Having a mixture of talented young players and savvy veterans leading the way is a combination that most athletic teams hope to have on their roster. For the Fremont Firebirds varsity softball team, that is exactly what the team showed the home supporters in Monday’s non-league contest against Leigh on March 16. While the final score ended up getting away from Fremont, an eventual 9-2 loss, the Firebirds showed a plethora of young talent across the diamond.
The Firebirds lineup features four freshmen, to go along with sophomore starting pitcher Charlene Hiek, all of whom are led by four-year varsity starter Jiyah Caban. On Monday, Caban was doing the catching, leading with an infectious enthusiasm from the first pitch to the very last.
“It’s really fun having these new girls on the team, teaching them young is the best thing ever,” chimed Caban, sounding wise beyond her years, like a coach on the field for the Firebirds. “Seeing the way they play, it’s way different from what I’m used to, and it makes us better as a team.”
Head Coach Hector Zuno knows he has a strong nucleus of young talent and expressed his appreciation for having a captain on the field in Caban who can lead by example for the younger players.
“It’s huge, having that leadership role as a senior, having a senior playing the game at a high level, and she pushes the freshmen to compete with her,” noted Zuno. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when she’s gone. It’s 9-2, and she’s still doing those little things; she just has the passion for the game, looking forward to seeing what her future looks like, just a tremendous talent.”
Caban helped frame pitches and block balls in the dirt for Hiek for all seven innings on Monday, but was also giving tips at the plate to freshman Natalia Bracken, Camila Sanchez, Priscila Kim and Isabella Poo.
With help from her batterymate, Hiek limited the damage through the first three innings to just three runs. The sophomore pitcher threw strikes and fielded her position well throughout the game, but whenever she needed some encouragement, Caban was right there for the veteran support. Hiek was highly complimentary of having such a strong leader behind the plate catching her pitches.
“It’s really awesome, I don’t think I could play this well without her,” acknowledged Hiek. “She’s always blocking balls and she keeps me on my toes, into the game and focused on each pitch.”
Each pitch for the first few innings felt like it was meaningful to the outcome. Leigh only broke the game open in the late innings, scoring six of its nine runs in the fourth inning or later. After three full innings, the Firebirds trailed by the slimmest of margins at just 3-2.
The eventual loss drops the Firebirds’ overall record to 3-4, but the team is currently 2-1 in league as it next takes on Cupertino on March 19, followed by Santa Clara on March 24.
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