High school softball 2023 preview: Bay Area News Group rankings, players to watch
Bay Area News Group Preseason Softball Top 20
(Mercury News & East Bay Times)
No. 1 ST. FRANCIS
Final 2022 ranking: 1
Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division and NorCal Division I champions.
Returning all-Bay Area News Group players: OF Carly Cummings, INF Chloe Cummings, P Shannon Keighran, P Kate Munnerlyn, OF Alexis O’Gorman
Others to watch: OF Hannah Cushing
- REWIND: St. Francis captures NorCal Division I, CCS Open Division titles
No. 2 ARCHBISHOP MITTY
Final 2022 ranking: 2
Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division runner-up and NorCal Division I quarterfinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: 1B Corri Hicks
Others to watch: OF Mia Rodriguez
No. 3 GRANADA
Final 2022 ranking: 6
Where it finished last season: NCS Division I runner-up.
Returning all-BANG players: 1B Delaney Aumua, P Alex Mello
Others to watch: OF Lauren Deplitch
No. 4 LIVERMORE
Final 2022 ranking: 5
Where it finished last season: NCS Division II semifinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: OF Alizabeth Ruiz
Others to watch: UTL Jae Cosgriff, 1B/P Jori Wilkendorf
No. 5 BENICIA
Final 2022 ranking: 4
Where it finished last season: NCS Division II champion and NorCal Division II finalist.
Returning all-BANG players: P/INF Braxton Brown, INF Emma French, OF Kyra Mason
Others to watch: TBD
No. 6 HERITAGE
Final 2022 ranking: 3
Where it finished last season: NCS Division I champ and NorCal Division I quarterfinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: INF Alexandra Cutonilli, INF Skylar Stroh
Others to watch: TBD
No. 7 SAN RAMON VALLEY
Final 2022 ranking: 10
Where it finished last season: NCS Division I semifinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: INF Sophia Jin, P Paige McLeod
Others to watch: TBD
No. 8 PINOLE VALLEY
Final 2022 ranking: 8
Where it finished last season: NCS Division III semifinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: OF Aneesa Brewer, P/1B Kailani Tatro
Others to watch: TBD
No. 9 CLAYTON VALLEY
Final 2022 ranking: 12
Where it finished last season: NCS Division I quarterfinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: SS//OF Soo-Jin Berry, INF Isabella Scolini
Others to watch: TBD
No. 10 ARAGON
Final 2022 ranking: 7
Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division semifinalist and NorCal Division II quarterfinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: P Brooke Tran
Others to watch: TBD
No. 11 SANTA TERESA
Final 2022 ranking: 11
Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division quarterfinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: None
Others to watch: Isabella De Filippis, Madison Moblad, Arianna Vergara
No. 12 LOS GATOS
Final 2022 ranking: 9
Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division quarterfinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: P/1B Anna Bean
Others to watch: TBD
No. 13 MILPITAS
Final 2022 ranking: 20
Where it finished last season: CCS Division I quarterfinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: INF Madeline Le, OF Taija Warren
Others to watch: 3B/1B Priyah Quinonez
No. 14 SILVER CREEK
Final 2022 ranking: 16
Where it finished last season: CCS Division I semifinalist
Returning all-BANG players: None
Others to watch: C Andrea Alvarez, 1B, 3B Kaylani Lim
No. 15 JAMES LOGAN
Final 2022 ranking: 17
Where it finished last season: NCS Division I quarterfinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: None
Others to watch: 3B/C Makayla Villapando, INF Gabriella Garcia, UTL Malia Athey
No. 16 COLLEGE PARK
Final 2022 ranking: 14
Where it finished last season: NCS Division I quarterfinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: None
Others to watch: OF Myia Weiler, OF, Emma Wood, C/2B Jessica Delatorre
No. 17 CAPUCHINO
Final 2022 ranking: Not ranked
Where it finished last season: CCS Division II runner-up.
Returning all-BANG players: C Avery Motroni
Others to watch: P Nohemi Livingston
No. 18 VALLEY CHRISTIAN
Final 2022 ranking: Not ranked
Where it finished last season: CCS Division II semifinalist.
Returning all-BANG players: INF MacKenzie Daley
Others to watch: MacKenzie Daley
No. 19 FREEDOM
Final 2022 ranking: Not ranked
Where it finished last season: Lost in the first round of the NCS Division I playoffs.
Returning all-BANG players: INF/OF Madison Evers-Lyles, INF Maya Soto
Others to watch: INF/C Amanda Royal
No. 20 FOOTHILL
Final 2022 ranking: 18
Where it finished last season: Lost in the first round of NCS Division I playoffs.
Returning all-BANG players: None
Others to watch: C/1B Marissa Anderson, OF, Emily Mayer, 1B Kyla Springer
MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH
(Listed in alphabetical order)
Malaina Alifano, INF, Notre Dame-Belmont
Alona Bravo, OF, Andrew Hill
McKenna Campbell, C, Willow Glen
Lilia Costa, OF, Del Mar
Alexa Couto, OF/C, Notre Dame-Belmont
Amanda Deng, UTL, Mission San Jose
Elizabeth Durrenberger, OF, Deer Valley
Alysia Elizarrey, OF/RHP, Moreau Catholic
Irene Frazier, C, Saratoga
Emma Foster, C/OF, Castilleja
Jessica Gutierrez, INF, Wilcox
Emma Jackson, UTL, Salesian
Danielle Koo, OF, Menlo-Atherton
Olivia Levitt, 2B/SS, St. Ignatius
Hannah Levy, INF, Hillsdale
Faith Martinez, C/P/1B, Cupertino
Jacqui McLean, INF, Westmont
Ashlie Nakano, RHP/3B, Alameda
Haley Ocumen, UTL, Willow Glen
Izzy Paskert, 2B, Mt. Pleasant
Emily Placencia, C, Hercules
Carina Reuterskiold, RHP, Lincoln-San Jose
Ashlyn Roeder, RHP/1B, Menlo-Atherton
Haley Solis, P, Hercules
Nicole Spaulding, RHP/2B, Homestead
Hailey Stegall, 3B, Live Oak
Hailey Stripling, UTL, Acalanes
Gianna Tassio, INF/P, Terra Nova
Kyndal Todd, 1B/OF, Castro Valley
Aleki Ulu, SS, Willow Glen
Ainsley Waddell, LHP, Sequoia
Correspondent Mike Lefkow contributes to this report.