Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Ann Marie Topps

Steve Virgen

There was a time when softball seemed like a job for Ann Marie

Topps. With several accolades earned last season, the Costa Mesa High

junior shortstop believed she had a lot to live up to this season. The

idea stressed her out and resulted in a mini-slump. So, Topps returned to

the basic reason she plays the sport: For the love of the game.

“I love playing softball; it’s so much fun,” said Topps, who has been

playing since she was 9. “I don’t know if I like it just to like it, or

because I’m good at it, but I grew up around softball and baseball. It’s

just fun. You come out here and have fun with your friends and just get

away from everything. It’s like your outlet and you can relax.”

When Topps put the fun first, Pacific Coast League opponents have had

to pay the price. Through the first five PCL games (4-1), she produced a

.421 hitting average, that included three home runs and 10 RBIs. And,

last week, she went 2 for 4 with a three-run home run in a 12-1 victory

over crosstown rival Estancia April 16. She had two runs scored, three

RBIs and two stolen bases.

Two days later, she went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a double in 7-0 win

over Newport-Mesa District nemesis Corona del Mar.

Topps also slammed two homers in a 12-2 win over Laguna Beach

Wednesday, finishing 3 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs scored in the

five-inning mercy-rule win.

The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week is also having fun on defense.

Costa Mesa Coach Rick Buonarigo said Topps’ fielding percentage is at

about .940.

“She’s more aggressive on defense (than last year),” Buonarigo said.

“It’s just night and day. Last year, it took a long time to have the

combination going between catcher and shortstop making tags at second.

This year she has been so aggressive at that. With the slow rollers,

she’s gotten good at coming and attacking those. She’s not afraid. She

reacts much better when the ball comes off the bat.”

Last season as a sophomore, Topps seemed a step ahead of her age, and

her mistakes hardly wavered that label. But, this year, she is a complete

player, and she thrives on maintaining that attribute. She provides

defense, offense and leadership.

“She’s one of the top 20 (players) in CIF (Division IV),” Buonarigo

said. “She brings leadership, composure, and toughness to our team. She

has the desire to do better everyday, and that’s definitely something you

can’t miss. She went into a little bit of a slump earlier in the season.

But, she’s come through. She’s the kind of person that if she has a bad

game she will come work on things on her own, without being told.”

Topps said she enjoys being the team leader and also said her attitude

is her most valuable asset.

“Sometimes I might be a little too intense, but that’s good because we

have so many young people on this team,” Topps said. “We have a lot of

awesome talent on this team, and we just need experience. Usually the

seniors are in charge, and our lone senior (Tess Lindsay) is really sweet

and nice, and doesn’t yell. So, I kind of pick up the part of yelling and

trying to be one of the leaders.”

One player receiving much of Topps’ direction is her younger sister,

Kelly, a freshman.

“I’m a lot harder on her than I am on others,” Topps said. “Sometimes

she gets mad at me about that. But it’s because I know how good she is

and how good she can be. I push her to play harder.”

Conversely, Kelly Topps also pushes her older sister to play better.

Ann Marie doesn’t want younger sister to have any chance at bragging

rights.

“She has pushed me a lot because I’ve been seeing her play really

good,” Ann Marie said. “I’ve heard people say: Oh, watch out your little

sister is going to catch up to you. So, now I’m pushing myself even

harder so that she can’t catch up to me.”