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ELYSIAN FIELDS — Cheryl Boyett will conclude her Elysian Fields softball career this week before heading to college at Stephen F. Austin State. Boyett said her senior year as a Lady Jacket has been special because of the chemistry on the team.

"We care about the younger players and we're more close than we have been in the past," Boyett said. "And we've had no mean seniors."

If there were mean seniors, Boyett would be assassinating her own character. She is the only senior on the team, which puts her in a unique place in Elysian Fields softball history.

Boyett is the only person who played on the last Elysian Fields softball team to make it to the state tournament — in 2006 — and the most recent team, which opens up this year's UIL State Softball Championships against Brock in a Class 2A semifinal at 2 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Field in Austin.

If Elysian Fields defeats Brock, the Lady Jackets will compete for the state title at 11 a.m. Saturday. The other semifinal matches Early and Hallettsville at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Boyett and current head coach Shane Smelley are direct links to the 2006 team. Smelley was an assistant coach on the 2006 team, which advanced to the Class 2A championship game, but dropped a 1-0 decision to Weimar.

Boyett said she wishes she could have done more to help her team win the 2006 state title, which would have given the Lady Jackets back-to-back state titles after taking the 2005 crown. She concedes her contributions to the 2006 team were limited because she was a pinch runner.

This season Boyett is Elysian Fields' starting center fielder. Her .310 batting average is second on the Elysian Fields squad to a .410 mark for Lacy Liles, who earned the area's 2009 batting title. While she has considerable more playing time now, she still draws on memories of the 2006 trip to Austin.

Boyett said other than not winning the state championship, most of the memories are good. She said she would like to see this year's team have the same approach the 2006 team had.

"We can not let the excitement of being in Austin and the crowd overtake us," Boyett said. "We did a good job with that before and we have to do it again."

Boyett said it would also help her team to score early. To help with that, Smelley made alterations to his team's practice schedule.

Tuesday's practice was held during the heat of the day as a way to anticipate Thursday's game-time temperature in Austin, which is expected to be around 92 degrees. Smelley said the 2006 team also played in hot weather, creating hard infield conditions.

The Lady Jackets will practice this afternoon at St. Edward's University in Austin. Smelley said the availability of the cross-town field was created by former Elysian Fields head coach Crystal O'Brien, who is now a teacher at Judson High School in Converse.

Smelley said he has a couple bad memories of 2006, mainly a possible Kristi Kelly double being called a foul ball in the first inning and the bases-loaded walk which scored the game's lone run in the fourth inning, which Smelley said appeared to be a strike to him. Like Boyett, however, Smelley said his thoughts of 2006 are pleasant.

"The calls that were made against us was nothing we could control. I don't have any ghosts from the past," Smelley said. "The lesson I learned from then is to control what we can, especially defense, since that infield is going to be rock hard."

Elysian Fields junior pitcher Blair Hickey wasn't on the 2005 or 2006 teams, but she has plenty of indirect knowledge of those teams. Her oldest sister, Brooke, was the ace of the 2005 team. Another sister, Baylee, was a pitcher for the 2005 and 2006 teams.

Ironically, Blair will be traveling to a place her older sisters are familiar with as both have attended the University of Texas.

Brooke graduated from Texas last month with a degree in accounting at the same time Blair's Region III semifinal series against Warren transpired, forcing their parents — Barbara and Butch — to travel back and forth from Brooke's graduation ceremony in Austin and Blair's games in Pollok. Baylee completed her junior year at Texas last month.

Blair said even among what could be over 1,000 fans in attendance, she can hear advice from her sisters, and especially her parents. Her entire family watched her in several key games this season, including the bi-district series against Hughes Springs and two regular-season games against rival Harmony.

Blair said she will absorb advice yelled to her by her family concerning emotions and game strategy.

"It's a big field, but it's still the same game and the bases are the same distance. I have to be calm and play loose because I may only get this one chance," Blair Hickey said. "I have to force groundouts and pop-ups. Brooke won her state title without striking out anybody (a 2-0 win over Troy in the 2005 state-title game)."

Boyett's future will soon involve more chickens and eggs than catching fly ####. She will major in poultry sciences at SFA.

Before that begins however, she has to take her place in history, a role she is looking forward to.

"To be the only player on the 2006 and 2009 teams, I feel blessed. The other players look up to you," Boyett said. "I have to lead them the best I can."