Power-hitting Trista Stehwien rarely strikes out for East

Mar. 29—CHEYENNE — Trista Stehwien grounded into a fielder's choice to third base during her first plate appearance this season.

It was the only at-bat that didn't go the senior's way during Cheyenne East's three games Friday.

Stehwien finished the weekend 10-for-11 with three doubles, a triple, a home run and nine RBI. Her efforts at the plate helped the Thunderbirds go 2-1, including a pair of East Conference victories. They also earned her Prep Athlete of the Week honors from WyoSports' Cheyenne staff.

"She has no fear of any pitcher," East coach Adam Galicia said. "She has an attacking attitude and takes every pitch as a challenge. You can see it in her eyes.

"She's the most competitive softball player I've ever coached."

Galicia has been coaching Stehwien since she cracked the roster for Cheyenne Extreme's under-18 team as an eighth-grader. She's always been fearless, competitive and driven, but her confidence didn't start to show until the following summer.

Stehwien has been an incredibly tough out ever since.

This weekend's exploits bumped her career average at East up to .589 (83-for-141). She has 37 career extra-base hits and has driven home 43 runs to earn all-state honors both seasons the Wyoming High School Activities Association has sanctioned softball.

Power hitters like Stehwien are often prone to striking out, but she bucks convention. She has struck out just five times in 43 games for the T-Birds. Only one of those was a strikeout looking. Stehwien also has drawn 14 career walks.

Stehwien has piled up equally gawdy numbers across 193 summer and fall games with Extreme over the past four years, posting 23 home runs and 171 RBI while striking out just 22 times (10 looking) in 479 at-bats. Nine of those strikeouts came during her first season with the under-18 team.

Stehwien's understanding of the strike zone and her ability to get the bat to the ball are unmatched. The latter was honed in a full-size batting cage tucked inside a shop on her family's property, with her father, Curtis Stehwien, providing endless rounds of batting practice.

"He's a super good pitcher, actually," Trista Stehwien said, noting that Curtis has a solid underhand fastball. "Becoming the hitter I am came from a ton of repetition. I try to hit three or four times per week at least. I work hard to put the barrel on the ball and make sure I get good contact.

"I try to make hard contact, no matter what. Striking out is not something I like to do; I don't want to strike out, ever."

Stehwien operates under the philosophy that a full mind leads to an empty bat.

"I hit better when my mind is empty, and I'm not thinking about hitting it hard or where I need to hit it," she said. "I do better when I'm calm and relaxed."

Stehwien has primarily played catcher over the past four years, but she also has seen a good deal of time at both middle infield positions and in the outfield. Concussions kept her from catching and sidelined her for four of East's games during her junior campaign. Stehwien isn't ruling out a return behind the plate.

"I really enjoy moving around the diamond," she said. "I don't like staying in one position, so playing all those different positions adds excitement and a lot of fun."

It also gives Galicia flexibility in his lineup.

"We have all our girls practice infield and outfield, but (Stehwien) is willing to take on positions she might not always want to play because she knows the team is going to be better for it," Galicia said. "She's going to be successful wherever we put her because she's a real student of the game. She's not perfect at everything, but she always gives perfect effort.

"She gives it everything she has on every pitch."

Stehwien's work ethic and undeniable talent have helped her lead East by example. This season, she wants to be more of a vocal leader for the Thunderbirds.

"I've tried to treat all of my teammates the same and build relationships with them, regardless of whether they're varsity or JV players," said Stehwien, who aspires to a career as a pharmacist. "We're all equal, no matter what team we're on. I want to get to know them, build my trust in them and their trust in me.

"That makes people want to follow you and do the right things."

Others recognized for their efforts include:

n Madisyn Baillie and Sydney Morrell, girls track and field, Cheyenne Central: Baillie, a senior, won the 100- and 300-meter hurdles and placed second in high jump at the Runners Roost Invitational on Friday in Fort Collins, Colorado. She finished the 100 hurdles in 16.09 seconds and the 300s in 46.78. She cleared 5 feet, 2 inches in high jump.

Morrell, also a senior, won both the 800- and 1,600-meter runs. She finished the 800 in 2 minutes, 16.20 seconds and the 1,600 in 5:04.34.

n Will Bechtel, boys soccer, Cheyenne South: The senior scored two goals and assisted on another during two matches.

n Aleah Brooks, softball, East: The sophomore was 4-for-7 with three triples and seven RBI to help the Thunderbirds go 2-1 on the week.

n Logan Custis, Justin Hendren and Sammy Shumway, boys soccer, Central: Custis, a junior, scored two goals during a 3-1 victory at Cheyenne East, which was the only match he played in during the week.

Hendren, a sophomore, netted two goals during the Indians' two matches.

Shumway, a junior, scored two goals during Central's 3-2 win over Thunder Basin, including the game-winner.

n Brooke K. Hansen, girls track and field, Burns: The junior won both shot put and discus at the John Ganser Invitational on Saturday in Sidney, Nebraska. She heaved the shot 32 feet, 4 inches and tossed the discus 97-6.

n Izzy Kelly and Izzy Thomas, softball, Central: Kelly, a sophomore, was 5-of-10 with a triple, a home run and four RBI to help the Indians go 1-2 on the week.

Thomas, also a sophomore, went 4-for-8 with three RBI.

Jeremiah Johnke is the WyoSports editor. He can be reached at jjohnke@wyosports.net or 307-633-3137. Follow him on Twitter at @jjohnke.