After two straight years of state softball appearances, the bar is set a little higher for the Juanita softball team this spring. In the spring of 2010, the Rebels won KingCo and ended the season with a co-third place state finish, due in part to a rained out tournament. Fast forward to the spring of 2011, and despite a start filled with weather delays, the team is off to an 10-0 run.

“The girls are playing strong and they are seeing the ball well, so it’s been fun,” said head coach Kristian Dahl. “We’re excited to see what happens when we get into a groove because we go into a game and then there’s a big long break of nothing.”

Once things get rolling though, the team expects to be in solid shape for the post season run.

“They definitely feel the expectation to be there (at state), especially the last two seasons we’ve gone (to state). The first year we went, it was a very disappointing first game, we lost to Mt. Rainier in the first round. The expectation was that we should be here, which was last year. We went there and squeaked out another one, we played Mt. Rainier again, it was kind of like phew we got through that, and then we played Sedro-Woolley and so we had a tough couple of games,” said Dahl. “Now its the expectation, not that should we be there, but that we should win. So it’s out there, but like I tell the girls, we take it one game at a time and whatever we’re given we’re given. Whatever games we can control we’re going to play them and win.”

The team, led by senior captains Alexa Faist and Gina Swan, easily agrees.

“We seem to just know when someone needs us to back them up,” said Swan, the team’s catcher. “We do a lot of team bonding and that helps us. We’ve become really close. We’re like half a new team so it’s really good we’ve been able to come together so quickly and easily.”

The Rebels biggest test of the early season came when they faced Bellevue, another contender for the KingCo title. Juanita had a strong game, but the Wolverines almost made a comeback in the last inning. They were able to hold on for the 1-0 win.

“In the Bellevue game, it was a great game, both teams played really hard, it was just one of those things where it was great to be in that type of position. Their girls played well and made a little run in the bottom of the seventh and it was one of those heart pounding endings which was fabulous – thats what we came out here to coach and play the game for,” said the coach.

Even though there have been plenty of starts, then stops in the schedule this year, as teams across Western Washington wait for the sun to shine, the Rebels are picking up on their strengths. Dahl said the team is seeing the ball well and is riding strong pitching from junior Allison Rhodes.

“The girls are playing tough. Alli is throwing really well and our defense has only one error this year,” said Dahl. The coach added the team has been hitting well, throughout the order.

But for all the Rebel’s success so far this spring, and for the unblemished record they currently hold, Dahl said they are young, and doesn’t know how that inexperience may effect them in a big game.

“We’re really young, my whole infield is juniors and sophomores. It’s one of those things were if we’re pushed into a situation, I don’t know how they are going to perform because we haven’t seen it and we haven’t been there,” he said.

To help prepare for those unknown situations, Dahl said they’ve focused on what to do in games and the mental side of things.

“It’s that inexperience, not coming down and being in the right spot – those things we are really trying to focus on. Making sure that we play the game the right way and that we’re not making those little mental mistakes,” he said. “Physical mistakes happen and there’s nothing we can really do about it, but mental mistakes being able to eliminate that, and working on what we’re doing is really what we’re focusing on.”

Next week, the Rebels will test out those skills against Woodinville, one of the top 4A teams.

“I’m really excited to play Woodinville,” said Dahl. “They are supposed to be the No. 1 team in KingCo 4A and it would be good to be able to see them. Their pitcher is going to Stanford and it will be good to see a pitcher of her caliber.”

Swan said that game will probably come down to a hitting battle, seeing who can get hits off two tough pitchers.

After the game against the Falcons, the team will continue on with it’s main goal – winning KingCo, districts and heading to state.

“It’s one of those things where we set the goal up there and we do everything we can to make sure we’re trying to achieve. If we don’t get it, we don’t get it, but we’re trying to get somewhere,” Dahl said.

To make it happen Faist said their team chemistry will be a big help.

“I think we’re going to just have to keep getting along well and working hard. Team before me is one of our goals and that’s really important. Our team chemistry will get us far,” said Faist. Her co-captain agreed.

“I want to see a successful season, not just that we win, but that we didn’t let excuses or anything like bad playing or mental weakness come out of it,” said Swan.

The Rebels will host Bellevue on Tuesday, April 19 before taking on Woodinville the next day. Both games will be played at Juanita starting at 4:30 p.m.