Friday, May. 22, 2009

Command center: CBBN MVP Bobadilla leads Wa-Hi into regionals

By Jack Millikin, Herald staff writer

WALLA WALLA -- Alexis Bobadilla has enjoyed a terrific softball season at Walla Walla.

The Blue Devils center fielder and pitcher earned CBBN Cascade Most Valuable Player honors, leading her team to the division championship -- its third straight league crown -- and its first district title since 1999.

"That meant a lot," Bobadilla said. "I was really surprised."

But that's not what Wa-Hi coach Jerry Humphries will remember most about the graceful 5-foot-9 senior.

One of the greatest pleasures of Humphries' job has been watching Bobadilla in practice as she patrols every green inch of the outfield grass at Murr Field.

"She's tall, and those long legs can cover a lot of ground," Humphries said. "It shows through when she's chasing sideline to sideline for foul balls."

Her teammates would agree that watching Bobadilla in the field can be a thing of beauty. They will get another chance today when the Blue Devils (21-2) take on Kamiakin (13-9) in a regional matchup at 6 p.m. at Kiwanis Park in Yakima.

"It was the beginning of the season and one Richland girl hit one out to her, over her head," said teammate Hope Klicker, who was pitching at the time. "She bent back contortionist-style and just snatched it. I couldn't believe she caught it. It was totally cool."

When she's not in the field, Bobadilla is one of three capable Blue Devils pitchers -- all of them talented enough to tame the toughest of CBBN hitters. Bobadilla (8-0, 0.82 ERA), a right-hander with a wicked curve, teams with Klicker (8-2, 1.12) to give vastly different looks to CBBN hitters, while freshman Alyson Ambler (5-0, 0.88 ERA) has been a valuable spot-starter and reliever.

The three pitchers haven't complained a bit about who's getting more innings. Even better for Walla Walla, the hurlers have worked together to make each other better.

"We help each other out with our pitches," Bobadilla said. "(Hope and I) pitch to each other and she can tell me if my changeup is slowing down or if she can read it.

"We do have really different styles, but that can help our team, too, being able to hit off two different types of pitchers in practice."

Bobadilla will play next spring for Walla Walla Community College, which recently reached the NWAACC championship game, losing 5-1 to Mount Hood last Saturday in Portland. Humphries believes she will play center field for the Warriors but could also pitch in certain situations.

Either way, she's proven she can hold her own at the plate, finishing the regular season with a .418 batting average and 13 RBIs -- good for second on the team -- and tied for second in the CBBN with two homers.

"I love hitting. I love creaming the ball," she said.

Bobadilla has struggled with injuries in the last two seasons. A head-on car crash limited her junior season, leaving her with a left-shoulder strain that still occasionally flares up.

A fleet-footed striker in soccer, Bobadilla had six goals and four assists for the Blue Devils as a junior and was looking forward to leading the team back to districts for a third straight season. But a broken ankle prevented her from achieving that goal in the fall.

"I worry that I let my dad down. He's been my (soccer) coach since I was little," she said. "I kept saying, 'I can't wait until softball season.' "

Bobadilla has been pitching since age 10, but she was overshadowed by Kaela DeBroeck, the Blue Devils' ace for the last two seasons. It didn't take long for Bobadilla to make an impression this spring, though.

Making her first start for Wa-Hi, Bobadilla struck out 15 batters and scattered three hits in a 12-0 complete-game shutout of Pasco on March 24.

"She's worked very hard. She really wanted to be a pitcher," Humphries said. "One of the things that works in her favor is she's a slinger. I don't think she's 100 percent sure where the ball is going to go all the time."

Though Bobadilla may not know where her pitches are headed, she is content knowing that the Blue Devils are in control of their own playoff destiny.

"We made it one of our goals at the beginning of the season to place at state," she said.

* Jack Millikin; 509-582-1406; jmillikin@tricityherald.com