Softball: Simi Valley made a Monkee out of me

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Credibility is coming to Simi Valley’s softball team faster than paparazzi to Britney Spears’ limo. After an undefeated season in which the Pioneers (30-0) weren’t exactly stretched by their nonleague opponents, they have clearly stamped themselves worthy of carrying the undefeated banner and title of the state’s No. 1 team.

One day after Simi Valley won impressively on the road at Esperanza, 8-4 -- the Pioneers scored in each of the first five innings -- it beat its best opponent of the season, fourth-seeded Norco, 1-0, in the semifinals of the Southern Section-Toyota Division I finals on Tuesday. In outdueling pitcher Teagan Gerhart, Simi Valley defeated one of the premier pitchers in the Southland.

If there wasn’t a copyright infringement issue, I’d probably have an ‘I’m a Believer’ video by The Monkees right here.

Instead, I’ll say that because I wrote this and this, I’m probably one (the leader?) of the skeptics referenced by Tawny Reeger in Erik Boal’s account of Simi’s victory: ‘Since the beginning of the season, they were trying to take everything away from us. But I think we’re starting to prove everybody wrong.’

Since I’m not sure what was being taken away, and I didn’t start in on them at the beginning of the season, it is possible I’m not the skeptic in question, but Reeger is correct: Simi Valley is starting to prove everybody wrong because it is now playing teams that give it the opportunity to prove itself.

It’s something that Crescenta Valley (29-1) was not able to do. CV’s undefeated season ended Tuesday against La Serna, the first time CV faced a top-of-the-line pitcher and the first time it played an opponent who’s even in the ‘top 30’ argument. Said one coach who tried to scout CV: ‘They haven’t even played anybody who’s played anybody.’

Simi Valley wasn’t quite that bad, but it was hardly what we’re used to from a championship-caliber Division I team, especially after that awesome display by the 2007 Valencia team. Though the Simi Valley players may have believed in themselves, it wasn’t until the last few days that the rest of the softball community came around.

I can hardly wait until Saturday for the championship against third-seeded Valencia (28-5-1) at Barber Park in Irvine. First pitch is at 6 p.m. I’ll be there. And so will a couple of the best teams in the state.

-- Martin Henderson