SMALL SCHOOLS: Thunderbirds hope to keep perfect season going

Indian Springs’ softball team pulled off a historic feat by winning the program’s first state title last season.

The Thunderbirds could be poised for an even greater accomplishment this season: an undefeated season.

Indian Springs (18-0) opens the Class 1A Southern League tournament with an unblemished record against Sandy Valley (1-14) at 4 p.m. Thursday at Sunrise Mountain. The double-elimination tournament concludes Saturday, with both finalists advancing to next week’s state tournament in Reno.

Indian Springs coach Steve Lawson said the Thunderbirds are taking one step at a time and aware that the toughest games are ahead. But the first-year coach called the perfect regular season “absolutely amazing.

“It’s probably been the highlight of my coaching career,” said Lawson, who served as an assistant baseball coach at the school last season. “I’ve been an assistant coach for five years and seen a lot of good teams, but this team is one of the most exciting things I’ve been a part of.”

The driving force behind the Thunderbirds’ dominance is senior pitcher Brandi Bryl, who is 18-0 with a 1.43 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings. Bryl also is batting .700 with five home runs and 47 RBIs.

“(Bryl) has talent and she can pitch, but it’s also confidence,” Lawson said. “You can see it in her over the span of the years. She’s grown more and more confident in herself, confident in her defense, and you can just see it on the field.”

Bryl and first baseman Tessa Lounsbury are the team’s only seniors.

Bryl has received no shortage of run support.

Sophomore catcher Baylee McCormick is batting .774 with four homers and 43 RBIs, and junior shortstop Heather Thormahlen is hitting .672 with five homers and 43 RBIs.

Indian Springs also has received key contributions from junior center fielder and leadoff hitter Natasha Cruz, junior third baseman Alexxa Reinke, junior second baseman Veronica Allen, junior right fielder Kyli Lopez and freshman left fielder Cheyanne Noyes.

But there’s more to the Thunderbirds’ success than a team batting average of .518.

“When people come by, they see we have 21 girls in our dugout. What they don’t see is that we have 21 girls who all get along who support one another,” Lawson said. “That just transfers over to the field every single day. We have a good practice every single day, and it’s fun.”

The Thunderbirds were 22-7 and finished third with a 2-4 record in the 1A Southern League regular season last year, but they won’t sneak up on anyone this time around.

“We just have to remind ourselves to never get overconfident,” Bryl said.

Lawson said his team saw its potential by opening this season with a 4-0 run through the Pahranagat Valley Invitational.

“Two weeks before our first practice, we knew we had a special team,” he said. “I think after that Alamo tournament, we went there and won all four games, that’s when everyone really started to kind of believe and catch on that we’ve got a really good team and special program here.”

Bryl is determined to make her final high school games a positive memory.

“I love this team. It’s my family,” she said. “I’m going to be sad leaving.”