The 30th Annual Livermore Stampede begins on Thursday at Robertson Park in Livermore and this year’s tournament boasts some of the most talent in the 16-team field than it has had in recent memory.
Six teams in the Cal-Hi Sports Top 35 rankings are in this year’s Stampede highlighted by a No. 1 St. Francis-Mountain View (11-0) that’s coming off a Michelle Carew Classic Co-Championship last weekend in Anaheim and will be the favorite to repeat as Livermore Stampede champions.
St. Francis showed at the Carew that not only do they have the top 1-2 pitching combination in the state in Texas A&M-committed left-handed ace Kate Munnerlyn and Boise State-bound Shannon Keighran, but Munnerlyn, who also carries a big bat, is a legitimate early leading candidate for Cal-Hi Sports Ms. Softball State Player of the Year. Last year she was the MVP of the Stampede. Weather permitting the Lancers open with Freedom-Oakley at 1:15pm on Thursday.
Other ranked teams include a No. 7 Archbishop Mitty-San Jose (9-1) that comes into the Carew with a lone 1-0 loss to Salinas it avenged four days later with a 3-0 victory. Mitty will be very formidable now that one of the top players in the state, sophomore McKenna Woliczko, is back from qualifying for the USA Basketball U16 team. Mitty is scheduled to face Monte Vista-Danville at 11:00am on Thursday.
Whitney-Rocklin (5-2), ranked No. 25, is back at the Stampede and is scheduled to play back to back games at 1:00 and 3:00pm against Amador Valley-Pleasanton and California-San Ramon. Senior Mya Flindt is the top player on a young Wildcats team.
Benicia (7-0) has only played one real tough game but the No. 27 ranked Panthers got a win in a 7-5 victory at No. 34 Liberty-Brentwood. Benicia is scheduled to play back to back games on Thursday morning at 9:00 and 11:00am against Amador Valley and California
Host Livermore (10-1) comes into the Stampede ranked right behind Benicia at No. 28 and also as the No. 2 ranked team from the CIF North Coast Section. The young Cowboys girls have two pitchers, junior Savanna Froke and sophomore Kaci Norton, and that’s something you usually need at the Stampede.
Previously mentioned No. 34 ranked Liberty (8-2) rounds out the ranked teams at the Stampede. The Lions opened the season with losses to Benicia and Livermore but have won eight straight, including taking early control of the Bay Valley Athletic League with two wins this week over a Freedom-Oakley team that is also n the Stampede field.
Casa Grande-Petaluma (7-2) was previously ranked but since that team they have losses to American Canyon and Vintage-Napa. The Gauchos play twice on Thursday at 3:00pm versus San Ramon Valley-Danville and at 7:00pm versus Liberty.
Rounding out the field is Carondelet-Concord, College Park-Pleasant Hill, Granada-Livermore and Sheldon-Sacramento.
Because rain is forecast for Thursday tournament director Toff Garcia is busy with contingency plans. According to Garcia therev will be three additional fields beside Robertson Park and as a result they can start earlier and end later on Friday.
“We’ll do all we can,” Garcia remarked.
Regardless of the weather if games can be played there will be the best high school softball in Northern California on display over the next few days at the Livermore Stampede some come out and check out the action.
