The 2017 North Coast Section softball season is underway, with one of its top tournaments just completed this past weekend. Plenty of talent returns this year, and a ton of intriguing story-lines to accompany that talent.
Freedom knocked off Amador Valley and Foothill to capture last year’s Division 1 title, and while Foothill graduated most of its senior-laden team from last year, the opposite is the case for both Freedom and Amador Valley, who return plenty of key contributors to make another run. Those contributors include a pair of standouts in the circle, with Amador Valley’s Danielle Williams and Freedom’s Vanessa Strong.
But say hello to a new contender in Division 1 as well, as Alhambra gets the bump up from Division 2 under the section’s new competitive equity guidelines. And don’t forget about Heritage, which has split the BVAL crown with Freedom in the last two seasons, or James Logan, the perennial power from the Mission Valley. All three of those teams are powered by their offenses, though Heritage pitcher Kat Hall emerged last season as a force in the circle as well.
Castro Valley and Bishop O’Dowd should once again fight for WACC supremacy, but the two go their separate ways in the post-season. Castro Valley just lost to Amador Valley in the title game of the Queen of the Mountain tournament, but the Trojans will improve through the season. O’Dowd moves up to Division 2 this season under competitive equity rules, and should challenge for the title there. Livermore, Carondelet, Rancho Cotate, Montgomery, and Redwood won’t make the transition easy on the Dragons, however.
Marin Catholic and St. Patrick-St. Vincent both move up from Division 4 to Division 3 this season, and immediately become the favorites in that division. Pinole Valley, San Marin, and Analy all made the semifinals in Division 3 last season, and will battle to return there again this year. And since pitching is the name of the game in high school softball, watch out for teams such as Drake, with sophomore pitcher Sona Halajian. Marin Catholic’s Carly Slack and Analy’s Carson Rasmussen are two more arms who can lead their teams to success. Halajian and Drake just emerged on top in a recent duel with Rasmussen and the Tigers.
Fortuna is an early favorite in the Division 4 bracket, especially with Marin Catholic and St. Pat’s moving up. The Huskies were in the title game two years ago, and lost in the semifinals last season, missing a few key starters in that game, including standout pitcher Hailey Dolcini. St. Joseph Notre Dame is up from Division 5 this season, and the Pilots will look to challenge for the crown.
10 TEAMS TO WATCH (in alphabetical order)
Alhambra
The amount of firepower returning for the three-time Division 2 champions is incredible, highlighted by Cal commit Karlee Sparacino and UCLA commit Bri Perez, who form the top middle infield duo in Northern California. But these two should continue getting pitches to hit, thanks to the rest of the lineup surrounding them.
That includes speedy Kimiko Zapanta at the top of the lineup, and the powerful bats of Regan Silva and Miranda Nilson further down. Lindsey Osmer and Morgan Azevedo are two more potent weapons, while Maci Shepherd likely takes over behind the plate as part of the starting battery with pitcher Bri Edwards.
Amador Valley
Junior pitcher Danielle Williams is arguably the top returning arm in the section, but has other solid talent surrounding her in the upper classes. Seniors Sofia Molina, Courtney Dinelli, Hannah Myers, and Jessica Emde are all weapons in the lineup and provide solid defense behind Williams. Emde is one of the biggest threats on the base paths, while Molina and Dinelli both swung hot bats last weekend to open the season.
Amador Valley has won two of the last three section titles, and holds three championships this decade.
Bishop O’Dowd
After winning back-to-back Division 3 titles, the Dragons move up a division. They need to replace graduated pitcher Alexis Scalzo, but sophomore Elizabeth Avery already looks the part, and this is an explosive offense. Hannah Rosenfeld is consistent at the plate and in the outfield, and is joined by a plethora of big bats, including junior Frankie Hammoude, sophomore Nicole Hammoude, junior Michael Edwards-Gonzales, and junior Marissa Petty. And if you are looking for a freshman to keep an eye on, watch out for Jayla Dailey.
Castro Valley
The Trojans may have graduated standouts Delaney Heller and Traci Shaw from last year’s team, but reached the championship game of the Queen of the Mountain tournament this past weekend, with a roster featuring 12 juniors or seniors. Senior Yazmine Romero anchors the outfield, while junior Krystyna Allman figures to take the bulk of the pitching load. Juniors Olivia Brackin and Tianna Jacques both swung solid bats to start the year.
Freedom
Junior pitcher Vanessa Strong leads a deep cast of returners for the defending Division 1 champions, who opened their season last weekend at the Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Arizona. The lineup also has plenty of experience, including the speedy Allyson Ferreira, who gets things going for Faith Derby, Shannon Coston, Bri Ibarra, Mila Salazar, Allyson McBroom, Marissa Gonzales, and Kalissa Heihn, among others.
Freedom has captured eight section titles since the year 2000.
Heritage
The Patriots need to replace the middle of their defense after the graduation of center fielder Kylee Barrios and middle infielders Maddy Silay and Tamia Lee, but return Kat Hall in the circle and at the plate to go with infielder Riley Ehlen and standout outfielder Morgan Hess. Also back is returning all-section outfielder Anyssia Ramirez, who hit .581 last season and is committed to Caldwell University in New Jersey, plus senior Alyssa Kirk, who can handle duties either behind the plate or at third base and swings another big bat.
Livermore
Oregon State bound catcher Missy Nunes is the anchor for this team, but Pacific-committed junior shortstop Madison Kahwaty is another centerpiece of the talent here. Meanwhile, senior Alyssa Ramirez and junior Emily Trask both earned all-tournament honors at the Queen of the Mountain, where they took third place, beating Rancho Cotate in the final game. Sophomores Brianna Wheelock and Melanie Laronde figure to handle the pitching load.
Marin Catholic
The Wildcats move up a division after winning back-to-back Division 4 titles, and have one of the best returning pitchers in the section, senior Carly Slack. The lineup is full of threats as well, with senior Destiny Buckhanan leading by example, followed by juniors Izzy Incaviglia and Tess Polizzoti, and sophomores Julia Scardina, Taylor Confar, and Breanna DeLacy.
Rancho Cotate
The Cougars placed fourth at the Queen of the Mountain to open the season, but did lead early against Williams and Amador Valley, and were the only team to score against the Dons in the tournament. Brittney Scardina and Taylor Proctor can both handle duties in the circle, and the lineup is anchored by a quintet of seniors looking to make their mark. Reilani Peleti, Taylor Del Santo, Kaitlyn Hager, Janaea Mason, and Malia Kuka all provide veteran leadership, along with Scardina and Proctor. This is certainly an experienced squad. Meanwhile, sophomores Makayla Barnes and Talia Guerrero highlight the young talent coming up.
San Marin
The runner-up last year to Bishop O’Dowd in Division 3, the Mustangs are off to a hot start this season, having cruised to wins over Cardinal Newman, Petaluma, and Casa Grande. A pair of freshmen have been impressive in the circle, especially Madison Papenhausen. In fact, this whole team is young, without a single senior on the roster, meaning they will only get better as the year progresses. Meanwhile, freshmen such as Papenhausen, Kayla Simonetti, Alexis Bishop, and Summer Lake have already shown flashes of their potential this season.
10 PLAYERS TO WATCH (in alphabetical order)
Megan Bower, Jr, Miramonte
Despite having little in the lineup around her, Bower has destroyed high school pitching. The Santa Clara commit hit .707 with 12 home runs and 50 RBI last season, giving her 23 home runs and 91 RBI in her first two years of high school ball.
Hailey Dolcini, Sr, Fortuna
The UC Riverside commit is the reason why the Huskies have a strong argument for being in our list of teams above, having struck out over 600 batters in the last two seasons. She also hit .452 with three home runs and 23 RBI last season. Dolcini is one of a large group of multi-sport standouts for the Huskies, having starred on the hardwood this winter.
Frankie Hammoude, Jr, Bishop O’Dowd
The reigning WACC-Foothill Player of the Year did not commit an error behind the plate last season, and threw out 75 percent of would-be base stealers, while also hitting .400 with five home runs and 28 RBI.
Missy Nunes, Sr, Livermore
One of two Oregon State commits on this list (Hammoude is the other), Nunes is dominant both behind the plate and at the dish. She had a big home run in a win over Amador Valley last season, and was a first-team All-EBAL and second-team All-NCS selection.
Sabrina Nunez, Sr, Redwood
The catalyst for the Giants’ lineup and the rock in the middle of the infield, Nunez hit .446 with 10 stolen bases last year, while committing just three errors in the field. She has been an All-NCS selection each of the last two years.
Bri Perez, Sr, Alhambra
The UCLA commit was our Junior of the Year last season, after hitting .613 with six home runs, 40 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. Her OPS was an incredible 1.777 last year.
Anyssia Ramirez, Sr, Heritage
Ramirez hit .581 as a junior, and has a .482 career batting average entering her fourth year at the varsity level. The Caldwell University commit is also known for her strong arm from left field.
Karlee Sparacino, Sr, Alhambra
If it seems like we have been talking about Perez and Sparacino for four years, it’s because we have. The Cal commit hit .620 last season, with seven home runs and 57 RBI, while also notching 22 stolen bases. She was the 2016 Prep2Prep NCS Player of the Year.
Vanessa Strong, Jr, Freedom
Strong outdueled Williams and Foothill’s Nalani Scates in the final two playoff games last season, and allowed just 10 earned runs in her final 14 starts. She keeps hitters off-balance with a devastating rise ball and an equally efficient drop-curve.
Danielle Williams, Jr, Amador Valley
Williams, who already threw her first no-hitter this season against Concord in the Queen of the Mountain, tossed three of them last year, while striking out 245 batters in 144 innings pitched. She also hit .456 with two home runs last season.
FIVE MORE TO KEEP AN EYE ON (in alphabetical order)
Sona Halajian, So, Drake
The Cal commit has the Pirates off to a 4-0 start this season, with two complete game shutouts already under her belt this year. She has struck out 48 batters in her first 28 innings in the circle this season.
Savannah Jones, Sr, Terra Linda
Jones hit .513 with six home runs last season, and is headed to play at Georgetown next year. She is also one of the top fielding shortstops in the section, with just nine errors in over 200 chances, over the last two seasons.
Deijah Pangilinan, So, St. Patrick-St. Vincent
Last year’s NCS Freshman of the Year, the Oregon commit hit .468 with eight home runs and 35 RBI last season, striking out just one time.
Juliana Pichardo, Sr, Concord
Pichardo was the MVP of the Diablo Valley Athletic League last season, after hitting .500 with eight home runs and 32 RBI.
Brittney Scardina, Sr, Rancho Cotate
The Cougars have high expectations this season, and Scardina has a lot to do with that. Last year, she had a 1.67 ERA in the circle, while also hitting .423 with seven home runs and 30 RBI.
