Lindbergh High School junior Lia Evans wants sports fans to pay more attention to women’s sports, especially at the high school level.

“Our team is hoping to get out there that girls sports are just as important as boys sports,” Evans said. “Everybody should be recognized.”

Becoming the first ever Female Athlete of the Year for the Renton Reporter could help that.

Evans has been playing fastpitch for about six years now, she’s a pitcher and the team captain for the second year in a row.

Evans said her job as captain is to get the team fired up, and that this year she’s really started to learn to bring a positive attitude to the games. Last year she said she used to get irritated easily. Now she makes sure she’s a leader on the pitcher’s mound.

She not only keeps a positive attitude, but also said reaching out to more members of the fastpitch team, and being more outgoing, has made this season a lot more fun.

“It’s a lot more exciting meeting new people and going outside of my comfort zone,” Evans said.

Evans said she’s also gotten more strategic as a pitcher, working closely with the catcher on strategy, and “playing to win.” That shift in technique is something that has her excited about how the team did this season, just one win shy of making it to state.

Softball is a mental game, and the team needs to not only be one play ahead, but also play with the confidence that they are winning every game — until the final score says otherwise.

“We’ve just been really working hard and everyone has given 100 percent effort and it really shows off when we win,” she said.

Evans is excited for her senior year on the fastpitch team. Her goal since freshman year has been to make it to state.

She also hopes that talking about the team will help more preople pay attention to fastpitch, a sport she said is often overlooked.

Evans has this advice for other student athletes: keep your GPA up to stay eligible in the game, because it’s a selfless move when you’re a star player whom the team depends on. And even if you lose, remember you always have tomorrow, and more games ahead.

She said she’d like to thank those who came out to watch her play this season.

“I just want to thank all my friends and family that have come out to watch every game,” Evans said. “Even if we lose, they’ve been really supportive.”

The first ever Female Athlete of the Year for the Renton Reporter, Lia Evans (right) is awarded a plague from the Renton Reporter’s editor Danielle Chastaine (left). Photo by Haley Ausbun