Elgin softball player Kaci Olson’s “Lil’ Bit” nickname didn’t follow her to high school.
Instead, the 5-foot-2 Olson now plays on a team with big expectations.
Unlike her nickname, those expectations have followed Olson and five other Lady Cats’ from back-to-back Little League World Series in 2006-2007 right into high school.
“People expect us to win because of (our Little League World Series appearances),” said sophomore Bailey Alanis, who was a member of the 2006 team. “We all know that.”
Those expectations come from a community and county that filled local sports bars and homes to watch these girls come within one run in 2007 of winning the whole thing. Elgin lost  in the championship game of the 2007 Little League World Series 3-2 to Morristown, Tenn.
Those same fans are now flocking to Elgin and filling the stands at Lady Cat Field to watch these girls succeed and the big league atmosphere is something the girls are trying to just take in.
“There are fans that come to our games that didn’t even go to high school at Elgin, but come because they followed us at the Little League World Series,” said junior Sarah Johnson, also a member of the 2006 team.
Sophomore Shelbi Swenson, a member of the 2006 and 2007 Little League teams, added, “it’s all kind of surreal, but cool at the same time. We like it. It motivates us.”
And those fans aren’t being disappointed.
Elgin is currently ranked No. 2 in the state with their 20-2 record and are 7-0 in District 17-4A, winning five of those games by the 10-run mercy rule.
But the most important stat would have to be the 28 consecutive innings of error-free softball the Lady Cats have played in their last three games, including an 11-inning marathon last Friday.
Dealing with the pressure still isn’t easy, the girls say, but their Little League World Series experiences have got them ready for this moment.
Sophomore Morgan Schultz said she likes the pressure, but she stands alone in that aspect.
“It’s intense at times,” said sophomore Alyssa Wilkins. “We have been through a lot of pressure before with the Little League World Series, but it still gets at us.”
And what about a state championship?
With the more experience this group of girls get, the more that expectation comes to the forefront.
“We have the potential and the talent to do it,” Schultz said.
“I think we have a chance, especially with Megan (Moore). She contributes a lot to this team,” Johnson said.
Elgin hasn’t been to the state softball tournament since 2005, when the program made its only appearance.
While it’s the ultimate goal, the Lady Cats know there is still a lot of softball left to be played.
Elgin has five more district games left, including a rematch with Lockhart on the Lady Lions home field to close the season.
The Lady Cats have lost just two district games in the last three years, one of which came by the hands of Lockhart.
Elgin is on the verge of making their 17th consecutive playoff appearance and have made the regional quarterfinals or better in the each of the last three years.
For a team that boasts just one senior on its roster, this probably won’t be the last opportunity for the Elgin softball team for the next couple of years.
State championship or not, these six girls understand their place, even as sophomores, in the history of softball in Elgin.
“I want to look back 10 years from now and say we inspired the girls that follow us,” Schultz said.
Swenson added, “I want to be able to know we played error-free softball and that we were legit.”
For Alanis, it’s a bit more simpler than that.
“Just knowing we did our best and gave it our all will make it a success to me,” Alanis said.