Daily Pilot High School Female Athlete of the Week: HB’s Davis remains on path to stardom
When someone has been coaching for as long as Jeff Forsberg has, they gain an eye for talent.
In his 14 years with the Huntington Beach High softball program (11 as head coach), Forsberg has had a healthy crop of scholarship players.
He has coached players like National Pro Fastpitch Leaguer Vicky Galasso, who was the two-time Big Sky Conference player of the year at Idaho State.
Forsberg has a strong group again this year. The best of the bunch might well be Ivy Davis, the team’s power-hitting shortstop.
Her high school coach was not the only one to recognize her abilities. In fact, kids seem to be getting discovered earlier and earlier these days.
Davis was not yet 15 years old when she got the call that to this day has determined the path for her promising future.
So much for national signing day. Davis made her commitment to the University of Arizona in her freshman year.
It turns out that many were keeping tabs on the dynamic infielder. In the end, Davis couldn’t say no to longtime Wildcats Coach Mike Candrea. The 33-year head of Arizona softball has eight national titles to his credit, among other accomplishments that Davis is acutely aware of.
“I’ve dreampt of playing for Coach Candrea for as long as I’ve been playing softball because he coaches in the Olympics,” she said. “Seeing how great of a guy he is, that really solidified my goal to go there.
“I was really set once I visited. I met all the coaches, the players, and I saw the campus. Everything was just perfect.”
Davis’ comments on Candrea the person are the key. She values the connection that she has with the people in her life. Her commitment to family is part of what makes her a special player to coach for Forsberg.
“Ivy will go down as one of my favorite players,” Forsberg said. “She has played since she was a little freshman. Just to see her maturity level grow, she’s really family-based. She has strong family values, which goes along with myself.”
The Davis family has made a commitment to making diamond dreams come true. Eric, the father, was Ivy’s first coach.
In travel ball, she spent time with the Firecrackers organization before moving on to the O.C. Batbusters this year.
Davis’ brother, Noah, was a first-team All-Sunset League selection as a pitcher for the Oilers in his junior and senior seasons. He is currently a sophomore starting pitcher for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.
In other words, if you’re going to organize a pickup game, you might want the Davises on your team.
This past week, the Oilers’ senior shortstop led her team to wins over Foothill (ranked No. 8 in Orange County) and Canyon. She had seven hits in three games last week, including a home run, a triple, and a double.
Recent successes point to a team that is headed in the right direction. Davis refuses to acknowledge momentum, asserting that such a volatile component could reverse course quickly if the team does not take care of the immediate task at hand.
“I think that every game is a new game,” she said. “I don’t really think about how the season is going as much as I think about the next game.”
Chance Burden is the Oilers’ starting right-fielder. The Oregon State commit has played with Davis since they were 11. She spoke about her teammate’s competitive nature.
“She plays the game with so much passion, and she’s very dedicated,” the four-year varsity outfielder said of Davis. “She wants to win. She wants to beat the other team, so she is going to play the game very aggressively.”
Davis has been a student of the game, as she has worn a number of different hats to assist the Oilers in her time at the school. She has pitched in years past, and she also played second base last year to accommodate Kristina Inouye, who wound up at Stanford.
Another experiment had Davis batting from the left side for most of her at-bats. She had ambitions of being a switch hitter, like her brother.
This year, Davis has returned to batting exclusively from the right side of the plate. Her college made that decision. It has not turned out to be such a bad thing, as Davis’ power numbers from last week suggest.
“I’m not that slapper speed,” Davis said in support of the return to normalcy. “The defenses are getting so good, so you’re going to have more luck hitting a double than bunting it.”
Each year, the Michelle Carew Classic is one of the best tournaments of the year. The Oilers advanced to the championship game, losing to Orange Lutheran last year.
The tournament begins on April 5. With Davis swinging for the fences, Huntington Beach is certainly capable of making another deep run.
Ivy Davis
Born: April 12, 1999
Hometown: Huntington Beach
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 145 pounds
Sport: Softball
Year: Senior
Coach: Jeff Forsberg
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite movie: “Lords of Dogtown”
Favorite athletic moment: Making her commitment to Arizona to play for celebrated Wildcats Coach Mike Candrea. The decision was made in her freshman year.
Week in review: The Oilers’ shortstop was scorching hot at the plate in leading her team to its first two wins of the season. Davis went seven for 11 with three extra-base hits. She scored three runs and added four RBIs.
Twitter: @ProfessorTurner
