Community Champions: Desirae Spearman & Hanks softball team

EL PASO, Texas - The Hanks softball team is looking to keep their momentum going in the state playoffs of the Class 5A tournament.

Thursday, the Hanks Knights will take the field in a best-of-three series against Abilene Wylie in the regional quarterfinals of the tournament.

The Knights are the only El Paso team remaining in the softball playoffs.

It's a squad that only lost one game during the regular season, and their success has been thanks in part to their pitcher, Desirae Spearman.

Spearman is a senior who has tallied more than 200 strikeouts this season, and more than 500 strikeouts throughout her high school career.

Spearman recently signed to play softball at New Mexico State.

Along with her stellar pitching, Spearman is also a great hitter at the plate.

She's recorded 25 home runs this season, which is the second best in the country.

Wednesday, Spearman was named a finalist for Maxpreps' National Softball Player of the Year.

For all their accomplishments, Spearman and the Hanks Knights are this week's Community Champions.

Community Champions is sponsored by Albertsons and the El Paso Community Foundation.