Plenty of work to do for tourney

Now, the offseason can begin.

For a handful of people associated with the Clovis High softball program, the season didn’t end when the Lady Wildcats were eliminated from contention. Nor was it over when the state tournament wrapped up a month ago.

In fact, staging the annual North/South All-Star series was just beginning at that point for coach Brandi Thomas and a dedicated core of volunteers.

The culmination of weeks, even months, of work was the three-game series staged between North and South players over the weekend in Clovis.

“I think it’s great to bring attention to softball here in Clovis.

Coach Thomas is trying to get the program going,” said Clovis athletic director Dale Fullerton in between games of the Friday doubleheader. With this, you know she’s put it together, she’s running the whole thing, it’s gotta show that she’s interested in it,”

Thomas, who just completed her first year as the Clovis softball coach, is quick to point out everybody else who helped organize the series — now in its third year with Clovis hosting.

“The Clovis Rotary Club is our main sponsor and they help us out with whatever we need,” Thomas said. “We try to get a lot of volunteers. I’ve got two really good volunteers — Joe and Mearl Thomas, my parents.”

While Brandi Thomas was busy, she had help from former player Annie Tweedy and athletic trainer Jeremy “Doc” Davis in maintaining the field — and the players — during practices.

Mearl Thomas saw that the players were fed during the two days leading up to Friday’s games. Local eateries such as Furr’s, Juanito’s, McDonald’s, Rib Crib and Wienerschnitzel offered cut rates on meals or food that was free of charge altogether.

“It’s a lot of tedious work, such as paperwork. Sometimes it can be a real pain. Annie and I were out here a few days ago, for about five hours, pulling tarps off of pens and moving tires,” said Brandi Thomas, who rewarded herself by presenting all the volunteers — including the men — with bright pink T-shirts to wear during the games.

“She’s done a great job not only this year, but last year. It takes a lot of work you really don’t see,” Fullerton said. “She has to get out all the letters to the coaches, to the players - the ones who are nominated. Then, if they turn it down, they’ve got to go to the alternates, so she spends a lot of time running players down and making sure they’re all here."