Pueblo softball team 'back on the map' with state tournament berth

Pueblo’s softball team closed out the regular-season with a dominant win on Wednesday but the Warriors are far from finished.

For six seniors, this was their first winning season. And for Pueblo, its 21-6 record snapped a skid of six straight losing campaigns. Now the Warriors move on to the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the Division IV state tournament, with their first game on Saturday in Phoenix.

“I’ve been a four year varsity starter,” senior Vanessa Duarte said. “Every year that I played, we got our butts handed to us. This year we were on the other end of the stick and it feels amazing.”

The turnaround can be attributed to many different changes, but first-year coach Curtis Ruiz says it was the focus and commitment from the girls that lead to so many wins.

“The biggest thing is they have been playing as a family,” Ruiz said. “They were tired of losing. For the last three years they’ve had seasons that weren’t that good. At the beginning of the year, our motto became play with clear eyes and full hearts with love for each other and pride for our school.”

It is clear to see that the players believe in this motto, see each other as family, and credit that for being the reason behind their amazing season.

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“A family has their ups and downs,” said senior Sierra Gaskill said. “But when you’re a family, you understand each other’s strengths and each other’s weaknesses and you help the person next you get better. We all want each other to be the best that we can be.”

From the beginning, Ruiz and his team realized they had the talent to do something special because of how many girls showed up for offseason workouts. Now that work has Pueblo four wins from capturing its first softball state championship since 1990.

“They are the ones that put in the work day after day; they are the ones that didn’t quit,” Ruiz said. “When we made them run and we were tough on them, none of them quit. They really bonded together and it’s amazing to see. It’s an amazing turnaround from the last three years.”

Pueblo has experience an athletic resurgence over the last school year. It’s football team reached the state playoffs for the first time in more than two decades, both basketball teams qualified for the state tournament and the school’s boys soccer team won the Division IV state championship.

Now both the baseball and softball teams get their turns.

“I can say we made a difference here and we helped put Pueblo back on the map,” Duarte said. “I know the girls here will be able to keep it there and that we left this team in good hands and the name in good hands.”