Time Makes La Habra’s Diamond Collection a Valuable One : Softball: Through a network of family and friends, this group has developed a bond that has held strong in competition.

They have an advantage that can’t be picked up in a weeklong softball camp or even a summer of club softball.

Their secret is time.

A long time.

Dani Ortega, Stefanie Bakke, Meagan Mirth, Tawnya Moore, Dee Dee Miranda and Angie Calabretta have played softball together half their lives. Four of their fathers--and Calabretta’s sisters--have been their coaches and their mothers have been team managers. They know each other’s actions, reactions and emotions. They know what to say when they spot fear in the other’s eyes. They know what not to say, too.

They’re one of the best softball teams in the county. And they have an agenda.

Win it all.

Ortega, Bakke and Mirth have been four-year varsity starters for La Habra High School. Moore, Miranda and Calabretta have been three-year starters.

Ortega, the league most valuable player, is a Times all-county first-team holdover from last year when she threw eight no-hitters, had a 0.25 earned-run average and helped the Highlanders reach the Southern Section 4-A semifinals.

Ortega has orally committed to attend Massachusetts and Bakke has signed a letter of intent to Valparaiso.

Miranda, the left fielder, was the only one of the group who wasn’t at least an all-league honorable mention, and that’s because she missed most of the season with an ankle injury. But if you appreciate strength up the middle, get a load of this: Ortega pitches; Bakke (catcher) was first-team all-league; Calabretta (center field) was second team all-league. Mirth (first base) and Moore (third base) were honorable mention. Sophomore shortstop Aimee Weathers, who batted .422, was also a first-teamer.

Second-year Coach Sue Briquelet said her team’s only weakness during last year’s 25-3 campaign was that they relied too heavily on their two senior players.

This year, with six seniors totaling 15 years of previous varsity experience, the focus of each is on her own contribution, not her teammates’.

That means school administrators can probably put down a deposit on a new Freeway League banner. They won last year’s with a 10-0 record. Chances are, if they remain healthy, they’ll win another.

“We called ourselves the Dream Team before the Olympic team did,” Briquelet said.

That was before last season, when Cathy Tucker (now at Hawaii) and Sara Mallett (Nevada Las Vegas) were the only seniors. They were the strength of the team, but also the weakness. And, after careful consideration, Ortega admitted she and her teammates might have been underachievers.

“We (younger players) leaned on them to do it all,” Ortega said. “Last year we went to the semifinals and we couldn’t do anything (offensively). We depended on those two people so much.

“In a way, we were (underachievers) because we didn’t rise above our crutch. We just kind of stayed down and let them take it over. We didn’t give it our all; we sat back and watched (Turner and Mallett) take on all of our offense.

“But this year it’s going to be a lot different. We talk about it. We’re very honest with each other. We’re expecting a lot out of each other. We all accept our roles on the team.

“We all know what’s going on.”

What’s going on is introspection. Instead of relying on the other person, they’re consciously taking the onus upon themselves. Ask not what your team can do for you, but what you can do in the clutch.

“In a way,” Moore said, “we were better ballplayers than what we showed.”

Which is cause for the rest of the county to take notice.

“We need people to step in and do the job and not wait for someone else to do it,” Mirth said.

And that’s how this team can improve upon what was already a great season. La Habra was ranked No. 1 in the 4-A when they lost a 1-0 decision to Newhall Hart. A pair of hits in the same inning ended their season because Turner and Mallett were stifled.

“That was really hard,” Mirth said. “We had such high expectations. We sat down at the beginning of the year and wrote down our goals, and we accomplished so much, and the only goal we had left was to win the section title. Right down to the end, I didn’t doubt that we would win, and then it was, ‘Oh my God, did we just lose?’ It was hard. It was shocking.”

But that’s behind them.

Ahead is the final three-month journey for six seniors who have known remarkable success--and friendship--since they were 9.

Mirth, like Moore a team captain, already has considered her good fortune: “It’s nice knowing that no matter what happens the rest of your life, no one can take away what we already have.”

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Softball at a Glance

Top players: Division I--Julie Adams, Cypress, So.; Jennifer Allchin, Fountain Valley, Sr.; Kelsi Armbruster, Katella, Sr.; Amber Barazsu, Pacifica, Sr.; Alexis Beckman, El Modena, Sr.; Melissa Benbow, Katella, Sr.; Jennifer Boston, La Quinta, Sr.; Heather Buchanon, Dana Hills, Sr.; Tricia Bulkeley, El Toro, Sr.; Michelle Churnock, Foothill, So.; Jennifer Clark, Mater Dei, Sr.; Briana Corona, Garden Grove, Sr.; Christine Culver, Villa Park, Sr.; Lisa Dacquisto, Ocean View, Sr.; Nikki Espriv, Cypress, Jr.; Jessica Frank, Esperanza, Jr.; Amy Gora, Edison, Sr.; Daniela Hugelshofer, Capistrano Valley, Sr.; Lana Jiminez, Kennedy, Sr.; Misty Lauby, El Toro, Jr.; Nina Lindenberg, Canyon, Jr.; Danelle Lovetro, Fountain Valley, Sr.; Christina Mazurie, Foothill, Sr.; Brandee McArthur, Villa Park, So.; Destiny Mollison, Rancho Alamitos, Sr.; Marie O’Beck, Mater Dei, Sr.; Nicole Paloney, Kennedy, Sr.; Lisa Pitt, Kennedy, So.; Chris Puccio, Orange, Jr.; Danny Rodriguez, Fountain Valley, Jr.; Veronica Saldivar, Mater Dei, Sr.; Christa Saindon, Cypress, Jr.; Michelle Schneider, Los Alamitos, So.; Samantha Smithson, El Toro, Sr.; Amy Tessman, Foothill, Jr.; Traci Vargas, El Dorado, Sr.; Racquel Wilson, Ocean View, Sr. Division II--Stefanie Bakke, La Habra, Sr.; Samantha Cardenas, Brea-Olinda, Sr.; Angie Hanes, Brea-Olinda, Sr.; Jennifer Jessen, Troy, Jr.; Dani Ortega, La Habra, Sr.; Andrea Schuette, Brea-Olinda, Sr.; Aimee Weathers, La Habra, So. Division III--Jennifer Arzola, Laguna Hills, Jr.; Linda Camacho, Century, Sr.; Tabby Cleveland, Costa Mesa, So.; Lisa Delligatta, Santa Margarita, Sr.; Leah Poulson, Irvine, Sr.; Tasha Gilmore, Estancia, Jr.; Emma Hernandez, Saddleback, Jr.; Alison Johnsen, Woodbridge, Jr.; Jessica Montgomery, Woodbridge, Sr.; Heather Moore, Costa Mesa, Jr.; Debbie Nasitka, Woodbridge, Sr.; Rebecca Smith, Irvine, Sr.; Alycia Stevens, Laguna Hills, Jr.; Misty Thompson, Laguna Hills, So. Small Schools--Cristin Crigler, Whittier Christian, Sr.; Debbie Goddu, Whittier Christian, Jr.; Reanna Mendoza, Brethren Christian, Fr.; Michelle Reuter, Brethren Christian, Jr.

League favorites: Century: Foothill; Empire: Cypress; Freeway: La Habra; Garden Grove: Kennedy; Pacific Coast: Laguna Hills; Orange: Brea-Olinda; Sea View: Woodbridge; South Coast: Mater Dei; Sunset: Fountain Valley.

Key dates: Fullerton tournament, March 5, 6, 8; Cypress tournament, March 6, 9-13; Brea-Olinda tournament, March 6, 11-13; Corona tournament, March 8-13; Laguna Hills tournament, March 15-20; Costa Mesa tournament, March 6, 13; Garden Grove tournament, March 20, 27, 29; Woodbridge Classic, April 3-7.

Notes: I: It’s not a down year for powerhouse Foothill, last year’s 4-A section champion, but the loss of three All-Southern Section-caliber pitchers and the emergence of other programs have shoved the Knights from the spotlight somewhat. Traditional winners Mater Dei and Cypress have the talent to go far. Kennedy will get the usual stiff competition in the Garden Grove League, but was relatively unscathed by graduation. With good pitching in such high demand, El Toro is happy to have 17-game winner Misty Lauby back. Likewise, pitcher Danny Rodriguez at Fountain Valley gives the Barons hopes of defending their Sunset League championship. II: A crushing upset in the 4-A section semifinal spells trouble for everyone on La Habra’s schedule. Brea-Olinda made it to the quarterfinals last season, and with seven returning starters, could go farther. III: Pitching is the only question mark for loaded Woodbridge, but Coach Alan Dugard has people who can pick up the slack. The return of pitcher Rebecca Smith and first baseman Leah Poulson should improve Irvine.