BURKBURNETT – Lauren Hager likes making life easier on her coach.
Vernon's junior catcher has a high IQ on the softball field and it's something coach Jena Cecil greatly values.
“She's so game smart,” Cecil said Tuesday after Vernon's 12-0 win against Burkburnett. “She knows the game – hitting, pitching, catching, baserunning, everything. It's great to have that behind the plate.”
It was Hager's skill with the bat on display the most Tuesday. She cranked a home run over the fence in straightaway center field in the first inning, giving Vernon a 2-0 lead.
“I kind of knew it was out when I hit it,” Hager said. “I just felt it. The pitch was right down the middle and I just saw it and hit it.”
“She's gonna hit,” Cecil said. “She's versatile, though. She can bunt and drag bunt. She's in the heart of the lineup for a reason.”
For the season, she's batting .491 with six home runs and 25 RBIs, slotting as the No. 3 hitter in the lineup. But Hager's bat is just the beginning of her contributions to the Lady Lions.
As Vernon's catcher, Hager often sets the defense, while calling every pitch.
“She will look at a batter and see where they're setting up and call it,” Cecil said. “(Pitchers Jade Guzman and Shay Williams) have good confidence with her. She works very well with them both. I'm not nervous one bit when she's back there.”
This season has been different from Hager's first two with the Lady Lions in that she's handling two pitchers instead of one. The emergence of Williams, a freshman, has given Vernon a nice complement to the veteran Guzman, a senior. Both have been very successful in leading Vernon to an 18-2 record, combining for an ERA of 2.00.
“I don't really treat them differently,” Hager said. “It's a good advantage to have the two pitchers. Jade is great. Shay is a big add-on to our team. Last year with only one pitcher was tougher. It's nice to have a reliever this year and Shay is gonna be a good one.”
Hager is looking forward to potentially handling both pitchers again when the Lady Lions look to avenge their lone District 6-4A loss to Graham on Friday. The Lady Blues bested Vernon 10-5 two weeks ago in the first meeting, using an eight-run fourth inning to pull away. The Lady Lions were guilty of several errors during Graham's rally, which is uncharacteristic of their team.
“We were all just off and didn't have a good game,” Hager said. “We're coming for them. That's all I'm going to say.”
While the Lady Lions did advance to the Class 4A state tournament last season, falling in the semifinals, they weren't the District 6-4A champions. That honor belonged to Graham. They can clinch at least a share of the district title by beating the Lady Blues at 5 p.m. Friday in Vernon. A return trip to Austin for another shot at a state title is Vernon's overall goal. Graham is the next hurdle on that path.
“The goal is the same thing as last year,” Hager said. “We're taking it step by step. We're not going to look past Graham. We're not going to look toward the playoffs. We're focused on Graham now. That's how we did it last year and that's how we'll do it this year.”