The Sacramento Bee’s Best: A powerful Rocklin duo leads our All-Metro softball players

In a season with no regional or state titles to be won, the Rocklin girls’ softball team still managed to stand out. While other teams were loaded with underclassmen, the Thunder’s six-player senior class rolled through the competition this spring, amassing an 18-2 record.

Nobody was more vital in the Sacramento area than the Rocklin battery of Brook Thompson and Jayla Castro, The Sacramento Bee’s Co-Players of the Year. Thompson, a Boise State commit, had a 0.94 ERA while Castro, who’s going to UCLA, hit .500 with eight home runs and six doubles.

The Thunder earned MaxPreps’ No. 14 ranking in California and No. 26 nationwide this spring. While Castro and Thompson were instrumental in earning those marks, they are quick to give credit to their teammates for the success.

“It was such a big group of girls that I had so much confidence in and had so much chemistry with, I just grew up playing with them for four years,” Castro said. “It was like, I knew them like the back of my hand. They knew me. It was so easy to play with them.”

That familiarity surely helped Rocklin pull a few games out of the fire this spring. The Thunder won seven games by two runs or less.

Of course, in a tight spot, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more dependable pitcher than Thompson. She often willed Rocklin to wins with her determination and toughness. She had 134 strikeouts in 89 innings while giving up just 17 walks. Teams hit .136 against her. At the plate, Thompson also wielded a capable bat, hitting .355.

Whenever Rocklin had a big game, the Thunder could depend on Thompson and Castro to keep things cool in the field.

“We got the start most of the time and we just never took one pitch for granted,” Thompson said. “I think that made our team great because of how everyone was focused. “

Nobody was more focused at the plate than Castro. She struck out three times all year. She led the team in RBIs (24), home runs and hits. In the field, nobody ran on her because of her cannon for an arm. She called the pitches, a rare honor for a high school player, and was a ringleader in the dugout, often getting her teams riled up during big innings.

The Thunder were fired up the most for games against Whitney, the crosstown rival. Both Castro and Thompson cited the 3-2 extra-innings win and a 17-3 thumping as the highlights of the year.

Coaches and Players of the Year

Large School Player of the Year – Hope Jenkins, P, St. Francis: The junior’s numbers were staggering: 171 strikeouts and opponents hit .190 against her for a 1.96 ERA in 118 innings. Oh, and she hit .561, with 39 RBIs, 11 doubles and seven home runs herself. After next season, Hope and twin sister Grace, her catcher, will play for UConn.

Large School Coach of the Year – Mallory Asaro, Rocklin: She’s the pride of Thunder Nation, a former Rocklin shortstop who returned to coach after college and now teaches at Rocklin. She said before the season this might be Rocklin’s best team ever. The Thunder lost a tough game to Del Oro but beat them twice for the Sierra Foothill League title.

Medium School Player of the Year – Tayler Biehl, SS, Vista del Lago: She put up some of the best numbers in the area against top-level competition. She hit .658, had a 1.677 OPS and stole 20 bases. In the field at short, she had 76 chances and made just two errors. And she only struck out three times. And she’ll be going to Arizona to play softball.

Medium School Coach of the Year – Donna Tofft, Lincoln: All she does is win ballgames, going 18-5 and pushing her career wins tally past 500 wins while the Zebras tied Oakmont for the best record in the Foothill Valley League. The school’s athletic director, Tofft says she also has more than 540 wins coaching girls’ basketball.

Small School Player of the Year – Riley Wickum, P, Sutter: Wickum was the North Section pitcher of the year. She hurled four no-hitters, including one against rival East Nicolaus. She had a 0.89 ERA and struck out 179 batters in 118 innings. She also hit .570 with 10 doubles.

Small School Coach of the Year – Stephanie Danna, Sutter: The hometown star went away to play college ball at Simpson and returned to teach and coach softball at her alma mater. The Huskies have won their last 42 games as a result, including a 24-0 run this spring.

Smallest School Player of the Year – Remmington Hewitt, East Nicolaus: The Arizona State-bound shortstop is a big time hitter, racking up 16 doubles, nine home runs and 42 RBIs while hitting .551.

Smallest School Coach of the Year – Neil Stinson, East Nicolaus. His Spartans are always well-prepared and play at a large-school level. East Nicolaus went 23-2, with the only losses coming to big-school power Roseville and a dominant Sutter team.

ALL-METRO TEAM

Pitchers

Peyton Blankenheim-Brown, Mira Loma, Jr.; Ashley Dendas, McClatchy, Sr.; Ava Domenici, Lincoln, Jr.; Emma Fallon, Folsom, Jr.; Kaylen Galaviz, Marysville, Sr.; Ashley Goard, Pleasant Grove, Sr.; Hazy Gray, Vanden, Jr.; Caroline Grimes, Del Oro, Jr.; Malaya Johnson, Roseville, Jr.; Meika Lauppe, East Nicolaus, Soph.; Felesha LePenske, Dixon, Fr.; Kennedie Magorian, Oakmont, Sr.; Jaylee Ojo, Sheldon, Soph.; Breanna Romero, Sheldon, Jr.; Aissa Silva, Elk Grove, Soph.; Samantha Stoll, Inderkum, Soph.; Brielle Wright, Rocklin, Jr.; Rylei Trujillo, Center, Soph.

Catcher

Lanie Bloomquist, Oakmont, Sr.; Hailey Bustos, Western Sierra, Soph.; Gabby Durgin, Pioneer, Jr.; Annelise Garcia, Inderkum, Sr.; Shawnese Hogue-Lacy, Vanden, Jr.; Grace Jenkins, St. Francis, Jr.; Grace Kilday, Oak Ridge, Sr.; Lauren Mirtoni, Roseville, Sr.; Brooklyn Pettis, Elk Grove, Sr.; Shelby Pfeiler, Folsom, Sr.; Sammie Smith, Vista del Lago, Jr.; Sophie Smith, Colfax, Sr.; Zerenity Souza, Wheatland, Soph.

Utility

Laila Alves, Lincoln, Sr.; Amelia Araiza, Kennedy, Sr.; Jenna Birch, Del Oro, Jr.; Jerzie Brown, East Nicolaus, Soph.; Madison Bustos, Western Sierra, Sr.; Karli DalBianco, Liberty Ranch, Sr.; Eliana Enriquez, Rosemont, Sr.; Jazzy Fines, Sheldon, Jr.; Reece Gobbell, Woodcreek, Sr.; Lexi Holihan, Vista del Lago, Sr.; Mariah Hopkins, Cordova, Soph.; Diana Hull, River Valley, Jr.; Kaylee Hunter, Ponderosa, Sr.; Isabella Jimenez, Inderkum, Soph.; Emily Johnson, Cosumnes Oaks, Sr.; Maya Larson, Marysville, Jr.; Reese Mattley, Granite Bay, Sr.; Bailey McGovern, Ponderosa, Jr.; Grace Matej, Capital Christian, Jr.; Cali Niccum, Yuba City, Jr.; Emma Olson, Capital Christian, Jr.; Lexy Saelee, Del Campo, Jr.; Wendy Sanchez, Woodland, Sr.; Madison Scroggins, Antelope, Jr,; Cassundra Seifert, Cordova, Soph.; Aubrey Smith, Oakmont, Sr.; Reina Zermeno, Sheldon, Jr.

Infield

Acacia Anders,Vacaville, Sr.; Amy Auberg, St. Francis, Jr.; Sophia Ayala, Roseville, Jr.; Syd Barker, Rocklin, Fr.; Lauren Bryson, Pioneer, Sr.; Emily Cerna, Colfax, Sr.; Cassidy Church, El Camino, Sr.; Jenissa Conway, Marysville, Soph.; Haley Englebright, Del Oro, Soph.; Jadyn Fernald, Franklin, Jr.; Mya Flindt, Whitney, Fr.; Lillian Gaverick, Rio Americano, Sr.; Audrey Graham, Dixon, Fr.; Kaylee Heath, Pleasant Grove, Jr.; D’Auna Johnson, Sheldon, Jr.; Marissa Jordan, Roseville, Jr.; Ella Jolley, Sutter, Jr.; Jenna Joyce, Ponderosa, Soph.; Claudia Kirchner, Rocklin,; Isabella Lester, Davis, Jr.; Presli Kooyman, Liberty Ranch, Sr.; Natali Martinez, Lincoln, Sr.; Jordin Martins, Yuba City, Sr.; Claudia Medina, River City, Sr.; Shaylen McDowell, Roseville, Jr.; Morgan McMillan,Woodcreek, Jr.; Maddie Moore, Del Oro, Sr.; Lily Peterson, Oakmont, Jr.; Sydney Polli, Bella Vista, Jr.; Jayda Rath, Pleasant Grove, Sr.; Maddie Redinger, Oakmont, Sr.; Haylee Reginato, Casa Roble, Sr.; Emma Schneider, Mira Loma, Sr.; Hailey Seva, Granite Bay, Sr.; Alyssa Soliven, Cordova, Soph.; Jovi Stevens, Cosumnes Oaks, Jr.; Grace Stover, Whitney, Sr.; Morgan Sweet, Vista del Lago, Soph.; Daisy Tinsley, Wheatland, Sr.; Madyson Welch, Center, Soph.; Kate Wolf, Elk Grove, Sr.; Jaclynn Young, Casa Roble, Sr.; Grace Johnson, Oakmont, Sr.

Outfield

Kristin Blake, Ponderosa, Sr.; Kaylin Brozaitis, Pleasant Grove, Sr.; Taylor Day, Pioneer, Jr.; Taylor Fitzgerald, Elk Grove, Fr.; Kyra Gooler, Rocklin, Sr.; Daniella Guerrera, St. Francis, Sr.; Liena Hobart, Cordova, Soph.; Avery Jolley, Sutter, Jr.; Dakota Kennedy, Sheldon, Jr.; Amy Kupershoek, Granite Bay, Sr.; Brynn Lauppe, East Nicolaus, Sr.; Kayleigh Lugowski, Del Oro, Jr.; Sienna Price, Folsom, Jr.; Bella Robinson, Cosumnes Oaks, Jr.; Ava Tingey, Lincoln, Jr.; Meadow Topete, Sutter, Sr.; Stephanie Tupper, Casa Roble, Sr.; Tai Wilson, Vanden, Sr.

About our team

We looked for all-league selections, a batting average near .350, OPS near 1.000 and players who led their team in important categories. Anyone with six or more home runs made the team. If your batting average or slugging average was above .630, you made the team. Outstanding fielding was considered. For pitchers, we looked for a low ERA and high strikeouts. Not all leagues have an all-league team this year, some don’t have official standings.

This story was originally published June 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.