EVAN REN: What’s that blip on the radar? Perhaps one of the best Jim Ned softball teams ever

TUSCOLA — While it may be a bit early to start talking about the best Jim Ned softball teams of all time, one thing can be backed up with facts: the Lady Indians have clinched their first district title in nearly two decades and coach Erica Jones believes it’s about time The Tribe received a little recognition.  

And, after having endured a 22-minute butt chewing from Jones (I timed it) on Wednesday, I certainly wouldn’t disagree. 

Entering today’s matchup with seventh-ranked Wall, the Lady Indians are 24-4 overall (despite a very difficult schedule) and 11-0 in District 3-3A. They are ranked 13th in the state and are coming off an impressive 7-3 win over 15th-ranked Clyde on Tuesday night — a victory that locked up the district title and one I missed to cover an area baseball game. 

That didn’t go over too well, which is understandable. 

The Lady Indians, regardless of the outcome against Wall today, will have the district’s top seed heading into the playoffs — something we haven’t seen from Jim Ned softball since the George W. Bush Administration. That’s a long time ago. So long ago, that it predates the birth dates of any current Jim Ned player.

And, while earning this rare achievement, many of those connected to the program have felt as though the area media has been looking the other way — giving more attention to some of the teams they’ve beaten. 

I can’t speak for the rest of the Big Country media, but the writing should have been on the wall for me after this club scored early wins over teams such as Midland Christian, Lubbock Coronado, Bushland, Iowa Park, Henderson, Godley and Midland Greenwood. Toss in a 13-10 win over Wall in a district-opening thriller and two wins over Clyde, and it’s easy to see how Jim Ned has felt snubbed. 

“I think people have overlooked them all year,” said Jones, who is in her seventh year at Jim Ned. “We’ve been kind of (blocking) out the rankings and the coverage. 

“We blocked it out and kind of let it fuel us a little bit. We don’t have to be ranked No. 1 to know (we’re good).” 

The numbers alone back that up, regardless of where Jim Ned is positioned in the statewide polling. Entering this week no fewer than 11 Lady Indians — Gabby Cabrea, Hadley Sanders, Brielle Estes, Laken Bishop, Paige Wilson, Ella Wunderlich, Jayden Nunez, Louisa Milligan, Pyper Tilley, Charli Lawson and Lauren Walker — are all carrying batting averages over .400.  

Collectively, the Lady Indians are hitting .457 with 24 homers scattered among nine different players. And perhaps most impressively, they’ve stolen 130 bases as a team, with seven different players swiping at least 10 bags apiece.  Yes, you’ve read all that correctly. 

All of this speaks loudly about the fine job Jones has done.

Having inherited a team that had gone 8-12 in 2019, Jones set about building the same culture she had designed during earlier successful stints at Clyde and Anson in a 19-year career. 

“The program I inherited was a (group) of softball players who wanted to be great but didn’t have the support system they needed for success,” Jones said. “That’s why they hired me.” 

Jones’ style doesn’t suit everyone and she admits it. But her methods, which include wearing her emotions on her sleeve and demonstrating a genuine love for her players, put her in good company. She has won everywhere she has gone, with multiple district titles and a regional final trip to her credit.  

Understanding her approach and her emotional mindset made Wednesday’s chewing easy to endure, because I knew it was all coming from a good place. 

“It’s been fun and (Coach Jones) has been very encouraging to all of us,” said Walker, a junior shortstop. “She’s really into every game and her emotions do run really high.” 

Of course, there’s more to Jones’ methods than pure adrenaline — though that is a key and very noticeable part of her programs. 

“We believe in a strength and conditioning program, we believe in speed training, we believe in drilling fundamentals, we believe in accountability and work ethic,” Jones said. “And once the kids buy into that and do it without you telling them to do it, success will come.” 

Wunderlich, a senior, has been around long enough to understand the full process.

“It’s been fun watching our team get better and bond more each year,” Wunderlich said. “We have confidence in our team and our practices are fun which has helped our team grow.” 

A key part of that growth has come on the defensive side of Jim Ned’s game, which includes a .975 team fielding percentage this year. Through 28 games, the Lady Indians have recorded a grand total of only 10 errors — a stat that borders on astonishing.

This has allowed Nunez and Tilley to pitch to contact without having to strikeout 15 batters per game to earn wins. This, by design or not, falls in line with Jones’ team-first concept which stresses the whole, rather than any individual. 

“Honestly, this season has been one of my best,” said Sanders, a junior third baseman. “We’ve had the strongest team possible and it’s made our achievements even better.” 

There may be more achievements to come.  Stay tuned.