MIDLAND-ODESSA, TX (KWES) - Not many eight-year-old girls spend their Saturday afternoons working hard to get better, but then again, not many young girls are winning 50-plus softball games in a year.
That kind of work ethic is what got The Mystery O-Eight into a national tournament that begins next week.
They call it beast mode, it's the teams rallying cry before each game and the City of Brenham, Texas, is going to be hearing it a lot in the coming week.
"So I mean, it's pretty special for these girls to get out there and compete against such good talent," said Mystery assistant coach Ryan Rodriguez.
They're making the trip all the way to the city of just over 16,000 for a chance to win a national tournament.
Rodriguez said the opportunity for a bunch of young girls like this doesn't come up very much, and is extremely valuable.
"It's a great opportunity for these girls to get recognized already," said Rodriguez. "Because we're building the future for these girls already. You know, it's like what's going on this weekend? The College World Series, out of these girls right here, I'd say all of them could be there."
The tournament has gotten the parents excited. "Oh I'm so excited, so excited," said mom Erica Esparza. "We've been counting down the days,"and the girls looking forward to winning the championship.
But just how will they do that?
"Have fun, play hard and just try our best," said Mystery second baseman Elyse Santiago.
But no matter what happens in Brenham, the Mystery O-Eight are playing much more than just a game and it matters more than an extra mark in the W or L column.
"This is our future you know? This is what's going to be coming through Odessa High, Permian, Midland High, Midland Lee," said Rodriguez. "That's what we're trying to do, is get them better. That's what we're here for. For them to go to college and get a good education. Why not do it playing softball and get a scholarship?"
They leave for the tournament Wednesday and will start play on Friday.
The team also wanted to thank all of their sponsors for helping them get down to the tournament.
