MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / May 26, 1999

GRAND POINT – Riverside pitcher Tanya Teague always liked a good challenge, whether it be a bases-loaded situation or pitching in the state championship game.

Now, Teague is looking forward to a new challenge, playing at the next level. Teague signed with Chipola Junior College in Florida at a ceremonyat her home Friday night.

“I’m very excited,” Teague said. “It’s challenging. I’m just amazed,astonished. I never though I would get to play at the next level, so I’mexcited.”Teague was also recruited by Gulf Coast Community College, where former teammate Melissa Martin played this past season, and Mobile University in Alabama. But after talking to Chipola coach Sharon Coleman and seeing thecampus, she knew that was where she wanted to go.

“I felt her priorities were straight about coaching,” Teague said about Coleman. “The campus was really nice and spread out. Once I saw it, I hadmy heart set on it.”Teague helped lead Riverside to its third straight district title and fourth straight state tournament appearance this season. She finished with arecord of 26-6 with a .21 ERA and 272 strikeouts in 177 innings pitched.Teague was the River Parishes MVP her freshman year and continued to get better throughout her career. Teague said one thing that might have helpedout was that she did not play until the eighth grade.

“It was still amazing to me,” Teague said of pitching. “I wanted to getbetter. I kept trying and trying.”That competitive attitude was one of the things Coleman noticed about Teague while she was recruiting her. Coleman pitched four years at DePaulUniversity and has been the coach at Chipola for the past three years.

“I liked everything about the kid,” Coleman said. “She seems like she isreally competitive. I feel she is a really good pitcher. She’s the type of kidthat can come in and help us on and off the field.”Chipola finished this past season 32-21 in the Pan-Am Conference.

Lutcher High School Alum Kim St. Pierre is on the squad and started all butone game this past season. Coleman also recruited Sammi Wilkes ofBerwick and Shanna Sellars of Kaplan from the area.

Teague, daughter of Jimmy and Arleen Teague of Grand Point, said she will miss Riverside but is ready to play at the next level. She said her goal isto get to play at a four-year college after her two years at Chipola.

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