Odessa College softball coach Jeff Jackson believes his team still needs to work on finishing as the 2022 regular season begins to wind down.
That’s coming after the Lady Wranglers swept another Western Junior College Athletic Conference series last week against Western Texas College.
They closed out the four-game series with a 30-0 win April 23 at the Wrangler Softball Complex.
“It was just one of those days where we were seeing the ball really well,” Jackson said. “I think Western Texas gave us some really good competition and then that game happened, and there’s not much they could have done.
“At that point we were just seeing the ball really well, everything was lined up in our favor and our girls did a great job of not missing pitches.”
The recent series victory helped Odessa College extend its winning streak to 16 games, solidifying its fifth-place spot in the NJCAA Division I Softball Poll released Monday.
Jackson knows his team has been on a roll, blowing through multiple conference opponents behind strong pitching and consistent hitting.
He still wants to see the Lady Wranglers fix up some small issues during their last two conference series against Clarendon College and Midland College before the end of the regular season.
“The whole postseason is all about making sure that we take advantage of opportunities whenever they’re presented,” Jackson said. “I think that’s the most important thing, getting us to understand and not going through the motions, but recognizing certain opportunities even if it’s in a more controlled environment.”
The team will focus on tasks like baserunning through this week’s practices to ensure that those aspects become more instinctual instead of being forced during games.
Odessa College (41-3 overall, 15-1 conference) will host its series against Clarendon College, opening a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Friday at the Wrangler Softball Complex.
>> ONE MORE TO GO: After placing second at the NJCAA District II Championship Monday and Tuesday in Brownwood, the Odessa College men’s golf team can now turn its attention to the NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship.
The tournament will be held in a familiar setting for the Wranglers, as it will take place May 10-13 at the Odessa Country Club.
“Any time you get to play at your home course, it’s going to be a definite advantage,” coach Paul Chavez said. “Our kids are comfortable there, feel good there and obviously they play really well there.
“I think we have an excellent opportunity to come back with a title.”
Odessa College carded rounds of 281-277—558 at the District II Championship, led by Max Cooper who placed fourth in the individual standings.
Chavez said he knew Cooper would be a strong contributor to the program and catch fire once he made it into the top lineup.
Having all five of their top golfers put up solid results has been a key factor for the Wranglers’ success this season.
Chavez intends to keep the preparation light before the national tournament, giving his athletes a chance to go up against some local golfers.
“We’re going to play the golf course as much as possible and develop our own little strategy for each player because everybody’s different,” Chavez said. “The main thing is to make sure everybody is firing on all cylinders and everybody is playing well, and has that confidence to play their best.”
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
