North Rock Creek has been the No. 1 team in 5A since the season began. The Lady Cougars have won the state slow pitch championship two years in a row and they are the top seed heading into this year’s tournament that will be played Tuesday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
NRC has five seniors that have set the tone for the school’s softball program in the few years since the district added a high school. Lydia VanAntwerp, Olivia VanAntwerp, Haley Hacker, Raynee Bass and Hannah Earlywine are all a big part of the Lady Cougars’ success.
Hacker said the success the team has achieved during the seniors’ time at NRC helps them handle the pressure of trying to repeat again as champions.
After two straight state titles, the Lady Cougars know that everyone is trying to catch them and knock them off so they have a motto for this season of “Don’t look back.”
“We hit a little rough patch this season and we talked about the pressure of everyone thinking that we are going to threepeat,” Hacker said. “We have to leave what happened in the past in the past and just go out and have fun and play together.”
Bass said that the past two championships have meant a lot to the team but this year’s would be even more special because it is their last one together.
“I just want to go out on the field and try to take it all,” Bass said. “But no matter the outcome, I’m just proud to wear North Rock Creek across my chest because I love these girls with all my heart.”
Hacker agreed.
“No matter what, it’s my last game in this uniform, so I just want to play with my best friends,” Hacker said. “Yeah, the goal is to win the threepeat, but I just want to play for them and leave it all on the field.”
Earlywine said the closeness of the team comes from the years they have played together. She said she has played with Hacker her whole life and the entire nucleus of the team came to North Rock Creek High School from South Rock Creek.
Olivia VanAntwerp said she is focused on enjoying the season.
“It is special with all of us coming from South Rock Creek,” Olivia VanAntwerp said. “I just want to be thankful for the time we have left.”
VanAntwerp also said the team also stays close and grows together because of their shared faith.
“We’re all super strong in our faith,” she said. “We know everything is in God’s hand so whatever happens, we trust Him.”
Hacker agreed and said the team is open about their faith, praying before games and making sure to give all glory from their success to God.
After Tuesday, these five seniors will have left their mark on the young program and set a standard that will be hard to maintain.
But the seniors believe the younger players on the team will continue to have success in the future.
“I know the younger classmen, the juniors, sophomores and even the freshmen will continue to build the program and legacy that we have built and keep growing it,” Hacker said. “I know that they will do a good job.”
The Lady Cougars begin their title defense Tuesday at 11:30 against Perkins-Tryon. PTHS has a win over NRC earlier this year and they are also the team NRC beat in the finals to win their first title in 2022.
Looking at the results from the year, the 32-8 Lady Cougars’ success and failure has a lot to do with their bats. NRC only has one loss when they scored at least 10 runs this year – a 15-10 loss to 6A powerhouse Southmoore.
North Rock Creek only has two wins when they score in single digits and both of those were shutout wins where the run-rule stopped the games at 8-0 and 9-0.
The Lady Cougars are coming off a regional tournament where they scored 18 and 14 runs and the defense combined with Bass’ pitching were very good. That bodes well for the team with the state tournament looming.
