Torn between hoops and homers
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
The basketball coach wants her to play a leadership role in his quest for a sixth state championship in eight years.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser
The softball coach says the path to a scholarship at a four-year college goes through her diamond.
Mid-Pacific grad Jade Savusa was an instant hit in softball after she completed her basketball season at Ventura (Calif.) Community College last year.
Jade Savusa of 'Ewa Beach may be the most sought-after student-athlete at Ventura (Calif.) Community College.
Savusa was a first-team all-state basketball player and the Interscholastic League of Honolulu scoring champion in 2000 for Mid-Pacific.
After an unsuccessful basketball tryout at the University of Hawai'i, she transferred to Ventura, where she was a back-up last season on a state championship team (34-2) that featured seven sophomore veterans.
"She had a good year," coach Ned Mircetic said. "The potential is that she could have a great year."
Mircetic, whose teams have a 244-13 record for the past seven years, said of Savusa: "Jade is one of those kids who has talent in many different areas; she can shoot from beyond the 3-point line and on the next possession she can post up with her back 3 feet from the basket.
"We had great sophomore leadership last year," Mircetic said. "My hope is that Jade is ready to step into her own version of that role, to set an example that 'this is how we play here.'
"We expect her to set an example in the classroom (last year's sophomores had a combined 3.58 grade-point average), set an example of hard work at practice, and be a leader who our new freshmen can latch on to.
"Her challenge is to find herself within herself."
Although most of her recognition has been earned in basketball, Savusa volunteers that "softball is my first love."
And Ventura softball coach Susan Johnson thinks swinging a bat is the surest way to pay for the final two years of Savusa's college education. "Softball is the key to her future," Johnson said. "She's a terrific basketball player, but softball will get her a scholarship; I can send her anywhere."
Last season, Savusa didn't join the softball team until the state basketball tournament ended in March. She only played in the last 10 games, but her new teammates selected Savusa as the Most Inspirational Player on their conference championship team.
Batting clean-up as a designated player, Savusa hit home runs in successive at-bats in a regional playoff game at Long Beach City College and hit a line drive to the center-field fence to ignite the winning rally against Alan Hancock.
"She was phenomenal, and she has a lot of potential that hasn't been tapped yet," Johnson said.
Softball practice starts Aug. 19 and Ventura plays 20 to 30 games of "fall ball."
"I'm hoping she'll play with us in the fall," and decide to make softball her first priority, Johnson said.
