SEATTLE _ On a typical Saturday morning, before the start of one of SilentRain Espinoza's softball tournaments in a corner of Southern California or another, Bob Cole would arrive on the Viejas Reservation to pick up his granddaughter, often as early as 4:30 a.m.
Bobpa, as his granddaughter called him, doted on SilentRain, who goes by Si.
As he made the early-morning drive, she slept in the backseat of his silver Dodge Ram pickup. Under the canopy in the bed of the truck, Bobpa had rigged a rack on which he hung her softball jerseys and sweatshirts, lest they get wrinkled.
He would meticulously pack a cooler for each trip. There were hard-boiled eggs _ always hard-boiled eggs _ to be served with Tabasco sauce, plus his granddaughter's favorite turkey sandwiches made on thin-sliced bread.
"My grandpa was the most supportive person in my softball career. He drove me everywhere," Espinoza said. "I wouldn't have to pack anything. I would just go to sleep and then I'd wake up at the field. He would say: 'OK, go play. Do good.' "
Espinoza did plenty good during those busy travel-ball weekends, and she's doing even better now as the sophomore third baseman for the No. 2 Washington softball team. Entering the final weekend of nonconference play, Espinoza was among the team leaders in batting average (.367), on-base percentage (.436) and slugging percentage (.551) for the Huskies, who improved to 21-2 with a pair of wins Friday. Espinoza went 4 for 4 with two home runs and five RBIs in a 19-0 victory against Santa Clara in Friday's nightcap, improving her already impressive averages.
Her extended family back home has noticed.
Espinoza grew up on the Viejas Reservation. Her mother, Mackenzie, is from the Penobscot tribe in Maine; her father, Greybuck, is Kumeyaay and also grew up in Viejas, and his side of the family has a deep history in fastpitch softball. They all played, and the field on which SilentRain learned to play is named after her great-grandfather Daniel Espinoza.
"She has all the reservations following her around here. She has a huge following," Mackenzie said, noting the tribe adorned a banner with her daughter's image on the entrance to the reservation when the Huskies advanced to the College World Series last year. "It's so awesome to see all the Native people comment on her accomplishments."
During SilentRain's busy travel-ball days, the tribe rallied around her family and provided financial support.
"Anytime we needed to go somewhere, the tribe has stepped up," Mackenzie said. "It's a very close community _ we're a big family. And softball is really big out here in the Native reservations, and it's a dream for many of them to have someone from here succeed."
