Megan Sabbatini is probably too young to know crooner Tim McGraw had a father who played big league baseball. But chances are that anything else country -- or western -- Sabbatini knows about.
The Rascal Flatts-loving San Benito High pitcher will lead the Haybalers into the section championship at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at PAL Stadium against Leland. And if Sabbatini has her way, they'll play a little Carrie Underwood when she steps to the plate.
"Megan was in 4H for eight years," said Sabbatini's mother, Jennifer. "She raised a steer named Aggie and a pig. We don't live on a ranch but our friends have one, so she spends some time there."
Added Jennifer: "One thing not many people know is she did cheerleading for one year when she was 10 years old for the Hollister Vikings (youth football). She's always been in sports non-stop so (cheerleading) was out of character for her. She doesn't want to let anyone know about it."
Oh well. The pig's out of the pen now. And there's more.
Recently Megan's father, Brent, took her squirrel-hunting which she did in her brand new, $100 "Miss Me" jeans, miffing her mom in the process.
"My sister went to ride horses for a few hours and I went with my dad to shoot squirrels," Sabbatini said. "I'd never done it before and it was a lot of fun. My arm was sore the next day though.
"I was wearing very expensive jeans that my mom got me and she got very, very mad at me because I wore them hunting. They got a little dirt on them, but they didn't get ruined."
Saturday Sabbatini eyes bigger game, a Central Coast Section Division I championship. The Balers are playing in their eighth consecutive section title game and should feel good with Sabbatini in the circle.
The University of San Diego signee is 17-0 with a 0.94 earned run average and 157 strikeouts in 112 innings. The 2012 second-team all-state player showed her stuff Wednesday in a 2-1 semifinal victory against Homestead, shutting down the Mustangs on just four hits with six strikeouts.
"She's been outstanding," San Benito coach Scott Smith said. "She had one stretch of about 11 games where she gave up no runs and averaged 13 strikeouts per game."
At the plate Sabbatini is only hitting .200, but how much BP do you really have time to take with all of the hunting and fishing to focus on?
Kidding aside, Sabbatini takes her softball seriously.
"I love being in the circle and being the center of attention and the great feeling you get from pitching a good game," she said.
Sabbatini hails from a sporting family. Her grandfather, Jack Cody, made the Bellarmine Athletic Hall of Fame as a basketball player for the Bells in the 1940s who later taught English at Los Gatos High for 46 years. He also announced Los Gatos football games for decades. Now 87, Jack still attends his granddaughter's softball games.
The Baler star's mom -- maiden name Jennifer Cody -- played volleyball at Los Gatos and her dad Brent played youth baseball in Hollister. Also, older brother Ryan played baseball for San Benito High.
"When my brother used to practice baseball I'd shag balls," Sabbatini said of her youth. "Once I started pitching my mom used to catch for me, but then when I got too fast my dad took over. Ever since I started playing, they've supported me."
While Saturday against Leland is a great opportunity, it also marks the end of her prep career. So it will be bittersweet for Sabbatini as she eventually bids good-bye to girls she's played with since she was 8 like Taylor Fabing, Brittani Newman, Brittany Sparrer and Ellie Burley.
"It's been great playing with all of my friends," Sabbatini said. "I've grown up with these girls and I'm going to miss them after high school."
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John Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@Prep2Prep.com and followed on Twitter @PrepCat
