As the saying goes "age is just a number." Stockdale's Sydney Hornbuckle might as well have that quote framed above her locker. This year she's been the Mustangs' ace throwing nine shutouts and posting a 0.43 ERA.
"I didn't know coming in what we were getting," said ninth year head coach Amanda Hockett. For Hockett, that unknown comes from one simple fact. Hornbuckle is just a freshman.
While she has a bright future, she's already part of a stellar present. "I don't think anyone expected us to do this well," said junior second baseman Cheyenne Hornbuckle. Stockdale has a perfect 17-0 record and according to MaxPreps, is ranked 18th in the nation.
If you often hear that teams take on a family mindset, at Stockdale that has a literal meaning. Starting at second is Sydney's older sister Cheyenne. "I was happy for her," Cheyenne said when she learned her younger sister would get the majority of the team's starts. "I was like 'Alright. You need to do that. I knew you could."
"I might get low in the count, she'll come up to me and say 'What's wrong?" Sydney said of the dynamic between her sister. "I'll be like 'Nothing.' She's like 'Well you better fix it."
If pitching is Sydney's first love, batting must be a close second. The freshman is hitting .400 on the year and is a threat whenever she's on the field. It's thanks to that dual threat to hit and pitch that the Mustangs are hoping their early success is just the start of what's to come in the postseason.
"Yeah there's a lot out here," Sydney said pointing at the championship banners in the Stockdale outfield. "We plan to add another one."
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