HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL PREVIEW 2024
WHERE WE LEFT OFF
St. Francis won the West Catholic Athletic League title, lost to Hollister in the Central Coast Section Open final, and then made it back to the NorCal Open final, where it failed to repeat as a regional champion when Hollister defeated the Lancers again, this time 1-0 in extra innings. It was a disappointing ending to a season that saw the team outscore opponents 229-21 and had 12 games with at least 10 runs scored… Willow Glen, relying on young pitcher Alanna Clincy and timely hitting, claimed the NorCal Division II crown with a walk-off McKenna Campbell hit against Notre Dame-Salinas. Coach Don Spingola’s team was one of the few to compete with St. Francis, losing just 3-0 in CCS play before winning NorCal.
California caught fire in the North Coast Section Division I playoffs, beating College Park and Granada before taking down San Ramon Valley at Saint Mary’s College to claim the section crown. The Grizzlies followed that up by giving Central-Fresno everything it could handle in NorCal Open play, the same team that took St. Francis to nine innings. … Pinole Valley, led by workhorse pitcher Kailani Tatro, won NCS Division III and went 29-2. … Live Oak won CCS Division IV.
BEST OF THE BEST
St. Francis dominated the Bay Area, and much of that dominance was due to its electrifying pitching duo of reigning Bay Area News Group player of the year Kate Munnerlyn and fellow ace Shannon Keighran (1.00 career ERA). The bad news for the rest of the region? They’re back as seniors. The Mountain View program also has some fearsome hitters, the most notable being sophomore and 2023 WCAL player of the year Jaime Oakland. Munnerlyn had a 0.55 ERA, and her .350 batting average and 31 RBIs made her an all-around threat. The Lancers have gone 36-1 in the WCAL since 2019. … Can anyone beat the Lancers? Perhaps Archbishop Mitty, which returns Oklahoma commit Corri Hicks (.302 batting average), two-sport star McKenna Woliczko and do-it-all outfielder Mia Rodriguez. … California went on a run to the NCS Division I championship, and Kaitlyn Le, Hailey King, Jayda Crosby and others return for the Grizzlies.
It won’t be easy in the EBAL, though, with San Ramon Valley, Granada and Amador Valley all poised to make runs at league and section titles. SRV’s Sophia Jin made things happen with her speed last season, and she’s back as a junior and ready to tear up the basepaths again. … Sequoia, Capuchino and Carlmont should all be competitive in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division. … Heritage had a bit of a down year (17-6) after winning NCS Division I in 2022. Coach Ron Rivers and Co. could have a major bounce-back year. … Encinal brings back power hitter Lola Whalen, and with her a chance to make noise in the WACC Shoreline and in the section. … Willow Glen pitcher Alanna Clincy was untouchable down the stretch, striking out 185 in 112.2 innings. The Rams beat Mitty and played St. Francis tough. If there’s any program that can hope to dethrone the WCAL powers, it’s Willow Glen.
Nobody runs like De Anza, which stole 263 bases in 20 games last season. Expect more gaudy base stealing totals this spring. Riana Everetts is the fastest of the sprinters, stealing 45 of those bases … On the other end of the spectrum is Granada, which is led by Delaney Aumua, who hit eight home runs with a .443 average. … Across town is Livermore and its star Minnesota commit Jae Cosgriff, who batted .470 with 10 doubles and five home runs.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
(alphabetical order)
Delaney Aumua, IF, Granada, junior
First-team all-East Bay Athletic League selection helped lead Granada to the NCS Division I semifinals. Hit .443 with eight home runs.
Alanna Clincy, P Willow Glen, sophomore
BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division pitcher of the year struck out 185 for the NorCal Division II champions.
Kaylee Davis, P, Amador Valley, junior
Won 10 games and posted a 1.72 ERA as a pitcher, while also batting .351 with eight extra-base hits for a resurgent Amador Valley squad.
Riana Everetts, IF, De Anza, junior
Do-it-all infielder batted .623 and stole 45 bases for the Dons. Had three different games with five stolen bases.
Sophia Gandara, P, Leigh, junior
BVAL Santa Teresa West MVP hit .418 with 23 RBIs and three triples. Was also 16-4 with 167 strikeouts for the league champions.
Corri Hicks, C, Archbishop Mitty, senior
Oklahoma commit’s impact exceeded her .302 batting average and five home runs.
Sophia Jin, OF, San Ramon Valley, junior
First-team all-East Bay Athletic League selection hit .484 with 27 runs scored as the leadoff hitter for the EBAL tournament champs. Stole 28 bases.
Kaitlyn Le, P, California, senior
First-team all-EBAL selection helped pitch California to its first North Coast Section title in school history. Went 19-6 with 110 strikeouts.
Avery Motroni, OF, Capuchino, junior
First-team all-PAL Bay Division selection hit .386 with 24 RBIs and six home runs for the league champions.
Kate Munnerlyn, P, St. Francis, senior
First-team all-West Catholic Athletic League selection was 16-3 with a 0.55 ERA, and also hit six HRs.
Jaime Oakland, OF, St. Francis, sophomore
WCAL player of the year hit .533 with 14 RBIs for the NorCal Division I finalists.
Mylia Perez, IF, Dougherty Valley, senior
First-team all-EBAL selection and Stanford commit batted .500 with four triples, three HRs and 18 stolen bases in 20 games.
Julia Simón, C, Presentation, sophomore
First-team all-WCAL selection was a revelation behind the plate as a freshman, and also hit .447 with four home runs as the team’s best hitter.
Maya Soto, P, Freedom, senior
Bay Valley Athletic League pitcher of the year struck out 103 in 131 ⅔ innings and also hit .443 and nine doubles.
Lola Whalen, IF, Encinal, senior
WACC Shoreline Division co-player of the year hit 11 home runs for the NCS Division III runners-up. Batted .472 and drove in 39 runs.
McKenna Woliczko, IF, Archbishop Mitty, sophomore
The 2023 Bay Area News Group girls basketball player of the year also earned WCAL first-team honors after hitting .429 with 23 RBIs.
OTHERS TO WATCH
Marissa Anderson, C, Foothill, senior
Mariah Avalos, P, Santa Teresa, senior
Mia Bennette, IF, The King’s Academy, sophomore
Makenna Choi, P, Northgate, junior
Jae Cosgriff, OF, Livermore, senior
Jaime Elkington, IF, Sequoia, sophomore
Emma French, IF, Benicia, junior
Bronwyn James, P, Oakland, junior
Shannon Keighran, P, St. Francis, senior
Angelina Rogers, IF, South San Francisco, senior
Andrea Toledo, IF, Mt. Eden, senior
Sienna Wilson, IF, Willow Glen, junior
Kaliya Yco, IF, Branham, senior
Bay Area News Group softball preseason Top 20
(Mercury News & East Bay Times)
No. 1 ST. FRANCIS (28-4)
Final ranking last season: 1
How it ended: Lost to Hollister in the Central Coast Section Open Division final as the No. 1 seed, and lost to the Balers again in the NorCal Division I final as the No. 2 team.
Season opener: Saturday at Branham, noon
No. 2 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (21-5)
Final ranking last season: 4
How it ended: Lost to Hollister 4-1 in the second round of the CCS Open Division playoffs, lost to Whitney-Rocklin 9-3 in the NorCal Division I first round.
Season opener: March 2 vs. Westmont, 9 a.m.
No. 3 GRANADA (21-6)
Final ranking last season: 10
How it ended: Lost to San Ramon Valley 4-3 in the EBAL semifinal, defeated Bishop O’Dowd and Castro Valley in NCS Division I playoffs, lost 9-1 to California in the semifinal.
Season opener: Tuesday vs. Freedom, 3:30 p.m.
No. 4 WILLOW GLEN (23-7)
Final ranking last season: 2
How it ended: Lost to St. Francis in the second round of the CCS Open Division playoffs, and then won the NorCal Division II championship on a walk-off over Notre Dame-Salinas.
Season opener: March 8 at St. Francis, 4 p.m.
No. 5 CALIFORNIA (21-9)
Final ranking last season: 3
How it ended: Won the NCS Division I championship over San Ramon Valley, lost 2-1 to Central-Fresno in the NorCal Division I quarterfinal.
Season opener: Thursday vs. Vintage, 4 p.m.
No. 6 SAN RAMON VALLEY (23-7)
Final ranking last season: 5
How it ended: Captured team’s first East Bay Athletic League title in a 2-1 victory over Amador Valley, lost to California 5-1 in the North Coast Section Division I final, 10-0 to St. Francis in the NorCal Division I first round.
Season opener: Friday vs. Arroyo, 3:30 p.m.
No. 7 CAPUCHINO (22-6)
Final ranking last season: 6
How it ended: Lost to Hollister 7-1 as the No. 6 seed in the CCS Open Division playoffs.
Season opener: March 6 vs. Half Moon Bay, 6 p.m.
No. 8 HERITAGE (17-6)
Final ranking last season: 16
How it ended: Won the BVAL tournament, lost to San Ramon Valley in the NCS Division I quarterfinal.
Season opener: Tuesday vs. Kimball, 3:30 p.m.
No. 9 MILPITAS (21-5)
Final ranking last season: 8
How it ended: Ranked as the No. 4 seed in the CCS Open Division playoffs, lost 10-1 to Willow Glen in the first round.
Season opener: Wednesday vs. The King’s Academy, 3 p.m.
No. 10 WESTMONT (20-9)
Final ranking last season: 7
How it ended: Lost to Notre Dame-Salinas in the CCS Division I final.
Season opener: Feb. 29 vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 3:30 p.m.
No. 11 AMADOR VALLEY (15-12)
Final ranking last season: 18
How it ended: Lost the EBAL final to San Ramon Valley 2-1 after beating California in the semifinal, lost to Castro Valley 2-0 in the first round of the NCS playoffs.
Season opener: Tuesday at Tracy, 3:30 p.m.
No. 12 SEQUOIA (18-6)
Final ranking last season: 11
How it ended: Lost to Archbishop Mitty 3-2 in the CCS Open Division first round in eight innings.
Season opener: Tuesday at Branham, 3:30 p.m.
No. 13 FREEDOM (18-10)
Final ranking last season: 12
How it ended: Lost to Heritage in the Bay Valley Athletic League championship, lost to San Ramon Valley in the NCS Division I semifinal.
Season opener: Tuesday at Granada, 3:30 p.m.
No. 14 COLLEGE PARK (17-9)
Final ranking last season: 14
How it ended: Lost 1-0 to California in the second round of the NCS Division I playoffs.
Season opener: Tuesday vs. San Ramon Valley, 4 p.m.
No. 15 NORTHGATE (15-5)
Final ranking last season: Not ranked
How it ended: Lost to Redwood in the NCS Division II quarterfinals.
Season opener: Thursday at Monte Vista, 4 p.m.
No. 16 CLAYTON VALLEY (17-6)
Final ranking last season: 13
How it ended: Reached the second round of the NCS Division I playoffs, where CVC lost to Freedom 3-2.
Season opener: March 5 at California, 4 p.m.
No. 17 LIVERMORE (15-12)
Final ranking last season: 17
How it ended: Lost 5-1 to Casa Grande in the NCS Division II final.
Season opener: Thursday vs. Arroyo, 3:30 p.m.
No. 18 SOBRATO (19-4)
Final ranking last season: 19
How it ended: Lost to Westmont in the CCS Division I semifinals.
Season opener: Feb. 28 vs. Silver Creek, 3:30 p.m.
No. 19 BRANHAM (16-10)
Final ranking last season: Not ranked
How it ended: Lost to Notre Dame-Salinas in the CCS Division I first round.
Season opener: Thursday at Aragon, 3:30 p.m.
No. 20 PINOLE VALLEY (29-2)
Final ranking last season: 9
How it ended: Won the Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division and NCS Division III championships, lost to Ponderosa 7-1 in the NorCal Division III semifinals.
Season opener: March 23 at Novato, 11 a.m.
