When Poway’s Sophia Burmeister was a freshman, she tried to hit every pitch out of the park.
“She was overswinging,” recalled coach Jim Bennet. “She had this big reputation as a power-hitter and I told her I just wanted line drives. That became her nickname, ‘Line Drive,’ and she’s had it ever since.”
The Titans catcher, now a junior, is no longer trying to hit every ball over the fence. Instead, she has learned the value of those singles and doubles in leading Poway to the No. 2 ranking in the section starting the week with a .456 batting average that includes an .860 slugging percentage.
Still, ask Bennet the highlight of the season so far for Burmeister and it’s like 2022 all over again.
“We were trailing Eastlake 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs and two strikes on Soph,” said the veteran coach. “She crushed a grand slam walk-off homer that went at least 300 feet.
“The ball went way into the guy’s back yard where we put a lot of balls in practice.
“The thing is, she’s a 1,000 percent improved from when she was a freshman, but she still hits with power. She struggled so much as a freshman — most freshmen at Poway do because we play such a tough schedule in a tough league — but you knew because of her competitiveness it was just a matter of learning.”
Learn she has, batting .380 with six homers, six doubles and 24 RBI as a freshman, hitting .383 with eight homers, nine doubles and 27 RBI last year leading up to her current six homers, five doubles and 20 RBI after 19 games.
Burmeister chuckles at her nickname, which is shortened to L.D. some of the time, but she actually likes it as it reminds her how far she’s come.
“I needed it because back then I wanted everything to go out,” said the 16-year-old who has already orally committed to Clemson. “That walk-off grand slam is actually tied for the highlight of my high school career.
“The other came in the semifinals of the playoffs last year when we were playing Carlsbad. I’d gone 0-for-3 the last time we’d played them after clinching the Palomar League title but in the semis I hit two home runs and drove in five runs off the same pitcher (in a 5-3 victory).”
How big was that?
The Titans beat fellow league foe Rancho Bernardo 3-2, scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth inning, for the Open Division title before rolling past Torrance and Oaks Christian to capture the Southern California Regional crown and cap a 17-game winning streak.
Bennet says what makes Burmeister, who was All-CIF first team a year ago, such a quality player is her competitiveness, which first showed itself when she and six of her teammates from the Poway Girls Softball League captured the national 12-under title in Medford, Ore. with a win over Bonita Vista from south San Diego.
“She purely enjoys softball,” he said. “At practice, in the game, she’s always smiling, having fun. That’s contagious. The thing is, she and the others came in after we suffered our worst-ever season.”
In 2021, after a truly great Titans team only played a handful of games because of COVID, the team that had nine freshmen and six sophomores went 5-24, including losing 13 in a row.
“We were 2-8 in league but beat the champion, RB, both times,” he said. “We lost 13 games in a row and we’d never lost 13 games in a season. They moved us to the Valley League and Division II but that’s when Sophie and Mya (McGowan) and the others came in, and we promptly won 20 games (20-11-1).
“Back in the Palomar and Open Division, we went 29-3 last year.”
Burmeister has been solid as a rock behind the plate where not only is she hitting well, but opponents know better than to try to run on her as she’s thrown out three of the five who have tried.
“I love being a catcher, it’s been my position since I started when I was six,” said Burmeister, who doesn’t have to carry the complete load as senior Ryleigh Rinker is also seeing a lot of action. “Catcher is the most competitive position on the field because you can have the best view, and can help the others who might not see as much.
“Coach (Lauren) Hall calls the pitches but sometimes if I see something, I can override her.
“But I like batting just as much as catching. My batting coach Bobby Labs has taught me to settle down, not try to overpower every pitch. Getting on base or driving in a run with a hit to keep a rally going is what wins games.”
The Titans have a huge contest Saturday when they meet No. 1-ranked Del Norte in the first of three league showdowns. Neither Burmeister nor Bennet is making it too big of a deal, knowing every league game is large.
Besides, now she’s hitting the ball on the line, and her nickname is still ‘Line Drive,’ which fits perfectly.
