With half its roster filled with Seminoles and coached by tribal member Cheyenne (Nunez) Gonzalez, Chobee AMP overwhelmed its opponents on the way to capturing the USSSA Space Coast World Series in late June.

Chobee won the 16 Open championship at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Viera with a perfect 8-0 record. Along the way, they defeated teams from Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin in the tournament that featured 20 teams.

Seminoles on the team include Gonzalez’s younger sisters Joleyne Nunez and Daliyah Nunez along with Presslyn Baker, Serenity Billie, Aaryn King, Tehya Nunez and Kiera Snell.

After finishing ninth in its previous tournament just days earlier, Gonzalez was in no mood to see a repeat performance. She said the team returned to practice as she emphasized a lot of the same components – attitude, communication, composure, effort, fight, heart and hustle – that made her a standout player at Okeechobee High School who went on to play NCAA Division I softball.

“I told them to focus on those things and no one can beat us,” said Gonzalez, who coaches the team with her husband, Eddy.

Indeed, it was an unconquered journey that saw Chobee outscore its opponents by a whopping 45-11 margin.

The pitching staff was in control from start to finish, allowing just a smidge above one run per game and tossing three shutouts.

“Our pitching definitely held their own. They did very well all week. Our pitching staff did exactly what they were told and when they hit their spots, it is very hard to hit off of us,” Gonzalez said.
Avalowe Fitzgerald and Luna Asension led the way in the circle.

Fitzgerald had an immaculate ERA of 0.00 with 33 strikeouts. She was voted the team’s overall MVP for the tournament.

“This kid did so amazing. I have never seen such a great ballplayer with such genuine passion for the game and she is only 13 years old,” Gonzalez said.

Asension earned the team’s pitching MVP nod. She fired a no-hitter against the Diamond Chix from Ohio in a pool play game and had a 3.29 ERA and 19 strikeouts.

Audra Friend received the team’s MVP Offense award.

“Her bat was on fire the whole week,” Gonzalez said. “She had an RBI almost every inning she played or she would just get on base somehow. This kid is one of a kind. So disciplined, she puts in so much work and it finally showed. She is a true hustler. I have seen her play since she was in 8U and now watching her grow into a beautiful young lady is so special to me.”

Chobee faced the Diamond Chix again in the championship. Chobee emerged with an 8-3 win in a game that ended after midnight (Diamond Chix needed to beat Chobee twice).

Gonzalez said her team battled through tough conditions throughout the World Series, including hot weather and multiple weather-related delays.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” she said. “The entire week/weekend they fought every pitch and never gave up, not once. There were times when the games got very intense, but the girls kept their composure and played their game. My pitchers had to throw in pouring rain and that’s probably the hardest thing a pitcher will ever have to face. On defense my girls could hardly see the ball because of the rain but even with all of that they never made an excuse. We made adjustments and overcame all of it. We were at the ball fields all day and all night. The perseverance and resilience these girls showed was remarkable.”