Sampson, Priebe a terrific tandem for Musketeer softball squad
Seniors want to lift MHS to the top of Marmonte standings
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers MIRROR IMAGES- Moorpark seniors Kathryn Sampson, above, and Kristine Priebe, right, are expected to be major contributors for the Musketeers this season. Both have already committed to play softball in college, too. Priebe will attend the University of Florida, while Sampson is heading to the University of Indianapolis.

Kristine Priebe and Kathryn "Cat" Sampson met each other at the age of 8 while playing softball. Nearly 10 years later the two are still great friends, and now Moorpark High is reaping the benefits.

With Sampson and Priebe leading Moorpark for one more year, the team will look to improve on last season's record of 12-11 and capture a Marmonte League title.

Priebe enters her fourth year on the varsity club after hitting .443 with one home run and 16 RBI during her junior year. Although Priebe heads to the University of Florida next fall as a catcher, Moorpark head coach Meaghan Stotts said Priebe would likely play first base for the majority of the 2007 campaign.

"I will have Priebe play first base for most of the season so we can have Taylor Neumann in the lineup," Stotts said. "She's still a fine catcher, though, and I will have her behind the plate when Jessie Loe is on the mound. Those two work very well together."

Although where she plays on the field could change, according to Stotts Priebe will always be in the lineup at the No. 3 spot.

"I like to put our best hitter in the No. 3 hole, and she is our best hitter," Stotts said. "She will hit for a very high average, but she has been working on minimizing her movement at the plate, and that has led to her connecting with some more balls for home runs."

Although it usually takes a couple years to make the varsity team, Priebe wasted no time and made the big club in her first year at Moorpark.

"I wasn't the head coach back then, but I told our coach that we needed to bring her up," Stotts said. "Sometimes you worry about the change of bringing up a girl too soon, but she was ready and did just fine that year."

Priebe said the early call up didn't intimidate her at all.

"Well, softball is basically my life," Priebe said. "I don't really think about anything else, so I wasn't nervous when I joined the varsity team that year. I had played a lot of travel ball before that, so I was ready."

A year later, Priebe would feel even more confident at the varsity level when Sampson joined the team for their sophomore seasons.

"I love playing with (Sampson) because when I do, I get reminded of how much heart she has," Priebe said. "I think that rubs off on everyone because I enjoy playing the game even more when I'm around her."

While Priebe was confident, Sampson struggled in her first year on the varsity. According to Stotts and Priebe, Sampson tended to think things through too much.

"I was the worst at over analyzing things that year because I wanted to play so bad," Sampson said. "I wanted to walk on the field and make an immediate impact."

It was at this time that Priebe really started to help Sampson.

"I think she kept me sane that year," Sampson said, with a laugh. "I could ask her any question and she would drop everything she was doing just to come over and help me."

The help paid off during Sampson's junior season when she hit .297 while leading the team with four home runs. Thanks to that great season, Sampson will be playing ball at the University of Indianapolis in the fall, where she hopes to study sports broadcasting.

Before she moves on, Sampson will once again be asked to show her versatility this season by playing her third position in as many years- the outfield.

"I love the outfield so far," Sampson said. "I love diving all over the place trying to catch fly balls. To me it seems like you have to be even more focused in the outfield because you aren't doing something on every play like in the infield."

Although the two of them will finally be separated next fall, there is still a senior year to be played at Moorpark, and both Priebe and Sampson have been looking forward to it for a while.

"As a senior, this is the year that we are asked to really step up and give everything we got so we never look back and wonder how good we could have been," Sampson said.

Priebe said for the first time in her four years on the team, there are no cliques.

"The chemistry on this team is very good," Priebe said. "It seems like it's the first time the whole team hangs out together."

After this season, it will be tough for Priebe and Sampson to hang out together while playing at different colleges, but the two said their friendship will always be there.

"We have always been there for each other, and to tell you the truth, I don't think I've ever gotten into a fight with her," Sampson said. "I guess we know each other's tendencies well."