Tattooed on Alexis Perez’s right arm is a message her father would always write on her message board:

“Be bigger than the game. I love you, kiddo!”

It’s also a message Perez has said every Lamar State College Port Arthur softball player has taken to heart.

“Trying to do better than we’ve done before and trying to make Lamar State something people respect and continue to be a part of for the future,” the infielder said.

Perez, like the rest of her freshman class, began their junior-college careers with the excitement of possibly following up a historic season in Seahawks’ history with a second straight trip to the NJCAA Region XIV playoffs. Last season was the first time the Seahawks made the postseason.

After a 0-5 start to the season, the Seahawks are 26-22 (12-7 Region XIV South Zone) and one win away from going back, but they’ll have to clinch on the road with a doubleheader at Alvin Community College today. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.

“I think we just started playing together,” Seahawks coach Vance Edwards said. “I think we finally figured out what it takes to be successful. Sometimes, it takes a little bit longer to click.”

LSCPA also visits Galveston College to end the South Zone campaign Monday and hosts Baton Rouge Community College next Friday.

The Seahawks are clicking with three doubleheaders left. They’ve won five of their last six, including home sweeps of Coastal Bend College and Laredo College last weekend, and eight of 11 overall.

Perez has been a big reason for that. The Corpus Christi product is batting .403 and slugging .782 with 13 home runs — Perez counts 16 — and 51 RBI. Sophomore Sierra Miller, a Baytown Lee graduate, has the highest batting average on the team with .417 and boasts five homers.

“Coach has always told me my one job is hitting, so we always focus on that,” Perez said. “My one job is hitting, and that’s what the team needs me to do.”

Edwards boasts two aces on his pitching staff in sophomores Angelica Rogers (5-3, 4.11 ERA) and Rebecca Hernandez (4-2, 4.52). They have not given up more than two runs in each of the past six games.

“We need them to get outs, give us a chance to get ground balls,” Edwards said. “We need outs. As long as they can keep us in the game and close, I think we’re pretty good offensively. That’s our strength. If our pitching staff can keep it down to three or four runs, we have a chance to win every single time.”

With six starters returning from last season, the Seahawks set an expectation for another playoff berth — and to finish higher than they did a year ago.

“We wanted to get back, but not finish in fourth,” Edwards said. “We want to finish in third — or above. We take care of business tomorrow, we should be third.”