FEMALE:Taylor Brown, Estancia High senior

Taylor made for second base.

Well, after Brown tore her right rotator cuff playing volleyball as a freshman at Estancia High.

The move to second from shortstop came after Brown said her right arm could no longer make the longer throw to first base.

As to how she injured herself, Brown still laughs about it. She can now as a senior.

The Eagles are on the cusp of winning the Orange Coast League championship for the first time under Coach Alan Caouette.

“I didn’t know the right technique to hit, and I just tore it. I was swinging sidearm or something,” said Brown, referring to when she would attempt a kill as an outside hitter. “I didn’t really think it was anything at first. I just thought that it was something that happens when you play volleyball because I never played volleyball before my freshman year.

“I finally went to the doctor, [and the doctor] was like, ‘Oh. Yeah, you tore your rotator cuff.’ I was like, ‘Oh. Oops!’”

Luckily for Estancia (16-6, 6-0 in league), it had a backup plan.

“I found a freshman shortstop that was way good last year,” said Caouette of Courtney Ulrich.

With Ulrich and Brown up the middle, Caouette said Estancia has a “Taylor-made” situation.

— David Carrillo Peñaloza