If the Fort Myers softball team is able to repeat as the Class 7A state champions, the Green Wave will have had to weather an unrelenting storm.
Two postponements due to inclement weather in Vero Beach have left Fort Myers away from competition for 11 days. It has also resulted in an unfortunate situation that will leave one of the three seniors unable to be with the team as the Green Wave take on Pembroke Pines Charter at Historic Dodgertown today at 2:50 p.m. in a semifinal game.
Centerfielder Jessica Wilson had a trip to Italy with her family set with the state tournament originally supposed to have been wrapped up with for the Green Wave on May 19, but with rain having pushed the proceedings back twice, the depth of Fort Myers will be called upon to make up for her absence.
"We can't really replace Jessica as a team captain and a senior leader," Green Wave head coach Johnny Manetta said.
"She's certainly going to be with us in spirit because she's been such a huge part of our team."
Despite a key piece of the puzzle not going to be available, every other returnee for the Green Wave from last season's championship, which culminated with a 7-1 win over Niceville, is ready to make some more history.
After a 25-2 regular season and outscoring its three postseason opponents 19-2 to this point, Fort Myers enters the Final Four with a different mindset than they used going into this stage last season.
"This year, we didn't have that element of surprise that we did last year for the other teams," senior ace Hannah Perkins said.
"Teams knew that we would be good and this year we had shirts made with a target on our backs because they knew it would be a good game against us. I think it's taken a lot of concentration and we've had to put a lot more work into it this year to get back here."
With that target focused squarely on the backs of the Green Wave, the approach that Manetta has adopted for his club is to keep things fun and take the focus away from the task that awaits upon first pitch today.
"If these girls focused too much on the game, it would drive them nuts," Manetta said.
"All four teams here are really good, they wouldn't be if they hadn't made it here. In practice, the girls weren't going to learn anything new or try to reinvent the wheel. We're going to go out nice and loose and whatever happens, happens at this point."
With all of the pressure surrounding the season from the onset and how the Green Wave have handled their own expectations to this point, Manetta knows that this group of girls are hungry.
"These girls are very talented, they're very driven and have worked really hard this year," Manetta said.
"If everything goes the way we hope it goes, we can win another state championship. If I was a betting guy, I wouldn't bet against this group."
Fort Myers is paced by Perkins. The Eckerd signee has a 20-1 record with a 0.88 ERA and 216 strikeouts against 18 walks on the season.
What sets the current batch of Green Wave apart from a season ago is simple: the long ball.
After totaling 17 homers as a team last year, Fort Myers has hit 39 with the big bat of USF commit Vivian Ponn amounting for 15. Ryley Topliff has eight, Riley Ludlam has five and Hannah Gormly has hit four, including a grand slam in the Green Wave's 6-1 regional quarterfinal win over Palmetto Ridge on May 2.
As a sign of the depth within the lineup, third baseman Meghan Kline, who entered with just one home run on the year, blasted a pair of two-run homers in the 8-1 regional final victory over Braden River.
Out of the regulars who make up the starting lineup, there isn't a single player batting below .315 with shortstop Maria Angelino checking in at .319. Of the bench players that have received at-bats throughout the season, Riley Sanders, Maddy Walther, Victoria Ponn, Sawyer Lecius and Lena Wallace have combined for a .384 average (45-for-117). Collectively, the Green Wave have stolen 100 bases.
With Wilson not going to be making the trip, the depth of the Green Wave could prove to be valuable as the versatility across the roster allows multiple players to be able to play multiple positions.
"We are extremely lucky to have power and speed throughout our order," Manetta said.
"Our slappers do what they do to get on base and whether it's with home runs or driving balls to the gaps, the run-producers have done their job all year. Hopefully, they can continue it for two more games."
With the weather having thrown all teams making the trip to the East Coast for a loop, it could work to the advantage of the Green Wave having the experience from last year. Having a senior in the circle in Perkins, who will be coming off of a 16-strikeout performance in the regional final win over Braden River, being battle-tested in so many big moments is a luxury that most teams can't duplicate.
After a two-year stretch of dominance, Perkins is what sets apart a very good team with a lineup that can give any team a chance in a game to one that has gone toe-to-toe with Florida's best programs and over the last 62 games have only dropped four contests. The senior is well aware that she is fortunate to have the Green Wave offense raring to go behind her for one last go-around.
"It's very comforting being on the mound knowing that we are going to score runs and I think after last season we have come a lot closer as a team and play more for each other which has helped a lot. I wouldn't want to be on any other team. We want to go out with a bang and hopefully that's what we'll go out and do."
Class 7A state softball Tournament
Where: Historic Dodgertown, Vero Beach
Semifinals: (Weather permitting) Today, Niceville (21-6) vs. Viera (26-1) 1:35 p.m.; Pembroke Pines Charter (24-5) vs. Fort Myers (28-2) 2:50 p.m.
State championship: 3:05 p.m. Wednesday