Bay Area News Group Preseason Softball Top 20

(Mercury News & East Bay Times)

No. 1 ST. FRANCIS

Final 2022 ranking: 1

Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division and NorCal Division I champions.

Returning all-Bay Area News Group players: OF Carly Cummings, INF Chloe Cummings, P Shannon Keighran, P Kate Munnerlyn, OF Alexis O’Gorman

Others to watch: OF Hannah Cushing

No. 2 ARCHBISHOP MITTY

Final 2022 ranking: 2

Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division runner-up and NorCal Division I quarterfinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: 1B Corri Hicks

Others to watch: OF Mia Rodriguez

No. 3 GRANADA

Final 2022 ranking: 6

Where it finished last season: NCS Division I runner-up.

Returning all-BANG players: 1B Delaney Aumua, P Alex Mello

Others to watch: OF Lauren Deplitch

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: St. Francis' Carly Cummings (7) scores a run off of a double hit by St. Francis' Sydney Stewart (18) against Notre Dame-Salinas in the first inning for their CCS Open Division Softball Championships final at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, Calif., on Thursday, June 10, 2021. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
St. Francis’ Carly Cummings. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 6: Archbishop Mitty's Corri Hicks (18) circles the bases as she celebrates her two-run home run against St. Francis High in the fifth inning during a West Catholic Athletic League softball game at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, Calif., on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Corri Hicks. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 
LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA - MAY 27: Granada High's starting pitcher Alex Mello (18) delivers a pitch in the first inning of their North Coast Section Division I softball championship game against Heritage High in Livermore, Calif., on Friday, May. 27. 2022. Heritage High went on to win the game 8-0. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Granada High pitcher Alex Mello (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) 

No. 4 LIVERMORE

Final 2022 ranking: 5

Where it finished last season: NCS Division II semifinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: OF Alizabeth Ruiz

Others to watch: UTL Jae Cosgriff, 1B/P Jori Wilkendorf

No. 5 BENICIA

Final 2022 ranking: 4

Where it finished last season: NCS Division II champion and NorCal Division II finalist.

Returning all-BANG players: P/INF Braxton Brown, INF Emma French, OF Kyra Mason

Others to watch: TBD

No. 6 HERITAGE

Final 2022 ranking: 3

Where it finished last season: NCS Division I champ and NorCal Division I quarterfinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: INF Alexandra Cutonilli, INF Skylar Stroh

Others to watch: TBD

LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA - MAY 27: Heritage High's Skylar Stroh (11) watches the ball's flight as she hits a three-run home run in the first inning of their North Coast Section Division I softball championship game against Granada High in Livermore, Calif., on Friday, May. 27. 2022. Heritage High went on to win the game 8-0. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Heritage’s Skylar Stroh. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) 

No. 7 SAN RAMON VALLEY

Final 2022 ranking: 10

Where it finished last season: NCS Division I semifinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: INF Sophia Jin, P Paige McLeod

Others to watch: TBD

No. 8 PINOLE VALLEY

Final 2022 ranking: 8

Where it finished last season: NCS Division III semifinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: OF Aneesa Brewer, P/1B Kailani Tatro

Others to watch: TBD

No. 9 CLAYTON VALLEY

Final 2022 ranking: 12

Where it finished last season: NCS Division I quarterfinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: SS//OF Soo-Jin Berry, INF Isabella Scolini

Others to watch: TBD

No. 10 ARAGON

Final 2022 ranking: 7

Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division semifinalist and NorCal Division II quarterfinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: P Brooke Tran

Others to watch: TBD

No. 11 SANTA TERESA

Final 2022 ranking: 11

Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division quarterfinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: None

Others to watch: Isabella De Filippis, Madison Moblad, Arianna Vergara

No. 12 LOS GATOS

Final 2022 ranking: 9

Where it finished last season: CCS Open Division quarterfinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: P/1B Anna Bean

Others to watch: TBD

LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 28: Los Gatos's Anna Bean (31) rounds second base after hitting a solo home run against Silver Creek High School in the first inning at Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, Calif., on Thursday, April 28, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Los Gatos’ Anna Bean. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

No. 13 MILPITAS

Final 2022 ranking: 20

Where it finished last season: CCS Division I quarterfinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: INF Madeline Le, OF Taija Warren

Others to watch: 3B/1B Priyah Quinonez

No. 14 SILVER CREEK

Final 2022 ranking: 16

Where it finished last season: CCS Division I semifinalist

Returning all-BANG players: None

Others to watch: C Andrea Alvarez, 1B, 3B Kaylani Lim

No. 15 JAMES LOGAN

Final 2022 ranking: 17

Where it finished last season: NCS Division I quarterfinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: None

Others to watch: 3B/C Makayla Villapando, INF Gabriella Garcia, UTL Malia Athey

No. 16 COLLEGE PARK

Final 2022 ranking: 14

Where it finished last season: NCS Division I quarterfinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: None

Others to watch: OF Myia Weiler, OF, Emma Wood, C/2B Jessica Delatorre

No. 17 CAPUCHINO

Final 2022 ranking: Not ranked

Where it finished last season: CCS Division II runner-up.

Returning all-BANG players: C Avery Motroni

Others to watch: P Nohemi Livingston

No. 18 VALLEY CHRISTIAN

Final 2022 ranking: Not ranked

Where it finished last season: CCS Division II semifinalist.

Returning all-BANG players: INF MacKenzie Daley

Others to watch: MacKenzie Daley

No. 19 FREEDOM

Final 2022 ranking: Not ranked

Where it finished last season: Lost in the first round of the NCS Division I playoffs.

Returning all-BANG players: INF/OF Madison Evers-Lyles, INF Maya Soto

Others to watch: INF/C Amanda Royal

No. 20 FOOTHILL

Final 2022 ranking: 18

Where it finished last season: Lost in the first round of NCS Division I playoffs.

Returning all-BANG players: None

Others to watch: C/1B Marissa Anderson, OF, Emily Mayer, 1B Kyla Springer

MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH

(Listed in alphabetical order)

Malaina Alifano, INF, Notre Dame-Belmont

Alona Bravo, OF, Andrew Hill

McKenna Campbell, C, Willow Glen

Lilia Costa, OF, Del Mar

Alexa Couto, OF/C, Notre Dame-Belmont

Amanda Deng, UTL, Mission San Jose

Elizabeth Durrenberger, OF, Deer Valley

Alysia Elizarrey, OF/RHP, Moreau Catholic

Irene Frazier, C, Saratoga

Emma Foster, C/OF, Castilleja

Jessica Gutierrez, INF, Wilcox

Emma Jackson, UTL, Salesian

Danielle Koo, OF, Menlo-Atherton

Olivia Levitt, 2B/SS, St. Ignatius

Hannah Levy, INF, Hillsdale

Faith Martinez, C/P/1B, Cupertino

Jacqui McLean, INF, Westmont

Ashlie Nakano, RHP/3B, Alameda

Haley Ocumen, UTL, Willow Glen

Izzy Paskert, 2B, Mt. Pleasant

Emily Placencia, C, Hercules

Carina Reuterskiold, RHP, Lincoln-San Jose

Ashlyn Roeder, RHP/1B, Menlo-Atherton

Haley Solis, P, Hercules

Nicole Spaulding, RHP/2B, Homestead

Hailey Stegall, 3B, Live Oak

Hailey Stripling, UTL, Acalanes

Gianna Tassio, INF/P, Terra Nova

Kyndal Todd, 1B/OF, Castro Valley

Aleki Ulu, SS, Willow Glen

Ainsley Waddell, LHP, Sequoia


Correspondent Mike Lefkow contributes to this report.

Source: www.mercurynews.com