancing to the semis when they dropped an infield popup, triggering a 2-1 loss to Carlsbad.

"We've had some horrible experiences in the state tournament," Las Cruces coach Will Garcia said. "You look at those two games (in 2010-11) and we definitely should have advanced, but sometimes you need a little bit of luck and we haven't had it. But it's good to remember those games to remind us we can never get comfortable."

There are plenty of reasons why the Bulldawgs believe they'll be able to reverse their recent state tourney misfortune, starting with sophomore first baseman and cleanup hitter Bailey Terry, who has put up numbers that Garcia said are "mind-boggling." The 5-foot-8 Terry is hitting .500 (21-for-42), with seven home runs, 28 RBIs and a 1.238 slugging percentage.

"That is absolutely the highest slugging percentage one of my players has ever produced," Garcia said. "Bailey is very powerful. She's hit a couple of balls over the 200-foot fence by at least 100 feet, no doubt. Bailey is also deceptively fast. She can turn a single into a double when she's not hitting the ball out of the park. She's got seven stolen bases, and not a lot of teams are expecting her to do that."

Velasquez said having Terry in the lineup gives the team a dimension it hasn't had in the past.

"We have a lot of consistent hitters on the team, but we don't have many who can hit it over the fence," Velasquez said. "She's a powerhouse and exactly what the team needs."

Of course, any team with championship aspirations needs a dominant pitcher in the circle, and that's exactly what Las Cruces has in junior Danette Diaz, who is 8-1 with a 1.22 ERA. Diaz utilizes a curveball and change-up to continually baffle the opposition.

"Danette is constantly changing the speed on her pitches, and hitters have a hard time getting into a rhythm against her," Garcia said. "Her curve starts above the batter's hips and drops down in to the strike zone."

Las Cruces also has a dependable No. 2 starter in sophomore Erica Polanco. The Bulldawgs' senior core nucleus of Velasquez (.500 average, 10 doubles, 13 RBIs), center fielder Alexis Dotson (.405, 17 stolen bases), third baseman Briana Minjarez and catcher Alyssa Montoya — all four-year varsity starters — are largely responsible for the team's 71-20 record the last three years, and perhaps the biggest reason why Las Cruces could finally experience a state championship breakthrough a little more than a month from now.

Velasquez plans to play at Eastern New Mexico University next year, while Dotson and Montoya are set to be playing at Pima Community College (Tucson, Ariz.), one of the premier junior college programs in the nation.

"I think our girls are so comfortable being in pressure situations now, that they can handle anything that comes their way," Garcia said. "It's going to take a lot to rattle these girls."

When the 5A state tournament starts on May 10, Las Cruces hopes the tough postseason losses it has sustained in the last three years will provide the impetus to get it over the top this season.

"We know what it's like to work hard to build up to something and then to have it all swept away in a matter of minutes," Velasquez said. "We've been close before where winning state was reachable. It's pretty much my dream and all the girls' dream to get it done. Right now, it's the only thing that matters."