Hendrickson High is one of state's top softball teams

The Hendrickson Hawks softball team has had an amazing season.

They're 25-and-1, ranked second in the state, and are even in the top five in some national polls.

"We expected to be good, but I honestly didn't expect to be this good," said Nicole Garcia, a sophomore student and catcher for the Hendrickson Hawks. They also didn't expect to be doing it without their head coach Mike Wozniak, who unexpectedly passed away seven months ago.

"It was like the middle of the night so i thought it was a dream.  And when i got to school in the morning I was kind of in shock.  I didn't really feel it until a couple weeks later," said Taylor Bachmeyer, a sophomore student and pitcher for the Hendrickson Hawks. "When it happened all of us ,we took it hard, but we knew we had to stick up and do it for him.  And that's what we're doing," added Jory Cervantes, a senior and outfielder.

"That first day when we came to school after we found out was probably the hardest day I've ever had working.  Or one of the hardest days of my life.  But as time went on we grew together.  We mourned.  We laughed, we cried.  We kept moving forward and always remembering him.  It got better and better everyday, but it was extremely challenging the first couple of weeks," said Lindsay Eaton, the head softball coach.

One thing Coach Wozniak was working on before he passed away was trying to get an equipment shed, which is something he really wanted for his team.  And while he never got to see that come about.  His team and the community came together and finished what he started.

"That's exactly what he dreamed of.  Then we had a cross country kid that came out and painted the side of it with that mural.  It turned out great.  It was exactly what he's looking for," said Eaton. "I think that's what makes it even better.  That's what makes us like push even harder, that we see him everyday.  And we just have our angel in the outfield," added Nicole.

"The lovely mrs. Wozniak actually text me last night after she came to the game.  And she's like you know he's grinning ear to ear.  That's what they all said.  He's definitely a very happy angel in the outfield right now, and he would be so proud of these girls," said Eaton. 

The Hawks begin their quest for a state title with a playoff game on Friday at 6 pm.