ROGER LALONDE / Staff

Katie Hogan, left. and Lisa Feola are among the Naples Braves All-Stars.

ROGER LALONDE / Staff

Lisa Feola of Marco Island is one of the key pitchers on the Naples Braves All-Stars.

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Going into the state tournament this weekend there is one definite for the Naples Braves.

They can hit.

Winning its second straight Section 6 title, the Braves bombed DeSoto, 17-0 and Lehigh, 14-0, last weekend.

The Braves travel to Viera Suntree on the East Coast for the state tournament, battling Section 4 winner Bloomingdale at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

The Braves finished third at state in 2007, but want to go farther, seriously looking at getting into the World Series. The Braves won the World Series three years ago.

But first things, first.

“We had one bad day at state last year and that is all it takes,” manager Jeff Stepanovich said. “Bloomingdale’s softball program fell off the last couple of years, but looks like it is back strong again, with a number of its teams making it to state.”

Katie Raile, then 12, was on the World Series-winning team. She also was on the state champion Naples High softball team this spring, along with Braves teammates Lauren Tremblay and Carissa Porter.

Stepanovich can also count on returnees Lisa Feola and Katie Hogan, both from Marco.

“Both are very good players,” Stepanovich said of the two.

“If I had to say who was the number one pitcher it would be Lisa, but Sabrina Brett is also very good. Katie is a very good catcher. She threw out the only runner that tried to steal. She has a gun.”

Feola and Brett only pitched two innings each in the two games. Lisa started in the win over DeSoto and Brett started against Lehigh.

Feola gave up just two hits in five innings as the Braves won by the mercy rule of being ahead by 10 runs after five innings. Hogan had two hits in three at bats. Both played sparingly in the second game.

“We used a lot of players, including pitchers, to get them some experience as we will need them at state,” Stepanovich said. “The nice thing about this team is we have kids that can play just about anywhere. Lisa can also play second base and the outfield, Katie can also play third base and the outfield. We have as many as seven catchers who play elsewhere.”

Feola considers Brett as being her equal in pitching.

“She pitches very well,” Feola said. “When I’m pitching, when I get two strikes, I like to see if the batter will chase a bad pitch. What makes it easier on me is that this team can hit, we can score runs.”

Hogan thinks the team has a good chance to win state, move onto the regional and maybe more.

“This is the last year for our coach and we know he wants it,” she said.

Stepanovich has been coaching for 14 years, the first 12 with 9-and-10-year-olds. Bob Iamurra was the coach when the team won the World Series.

“I have four kids, with the youngest just graduating and three in college,” Stepanovich said. “I’m in the produce business so I just have the month of July off and it’s been used for softball. I want to put it aside and see what happens.”

Stepanovich’s coaches are Dave Prosser and Bill Bazley.

The rest of the team includes Andreena Heineck, Courtney Hogreffe, Stephanie Bazley, Melissa Dwyer, Alexis Coriente, Taylor Gunnlaugson and Andrea Tanguma.