Balers softball builds identity through resilience, leadership

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Hollister High’s softball team is beginning to show growth, resilience and confidence as it sails through the midpoint of the year under head coach Andrew Barragan.

Currently sitting at 12-4 overall, 5-1 in league heading into a contest against Watsonville High, Hollister tested itself early against high-level competition, an approach Barragan believes is already shaping the team’s identity.

“We’re almost halfway through the season right now…, and I think the girls are responding really well,” Barragan said earlier this month. “We put one of the toughest schedules in front of them in the Central Coast Section, and all that does is prepare us for the playoffs.”

For Barragan, the early stretch of the season wasn’t just about wins and losses. It’s also about seeing how a young team responds under pressure.

“What we’ve learned is that we can compete at a high level, even with a young team,” he said.

That confidence has been one of the biggest areas of growth for the Haybalers, something Barragan and players such as Avery Chavez emphasized as the season progressed.

Chavez, an infielder, said the team has made key adjustments after a slow start to the season.

“I feel like we had a slow start, but we’ve been stepping it up as we go,” she said. “We’ve had some sit-down talks with each other and the coaches about what we need to fix, and I feel like we’ve done a good job improving after that.”

Fellow senior captain Ashlee Io, a catcher, pointed to improved chemistry as a major factor in that progress.

“In the beginning, we were a little quiet, but we’ve grown closer with team bonding,” Io said. “It’s been going pretty well, and I feel like we’re coming together more as a team.”

Barragan said that growth is exactly what he hoped to see from a roster that features multiple underclassmen stepping into key roles.

“We have five freshmen on the team, and three of them are starting, so we have youth on our side,” Barragan said. “The talent is there, it’s just about them believing in themselves and building confidence.”

In addition to the five freshmen, Hollister’s roster includes a core group of upperclassmen leaders along with several sophomores contributing in key roles, giving the team a combination of experience and developing talent.

Despite the team’s youth, Hollister has remained competitive in nearly every game, something Chavez credits to strong fundamentals.

“I think pitching and defense have really kept us in games,” he said. “Our bats haven’t fully come alive yet, but we’re staying in it because of that.”

Barragan noted that consistency will be the key as the season continues.

“The biggest thing right now is confidence,” Barragan said. “These girls are talented, but they’re still adjusting from travel ball to varsity softball. Once that confidence fully clicks, this team can take another step.”

“I feel like we’re good at responding after losses,” Chavez said. “Our coaches understand that it’s a game of failure, and we’re not always going to win, so we just learn from it and move on.”

The Balers have not lost back-to-back games this season, which highlights their ability to bounce back after adversity.

That mindset was evident in one of the team’s most competitive performances of the season, an 8-4 win over Palma on March 26, when Hollister rallied after falling behind early and continued to battle throughout the game.

“They scored in the first inning, but we responded pretty well and kept it going almost every inning,” Chavez said. “We kept each other up, and that was one of our best games.”

Chavez added that the team’s ceiling remains high if everything comes together.

“I think we’re capable of winning CCS and even state if everything clicks,” he said.

For Barragan, that belief is exactly what he wants his team to carry forward.

“They’ve definitely exceeded my expectations, especially with how young we are,” he said. “We’ve played one of the toughest schedules, and now it’s about continuing to grow and putting it all together.”

The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.