Lost season: A look at the softball teams and players we missed out on this spring
This weekend should have featured the Sac-Joaquin Section softball finals at Arnaiz Stadium in Stockton.
The section softball finals last season were delayed by rain. Rain earlier this week could’ve postponed the finals but COVID-19 canceled it before mother nature got the chance. The California Interscholastic Federation announced April 3 that all spring sports and championships were canceled.
“When it starts to rain you know it’s time for the playoffs,” Sheldon softball coach Mary Jo Truesdale said with a laugh. “It always does. Normally the first few games are played in the sun then the weather turns.”
Whitney hoped to repeat
After the rain went away last season, a champion was crowned. Whitney High School beat Tracy 16-6 to capture its first section title. The team was led by The Bee’s co-players of year and twins Makenzie and Mazie Macfarlane; they are now freshmen softball players at Utah State.
All-Metro pitcher Nia Trinidad was the ace of that team and went 15-3 in the circle and struck out 65 batters. She was pitching for Whitney when it recorded the final out to win the section championship.
The team jumped around in the circle, hugging teammates and coaches. They won’t get a chance to repeat, but that moment will serve as a lasting memory.
“There was no place I would rather be than in that circle that night,” Whitney pitcher Nia Trinidad said. “After not throwing well in the first game, I came back with the mindset to not let any of the Tracy batters get hard contact like before. I trusted my defense with any mistakes I made.”
The Wildcats were preseason ranked No. 2 by The Bee and returned a pair of All-Metro infielders in Montanah Hermosillo and Grace Stover from their championship team. The Sierra Foothill League also included No. 4 Rocklin, No. 6 Del Oro and No. 13 Folsom, who would’ve challenged the Wildcats for the league title.
The SFL was shaping up to be as competitive as ever. Whitney had hoped to repeat as league and section champions.
“The SFL is so competitive and has so much talent,” Trinidad said. “ I’ve played with and against all of these girls since we were ten. The softball community is so small and in our area, there are so many softball players that are competing at the highest level.
“I think although we lost some definite key players we still had a chance to go far,” Trinidad added. “A lot of the underclassmen have taken what we preach about our team and have been working hard to keep our team strong, but I guess we never know what could’ve happened, especially with such a large target on our backs from our performance last year.”
Sheldon was looking to compete in D-I
Sheldon High School was set to be one of the main contenders for the Division I title.
The Huskies have won seven blue banners since 2011 — including a threepeat from 2015 to 2017. Despite losing out on a championship opportunity, the team is staying in touch. They honored their seniors in a makeshift senior night last week.
“It was tough on everyone,” Truesdale said. “We have stayed in touch and do a Zoom team meeting every week. It’s good that we are staying connected. We did a drive-by last week for all the seniors for senior night. That was really sweet to be able to see the kids quickly.
“I think everyone is feeling very fortunate that we have our health,” she added. “Ultimately everyone is trying to look at the bigger picture.”
Truesdale has been around the game of softball since the 1970s and was entering her 23rd season at Sheldon. She recognizes how good the teams and players were this year.
“It’s top-notch,” Truesdale said.“There are some excellent playing graduating this year but we have some really young talent coming up that are definitely going to make an impact for years to come.”
North Carolina-bound Kiannah Pierce, the leader of this Sheldon team, ended her career with 153 hits, including 51 last season. She left her mark on a championship program.
“She’s so versatile,” Truesdale said of Pierce. “We could have her at shortstop or center field any given game. She would be the captain of wherever she played. She was one of those true Huskies that you wish you had a dozen of on your team. Kiannah has left a legacy at Sheldon.”
Roseville started season hot
Roseville started the season as good as anyone.
The Tigers were The Bee’s top-ranked preseason team and beat Lincoln, Rocklin Vista del Lago, Woodcreek and Whitney to start the season. After losing in the first round of the playoffs last season, the team was looking forward to making a statement in this year’s playoffs.
“There’s not much we can do about it, the end of the season just happened all a sudden,” longtime Roseville coach Art Banks said. “Before we knew it, it was over. I feel sorry for our team and seniors because this was their last chance to play high school softball.
“Our girls were really motivated this year,” he added. “They were focused and worked hard in the offseason to get bigger, stronger and faster. They were ready to go.”
Led by ace pitcher Malaya Johnson and hitters Makayla Newsome and Bella Ayala, Roseville had the depth to win it all in D-ll. The Tigers were seeking their first section title since 1997.
“All of the divisions are pretty loaded but D-ll might be the toughest top to bottom,” Banks said. “Year after year it has proven to be a tough division to win in.”
The bright spot for this Roseville team is its youth. The Tigers only had three seniors on the roster and return 15 of 18 players next year.
“We will see how we do next year,” Banks said. “It will probably be a really good indicator of how we would’ve done this season.”
East Nicolaus was the frontrunner in Northern Section
East Nicolaus softball also had championship aspirations and was looking to three-peat in the Northern Section.
The senior class at East Nicolaus went 94-2-10 and won back-to-back section championships over Etna in 2018 and 2019. This year’s team started the season 6-0 and returned multiple starters from that championship roster.
They were led by All-Metro infielders Savannah Price and Riley Grigsby and ace pitcher Avery Croxall.
Price led her team last season in RBIs and doubles. She will continue her softball career at one of the top softball teams in the country, Arizona State.
“I have been thinking about Arizona State nonstop,” Price said. “I’ve had multiple Zoom calls with the class that will also be attending Arizona State with me. I’m extremely excited to get to pick up where I left off.”
Talented 2020 class
The Class of 2020 featured outstanding pitchers like Whitney’s Nia Trinidad and Del Oro’s Katelyn Oldwin and talented fielders Sheldon’s Kiannah Pierce and Vista’s Mia Perez.
While The Bee isn’t doing an All-Metro team this year, we can recognize where a few of the most talented seniors are going to continue their careers.
Bella Ayala, Roseville, INF, Fordham University
Shelbie Caro, Sheldon, P, UC Riverside
Avery Croxall, East Nicolaus, P, University of Pacific
Haley Fardanesh, Vista del Lago, P, Lynn University
Riley Grigsby, East Nicolaus, INF, San Francisco State
Ava Hand, Elk Grove, P, Humboldt State
Sophie Jacquez, Pleasant Grove, INF, Utah
Katelyn Oldwin, Del Oro, P, Chico State
Sam Oliver, Sheldon, 1B, Nevada
Mia Perez, Vista del Lago, INF, Cal Poly
Julia Perkins, Del Campo, C, Portland State
Kiannah Pierce, Sheldon, INF, North Carolina
Tessa Poirier, Sheldon, INF. Humboldt State
Savannah Price, East Nicolaus, INF, Arizona State
Alyssa Ramirez, Elk Grove, INF, Humboldt State
Michalah Robison, Del Oro, INF, Concordia University
Grace Tangen, Christian Brothers, UTL, San Diego
Peyton Toto, Woodcreek, SS, Cal State Fullerton
Nia Trinidad, Whitney, P, University of Hawaii, Hilo
Madison Urrutia, Del Oro, OF, Concordia University
Tatum Wentworth, Pioneer, C, Cal State Northridge
This story was originally published May 24, 2020 at 4:00 AM.