Natalie Shellhorn and Jenna Patterson have perspective that is as healthy as their batting averages.
That’s saying something for the two seniors on the Regis Jesuit softball team, who both sport averages over .500.
Shellhorn and Patterson have had rollercoaster prep careers that saw highs, lows and the disappearance of the program for a season. They are currently the linchpins of softball’s return to Regis Jesuit and have enjoyed a building season that will end in the Class 5A postseason.
“Although I look at my friends who play at other schools, and have played all four years, and have had a solid foundation, I would say the bonds I have with Jenna and some of the girls I’ve played with since freshman and sophomore year are stronger than if we had just eased through four years,” Shellhorn said.
“The appreciation I have for the team this year and the growth and desire I have to pass it along in positive hands comes from that adversity.”
Things started well for the seniors when they were on the roster for Regis Jesuit’s trip to the 5A state tournament in 2020, which ended in a first-round loss. They then endured a difficult 2021 campaign in which the team went just 2-21 and then got the news that the program didn’t have enough numbers to field more than a junior varsity in 2022.
In a diaspora of varsity players, Patterson ended up at Rock Canyon and Shellhorn at Thomas Jefferson — where she hit .604 and helped the Spartans make it to the semifinals of the 3A state tournament — but both jumped at the chance to be part of the return of varsity play at Regis Jesuit.
They both came back ready to be mentors to a young roster, one that includes a whopping eight freshmen and a few players who had never played the game before. They have loved every minute of it in the wake of what they’ve been through.
“I think I’ve learned to be a leader through all this,” Patterson said. “Yeah, it sucked along the way sometimes, but I think it was a very good learning experience and I can take the lessons I learned over these four years into the rest of my life.”
A return to play required a coach and that turned out to be Tyler Robbins, a longtime member of coach Matt Darr’s coaching staff on the Regis Jesuit baseball team. He asked Darr to join his staff to help him navigate a sport that is similar, though vastly different.
He wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but has been thrilled to see the evolution of his team throughout a 10-10 regular season.
“Goal one was to have a varsity team, and goal two was to win a game,” Robbins said. “These girls have done nothing but work their tails off and continue to improve and grow together. It’s been amazing.”
The first goals got checked off right away as Regis Jesuit topped Mountain View 14-1 in a tournament game to open the season, then won again 12-2 the next day. What followed was a slew of lopsided results in which the Raiders either won or lost by double-digit margins.
Having Shellhorn at shortstop and Patterson behind the plate helping freshman pitcher Alex Tavlarides get adjusted to a lead role helped Regis Jesuit grow by leaps and bounds.
Tavlarides was at her best in the two most crucial games of the season, which Regis Jesuit had to win to have any chance to make it into regionals. The Raiders held off Rock Canyon 10-0 and defeated Ponderosa (a 5A state tournament team last season) 5-2 for their 10th win.
By the time the last day of the season ended and the RPI shifting fell in Regis Jesuit’s favor — Shellhorn was getting periodic updates from her father about how the formula changed throughout the day — it meant the seniors would get a last chance to experience postseason play and young players would gain more valuable experience.
Robbins couldn’t have written a better script.
“This has been a lot about our two seniors stepping up, coming in Day 1 and loving this program in just a masterful way,” Robbins said. “They have always been there to pick the girls up and that really went a long way. That’s what I’m happiest about, that those two seniors get a shot in their final year to play postseason softball for a school they’ve attended.”
The seniors hope for the best in the regionals, which will mark the end of softball for Patterson, while Shellhorn is committed to play at Metropolitan State University of Denver next year.
The task is tall for the No. 32 seed, which is pitted against the No. 1 team in the opening round, in this case, Arvada West. The Raiders will face the 19-4 Wildcats on their home field at 10 a.m. Oct. 13. Even if they lose, they can gain a state tournament berth with two consolation bracket victories Oct. 14.
One of the teams Regis Jesuit will need to get past to get into the state tournament is 16th-seeded Eaglecrest, as half of the Aurora area’s four qualifiers ended up in Region 1.
Coach Yvette Hendrian’s Raptors have a 17-6 record — the same mark as ninth-seeded Grandview and 10th-seeded Cherokee Trail, the Centennial League champion — and will play Heritage in the other Region 1 game at 12:30 p.m.
Coach Liz Carter’s veteran Grandview team is back in the postseason after a spirited run to the 5A state tournament last season and is part of the Region 4 tournament hosted by No. 8 Broomfield on Oct. 14. The Wolves open with 24th-seeded Fort Collins, while the host Eagles play No. 25 Arapahoe in the other first round contest.
Cherokee Trail — which has a tradition of thriving in the postseason and also has a good share of playoff-tested players — slipped to the No. 10 seed with a loss to Cherry Creek in the regular season finale and will play at the road in Region 7 at ThunderRidge Oct. 13-14.
Coach Caley Mitchell’s Centennial League champion Cougars play No. 23 Legacy at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 13 and could advance to the state tournament with a win in that game and the 3 p.m. regional final. Consolation brackets take place Oct. 14.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
