Surging Kennedy softball looking to make noise in 4A

We've seen it before. A Denver Prep League team has a marvelous regular season then struggles when the playoffs arrive.

Kennedy (Denver) is seeking to rewrite that script this fall, and there is reason to believe things might be different for these Commanders.

Kennedy (16-2) not only is having an eye-catching regular season. The Commanders are obliterating foes to the tune of a 100-7 scoring margin in league play and 185-35 overall. Their nonleague schedule was peppered with playoff-type foes and the Commanders held their own, part of the reason they ended the week ranked No. 8 in the Class 4A poll.

"We've got a great group and they're just really talented," second-year coach Michael LaGuardia said. "We were young before – and we're still young with only one senior on the entire team – but we kept getting better over the summer and it's finally showing on the field."

Sophomore Mikayla Marquez has been a terror in the batter's box and on the mound, helping pace an energetic group that has been exceedingly proficient on the defensive side of the diamond. Marquez is batting .677 with 35 RBI and has compiled a 9-2 record with an 0.95 ERA to go with 79 strikeouts in just a little more than 66 innings.

LaGuardia is hesitant to call it a "breakout year" for Marquez, because he was anticipating she would be this good after a solid freshman season. While Marquez has taken a giant step forward, her team has followed suit.

"I think the biggest plus for us this year has been the bond that we share," Marquez said. "I think last year our bond wasn't as strong, and this year we are really relying on each other. We depend on each other a lot and that's been one of the biggest factors to our success."

Among the Commanders' additional key contributors are sophomore catcher Arianna Valdez (.594, 20 RBI) and juniors Alyssa Lucero (first base/center field), Destiny DeHerrera (shortstop) and Aysia Phinpraphat (third base).

LaGuardia previously served as a defensive line coach for the Lakewood football team and was on the staff when the Tigers, then in the DPL, magically worked their way to the 5A title game in 2011 against Columbine. Those Tigers had to "earn their stripes," LaGuardia said, and he is preaching the same message with the Commanders. Outsiders aren't going to truly notice until Kennedy ousts one of 4A's stalwarts in the playoffs.

"Coach LaGuardia is awesome," Marquez said. "He's a coach, but he's kind of like a dad to all of us. He's there for any situation we may have and we all know we can go to him. I think having that aspect to it really builds the relationship and helps us when we play as a team."

Kennedy's regular-season finale is Monday against Denver South, but the Commanders have kept their two scrimmage dates open. That will allow LaGuardia to schedule playoff-type foes in the upcoming week to serve as a postseason-prep tool. While the coach believes the DPL has done a good job to increase the competitiveness of its squads, it won't hurt to face a marquee squad from outside the league.

Among Kennedy's key wins this season were a 3-2, 12-inning decision against Golden and an 8-5 triumph against fellow Jeffco League representative Green Mountain (Lakewood). Each of those squads has double-digit victories as the season winds down.

The Commanders, with Marquez as a budding star, believe they can make some noise in the playoffs. That's because many were varsity players last season as freshman and sophomores. They understanding the process and are more battle-tested than most underclassmen.

"I think it was extremely important to have that experience as a freshman, because last year during playoffs I was really nervous with teams like Wheat Ridge and Pueblo East out there," Marquez said. "After all that, going into this year I felt like I could compete at that level."

Marquez and the Commanders will soon have that opportunity.