Season A '20: Diamond doings are here

There may or may not be cutouts of people in the stands at Mullen softball games.

No, the important thing is that there will be Mustangs softball games and a group of players is eager to get it going.

As is the case with the four sports in what has been dubbed Season A in this hectic and confusing time of the coronavirus (COVID-19), there will be changes, popular and otherwise, but new Mustangs head coach Dave Atencio, a longtime pillar in the Colorado softball community, and his staff are ready to lead the challenge.

One begins Monday (Aug. 17), when Class 4A Mullen will open its season at home in the 5A-based Centennial League against always good Cherry Creek.

Why should it be easy?

Here’s some of what Atencio, 10 career victories shy of 400 in his career, thinks: “I think this – we have a chance to be competitive in our league because of our experience. I think we’ll compete against the upper echelon of our league’s 5A teams. Three of them will compete for the 5A title. We’ll have our hands full, but we’ll compete.

“Arguably, it’s the toughest (league) in the state.”

Much of the Mustangs’ core involves senior catcher Avery Panozzo; senior third base Maggie Bertsch; junior center fielder Bella Aragon; sophomore pitcher Morgan Margeson; and first base Lucia Hurtado. In addition, Atencio said he likes some of the program’s young talent, Mustangs are hungry after a difficult 5-13 showing in 2019 and the switch of seasons for other sports has produced interest from girls who ordinarily would be competing in another game, such as volleyball.

As for some of the challenges in front of Mullen, a few will have to be dealt with s well as possible.

According to Atencio, for example, Centennial teams will play a league-only schedule, 13 in the regular season and three in a league tourney.

The “real hard part,” Atencio said, is state officials have eliminated the regional tournaments that required two victories in a 32-team field to advance to the Colorado bracket, 16 teams in all.

“It’s tough,” Atencio said. “League champions (in 4A) are automatic qualifiers. There are eight leagues in 4A and that leaves eight spots. That will be a challenge.”

Mullen’s RPI (rating percentage index) will be “more solid,” the coach said, “and that’s one position,” and the other significant change for playoffs will involve more use of three polls (including by coaches).

The regular-season will evolve slowly at the outset – the Mustangs won’t have their second game until Aug. 24, when they will be at Grandview in Aurora, and their third game will be Aug. 29, home against Arapahoe. The pace will pick up in September.