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It’s not often that an eighth grader can step into a starting role on the defending state champion and take the league by storm.
But then again, not everybody is Bella Bourque.
The third baseman/catcher burst onto the scene for the Tigers two years ago as a 13-year-old, leading the team in doubles (9), triples (6) and RBIs (36) while batting .500 with a Hockomock League-best 36 regular season hits and a team second-best 6 home runs to help Taunton to a third straight Division 1 title.
Now as a sophomore, Bourque has already crossed the century mark for career hits and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
“I feel confident,” Bourque said. “I know my team has my back (when I step up to the plate).”
Through 18 games, Bourque is batting .518 and leads the team in runs (39), doubles (6), triples (5) and stolen bases (11) while having a team second-best total of hits (29), walks (8) and RBIs (30).
“She’s one of those kids who works hard in season and offseason; she never stops,” Taunton High coach Michelle Raposo said. “She’s taking daily reps, so it’s no surprise she’s come out here with 100 career hits in such a short time because she puts in all of the effort.”
It’s that work ethic that she contributes to her consistent success at the plate, and in particular the work she puts in with her team and with her dad, 3-time state champion Taunton High baseball coach and 1999 MLB Draft pick Blair Bourque.
Vote: Who is the Taunton Daily Gazette H.S. Girls Athlete of the Week for May 12-18?
“I put the work in with him, and he always has my back,” Bella Bourque said.
For Blair Bourque, watching his daughter flourish has been a blessing.
“She works really hard and has great coaches and teammates,” Blair Bourque said. “She’s a product of Taunton softball, so it’s really good to see that success continuing. I wish I could watch her a little bit more, but I’m happy she’s doing well and helping her team be successful.”
Bourque is part of a talented contingent from the Class of 2027 on the Taunton roster, including catcher Aniyah Bailey, who leads the team in hits (32), home runs (9) and RBIs (49), and first baseman Maddie Crowley, who’s in the top 5 on the team in nearly all of those offensive categories.
“We play well together in sync,” Bourque said. “We’ve been playing together since we were young, and we just know how to play well together.”
Not only do they play well together, Raposo said, they drive each other to perform better, too.
“That camaraderie and motivation to make each other better and work hard has been what’s really fueled them,” Rapsoso said. “They help each other get better every day, whether that’s in practice or in the offseason working out in the weight room.
As always, expectations are high around Jack Tripp Field with the tournament fast approaching, especially after big wins over Rhode Island powerhouse La Salle Academy and Hockomock Kelley-Rex rivals and 2024 Division 1 finalists King Philip in the span of 48 hours, but Bourque and her teammates have been here before and know what it takes to make it to Sortino Field come mid-June.
MIAA Power Rankings: Where do Greater Taunton area teams stand?
“We have a strong core as a group,” Bourque said. “We’re well-prepared, and we’re confident.”
While Bourque said she’ll miss her senior teammates such as star pitcher Cate Larson and shortstop Brooke Aldrich, her and Raposo are confident in their ability to carry the torch and continue the winning ways of Tiger softball over the next two years.
“We keep saying the future is bright,” Raposo said. “We’re losing a few seniors this year, but we have a lot of underclassmen that will come in and hopefully step into the roles we need, just as these current seniors did in the past.”
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton softball's Bourque has over 100 career hits as a sophomore
Continue reading...
But then again, not everybody is Bella Bourque.
The third baseman/catcher burst onto the scene for the Tigers two years ago as a 13-year-old, leading the team in doubles (9), triples (6) and RBIs (36) while batting .500 with a Hockomock League-best 36 regular season hits and a team second-best 6 home runs to help Taunton to a third straight Division 1 title.
Now as a sophomore, Bourque has already crossed the century mark for career hits and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
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“I feel confident,” Bourque said. “I know my team has my back (when I step up to the plate).”
Through 18 games, Bourque is batting .518 and leads the team in runs (39), doubles (6), triples (5) and stolen bases (11) while having a team second-best total of hits (29), walks (8) and RBIs (30).
“She’s one of those kids who works hard in season and offseason; she never stops,” Taunton High coach Michelle Raposo said. “She’s taking daily reps, so it’s no surprise she’s come out here with 100 career hits in such a short time because she puts in all of the effort.”
It’s that work ethic that she contributes to her consistent success at the plate, and in particular the work she puts in with her team and with her dad, 3-time state champion Taunton High baseball coach and 1999 MLB Draft pick Blair Bourque.
Vote: Who is the Taunton Daily Gazette H.S. Girls Athlete of the Week for May 12-18?
“I put the work in with him, and he always has my back,” Bella Bourque said.
For Blair Bourque, watching his daughter flourish has been a blessing.
“She works really hard and has great coaches and teammates,” Blair Bourque said. “She’s a product of Taunton softball, so it’s really good to see that success continuing. I wish I could watch her a little bit more, but I’m happy she’s doing well and helping her team be successful.”
Bourque is part of a talented contingent from the Class of 2027 on the Taunton roster, including catcher Aniyah Bailey, who leads the team in hits (32), home runs (9) and RBIs (49), and first baseman Maddie Crowley, who’s in the top 5 on the team in nearly all of those offensive categories.
You must be registered for see images attach
“We play well together in sync,” Bourque said. “We’ve been playing together since we were young, and we just know how to play well together.”
Not only do they play well together, Raposo said, they drive each other to perform better, too.
“That camaraderie and motivation to make each other better and work hard has been what’s really fueled them,” Rapsoso said. “They help each other get better every day, whether that’s in practice or in the offseason working out in the weight room.
As always, expectations are high around Jack Tripp Field with the tournament fast approaching, especially after big wins over Rhode Island powerhouse La Salle Academy and Hockomock Kelley-Rex rivals and 2024 Division 1 finalists King Philip in the span of 48 hours, but Bourque and her teammates have been here before and know what it takes to make it to Sortino Field come mid-June.
MIAA Power Rankings: Where do Greater Taunton area teams stand?
“We have a strong core as a group,” Bourque said. “We’re well-prepared, and we’re confident.”
While Bourque said she’ll miss her senior teammates such as star pitcher Cate Larson and shortstop Brooke Aldrich, her and Raposo are confident in their ability to carry the torch and continue the winning ways of Tiger softball over the next two years.
“We keep saying the future is bright,” Raposo said. “We’re losing a few seniors this year, but we have a lot of underclassmen that will come in and hopefully step into the roles we need, just as these current seniors did in the past.”
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton softball's Bourque has over 100 career hits as a sophomore
Continue reading...
