Lakewood Ranch High's fab five

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Lakewood Ranch High seniors Dana Hutchins and Quillan Toler remember the first time they walked out of the dugout in a Lady Mustangs uniform as if it were yesterday.

The two have been replaying the moment they first stepped onto the field; the moment the final out was made; and every moment in between for the past four years.

“I just thought it was so exciting and intense,” Hutchins said.

“I was really excited,” Toler said. “I was nervous, but the seniors were so supportive. They just told me, ‘Don’t be nervous.’ Now, as a senior, I try to calm down the younger ones (when they are) on edge.”

But it’s not simply who they were playing — Braden River. Or who won the game — Lakewood Ranch — that has been cemented in the back of their minds. In the midst of the thrill and excitement, Toler and Hutchins learned the value of leadership and the responsibility that comes from putting on a Lakewood uniform day in and day out.

The two players learned from the best — their senior counterparts. Now, four years later, Toler, Hutchins and fellow seniors Huntyre Elling, Amber Ozment and Cristiana Burns are carrying the torch for Lakewood, following in the footsteps of those who came before them.

“As a freshman, I learned a lot,” Toler said. “As an underclassman, I always looked up to the upperclassmen. I just try and remember when I was a freshman and how I saw them and now for us how you want the upperclassmen to see you.”

“I’m trying to be more of a leader and set an example for the underclassmen,” Hutchins said. “It’s a privilege to play (here).”

All five seniors took slightly different paths to get to where they are today, but it’s their confidence, desire and ability to lead that has propelled the Lady Mustangs to an 8-2 regular season record, not including this past weekend’s Bartow Invitational.

“I’m incredibly lucky to have five girls who have not only stepped up as leaders but also are amazing role models,” coach Tony Cummins said. “They’re carrying the torch of what Lakewood Ranch softball is all about.”

Ozment remembers standing outside the fence watching the Lady Mustangs play for the first time and imaging the day when she would be old enough to take the field to play high school softball.

“It doesn’t seem real,” Ozment said of playing her final season at Lakewood. “(Lakewood) has such a long history of (elite) players,” Ozment said. “I feel like it’s up to us to keep it going.”

Toler, Hutchins and Ozment all started playing for Lakewood together as freshman. Elling joined them a year later after transferring from Braden River, and Burns followed suit last spring after moving down from Michigan.

Similar to Toler, Hutchins and Ozment, Elling felt added pressure to prove she was capable of competing at the varsity level every time she stepped onto the mound.

“I was young and everyone knew I was put on varsity as a freshman,” she said. “I felt like they wanted me to not necessarily look up to them, but prove myself and prove that I should be on varsity.”

Now, with only three weeks remaining in the regular season, the girls are focused on helping lead the Lady Mustangs to another district championship and a spot in the regional tournament.

And even though the girls are in the midst of their senior season and have all reached a decision on their futures, they refuse to take anything for granted.

“I still feel like I have to prove myself,” Burns said. “Last year, I got out there, and nobody knew who I was. I got thrown right into the season.”

“I want to work hard,” Toler said. “In the back of my mind, I still feel like I have to earn my spot. We practice and work hard every day that we’re out here. It’s our life.”

But no matter how many games they ultimately win this season, the seniors’ main focus always has been to create a lasting legacy for their teammates — one that’s focused on commitment, passion and leadership.

“Play with your heart,” Hutchins said.

“Play like it’s your last game, because eventually it will be,” Elling said.

“Remember the reason why you started playing in the first place,” Ozment said.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].