Success Hasn’t Spoiled Pilot’s Coach

Cathy Blankenship, softball coach at Banning High School, was giving a reporter statistics about her team. After relating impressive numbers, such as ace pitcher Kricket Kern’s 0.82 earned-run average and shortstop Laura Espinoza’s .491 batting average, Blankenship said: “It’s no big deal, I just punch in the numbers, and the computer does everything.”

Well, Blankenship must be doing something. Her personable, easy-going style has her team in second place in the L.A. City Section’s Pacific League with a 7-1 record. Overall, the Pilots are 16-2 and one of the City’s top five teams, according to Jerry Weiner of High School Sports America, who ranks girls softball.

Because of its success, Banning has enjoyed media attention. On Monday the team appeared on Prime Ticket cable network in a high school feature segment. Last Thursday’s game against San Pedro attracted many reporters and fans. Unfortunately it didn’t attract umpires, forcing the game to be rescheduled to this week.

“The media attention is nice, but it’s inconsistent,” Blankenship said.

The attention may be new to Blankenship, but the success isn’t. In 1982 she took a team of 17- to 21-year-olds to the Miss Softball America national championship. At Banning, where she first coached in 1978, she has consistently produced winners. She is also a health and sex education teacher at Banning.

Maybe the success is family related. Blankenship’s husband, Marty, is the baseball coach at rival Carson High.

Blankenship thinks her senior-dominated team is on its way to big things after losing in the second round of the playoffs last year to eventual champion and perennial powerhouse El Camino Real, currently ranked No. 1 in the City. Banning lost a 10-inning game to the top-ranked Lady Conquistadores, 3-2, in a preseason tournament, but Blankenship is confident of her team’s chance in the playoffs.

“There’s a lot more enthusiasm and the willingness to play together this year,” she said. “If one person doesn’t shine, another will pick up the slack.”

Leading the way is pitcher Kern (13-1). As of Tuesday, she has pitched 75 innings, given up eight earned runs and struck out 98.

The Pilots lost Wednesday to San Pedro, last year’s Pacific champs, 2-0. Both runs were unearned. Weiner says the Pilots will remain in the top five despite the loss.

Before the loss, the Pilots were flying through the league. On Tuesday, Banning beat Narbonne, 13-2, at Dolphin Park. In the first inning the Pilots committed four errors, allowing one unearned run.

“We hadn’t played since spring break,” Blankenship said at the time. “We’re a little rusty.”

In the bottom half of their inning, the Pilots showed why they are one of the best teams in the City, taking the lead on aggressive base running.

Claudia Delgadillo walked to lead off and immediately stole second. Two hits later, the bases were loaded, and the Narbonne catcher let a ball slip past her. As she retrieved it from five feet behind her, Delgadillo streaked toward home. The pitcher and catcher were surprised and the Pilot center fielder scored easily. Another wild pitch in the inning led to another Banning run.

“Yes, I encourage them to be aggressive on he basepaths,” said Blankenship. “Many times opponents don’t have the most accurate arms.”

Blankenship says she will take the outs that go along with aggressive base running, but she is also constantly telling her players to “think out there.” During practice, the Pilots work on sliding head-first and other offensive moves.

When her players commit an error, Blankenship is bothered--but not upset. She understands her players are only in high school.

“She (Blankenship) helps us with softball, schoolwork, personal problems or whatever,” Delgadillo said. “She’s not just a coach.”

Blankenship’s style is calm, under control.

“I’ve seen too many coaches yell; it just magnifies the play and makes the player feel worse,” Blankenship said. “They know what they did wrong.”

Before the season is over, Banning has a chance to avenge its loss against San Pedro and probably against El Camino Real in the playoffs. But Blankenship has the whole thing in perspective. She says she doesn’t want her players to remember her only for her winning teams. “I don’t want them to say, ‘She didn’t give time to talk to me.’ ”