Mathis Won't Settle - West Orange Poised For Back-To-Back Championships

Mathis Won't Settle - West Orange Poised For Back-To-Back Championships

Lauren Mathis and West Orange poised for back-to-back championships.

Mar 4, 2017 by Dan Pearson
Mathis Won't Settle - West Orange Poised For Back-To-Back Championships
APOPKA, FL - It's a sun-splashed afternoon in Central Florida and the West Orange softball team is making short work of the Wekiva Mustangs -- winning 19-2 in an away game shortened to three innings by the mercy rule.

Ace pitcher Lauren Mathis was given the day off, contributing to the team by keeping stats on a notepad.

"As a competitor you always want to play but you understand it's important to get the younger players experience," Mathis said. "It's always about the team, you never know when you are going to need them to step in and contribute in a tough situation."

For Mathis, it's always about the team and winning even though she is becoming one of the most individually decorated high school softball players in Central Florida history.

After a sophomore season that saw her go 13-2 with a 0.36 ERA in a back-up role, Mathis exploded on the scene in 2016. She went 25-1 on the mound with a 0.15 ERA and led the Lady Warriors to a 30-1 record and the Class 9A State Championship.

At the state championships in Vero Beach, she went 2-0, struck out 26 allowed just five hits and no earned runs in wins over Davie Western and Tampa Alonso. In the championship game, she took a perfect game into the fifth inning and finished with 15 strikeouts.

The junior struck out 272 batters and allowed just 36 hits and three earned runs in 138.1 innings of work, earning All-State and the prestigious Florida Dairy Farmer's Player of the Year Award.

Success Is Simple

So the question becomes what motivates a star high school athlete who reaches the top as a junior?

"Just to work harder and become better," is Mathis' snap answer.

"West Orange has never won back-to-back state titles and I want to be part of the first team to accomplish that," Mathis said. "We lost a lot of great players from last year's senior class, and this team is definitely different. We're not as big physically and certainly do not have the team speed we had last year, but this year's team has a lot of heart and knows how to win. We fully expect to contend for a championship and my mission is to help us get there."

The Warriors lost four players off that championship team that are now playing at the college level, including centerfielder Jade Caraway, who is hitting a team-leading .474 for North Carolina State as a freshman.

Despite graduating that much talent, the Warriors are off to a solid start in 2017 with a 3-1 record. The team is currently listed No. 1 in the Orlando Sentinel's Super Six regional rankings and the only blemish to the young season was a heart-breaking 1-0 road loss to No. 3 Timber Creek in the season opener.

Head Coach Todd LaNeave believes that with Mathis on the mound, great things are possible for his team.

"Sometimes it just doesn't seem fair," LaNeave said. "She was so dominating last year and frankly she has matured a bit and added two more pitches to her repertoire. It's a new year and we have a long way to go, but with Lauren on the mound and another good senior class of hard workers backing her, we have a chance to be pretty good again."

Preparing For The SEC

Although Mathis wants to stay in the here and now and concentrate on her senior season, she says the prospect of playing Division-1 Softball is on the back of her mind. A former verbal commit to the University of Florida, Mathis changed her mind and signed a letter of intent with SEC power Georgia.

The SEC currently features nine teams ranked in top 25 in the nation and five in the top 11.

"It's hard not to think about it (playing college softball)," Mathis said. "There are so many good teams and great players in the SEC. Everyone in that league was a star in high school and it's hard not think about and get excited about playing at that level."

Mathis says her dream scenario would involve squaring off against Tennessee's Kelsey Morrison in an SEC Tournament game. Morrison, a sophomore pitcher for the Volunteers, was the West Orange ace during Mathis' first two seasons with the Warriors.

"It would be awesome to pitch against her in a game," Mathis said. "I spent a lot of time in the bullpen my first two years watching her perform as our number one and just the idea of getting to pitch against her at the next level is really exciting."

LeNeave believes Mathis has both the heart and talent to play at that level.

"Without question the SEC is one of the two best softball conferences in the NCAA," LeNeave notes. "But I would be surprised if Lauren doesn't go to Georgia and become a contributor as a freshman. And if that doesn't happen, I know if will eventually happen. She will obviously have to prove it on the field, but I like her chances."

But both Mathis and LeNeave quickly return their focus to 2017.

The Lady Warriors have a tough schedule in front of them, including games with district rival Lake Brantley, state power Oakleaf and a tough tournament dates at the Montverde Academy Invitational.

"With having half our starting lineup being new, I thought it was important to put together a challenging schedule," LeNeave said. "By the time the district tournament starts, we should have a pretty good idea where we stand."

With Mathis, who takes a 42-5 record and career 0.28 ERA into this week's play, on the mound, LeNeave may not have too many worries.


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