THE TALENT BEHIND THE MASK

There’s a refreshing trend sweeping high school softball fields from La Canada Flintridge to Camarillo to Calabasas to Palmdale.

It’s catching. Quite literally.

Suddenly--unlike the trend of the last decade or so--it’s not a handful of pitchers who have college recruiters clamoring with interest.

Catchers Mackenzie Vandergeest of La Reina and Sara Hall of Calabasas have signed with Division I schools.

Olaya Salazar of Quartz Hill probably will be next.

And the line doesn’t end there.

Five junior catchers, who pack as much punch and potential as Vandergeest, Hall and Salazar, will be among the top recruits in the region next season.

The Fab Five have at least three things in common: A potent bat, excellent defensive skills and a coach who speaks of his catcher in superlatives.

And why not?

Sara Dean of Hart, Ashlie D’Errico of Highland, Christina Enea of El Camino Real, Lacey Smale of Flintridge Sacred Heart and Lauren Watson of Valencia are batting better than .400.

Except for Enea, they lead their teams in hitting.

And defensively?

Let’s just say nobody should expect to steal, advance on a passed ball or knock the ball from these catchers on a play at the plate.

They thrive on tests and challenges.

Consider Watson, a three-year starter.

Only four runners have attempted to steal against her this season. None made it.

“I think the word is out you don’t run on Watson,” Coach Donna Lee said. “People think twice before taking off to second base.”

Watson, who is batting .440 and has led the Vikings offensively the last two seasons, has come a long way since her freshman season, when a bad game would reduce her to tears.

The once quiet, emotional catcher has grown into a tough field general.

“The first two years she didn’t want to say anything to anyone,” Lee said. “But I told her, ‘With the way you play, you need to lead the team.

“You know what’s going on and you have to make sure you voice it.’ ”

Someone who never needs encouragement to speak is Dean, perhaps the most vocal of the catching bunch.

“She is constantly talking to everyone,” Coach Cathy Giordano of Hart said. “She knows what she’s doing.”

Two weeks ago, Dean pinched a nerve in her back playing “chicken” with friends in a swimming pool.

Although the injury has been painful and forced Dean into therapy, it hasn’t kept her off the field.

“She’s still playing because she’s a tough little snot,” Giordano said.

Not to mention a tough out.

“Sara Dean on three cylinders is better than most catchers on four,” said Giordano, whose daughter Jeanine played at Saugus and catches for top-ranked Washington.

Coach Glenda Potts of Highland speaks just as highly of D’Errico, the Bulldogs’ starter the last three years.

D’Errico has called the pitches since her freshman year and is the most respected hitter in the Golden League.

Without her, the Bulldogs are not nearly as competitive, Potts said.

Highland suffered two of its five losses while D’Errico was out of town.

“She’s a big, big part of our team,” Potts said.

D’Errico, who has picked off six runners this season, including one at second base, is being recruited by several Pacific 10 Conference schools.

Like Watson, Dean and D’Errico, Enea and Smale are sure to be on the wish lists of many Division I coaches.

And for those college coaches who miss out on signing one of the five juniors, don’t despair: Sophomores Kristin Carr of Burbank and T.J. Teverbaugh of Cornerstone Christian are coming along nicely.

They’ll be expecting your call in another year.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

CATCH A RISING STAR

KRISTIN CARR

Burbank, So.

Toughest out for the upstart Bulldogs (11-2)

SARA DEAN

Hart, Jr.

Despite injury, top hitter for Times’ No. 3 team

ASHLIE D’ERRICO

Highland, Jr.

Batting .424 for offensive-minded Bulldogs

CHRISTINA ENEA

El Camino Real, Jr.

Perhaps best all around catcher in City Section

SARA HALL

Calabasas, Sr.

Purdue-bound slugger is batting team-high .440

OLAYA SALAZAR

Quartz Hill, Sr.

Four-year starter with tools to play in college

LACEY SMALE

Flintridge Sacred Heart, Jr.

Batting Mission League-high .486 with 16 RBIs

T.J. TEVERBAUGH

Cornerstone Christian, So.

Batting .444 for defending Division VI champions

MACKENZIE VANDERGEEST

La Reina, Sr.

A .520 hitter who is headed to No. 2 Arizona

LAUREN WATSON

Valencia, Jr.

Strikes fear into potential base stealers