2008 Mesa Thunderbird Softball
Photo Galleries
Mesa vs. Glendale 5-3-2008 Regionals
Mesa vs. Phoenix 5-3-2008 Regionals
Mesa vs. Chandler-Gilbert 5-1-2008 Regionals
Mesa vs. South Mountain 4-24-2008
Mesa vs. Chandler-Gilbert 4-22-2008
Mesa vs. Scottsdale 4-19-2008 (sophomores last home game)
Mesa vs. Glendale 4-12-2008
Desert Classic Tourney Game 3/ 3-22-2008
Desert Classic Tourney Game 2/ 3-22-2008
Desert Classic Tourney Game 1/ 3-20-2008
Mesa vs. South Mountain 3-18-2008
 The lineup
Phoenix College Tourney Championship Game 3-16-2008
Phoenix College Tourney Game 2/ 3-15-2008
Phoenix College Tourney Game 1/ 3-15-2008
Mesa vs. U of Michigan 3-14-2008
 Hasler Hammers It
Mesa vs. CGCC 3-11-2008
Mesa vs. Scottsdale CC 3-8-2008
Mesa vs. Yavapai CC 3-6-2008
Mesa vs. PVCC 2-26-2008
Mesa vs. Dawson 2-14-2008
Mesa vs. Eastern 2-12-2008
Fall Ball Mesa Softball
Lady T'Birds Fall Short of NJCAA Nationals
Finish season 37-29-1
Coach DeWight Byron knew he had his work cut out for him heading into the Regional Championships. A gallant effort against Chandler-Gilbert in game one, a 5-1 victory, propelled the ladies into the championship bracket.
However, back-to-back losses to Phoenix College and Glendale proved to be the end for Mesa. Look for the Lady T'Birds to be back with a roar in 2009 as 13 freshman are expected to return to the club.
Lady T-Birds Notch 2nd Place
Playoffs begin May 2
The Mesa Lady T'Birds softball squad is headed to the playoffs after finishing 2nd in the Region I, Division II standings. Their 21-17 conference record and 36-27-1 overall record has the team primed for a playoff run.
Thier first game will take place at Phoenix College on May 2 at 10:00 a.m. They will take on the #3 seeded ladies from Chandler-Gilbert. A win in that one would create a matchup the next day at 9:00 a.m.
Former MCC Star Amanda Hess Returns To Old Stompin' Grounds
Dominates on mound with Creighton against BYU at MCC
The former All-American pitching standout at Mesa Community College returned to the mound where she once baffled opposing hitters on Friday, February 29.
This time, Amanda Hess was confusing BYU batters as a Creighton Blue Jay. The two division one schools graced the Mesa CC confines for a women's softball game that showcased Hess and her lights out curveball.
The game was scoreless into the 5th as Hess mastered BYU hitters as current Mesa CC softballers cheered from behind the fences.
Mesa softball coaches DeWight Byron and Larry Hook looked on with wide smiles as their former hurler put on a display that would make any junior college coach proud.
"She's got such a great curveball. That was always her out pitch with us," said Coach Hook.
Current Mesa players experienced a first-hand look at the next level of softball. Many aspire to follow in the footsteps of Hess and compete in the NCAA.
"Amanda and Jessica (Ware) were two of the best ever at Mesa, and it's great to see her on the mound where she controlled things as a T'Bird," said Coach Byron.
Coach Byron mentions Jessica Ware as well. She is now a member of Arizona State's #1 ranked softball team.
Lady T'Birds End Western Shootout At 3-1-1
Five games in two days ends with three straight wins
Mesa softball got things rolling in Yuma for the 2008 season at the Western Shootout. The ladies participated in five games, winning three of them.
Northern Idaho was the first challenge, and Mesa was up to it, gaining a tie, 5-5.
Southern Idaho handed Mesa its first loss of the season in the second game, 9-5.
A 12-0 drubbing of Colorado Northwestern got Mesa in the win column in game three. The offense continued in the fourth game as Mesa pummelled Golden West 12-4.
The final game saw Mesa continue their firepower with an 8-0 victory over Gateway. Mesa offense tallied 30 runs against only four in the final three games.
Mesa travels to Thatcher next week, February 9, for the Eastern Arizona College Round Robin. Times are yet to be determined.
2008 Softball Season Outlook
Coach DeWight Byron enters his 12th year as the Mesa softball skipper. With 429 wins under his belt, Byron has had his share of fielding winning teams. This year should be no different.
"I think we'll be better through the lineup (offensively) this year," said Byron.
Coach Byron also feels it will be difficult to replace All-American Jess Defreitas- Ware but in this year's bunch there are more slappers.
"I also think we'll be a faster team as well," said Byron.
Coach also said Emily Farrier and Theresa Tautimez, two returning sophomores from last year's 48-23 team, are looking to have big seasons as this year's leaders.
With their first game on the horizon, February 1 in Yuma at the Western Shootout, the T'Birds are readying themselves for a long season.
The home opener is slated for February 12, and is also the first conference game, pitting the T'Birds against Eastern Arizona in a double-dip beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Jessica Ware to Represent MCC and USA in World University Games in Bagkok, Thailand...
In an effort to showcase the softball talent at the two-year college level, the NJCAA has announced a 15-player roster to take part in the World University Games to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, August 11-17, 2007. Mesa's own Jessica Ware has been selected to participate with the team of all-stars.
Ware had an outstanding season leading the 48-23 lady T-Birds to a second-place finish in the Region I Tournament. Ware was nearly unstoppable hitting .553 with 21 HR, 66 RBI, and snagging 63 steals. She plans on attending ASU in the Fall of 2007 and has compiled gawdy numbers in her career at Mesa, finishing with a .547 batting average, 31 HR, 124 RBI, and 131 steals.
For more information on the World University Games, please click link below...
World University Games Informative Flyer
Phoenix College Wins Division 2 Regional 1 Softball Championship as Mesa Comes Up Just Short
The Phoenix College women' softball team (53-13) is once again headed to the NJCAA national championships after defeating Mesa Community College (48-23) twice on Saturday in the Division 2 Regionals at Phoenix College.
PC tallied five runs in the first inning of the day's opening contest and held on for a 5-3 victory over MCC. Elena Marroquin pitched well in relief after the damage was done and also chipped in with a home run.
The Lady T'birds then took on Chandler-Gilbert and downed the Coyotes for the sixth time this season, 12-4. Theresa Tautimez notched her 28th victory, and Jessica Defreitas Ware hit a three-run homer.
In the championship game, Mesa's Marroquin hooked up in a pitcher's duel with Courtney Crawford, with the Bears prevailing, 3-1. Crawford allowed only five hits, one of which was a home run by Kori Bowser, while Marroquin was tagged for just six hits.
T'Birds open up regionals with win...
Mesa Community College moved into the winners’ bracket of the ACCAC women’s softball playoffs with a 7-3 win over Chandler-Gilbert Friday at Phoenix College and will next play #1-seed Phoenix at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Theresa Tautimez pitched a complete game, her 22nd win of the season, and chipped in a home run for the winners. Jessica Defreitas Ware went three-for-three, including her 24th home run, and Corey Cowser was three-for-four at the plate.
Mesa took an early lead, but Chandler-Gilbert made it interesting with three runs in the fifth inning. It was the Thunderbirds fifth win over the Coyotes.
Table Talk...
When Coach DeWight Byron was asked about his shortstop Jessica DeFreitas Ware, his response was “Jessica is the leader of this team. She brings a lot to the table, and she hasn’t disappointed. She is our offensive spark and is without question one of the finest people I have ever coached.”
This past December Coach Byron received an unexpected holiday gift when Ware transferred to Mesa from Central Arizona College where she had been a first-team All-American and led the nation in hitting with a .540 batting average. She also was second in stolen bases, having been successful in 68 of 69 attempts.
Even while playing with a broken finger on her throwing hand, Jessica continues her blistering pace. As of April 22, she had a .555 batting average, hit 21 home runs, stolen 62 bases, scored 101 runs and knocked in 66. She is also among the ACCAC leaders in doubles and triples. All of which should get her another Player of the Year award.
Coming from a family of athletes, Jessica’s Mom tells how her daughter was the MVP on her T-ball team when she first started playing some 14 years ago. As a high school freshman at Chandler Hamilton High School, she switched from batting right to left, although continued to throw right-handed. She went on to be the Fiesta Region’s Player of the Year as a Senior. She also participated in Basketball and Track. Next up is Arizona State where she has a softball scholarship waiting and a possible tryout for the 2008 Summer Olympics further down the road.
Coach Byron whose MCC teams have won over 400 games points out that the 2007 squad hit the 40-win mark the earliest in the schedule than in any of his previous 11 seasons at Mesa. The team’s NJCAA Division 2 ranking got as high as second, significant considering that Arizona community colleges play twice as many games as do most other schools throughout the nation.
Six other players besides Jessica Ware have batting averages of over .300: Stephanie Bisgard (who was named a NJCAA Player of the Week), Natalie Bejarano, Theresa Tautimez, Emily Farrier, Gayle Nesbit and Kori Bowser. The team batting average is an impressive .372. The pitching staff which has a collective ERA of 2.54 is headed by Theresa Tautimez and Kori Bowser, although Ware occasionally takes to the mound.
Coach Byron says this is his best team ever, and he hopes they will be in Bloomington, Indiana in mid-May for the national championship tournament.
Please contact The Athletics Department for comments or corrections phone: 480-461-7542 |
