JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
The 802nd Force Support Squadron coach Art Treviño's mindset has not changed since day one.
At 11-2, he still believes the reigning Joint Base San Antonio softball champions are the team to beat in the upcoming JBSA-Lackland intramural softball playoffs, which take place July 23-26.
Last year's quest for the base championship was cut short when FSS lost to the 4-10 668th Alteration and Installation Squadron 7-6 in the semifinals. The 59th Radiology Squadron won the base title with a 9-1 thrashing of ALIS in the finals of the single-elimination tournament.
FSS found redemption in the city-wide JBSA tourney, which pitted the best teams from Lackland, Randolph and Fort Sam Houston. 802nd FSS won the JBSA softball crown when it handily defeated Radiology 13-1 in the championship game.
"As long as we have everybody there, we shouldn't have a problem beating anybody," Treviño said. "We are the team to beat and everybody knows that."
Even with steady confidence, Treviño said the defending JBSA champs are not disregarding the base tournament as they look ahead to the all-JBSA tourney, which starts July 30 at JBSA-Randolph.
Treviño is aware the base tournament is single-elimination and it's win or go home. Only the top four base teams advance to the JBSA playoffs.
"With single-game elimination, anything can happen in the base tournament. We can lose, but as long as we are in the top four we still make it to the JBSA playoffs."
One event that will not happen, according to Treviño, is the ALIS beating FSS for the second year in a row if the two teams do meet in the playoffs.
Treviño called last year's defeat to ALIS a fluke.
"We are not losing to those guys again believe me," Treviño said. "Last year's loss was a fluke because we had a chance to win that game and we blew it. They had no business beating us."
FSS third baseman Steve Reichert said the team doesn't harbor any animosity toward ALIS, but "playing them would be even more fun."
As defending JBSA softball champs, Treviño's team knows what to expect in this year's playoffs, and he believes those expectations will help FSS capture a base softball title to go along with a second-straight JBSA softball championship.
"As long as we stay relaxed and play our game, things will take care of themselves because we have good players on our team," Treviño said.
FSS can be successful in the playoffs "if we have more good days than bad," said shortstop Brett Cannon.
"We had two bad days this year," he said. "We have to make sure we don't have any more."