SEQUIM — Thirty-two wins in a row and still counting.
The Sequim softball team, the defending Class 2A state champion, had a rare perfect season in 2011 (28-0) and currently is 4-0 in the rain-splattered 2012 campaign.
Make no doubt that the Wolves are making another run for the top trophy, but that they know it could be a little more difficult this time around.
They know they are now the team to beat in 2012.
“It definitely feels like we have a target on our backs,” senior pitcher Demiree Briones said.
“We should do all right. Hopefully, we can go all the way [again].”
Fortunately for the Wolves, many players return from last season’s championship team.
Missing, though, is coach Joel Lewis, who resigned in July in order to stay home with her newborn daughter.
Replacing Lewis is Mike McFarlen, a Sequim graduate who coached the school’s junior varsity softball team last year.
McFarlen isn’t fazed by the standard Lewis set in 2011 when she led the Wolves to an unblemished record in her only season at Sequim.
“The game’s the same,” McFarlen said, “and this is a really good group of girls.”
The best among them is Briones, the team’s ace.
Despite her experience and talent, though, the Wolves won’t rely solely on Briones.
“She’s our horse,” McFarlen said, “but we want our pitchers to be fresh in the state tournament, so we won’t over-pitch anybody.”
McFarlen is excited about newcomer Makayla (Muck) Bentz, who is serving as Sequim’s No. 2 pitcher.
Though the Wolves are loaded with veterans — featuring six juniors and three seniors — they also have many players at new positions this year.
Briones said she thinks this has caused some stress because everyone is trying to get comfortable with their new places on the field.
One person on the move is Rylleigh Zbaraschuk, who has switched from center field to shortstop.
Briones said she feels Zbaraschuk is up for the challenge of her new role, and is expecting a nice season from her teammate, both offensively and defensively.
“She plays all the time, and you can put her anywhere,” Briones said. “[At the plate], she can lead off with a homer.”
Along with Briones and Zbaraschuk, McFarlen expects productive seasons from Bailey Rhodefer, Hannah Grubb, Columbia Haupt and Kinzie Winfield.
“We should be really good,” McFarlen said. “I think the only way we’ll lose is if we beat ourselves. I look for us to make it back [to the state championship].”
Despite his confidence in his squad, McFarlen doesn’t expect an easy path to a second consecutive state title.
He singles out Port Angeles and Kingston as teams he believes will offer the biggest challenge to Sequim’s defense of the Olympic League title.
The Wolves put all teams on notice when they opened the season with a 20-0 beatdown of Klahowya in league action.
In that game, Briones pitched all five innings, striking out six and allowing only two hits.
At the plate, she went 4-for-4 with three doubles, two RBIs and four runs scored.
On the other hand, the Wolves later stumbled against Olympic, winning by just one run.
“We had a lot of errors in that game,” McFarlen said.
Perfection, though, is not this team’s goal.
However, a second state championship is.
