Cal-Hi Sports State Softball Rankings

[triplecrown]

Elk Grove, Santa Margarita go 1-2 in CA preseason softball top 20
But Thundering Herd, Eagles don't have to look far for toughest competition

Mark Tennis Senior Editor 02/26/11

Contributing: Paul Muyskens

(Last year’s record in parentheses)

1. Elk Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.) 25-4-1
The pattern the last three years has gone like this: Young team wins CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I, then comes back as favorites the following season. Two seasons ago, Sheldon of Sacramento was that team and last year it was Pleasant Grove of Elk Grove. This time, Elk Grove is in the same boat. The Thundering Herd ended No. 2 in last year’s final rankings and starts out on top this year with a very strong cast of returning players. Pitcher/hitter Shelby Wisdom was a finalist for Ms. Softball State Player of the Year after winning games against the team’s strongest opponents. She had a 0.54 ERA with 269 strikeouts and also batted .338.

2. Santa Margarita (Rancho SM, Calif.) 20-12
There’s an easy argument why the Eagles were seriously considered for the preseason No. 1 ranking instead of Elk Grove: They won the toughest softball title there is to win in the nation – the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs – and they did it with just one senior on the roster. Most of the losses came when pitcher Amy Letourneau was still on the mend from shoulder surgery. With her healthy for an entire season and a potent one through nine order, Santa Margarita definitely won’t sneak up on anybody this year.

3. Santiago (Corona, Calif.) 27-2
Head coach John Perez has been a very busy man lately since the Sharks’ basketball team he coaches has gone deep into the CIFSS Division I playoffs. We know he’d sure like to go deeper in the softball playoffs as several of his recent teams have had the talent, pitching, hitting and strength of schedule to be contending for the mythical national title. This year’s team may be no different. Catcher Lauren Sweet is a returning all-state pick who hit .448 with eight homers and 39 RBIs. Leading pitcher Erin Rodriguez, a second-team all-state honoree, also is back.

4. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 24-3
Monarch fans may wince at Santa Margarita being higher in the preseason since it was their team that won the Trinity League title a year ago. Still, head coach Doug Myers’ team is going to be up near the top of the state and national rankings all season as well. Catcher Amber Freeman, signed by Arizona State, tied the school record with eight homers last season and was first team all-state. Pitcher Carly Wade is gone, but the team’s other pitcher, Miranda Tamayo, went 14-1 and had a 1.17 ERA.

5. Johansen (Modesto, Calif.) 28-6
The Vikings reached the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship last season where they lost to Elk Grove and with all but two players back from they could make another impressive run. The schedule also has been toughened, which includes a trip to the Livermore Stampede. Junior Elizabeth Perez should be the team’s ace in the circle as she went 22-4 last season with a 0.62 ERA. Six top batters also are back, including senior Teresa Martin (30 RBIs), senior Chelsea Guenther (.391, 29 RBIs) and all-state underclass second team Gabby Maurice, who was one of the state’s top freshmen.

6. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.) 24-7
Yes, it’s true the Eagles didn’t live up to being preseason No. 1 last year, but they just lost some real close games to solid competition and those teams also happened to be close by. Although catcher Alyssa Tiumalu has departed, Pleasant Grove has perhaps the best pitcher in the state in Ally Carda. She’s going to national power UCLA and was the State Sophomore of the Year two seasons ago. Carda whiffed 331 batters in her junior season with a 0.54 ERA and 18-6 record. She also hit .512 with 21 extra-base hits.

7. Valencia (Valencia, Calif.) 29-4-1
Not many teams could afford to lose a star player like Ms. Softball finalist Madison Shipman (now at Tennessee), but the Vikings should be okay. All-state underclass pitcher Carly Mortenson is back after going 22-1 as a sophomore with a 0.89 ERA. Veteran coach Donna Lee also has two top position players returning in Caitlin Rooney, who had 26 RBIs as a junior, and Bethany Kemp, who batted .371.

8. Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.) 31-4
Coming off an impressive season that saw the Bears capture the Tri-Rivers Athletic Conference championship and reach the CIF Central Section Division I championship game, they are poised to be just as good or better this season after losing just two seniors. Among the eight juniors returning are Natalie Rendon, who went 21-4 with a 1.05 ERA while striking out 164 in 159.1 innings. Two seniors who should be major honors candidates are Kelsey Dodd, who batted .455 with 35 RBIs, and shortstop Bailey O’Dell, who had 28 RBIs.

9. Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.) 21-6-1
Seven starters are back for this traditional SoCal power, including Cheyanne Tarango, one of the most highly-regarded pitchers in the nation. Tarango, who has signed with Tennessee, had a 0.70 ERA last season and struck out 219 batters. She also led the team in hitting (.413) and in home runs (five). Also among the returnees are University of Maryland-bound catcher Shannon Bustillos and second baseman Kayla Blanco, who was second on the team in hitting (.404).

10. Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.) 21-7
After being the State Freshman of the Year and then State Sophomore of the Year, Highlanders’ pitcher Nancy Bowling returns for her junior season. The Arizona-bound standout struck out 268 in going 18-5 with a 0.58 ERA last season. There were just three seniors on last year’s team and most of the team, like Bowling, still have two years left before heading to college. It’s a group that should be in the rankings each week this year and next.

11. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) 27-5
It has become a common sight for the Lady Trojans to end the season as Sac-Joaquin Section Division II champions as they won their fourth straight title last season and look to be well on their way to a fifth. In the circle the last three years for the section title game has been Kasey Stanchek, who returns for her senior year after going 25-4 with 321 strikeouts and a 0.81 ERA to earn all-state honors. Stanchek also has signed a letter of intent with Washington. Sophomore catcher Jackie Schmaeling also is back, but the offense will need to make up for some lost bats.

12. James Logan (Union City, Calif.) 25-5
The defending CIF North Coast Section Division I champions have a wealth of returnees, including sophomore pitcher Raeann Garza. She not only picked up the final two wins of last year in a 22-4 campaign (1.86 ERA), but also went 3-for-4 with four RBIs in the semis. Garza batted .357 overall. The squad’s two middle infielders also are back. Junior Jazmine Reed hit .349 with 32 runs scored while junior Alexis Martinez hit .367 with 27 runs scored.

13. Mt. Carmel (San Diego, Calif.) 29-4
With four-year starters Kellie Fox and Alix Johnson both moving on to the Pac 10, you might think the Sundevils’ streak of four straight CIF San Diego Section titles is in big trouble. But all is not bad. A solid nucleus is still back and one of the returnees is ace pitcher Bree Williams, who won 29 games as a junior. Younger players also step up in a program like the one at Mt. Carmel. Junior Gina Calo showed that in the section title game when she came up to pinch hit and stroked a two-run single.

14. Marina (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 22-9
The Vikings should have one of the top squads in Orange County and in Southern California with just four players lost from the roster. They reached the CIFSS Div. I quarterfinals last season (losing to eventual champ Santa Margarita) and took a co-title in the super-tough Sunset League. Head coach Shelly Luth welcomes back junior infielder Sandy Simmons, already committed to LSU with a .486 batting mark from a year ago. Ace pitcher Jamie Sullivan is headed to Oregon, while pitcher/shortstop Kristen Struett has signed with South Carolina.

15. Stockdale (Bakersfield, Calif.) 21-8-1
With a 15-inning, 1-0 thriller over Buchanan, the Mustangs captured the CIF Central Section Division I championship last season and are serious threats to defend their title. Leading the way was Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team selection Justine Vela, who went 17-6 with a 0.19 ERA while also hitting .435 and knocking in a team-best 19 runs during her junior year. The Mustangs do lose nearly half their team from last year as eight of their 17 players were seniors, but the offense was balanced. The top returning hitter is senior Victoria Valos (.451, 18 RBIs).

16. Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) 20-9-1
Coach Mary Jo Truesdale’s squad was a bit up-and-down last year, but it was a young group with only one senior and the schedule was difficult. Junior Alexis Cooper will likely take the bulk of playing time in the circle after compiling a 1.65 ERA. Third baseman Danielle Henderson, who is joining older sister Jolene at Cal, is the team’s top offensive returnee. She hit .510 as a junior with 30 RBIs.

17. Warren (Downey, Calif.) 24-7
Eight starters are back for the Bears, who took a 4-1 lead into the fifth inning of the CIFSS Division III championship against state No. 1 Ayala of Chino Hills only to come up short, 5-4. Catcher Tina Iosefa, who hit two homers in that game and had eight for the season, leads the cast of returnees. Pitchier-hitter Franny Vaaulu had 1.14 ERA with 19 pitching wins and also batted .398 with 25 RBIs.

18. Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.) 25-5
It was a tough call between the Warriors and Archbishop Mitty in the CIF Central Coast Section, but they’ll certainly duke it out in at least two league matchups. Returning San Jose Mercury News Player of the Year Janell Laront tops a strong cast of experienced players at Valley Christian. She went 26-5 with a 0.90 ERA and struck out 173 batters while also leading the team with 32 RBIs and a .419 average. University of Minnesota-bound infielder Tyler Walker (.509) is top position player.

19. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 28-3
A talented senior class, led by outfielder Jillian Andersen, that helped Mitty finish as FAB 50 national champions two years ago is gone. None of the graduates, though, is pitcher Vanessa Alvarez. She replaced 2009 Ms. Softball USA Keilani Ricketts and stepped up as a sophomore to go 24-2 with a 0.15 ERA and 293 strikeouts. The team’s top returnee elsewhere is senior Sylvia Llamas, who had a .409 batting mark as a junior.

20. El Toro (El Toro, Calif.) 16-14
We always like to throw in a hunch team in the preseason top 20 and one that looks good is the Chargers. Despite the 14 losses from last year, the team did post several quality wins and returns a just about every key player. The leader is 2010 Orange County Register Player of the Year Lauren Chamberlain. The Oklahoma recruit bashed 17 homers, played flawlessly in the infield, and had a .512 average. Junior catcher Emily Haslinger (.309) and senior pitcher MacKenzie Sanderson (1.13 ERA) also are back.

Others that just missed:
Ayala (Chino Hills) 29-5, Casa Roble (Orangevale) 25-3, El Modena (Orange) 22-8, Norco 20-10, Pioneer (San Jose) 23-9, Poly (Riverside) 17-11, San Benito (Hollister) 25-4, South Hills (Covina) 23-8-1, Torrey Pines (San Diego) 26-7-2

[watchtonsofsoftball]

Nor Cal representing well
Elk Grove , Pleasant Grove and Sheldon all within 3 or 4 miles from each other. Some great softball in these parts. Add in Johansen and its one of the toughest sections in all of California. Oak Ridge is now D1 and in the same section. They will struggle this year despite their ranking. Offense is a HUGE problem for that team.

[sfisch]

I know it's hard to contact every school for information so I will provide what I can for South Hills High School, one of your "others". South Hills finished last year 23-8-1 and lost in the Division 5 CIF-SS finals. They return all nine starters. The Huskies set the CIF-SS record for doubles in a season last year breaking the previous record by 40. They also had two players, Kristen Stewart, who broke the single season CIF-SS doubles record and Lext Robles, whom tied the single season record. Samantha Nieves, senior third baseman, will be attending Middle Tennesee State. All CIF catcher, Brittney Rodriguez has committed to UCLA and sophomore middle infielder Lexi Robles is being recruited by some serious SEC schools. This is not to mention Sydney La Follette, 5'11, right handed, junior pitcher and All CIF junior shortstop, Kristen Stewart. Last and definitely not least, the most all around athlete on the team, center fielder, Keira Portell. She covers the outfield enough for two players and has the arm of a flame thrower.

[dodgerblue]

Enough with the chest thumping, its only HS and these rankings dont mean squat. you know somehow there's a team in the top 10 the last 2 years and last year didn't make it out of the 1st round of CIF go figure. SH moves into a better division this year so you will be playing better competetion. Anytime you can beat teams in CIF by 18 and 23 runs tells you a little something of the level of play that your playing in.