Lady Tigers set for first state tournament game in program history
May 29—The Neches Lady Tigers have already made history by reaching their first state tournament in program history. Tuesday, they have a chance to add to that history in the state semifinals game against the D'Hanis Cowgirls.
A school that has been marked by success continues to add to a storied tradition of prosperous play. The Lady Tigers volleyball team has reached at least the regional quarterfinals the past two seasons after winning the state championship for three consecutive years.
The Lady Tigers basketball team has reached the state tournament for the past three seasons straight. Mixed in their program success are state qualifiers in cross country and track and field.
Now, they add a state tournament appearance in softball to their long list of accolades.
"There were tears of joy after the game," head coach Jenna Jenkins said. "I would not have been satisfied with any other outcome. These kids expect to go deep in everything they do and we're excited to be here."
Not only have the Lady Tigers won, but they've done so in a dominant fashion. They defeated Bloomburg 18-0 in the regional quarterfinals. They moved on to beat Saltillo 11-0 in the regional semifinals before dismissing Chester by a combined score of 14-1 in two games in the regional finals.
A lot of that credit goes to their star pitcher Jessi Sumpter. In four games she has allowed one run and nine hits with 42 strikeouts.
"Jessi keeps us in every game and is the heartbeat of our team," Jenkins said. "It's been nice to have the run support on the other end where we're not finding ourselves in close games. It's better for my nerves and my health."
Aside from their playoff dominance, what makes this group special has been their ability to find success across multiple sports.
Many of these girls moved right from the basketball court to the softball field. And even more impressive are the few who transitioned from volleyball to basketball and now to softball.
"Our athletes are built differently," Jenkins said. "They carry the same mentality across every sport. They have their expectations and know how hard they need to work to meet those. When they don't meet those expectations, they're devastated."
It's their motivation to win that has lifted them to the state tournament, despite having to immediately jump into their district schedule without a preseason to prepare.
It's their willingness to work that has allowed them to jump from losing their first playoff game of 2022 to being a game away from the state championship.
"Ugly wins aren't enough for us," Jenkins said. "I always want to look our best. Our kids have learned how to play well consistently. We're going to play our best ball and give everything we have. We want to win."
The Lady Tigers play the D'Hanis Cowgirls 10 a.m. Tuesday at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin.
