Advosports

PORT LAVACA - Rilea Whitaker has played every game of her softball career as though it was her last.

After four years of varsity, pacing the Sandies offense from the top of the lineup and going all out in the field, the senior is facing facts: every game of this year's playoffs could be her last.

"I think about it every game," said the senior second baseman. "Even the last game of district, I played like it was the last one.

"I wouldn't want to finish out not giving my hardest and not doing my best."

The obvious goal? Keep winning.

Calhoun will be looking to do just that starting Thursday in Sinton against Kingsville. Calhoun is coming off of a 2-1 series win over San Antonio Kennedy in the Class 4A bi-district round last weekend.

Whitaker has been a force at the top of the lineup for the Sandies, first of many difficult batters pitchers face on a regular basis.

She participates in five sports - volleyball, basketball, powerlifting, track and field, and softball - but it's the last one that the senior said is her passion.

"It was the first sport that I played when I was little," Whitaker said. "I played on a summer team and a travel team, so I was playing all year round.

"I could play it all year round and never get tired of it."

That isn't to say she doesn't have a passion for every other sport she participates in. Her performance shows it - the senior was a member of the powerlifting team that won the national powerlifting title in March; she was also one of the top defensive players in the Crossroads area in volleyball.

Bouncing from sport to sport, though, has its drawbacks.

"Waking up at 6:20 every morning, and when I had multiple sports a day, I would going from practice to practice, I'd get tired," she said. "Now that I have just softball, I have more energy."

Powerlifting presented some of the biggest benefits. Hitting the weight room has aided her hitting this season, helping her to a batting average of .474 this season as the team's leadoff hitter.

"It's a big part of every sport," Whitaker said. "During powerlifting season, I felt like I was hitting the ball harder because I was pumping more weights. When I go to the weight room, I still push hard because I still have softball left."

Sandies coach Daniel Castillo said participating in several different sports helps her with several skills on the diamond.

"It all blends together as far as her speed and running," he said. "Over the summer, she does a lot of softball."

Those season's overlap. Whitaker has missed practice time for other sporting events, including the Region IV-4A track meet on Monday.

Whitaker participated in the long jump at that event, but the weather conspired against her.

"I didn't really do that well," she said. "It was like 51 degrees and the wind was like 20 mph, so it was kind of iffy."

But there's no question about her abilities, even when she is balancing multiple sports at one time.

"As far as going through all that, and coming out here and doing what she does, Rilea does an excellent job," Castillo said.

Whitaker is hoping the next step for her will include a scholarship to play softball. She has spoken to coaches at Sam Houston State about playing there, and is pretty sure she will be heading there scholarship or not.

A lot relies on summer ball, she said.

"I'm still thinking about it, but I'm more of the way of going to play," Whitaker said. "They've talked to me about it, and I just have to play this summer."

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