Sherando climbs to top of district behind coach

By Tommy Keeler Jr. - tkeeler@nvdaily.com

STEPHENS CITY -- Erin Manuel always knew she wanted to be a coach.

Manuel was coached by her father for many years. He coached her travel team -- the Shenandoah Valley Mavericks -- and has been a big part of her softball career.

"He was there to help with my game, and for my sister as well," Manuel said. "He's definitely been a big influence on me."

Manuel and her sister, Katie, were both standouts at Sherando, and both went on to play at the University of Mary Washington. The game has always been a big part of their lives.
The two still play softball together in local summer leagues, and Manuel said she wants to keep playing the game as long as she can.

"Softball's been a big part of my life," Manuel said. "I've been playing since I was 5 years old. It's made me who I am today."

Manuel, The Northern Virginia Daily's Softball Coach of the Year, guided the Warriors to a 17-6 record and the school's first regional appearance since 1996 this season.

Having been a part of the program as a player made this season even more special for Manuel. She was coached by Tater Myers when she was at Sherando, and said one of the more special moments of the season for her was when he showed up for one of her games.

"I try to take a lot of the things that I learned from him and use them to teach the kids," Manuel said. "I take some things from college as well, so it's a combination of both."
The Warriors returned seven starters from last season, and Manuel said she was hoping to finish in the top two in the district, but accomplishing the feat was still huge for the program.

Last year, the Warriors finished fourth in the district, and the players weren't happy with how the season ended.

"It really motivated them," Manuel said. "They worked hard and they did it themselves. I didn't have to say anything to them."

The first big win of the season came after the team's worst loss of the year. After falling 9-0 to Brentsville on March 30, the Warriors trailed then first-place Central in their next game. Down 5-3 in the top of the seventh, the Warriors scored five runs to win the game, 8-5.

"That was a huge win," Manuel said. "I think that gave us a big confidence boost. The girls played all seven innings and didn't give up."

The win gave Sherando a lot of momentum, and the team didn't look back. The Warriors followed that come-from-behind victory with a 4-1 win over Brentsville on April 30.
Sherando hosted Briar Woods in the regional quarterfinals, where it lost 2-1, and it was also Manuel's first regional experience as a player or coach.

"I was so nervous that day," Manuel said. "Even though we lost that game, it was a great experience for the girls. We had a great season and the girls worked really hard."

Manuel said a big key this season was the play of her underclassmen. The Warriors had three players finish with a batting average over .400, including sophomores Kourtney Paige (.446) and Amanda Lutz (.403).

Manuel said she is hopeful the younger players will help keep the strong Sherando tradition going.

"This was the first year where I really felt like the girls played up to their potential," Manuel said. "Hopefully next year we can come back and do the same thing."