Shakopee hasn't been to the Class 3A softball state tournament since 2011. Third baseman Hannah Mendez hopes to help the Sabers end that three-year drought in her senior season.
The past two seasons the Sabers have come up one game short of playing in the Section 2 finals. They were eliminated by Mankato West in 2013 and Prior Lake in 2014.
Shakopee is coming off a 13-9 season. It finished fifth in the now-defunct Missota Conference. The Sabers will be competing in the South Suburban Conference this year.
Here is a closer look at Mendez, who also ran cross-country for the Sabers last fall:
Q What is the best movie you have seen in the last year?
A "Miracle." It's a classic and never gets old.
Q Three songs you never skip on your iPod are …
A … "The Riff Off" from "Pitch Perfect"; "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran; and "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift.