The Bee’s softball Top 20: Sierra Foothill League is deep; Tuua leads wave of young stars
At the beginning of every high school softball season throughout the Sacramento region, three things are present: rain, optimism and discussion about which freshman will step up to the plate, or stride into the circle, to make an impact.
Last season, Ayla Tuua of Capital Christian was that girl. She batted .545 with 12 home runs and drove in 50 runs in just 22 games. In the circle as the staff ace, Tuua was unhittable, racking up 172 strikeouts in 94 innings. Tuua’s talents carried the Cougars to their first CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship and the Sacramento area’s only Northern California crown, and she became the first freshman to be named The Bee’s Softball Player of the Year.
Now, Tuua is back for her sophomore season. She has already pitched a one-hitter against Folsom. She hit a home run and stole a base in a 5-1 nonleague win over defending section Division I champion Oak Ridge.
Tuua’s fastball was timed at a blazing 71 mph by one college coach in attendance at the Oak Ridge contest. She mixed in a variety of spins and off-speed pitches with devastating results, striking out nine Trojan batters while allowing only hits.
Expectations are high for Capital Christian, ranked third in The Bee’s rankings, which is why coach Caitlyn Olan bolstered the team’s schedule.
“We have a lot of D-1 nonleague games scheduled to keep us on our toes and help us get ready for a good postseason run,” she said.
There is extra motivation for the Cougars as Capital Christian will take on new leadership and become known as Destiny Christian starting in late June.
For Oak Ridge, Brooklyn Paratore produced an impressive freshman season in 2023, leading the Trojans in hitting with a .515 average to go with 10 doubles. Other first-year breakout stars from last season who are back for more include Ysabella Granata of Galt, Marisa Bryson of Pioneer, Savanah Lorenzini of Rocklin and Leilani Terrazas of Granite Bay.
So, who will be the next ninth-grader to impress? Kennedy Freeland of Oak Ridge struck out six Capital Christian batters in four innings of work, showing off speed and spin. In a 1-0 win over Granite Bay, Freeland struck out 19 in nine innings. She already fits the bill.
Mikayla Finn of Del Oro is another freshman to keep an eye on. She homered against Elk Grove in a nonleague game. Finn is a pitcher, outfielder and first baseman. Del Oro will need to develop talent in the circle to regain its status as a section championship contender. The Golden Eagles unveiled a sparkling new scoreboard for their first game of the year, but Elk Grove lit it up for an 11-6 nonleague win.
The Sierra Foothill League towers over the rest, headed by Bee No. 1-ranked Whitney, No. 4 Oak Ridge, No. 8 Rocklin, No. 14 Granite Bay and No. 17 Folsom.
Pleasant Grove is ranked second and is the Delta League favorite along with No. 9 Elk Grove and longtime Elk Grove Unified School District powerhouse Sheldon, ranked 20th.
Vacaville of the Monticello Empire League is ranked fifth. After winning its first section championship, Ponderosa is ranked sixth, Woodcreek of the Capital Valley Conference is seventh and Vista del Lago of the CAL is 10th. Capital Christian is the favorite in the CAL.
Whitney has a new head coach as former assistant Mark Watson takes over from eight-year skipper Mike Mello, who stepped down after last year’s D-II section title run.
THE BEE’S TOP 20
Softball
With last year’s record
1. Whitney (22-8)
2. Pleasant Grove (24-7)
3. Capital Christian (19-5)
4. Oak Ridge (17-9)
5. Vacaville (29-3)
6. Ponderosa (25-5-1)
7. Woodcreek (16-9-1)
8. Rocklin (10-13)
9. Elk Grove (16-13)
10. Vista del Lago (26-3)
11. Sutter (26-2)
12. Dixon (22-7)
13. Pioneer (21-5)
14. Granite Bay (20-7)
15. West Park (9-10)
16. Yuba City (3-13)
17. Folsom (8-14)
18. Wheatland (20-9)
19. Oakmont (16-9)
20. Sheldon (16-13)
Bubble teams: Casa Roble (11-12), Christian Brothers (13-9), Del Oro (11-14), East Nicolaus (29-2-1), Franklin (22-7), Liberty Ranch (13-6), St. Francis (16-13), Yuba City (3-13).
— Pete DuFour
▪ In Tuesday’s Bee: A peek at The Bee’s baseball Top 20 and players of note.
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