BY: Curtis Stevenson

Winning a championship at any level is hard enough, but being able to sustain that success year in and year out separates one team from the next. The Gulliver girls softball team is in that rarified air.

The Raiders are on the verge of vying for their third straight state championship.

That feat has never been accomplished by a school from Miami-Dade County. The trifecta looks very realistic as they return an experienced and ultra-talented group on the diamond.

"We have some great seniors who are leaders and have played in so many big games," said long time coach Mark Shusterman.

Led by senior pitcher Christina Gabriele, George Mason University signee, who is 41-2 as a starter. Gulliver has relied on pitching and an excellent defense to carry them to victory during this unprecedented run, and that is expected to continue in 2012. With junior third baseman Ashley Leon, who Shusterman calls "one of the best players in the country," along with senior Dominique Grossman patrolling the outfield, it seems the Raiders have no weaknesses. Grossman signed to play at Georgia Southern University, while Leon will be starring for Auburn University soon enough.

But first things first is a three peat and a shot at a possible national championship. With the season getting underway, they are expected to begin the season in the top 5 of many national rankings. All of the accolades are flattering, but what you have done previously doesn't guarantee you anything moving forward.

Shusterman is ready for that challenge.

"I am always concerned about the teams attitude, you are dealing with kids so you have to keep them focused on the task at hand. We can't win a state championship in the first game."

The Raiders will get an early test in Panama City, Florida this month in the Florida-Alabama Softball challenge. It will be a worthy gauge to find out if Gulliver is ready to pick up right where they left off, which was a 31-2 season and a seven run win in the Class 3A state title game last May.

Other players to watch are junior Stephanie Texeira, sophomore Crystal Garcia, and senior Taryn Bray.  With most of the roster talented enough to play at the collegiate level, and as battle tested as they are, anything short of another state title will be quite bitter.

"That's are goal every year, to win state, we just have to be ready and be prepared for anything," said Shusterman.

One thing to keep an eye on is the youth at catcher and also the lack of bench depth. But as in years past, stars always seem to emerge at Gulliver. And that's how you keep winning year after year.

And 2012 is shaping up to be one for the record books.