All-Bay Area News Group softball: Meet the 2019 team
Player of the year
Nicole May, Foothill, Jr.: Oklahoma commit and East Bay Athletic League player of the year led Foothill to a 28-0 season, capped by a 2-0 win over Heritage in the North Coast Section Division I final. Went 24-0 with a 0.32 ERA, striking out 246 in 151 innings with only 13 walks. Accounted for the only runs her team scored in the NCS championship game, slugging a two-run home run in the third inning. For the season, hit .463 with five home runs, 27 RBIs and a .744 slugging percentage. Also was named Gatorade’s California player of the year.
First team
Pitchers
Lauren Baker, St. Francis, Soph.: Co-pitcher of the year in the West Catholic Athletic League. Finished 18-4 with a 2.41 ERA and 154 strikeouts as St. Francis reached the Central Coast Section Open Division final.
Holly Fletcher, Aragon, Sr.: The first-team all-Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division selection went 17-5 with a 2.27 ERA, culminating her time with the Dons by tossing a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts in the CCS Division I final to claim the school’s first section title. Over 157 innings, she struck out 202 while walking only 28.
Courtney Rose, Castro Valley, Sr.: The West Alameda County Foothill Division player of the year hit three home runs, but her impact was felt in the circle. Bound for the University of San Diego, she went 15-9 with an 0.09 ERA (2 earned, 31 allowed), while tossing six shutouts over 152 innings in which she limited hitters to 49 hits and 33 walks while striking out 217.
Delia Scott, Heritage, Sr.: A lock as a first-team selection to the all-Bay Valley Athletic League team, she went 23-3 in the circle with an 0.46 ERA (11 earned, 73 allowed), while tossing 12 shutouts over 167.2 innings in which she surrendered 110 hits and 63 walks with 127 strikeouts.
Catchers
Kacey Zobac, Valley Christian, Sr.: Cal-bound slugger is a four-time West Catholic Athletic League player of the year who hit .607 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI’s, amassing an astronomical 1.459 slugging percentage for a CCS Division II semifinalist.
Courtney Beaudin, Foothill, Jr.: Part of the battery for the undefeated Falcons, she not only framed the pitches for Nicole May, as a cleanup hitter the first-team all-East Bay Athletic League selection hit .493 with seven home runs, 28 RBIs and 18 walks, earning her a scholarship offer from newly-crowned NCAA champion UCLA.
Infielders
Hope Alley, Foothill, Sr.: Anchoring the middle of the infield for a 28-0 team squad that claimed the NCS Division I title, the Pitt-bound first-team all-East Bay Athletic League selection hit .415 with four homers, seven doubles 15 RBI’s, 30 runs and 15 steals.
Xiara Diaz, Heritage, Sr.: Bound to Cal Poly along with teammate Juju Sarget, the Bay Valley Athletic League MVP hit .587 with 11 home runs, 39 RBI’s, 51 runs and 36 steals to spark a 17-game win streak that ended with a loss in NCS Division I title game to unbeaten Foothill.
Megan Grant, Aragon, Fr.: The first-team all-PAL Bay selection made an immediate impact in the lineup during her varsity debut. The UCLA commit led CCS with 13 home runs and 51 RBI’s, helping Aragon claim its first section title.
Deijah Pangilinan, St Patrick-St. Vincent, Sr.: The Oregon-bound slugger hit .634 with 10 home runs and 24 extra-base hits, which produced 40 RBI’s and 49 runs empowered by 38 stolen bases.
Savannah Whatley, Mitty, Jr.: The West Catholic Athletic League co-MVP electrified the top of the order for the CCS Open Division champions with .574 average, 25 RBI’s, 22 runs and nine steals in the regular season for the Utah commit.
Outfielders
Viviana Gamez, Newark Memorial, Sr.: MVP of the Mission Valley Athletic League, she hit .471 with home runs, seven doubles to go along with 17 steals and finished with 27 RBI’s and 32 runs.
Morgan Hess, Heritage, Sr.: The Idaho State-bound speedster hit .495 with two home runs, 12 doubles and 23 steals to produce 32 RBI’s, 44 runs — a first-team all-Bay Valley Athletic League pick for the NCS Division I runner-up.
Diamond Holland, Mitty, Jr.: The Cal commit not only roamed center field in Gold Glove fashion, she owned the top of the lineup with a .492 average and scored 31 runs with 21 steals during the regular season for the CCS Open Division champions.
Ashley Trierweiler, Carlmont, Sr.: The Santa Clara-bound standout hit .568 with three home runs and 14 extra-base hits while sparking the offense with 22 RBI’s, 38 runs and 15 steals for the CCS Open Division semifinalist, more than enough to be named player of the year in the PAL Bay Division.
Designated hitter
Olivia DiNardo, Aragon, Fr: A nightmare for pitchers, the first-year varsity player hit .557 with nine home runs and 12 doubles, delivering 45 RBI’s and 31 runs as a first-team all-PAL Bay selection.
Katie Hicks, Northgate, Jr.: MVP of the Diablo Athletic League’s Foothill Division, she hit .508 with eight home runs and 22 extra-base hits, resulting in 37 RBI’s, 20 runs and nine steals.
Jocelyn Pino, Cupertino, Sr.: It’s easy to find out why she was tabbed SCVAL El Camino MVP — .696 average, eight homes (2 grand slams), three triples, 12 doubles, 39 RBI’s, 40 runs and a 1.446 slugging percentage.
Hailey Prahm, St. Francis, Jr.: A cleanup hitter for the outright WCAL champion and CCS Open Division runner-up, the Cal Poly commit his .424 with eight home runs, 30 RBI’s, 30 runs and seven steals.
Utility
Elizabeth Avery, Bishop O’Dowd, Sr.: En route to an NCS Division II title, the two-way standout hit .525 with eight home runs, 14 doubles and seven steals to produce 23 RBI’s and 31 runs. In the circle, she went 19-4 with an 0.77 ERA and eight shutouts, tossing 154.2 innings in which she allowed 70 hits, 44 walks and struck out 297.
Gabriela Williams, Carondelet, Jr.: The UC San Diego commit stood out on the field and in the circle, hitting .400 with four home runs, 16 RBI’s and 18 runs. As a pitcher, she went 12-10 with a 2.32 ERA and five shutouts, going 145 innings with 120 hits allowed, while walking 36 and striking out 178.
Cayla Williams, Santa Teresa, Sr.: The Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Mt. Hamilton Division senior of the year contributed all over the field, hitting .629 with five home runs, 13 doubles, 37 RBI’s and 37 runs, while going 12-1 in the circle with a 1.62 ERA over 86.2 inning while scattering 38 hits and 25 walks with 77 strikeouts.
Second Team
Pitchers
Kate Gillum, Benicia, Sr.: The Diablo Athletic League’s Foothill Division MVP pitcher, she finished with a 9-5 record in the circle with a 1.57 ERA and two saves over 98 innings in which she allowed 88 hits and 22 walks while striking out 105.
Sage Hager, San Mateo, Soph.: The pitcher of the year in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division went 11-6 with a 1.66 ERA over 143.2 innings, scattering 104 hits and 18 walks while fanning 145.
Kaia McCaul, Presentation, Sr.: Bound for the Ivy League to join her older sister at Columbia, the co-pitcher of the year in the West Catholic Athletic League helped Presentation receive No. 1 seed in CCS Open Division bracket.
Bailee Reed, Antioch, Jr.: The co-captain finished with an 18-7 record in the circle with a 1.62 ERA and seven shutouts over 164 innings, in which she allowed 121 hits and 51 walks with 252 strikeouts. An easy pick as first-team all-Bay Valley Athletic League selection.
Catchers
Ashley Donaldson, Branham, Jr.: The Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division MVP crushed it at the plate with a .595 average and 1.075 slugging percentage — 4 HR, 5 triples, 16 doubles. She finished with 28 RBI’s, 31 runs and nine steals.
Jesse Juinio, Carondelet, Soph.: The St. Mary’s commit helped the Cougars reach the NCS Division I quarterfinals after hitting .493 with 11 home runs, eight doubles, 27 RBI’s and scoring 20 runs.
Infielders
Hannah Damore, St. Francis, Sr.: A vacuum cleaner at the hot spot, the UC Santa Barbara signee hit .374 with eight home runs and 13 doubles along with seven steals to produce 32 RBI’s and 36 runs to earn first-team all-WCAL honors.
Hailey Hayes, Foothill, Jr.: A table-setter for a perfect 28-0 squad, this Boise State commit hit .458 with 10 doubles and crossed the plate 25 times to earn first-team all-East Bay Athletic League recognition.
Adele Braun, Santa Teresa, Jr.: A fixture in the lineup, the first-team all-Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division came up clutch by hitting .500 with seven home runs, 11 doubles to produce 28 RBI’s and 30 runs.
Jessica Oakland, St. Francis, Fr.: Produced an immediate impact at the No. 3 spot in the lineup by hitting .422 with three home runs and 10 doubles for 35 RBI’s, 32 runs and nine steals, debuting as a first-team all-WCAL selection for the CCS Open Division runner-up.
Kaylee Pond, Acalanes, Jr.: Recognized as MVP of the Diablo Athletic League’s Valley Division, the stats backed it up. The Iowa State commit hit .680 with seven home runs, 32 RBI’s, 47 runs and 25 steals, producing a 1.240 slugging percentage.
Outfielders
Sydney Frankenberger, California, Sr.: Bound for Cal Poly, she hit .518 with 19 RBI’s, 26 runs and 17 steals for the NCS Division I semifinalists, named to the all-East Bay Athletic League first team.
Nicole Hammoude, Bishop O’Dowd, Sr.: The Cal-bound slugger hit .403 with eight home runs, 35 RBI’s and 24 runs to lead BOD to an NCS Division II title, a first-team all-West Alameda County Conference Foothill Division selection.
Tatum Hayes, Granada, Sr.: A spark plug to the offense, this Indiana-bound speedster hit .482 with one home and seven RBI’s, but her presence was felt via 32 runs and 38 steals to earn status as a first-team all-East Bay Athletic League selection.
Valeria Torres-Colon, Amador Valley, Jr.: The dynamic outfielder is a game-changer with her bat and speed, thereby selected to the first-team all-East Bay Athletic League team.
Designated hitter
Tianna Bell, Heritage, Fr.: Her varsity debut included a .479 average, seven home runs and 14 doubles to produce 46 RBI’s and 38 runs with eight steals to earn first-team all-East Bay Athletic League accolades.
Ellen Ebbers, Foothill, Sr.: The first-team all-East Bay Athletic League pick, bound for Morgan State, hit .430 with four home runs and 10 doubles to deliver 29 RBI’s during a perfect campaign for the Falcons, the NCS Division I champions.
Morgan Salmon, Acalanes, Soph.: A first-team all-Diablo Athletic League’s Foothill Division selection, she annihilated pitchers to the tune of .676, six home runs, 13 doubles, 37 RBI’s, 29 runs, 1.339 slugging percentage — plus, 10 steals.
Kaleena Yra, St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Soph.: Displaying a sign of what’s to come, she hit .639 with three home runs, five triples and 13 doubles to deliver 36 RBI’s, 29 runs and 11 steals.
Utility
Hannah Edwards, Mitty, Sr.: A Santa Clara-bound four-year varsity player for a three-time CCS champion, she hit .352 with three home runs and 25 RBI’s in the regular season, while going 7-2 in the circle with a 1.84 ERA over 49.1 innings while allowing only 23 hits.
Elizabeth Phillips, Mt. Eden, Sr.: An impact player both at the plate and in the circle, she hit .481 with two home runs, nine doubles to put up 31 RBI’s and 33 runs. She also went 17-2 with an 0.98 ERA over 93 innings, scattering 46 hits and 18 walks while striking out 182.
Savanna Smith, Mitty, Sr.: To cap her four-year varsity career, the right-hander tossed a three-hit shutout in the CCS Open Division title game. During the regular season, she hit .305 with three home runs and 18 RBI’s, while going 6-5 with a 2.38 ERA with 70 strikeouts over 61.2 innings in which she allowed 42 hits.
Coach of the year
Matt Sweeney, Foothill: Recently retired as a football coach after 31 years on the sideline and four North Coast Section titles, Sweeney wasn’t ready to leave the dugout in Pleasanton. Midway through an undefeated campaign this spring, the Falcons took the first-place trophy at the Livermore Stampede after his fifth trip to the championship game. Blessed with a plethora of NCAA Division I talent, the 28-0 season culminated with a 2-0 win over Heritage in the NCS Division I final.
Honorable mention
Kennedy Adkison, St. Francis, So.
Caroline Allman, Castro Valley, So.
Marissa Alvarez, Newark Memorial, Jr.
Mackenzie Andrew, Berkeley, Jr.
Alohi Apalla, Silver Creek, Sr.
Karizma Bergesen, South San Francisco, Sr.
Jamie Burgasser, Oakland Tech, So.
Alexis Burt, California, Sr.
Elon Butler, Mitty, Fr.
Alicia Campbell, Benicia, So.
Mika Chong, Hillsdale, So.
Morgan Curtis, Fremont, Fr.
Jessica Day, Mountain View, Sr.
Ashleigh Dean, Notre Dame-Belmont, Jr.
Marina Delaluna, Concord, Jr.
Alisha Dhar, Evergreen Valley, Jr.
Brooke Deppiesse, St. Francis, Fr.
Kayla Dominguez, Valley Christian, Sr.
Caroline Evans, St. Joseph Notre Dame, So.
Sydney Fleming, Burlingame, So.
Ryan Galea, Mercy-Burlingame, Jr.
Sarah Giles, San Lorenzo, Sr.
Maddie Grissom, American, Jr.
Christiana “Luda” Gumataotao, Mt. Eden, So.
Taci Haase, Heritage, Fr.
Larissa Higgins, Gunderson, Fr.
Haley Jones, Arroyo, Jr.
Sanni Karhiaho, Carlmont, Sr.
Kaley Kaui, Lincoln, Sr.
Kealani Kaufusi, Hillsdale, Sr.
Lindsey Kim, Palo Alto, Sr.
Abigail Klahold, Santa Clara, So.
Simiran Lauwers, Mountain View, So.
Olivia Lee, Northgate, Jr.
Madisyn Leffle, Pittsburg, Jr.
Mary Locher, Las Lomas, Sr.
Kianna Lum, Fremont-Sunnyvale, Sr.
Milan Machado-Buckley, Berkeley, Jr.
Stefanie Madrigal, Oak Grove, Sr.
Lafu Malepeai, South San Francisco, Jr.
Kortney Marquez, Heritage, Jr.
Adriana Martinez, Wilcox, Sr.
Madelyn Mays, Concord, Jr.
Rachel McCarroll, Leigh, So.
Bella Moreno, Willow Glen, Sr.
Sofia Mosqueda, Mills, So.
Maddy Murphy, Las Lomas, Fr.
Jasmine Oda, Sequoia, So.
Kaitlyn Ogata, Encinal, Sr.
Megan O’Neill, Homestead, Jr.
Haley Painter, Antioch, So.
Alaana Panu, Los Gatos, So.
Isabella Parks, Notre Dame-Belmont, Jr.
Ella Parr, Saratoga, Jr.
Katelyn Poole, Campolindo, Sr.
Madison Ribeiro, Branham, Sr.
Sophia Roth, St. Francis, Jr.
Tyavana Salazar, James Logan, Jr.
Audrey Salvador, Westmont, So.
Juju Sargent, Heritage, Sr.
Alexandria Schwenger, Carondelet, Sr.
Amy Schwing, Acalanes, So.
Mira Sharma, Los Gatos, Jr.
Carolyn Skotz, Presentation, Sr.
Kassandra Soria, Santa Teresa, Fr.
Sydney Stewart, St. Francis, Fr.
Ilona Sullivan, Mountain View, Sr.
Mari Takeda-Bajan, Pioneer, So.
Aubrie Thomas, Valley Christian, So.
Korie Thomas, Valley Christian, Sr.
Ione Thompson, Mills, Fr.
Selica Valdez, Andrew Hill, Sr.
Kristela Villanueva, Liberty, Jr.
Taylor Wise, Carlmont, Jr.
Jordan Woolery, Clayton Valley Charter, Fr.
Cameron Zell, Harker, Sr.
Who is eligible
Those eligible for all-Bay Area News Group teams come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
How team was chosen
The Bay Area News Group’s high school staff — Darren Sabedra, Vytas Mazeika, Phil Jensen and Mike Lefkow — selected the team.
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS? WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED
For just 12 cents a day for a year, you can have access to all the digital content at mercurynews.com and eastbaytimes.com. You just need to sign up at one of these two links: Mercury News or East Bay Times.