Daily Pilot Female Athlete of the Week: ‘We Want the Bunk’

It is plain to see that there is a stockpile of softball talent in Huntington Beach and the surrounding area.

There are multiple club teams and four of the high schools in the city have at least one player committed to a Division 1 college.

Huntington Beach High has the largest crop in that respect. The Oilers currently boast four commitments to the Pac-12 Conference.

Allee Bunker, an Oregon-bound junior, had a major hand in Huntington Beach claiming the Arroyo Grande Tournament title for the second year in a row.

She had seven hits and eight RBI over the four-game stretch, earning all-tournament team honors. The Oilers third baseman was crowned the MVP of the tournament the previous year.

After handing Bakersfield Stockdale (24-1) its only loss of the season, the Oilers (14-9) had a rematch with Clovis Buchanan in the championship game.

Bunker got her team off on the right foot, hitting a home run in the first inning to give Huntington Beach a 2-0 lead.

“Last year, we had beaten Buchanan as well,” Bunker said. “It was just a really good feeling to get out on top in the beginning like we did.”

Fountain Valley transfer Morgan MacBeath got the MVP honor this year. She allowed two runs over 10 innings to earn a pair of wins, adding a pinch-hit grand slam in the Oilers’ blowout win over Tranquillity.

The other Pac-12 committed players are shortstop Ivy Davis (Arizona), center-fielder Jadelyn Allchin (Washington), and right-fielder Chance Burden (Oregon State).

When a roster full of players like that buys into the small-ball approach, that makes it easier for the players to be unselfish.

But Bunker had to be just a little selfish to drive in a team-high eight RBI in the tournament, didn’t she?

“I just do what I can for my team,” Bunker answered with a laugh. “When you have runners in scoring position, you have to do your job. You have to pick up the person in front of you.”

The team has enjoyed its trips to Pismo Beach in the past. One way to tell if a team is really having a good time is the noise level in the dugout.

First baseman Kelli Kufta joined the Oilers at the same time as Bunker, and the corner infielders have a great understanding of each other.

“She’s always level-headed and calm,” Kufta said of Bunker. “When she gets riled up, you know that something is going on and you should be excited, too.”

Players often get serenaded with personalized chants during their at-bats based on their jersey number or name. Bunker’s has its own special beat.

“For Bunker, there’s a song called, ‘We Want the Funk,’ so it’s always fun whenever she is up to bat and it’s in a key situation.”

With a chant like, ‘We Want the Bunk,’ the phonetics might lead the opposition to believe a bunt is coming, especially with runners on base. It’s safe to say that most teams know who is at the plate, though.

There are 10 players on the Huntington Beach varsity roster who play for the Firecrackers organization. Oilers assistant coach Tony Rico is one of the coaches in the club program.

Bunker says it helps to have a consistent philosophy between her club and high school teams.

“Hitting the ball on the ground hard wins championships,” Bunker said. “We definitely have the same type of mentality. We want to get better. Our success comes from the same thing, which is bouncing the ball.”

The junior has protected her scholarship like a business investment. She played soccer growing up, but after she was offered by Oregon prior to her freshman year, Bunker decided not to play soccer in high school.

Rico applauds the professionalism that Bunker has carried herself with.

“It’s been great for Allee,” Rico said of Bunker’s early commitment to Oregon. “Having her commit at such a young age, we want to allow her to develop emotionally at a normal rate, but she has a professional mindset.

“Think about it as a 12-year-old at the Disney Channel. They’re still allowed to be 12 and go play at the park, but when you get to the studio, they’ve got to understand that there is a certain mindset and approach that goes with it.”

Allee Bunker

Born: Oct. 7, 2000

Hometown: Huntington Beach

Height: 5 feet 5

Weight: 130 pounds

Sport: Softball

Year: Junior

Coach: Jeff Forsberg

Favorite food: Bacon

Favorite movie: “The Sandlot”

Favorite athletic moment: Bunker’s favorite athletic moment was winning a 16-and-under national championship in the Premier Girls Fastpitch Platinum Division last year. She did so under Coach Sean Brashear with the Firecrackers organization.

Week in review: The Oilers third baseman had a team-high eight RBI to help Huntington Beach win the Arroyo Grande Tournament. She had seven hits, including a home run in the championship game.

[email protected]

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner