2011 SOFTBALL PREVIEW

Cerritos ready to take Suburban League’s top spot

By Loren Kopff

Having been with a group of freshmen for his first season, Cerritos head coach Bob Medina is hoping his team can take Mayfair and La Mirada off the top perch in the Suburban League. Norwalk welcomes a new coach for the first time since 2004 while Valley Christian also has a new mentor. Artesia and John Glenn bid to move out of the Suburban League cellar and Gahr hopes for a major turnaround.
ARTESIA PIONEERS
(2-14 overall last season, 0-12 in the Suburban League, seventh place)
Head coach: John Zamora
(second season, 2-14)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 14-72
Last time made the playoffs: 1992
Key losses: Erica Rivera, Gaby Vega
Projected starting lineup:
P-Chelsea Small (SR)/Reanna Guzman (SR)
C-Kira Ito (SO)/Danielle Evans (SR)
1B-Evans
2B-TBA
3B-Guzman
SS-Lauren Lewis (SR)
OF-Emily Franco (SO)/Lily Gonzalez (SR)
OF-Gonzalez/Franco
OF-TBA
Head coach John Zamora saw his team split four games in the Whittier Tournament, then lose the rest of way. But don’t overlook last season’s record as the Pioneers return nearly their entire team from 2010 and figure to be more competitive.
“My initial goals were set a little bit higher and there were a lot of games I thought we could have won,” Zamora said.
Of the 12 league games, Artesia lost by a run once, by two runs two other times and trailed by two runs after three innings in two more games. Small and Guzman will share the pitching duties again as Guzman has a little more fire but Small has a lot more movement, according to Zamora. Ito is an up and coming catcher who shined as a freshman while Lewis is the veteran leader who moves from second base. Zamora said that second base and right field are still up for grabs.
“When we talked about last year, I pulled the seniors aside and a lot of the returning girls aside and they all agreed that there were probably four or five games that we should have won,” Zamora said.
The Pioneers are hoping to win a league game for the first time since 2008 and have finished in sixth or seventh place in at least the past 14 seasons.
CERRITOS LADY DONS
(11-15 overall last season, 5-7 in the Suburban League, tied for fourth place, lost to Eisenhower 7-1 in Division II wild card)
Head coach: Bob Medina (third season, 19-32)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 44-81-1
Last time missed the playoffs: 2008
Key losses: Grace Kim, Esther Yang
Projected starting lineup:
P-Kaylilani Minami (SO)/Miki Okazaki (SO)/Drianna Drulias (JR)
C-Jasmine Javier (FR)/Sarah Smith (JR)
1B-Okazaki
2B-Drulias/Lilianna Hernandez (FR)/Bianca Espinoza(SO)
3B-Alyssa Marquez (JR)/Hernandez
SS-Erin Clinton (SO)/Hernandez
OF-Espinoza/Jessika Castaneda (JR)
OF-Hernandez /Smith/Nikki Rosenberger (SR)
OF-Smith/Rachel Fitterer (FR)
When Medina took over the program in 2009, he had a team built around a lot of freshmen with a few seniors from the previous teams. Now, the team is in a great position to win the school’s first league title since 2000, and the Lady Dons will have only one senior on this season’s squad.
“Of course we set our goals high; we always have to,” Medina said. “But we strive to do a little better than we did last year. It would be nice to win a league title and it would be nice to do well. But we’re very fortunate this year because we have nine strong players.”
The key word all season long will be depth as almost everyone can play several positions. Smith, who led the team with a .493 average, 28 runs and 10 stolen bases as a leadoff hitter, will spend more time in the outfield as Medina is looking towards the future. Besides Smith, six other players batted at least .281 last season. Half a dozen players also drove in at least 14 runs and the team belted out 12 triples. Fitterer is the latest Cerritos Girls Softball Association all-star to come through the Lady Dons pipeline. Look for Minami to get more time in the circle.
“This is a team that I think is going to have a good showing against every single team that we play,” Medina said. “I know that for sure. We’ve been able to instill different plays where we have people in different positions. They’re just trying to stay afloat. I believe we’re in the boat now. All we have to do is learn how to really paddle that boat.”
GAHR GLADIATORS
(5-20 overall last season, 2-8 in the San Gabriel Valley League, fifth place)
Head coach: Mike Rogers (fifth season, 58-54)
Team’s record previous five seasons: 78-61-1
Last time made the playoffs: 2009
Key losses: Olivia Arredondo, Catherine Gonzalez, Erica Jackson, Valerie Rios
Projected starting lineup:
P-Maya Varela (JR)/Mel Varela (FR)
C-Krystal Purkey (JR)/Stephanie Carrasco (FR)
1B-Erica Willig (SR)/Karina Gonzalez (SR)/Varela, Ma.
2B-Jasmine Ruiz (SR)
3B-Nani Mejia (SR)
SS-Jessica Morales (JR)/Willig
OF-Amber Giron (SR)/Jessica Soto (SR)/Ariana Campos (SO)
OF-Alyssa Nava (JR)
OF-Jessica Avila (JR)/Soto/Campos
Gahr had one of its worst seasons in recent memory, partly due to injuries and partly due to more drama. When it was all said and done, the Gladiators had to forfeit four wins late in the season despite fielding a team that had three players bat over .400. This season, head coach Mike Rogers is already facing a familiar dilemma as at least seven players are either nicked up or temporarily out of the lineup.
“There was a lot of talent,” Rogers said of last season. “Our pitching and defense hurt us and we didn’t have timely hits. I was very disappointed. It was a tough season. But this year, the girls have come out with a real good attitude.”
One early season key loss is Frese, who tore her meniscus but should be back sooner than originally expected. Maya Varela led the team with a 2.81 earned run average but has also been hampered with injuries, as has Mejia, who batted .436 last season with only 39 at bats. Ruiz returns as the team’s leading hitter (.485, 24 runs, 25 RBI, 15 stolen bases). Willig could see more time at shortstop while Nava is the only returning outfielder with extensive playing time. Expect Purkey, a veteran behind the plate, to bring a bigger bat with her this season. Carrasco was a CGSA all-star last summer.
“The unity of the team this year is phenomenal,” Rogers said. “The team is getting along well. It’s totally different than it was last year. If Maya and her sister can stay healthy, I definitely expect us to make playoffs and to do well this year,” Rogers said.

Next week: John Glenn, Norwalk and Valley Christian.