After compiling a 17-12 record this season, the top-seeded St. Edward softball team will begin its postseason run on Tuesday against fourth seed Willows Academy in the Driscoll Class 2A Regional.

The team is young, but coach Mike Rolando is confident that its regular season has provided ample experience for the girls to build on.

"We've been through a little bit of everything," Rolando said. "We've won games in the bottom of the seventh inning, we've lost them in the bottom of the seventh inning. People have been in and out of slumps, and I sort of feel like we've weathered the storm and given our young girls some experience."

The youth movement will certainly be felt in the pitching circle on Tuesday as the Green Wave will send sophomore hurler Sarah Field to pitch its postseason opener. Field has been the primary pitcher all season for Wave, compiling a 17-8 record, which accounts for every single St. Edward victory. She also owns and a sparkling 1.78 ERA.

"(Field) is a really good pitcher and really experienced," Rolando said. "She's pitched about 90 percent of our innings and she plays travel ball and plays over the summer and goes to lessons once a week. She's a lifer softball pitcher."

Field has also done her part with the bat, having driven in a team-high 27 runs while sporting a .305 average. Sophomore Lea Diaz leads the team with a .419 average and 33 runs scored.

Juniors Kristina Brockner (.374, 20 RBIs) and Kristi Knott (.310, 22 runs) have also been productive for St. Edward.

"We've seen a lot of teams," Rolando said. "That was important to me, to get the girls see a lot of different teams. We've played some ranked teams this year, some 3A and 4A teams this year. We've seen some good pitchers because that's what we want to be ready to face in the postseason."