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When Frisco pitcher Jeni Olbeter was in the seventh grade, her parents bought her a guitar. A few months later, she impressed her dad, a guitarist in a band in college.

"I'll never forget this," John Olbeter said. "She said, 'Dad, listen to this,' and then she played the entire rhythm part to 'Sweet Home Alabama.' "

She had a talent for guitar, no doubt. But Olbeter, a 6-2 junior who played for Plano West last spring before transferring to Frisco, can be a one-person band. She plays electric and acoustic guitar, drums, bass guitar and piano. She also sings, writes songs and has been part of two bands, The Parallel Lines and Save Word.

Yes, Olbeter has a lot of musical ability. But what Olbeter won't have, most likely, is a career in music.

"I don't really want to pursue it as a career," she said. "I think of it more as a hobby. Something I do for fun."

Olbeter also plays softball for fun, but she is an intense competitor. As one of two Frisco pitchers, she entered this week with a 7-7 record, a 3.68 earned-run average and 66 strikeouts in 76 innings. She's also one of the team's top hitters, with a .412 average and a team-high 18 RBIs.

"She's just a top-notch person," Frisco coach Max Bledsoe said. "There have been some ups and downs, but she's hanging in there and handling it well. She's had to put a lot on her shoulders."

Olbeter said music is her way to release tension. She likes to write songs, including some for friends that she performs on their birthdays.

"When I have a guitar and I'm singing, I kind of get lost in it," Olbeter said. "I am so focused on the field, and it's 180 degrees the opposite way with music. But I think it's good to have a balance."

That's part of the reason Olbeter, who is beginning to attract interest from college scouts, doesn't want to make music her profession. She wants to keep it fun, such as when she jams with her dad to the Beatles' "Day Tripper."

"The music, I think it's just Jeni's relaxation," John Olbeter said. "Listening to her play is a lot of fun."

YEARBOOK MOMENT: This week eight years ago, Plano advanced to the boys state soccer tournament for the seventh time. David Martin scored both of Plano's goals, the second on a header in overtime, in a 2-1 victory over Klein in the Class 5A Region II title game. Plano won the 5A title a week later, and Plano West (5A) and Highland Park (4A) won girls titles.

LIFTING UPDATE: The Colony coach Kevin Kallus said two weeks ago that a top-five finish at the Texas High School Powerlifting Association state meet was possible. His team turned possibility into reality by finishing second to Weslaco East in Division I, which includes 4A and 5A schools. Everman's Cameron Lightfoot won the 181-pound class, and Crowley's Dujuan Davis won the super heavyweight class. T.J. Sabando won the 198-pound class to help lead Kennedale to the Division II (3A) title, and Crandall's Cale Barnes won at 165.

FATHER VS. DAUGHTER: Richardson Berkner softball coach Rick Duff will coach against his daughter, Plano East senior outfielder Nicki Duff, for the sixth time Tuesday. Dad won the matchups in 2005 and '06, but Nicki, a four-year varsity player, has been on the winning team in the three matchups since then. Plano East beat Berkner, 12-0, last month.