Sports Texoma

Coincidences likes this seem to happen every once in a while or in this case, every four years.

A Tom Bean freshman bursts onto the scene, leading her team not only to the playoffs but a district championship to start a high school career where she spends her entire career in the circle.

First it was Megan Mitchell. Now it’s Rachel Jones.

“We’re lucky it fell right into place for us,” Tom Bean head coach Lance Cherry said. “Rachel was good enough to start somewhere for us even if Megan was here.”

Mitchell started the trend and upon her graduation after last season, the Lady Tomcats have turned to Jones, who has duplicated the feats Mitchell accomplished at the start of her stellar career.

“I think Rachel, she’s comfortable with herself,” said Cherry, who presided over Mitchell’s final two seasons. “She’s interested in where she is in relation to where Megan was at this point.”

And while it may put the pressure on a fifth-grader somewhere, Jones has been able to endure the great expectations.

“At times it’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also a big challenge,” Jones said. “I knew I had to work really hard to earn my position.”

The entire Tom Bean team had to earn everything as the Lady Tomcats (17-8) face Ponder (19-5) in a Class 2A Region II area round game tonight at 6:30 p.m. at McKinney North.

“There’s definitely a difference, especially the seniors we graduated — three of them are playing college ball,” senior first baseman Kayla Hastings said. “We start three freshmen and that can be scary.”

After graduating those five seniors and relying on underclassmen, Tom Bean’s streak of five straight playoff appearances looked to be in jeopardy.

“No one even thought we’d be in the playoffs. There were times this year we had seven or eight freshmen and sophomores in the lineup,” Cherry said. “They took it as a challenge and a goal for them. They didn’t want to be the ones to stop the streak.”

A legacy like that is something Hastings wanted to avoid. As one of only two seniors — Jessica Lubbers is the other — Hastings knew she had to assume more of a leadership role.

“There was a lot of pressure on me and Jessica to step up and be leaders,” Hastings said. “There were more questions this year than ever before. We’re a tradition-type program and this is what we do.”

When Mitchell stepped right into the varsity lineup, she also had some help from her classmates. Jones is in the same situation with fellow freshmen Ashton Brogdon and Sara Harris. But Jones has been the focal point because of her position in the circle.

“She never acts like a freshman,” Hastings said. “She doesn’t think like a freshman. She doesn’t play ball like a freshman.”

Jones is 17-8 with a 1.02 earned run average and 222 strikeouts in 158 innings while hitting a team-best .481 with 31 RBI. All that, however, means nothing at this point. The next seven innings will decide Tom Bean’s fate this season.

“I think it goes both ways,” Jones said. “We know we have to play our best because it’s our only chance.”

Ponder opened the playoffs with a 6-0 victory over Chico behind a 14-strikeout performance by Ashley Anderson. The Lady Lions broke the game open with a five-run second inning.

“Every time they had an opportunity, they put bunts on the ground,” Cherry said. “Regardless of the score they put the pressure on you.”