Pitchers Lead County’s List of Quality Players

Though many quality softball players have graduated, Orange County’s cupboards are far from bare. This season the cabinets are particularly well-stocked with pitchers.

The top players:

PITCHERS

Desi Abrego, Saddleback sophomore: The right-hander was 24-5 with a 0.30 earned-run average as a freshman. She had eight shutouts, including four no-hitters, and struck out 182 of 529 batters in 140 innings of work with 17 walks. She was no slouch with the bat, either, collecting 33 hits in 81 at-bats for a .407 average.

Shannon Akau, Buena Park senior: Akau has the stuff to contend for top pitching honors in the county. Last season her skills were somewhat hidden on a Buena Park team that didn’t make the playoffs. She had a 1.02 ERA and 122 strikeouts in compiling a 10-3-2 record, and batted .353.

Jennifer Brundage, Irvine junior: Brundage, The Times’ Player of the Year last season, is as well-schooled in the art of pitching as she is in the classroom. The honor student pitched 12 shutouts, including three no-hitters. She had a 0.25 ERA with 259 strikeouts and led her team in all offensive categories with 40 hits, 16 runs batted in, 22 runs scored and a .449 average.

Terri Kobata, Mater Dei senior: As a freshman, Kobata led the Monarchs to the 5-A playoffs, but she struggled in a first-round loss to Marina. That won’t be a problem this year. “Her maturity is excellent,” said Coach Cathy Quesnell. “She has great composure on the mound. She has speed and a lot of consistency.” Last year she had 183 strikeouts and a 0.27 ERA.

Paige Lauby, El Toro senior: Lauby, who also plays first base, was 13-7 as a junior. She had a 0.75 ERA and 140 strikeouts through 131 1/3 innings pitched. She led the team with a .307 average and tied teammate Corrie Yauney for most hits, with 27.

Cheryl Longeway, Kennedy junior: Longeway led her team to the 3-A championship as a freshman. Last season the left-hander was 20-4 as Kennedy won another league championship before losing in the semifinals of the 4-A tournament. Longeway, also a solid hitter, may have the best speed in the county. She had a 0.39 ERA and 195 strikeouts last season in making the All-Southern Section and Times’ All-County teams.

Janet Miyahara, Marina junior: Last year at Fountain Valley, Miyahara stepped in for an injured Rae Rice and won 10 games, posting a 4-0 record in Sunset League games. She had a 0.60 ERA and struck out 94 batters in 93 innnings. She batted .240 and also played third base and shortstop.

Rae Rice, Fountain Valley junior: Rice was hampered by injury last season, but still posted some impressive numbers. She had a 0.13 ERA with 167 strikeouts in 110 innings for a 9-5 record. If she gets healthy, this could be her year.

Stephanie Smith, Garden Grove senior: A Times’ All-County first-team selection, Smith helped Garden Grove challenge Kennedy for the league title. She had a 0.40 ERA through 190 innings. She struck out 233 batters and compiled a 19-9 record.

POSITION PLAYERS

Nikkani Andrews, Saddleback senior shortstop: Through the regular season last year, Andrews led the county in home runs (7) and runs scored (24) and was voted one of two most valuable players in the Sea View League. She batted .463, has great quickness in the field and was a first-team Times’ All-County selection.

Thea Curtis, University junior outfielder: She hit .328 last year as a sophomore and was successful on all 21 of her stolen-base attempts.

Shannon Dolan, Fountain Valley junior catcher: A Times’ All-County selection a year ago and a member of the all-Southern Section 5-A team for the second time, Dolan is a powerful hitter and the top player in the county at her position. She batted .345 last spring and led Fountain Valley with 29 hits.

Renee Hernandez, Los Amigos senior catcher: Hernandez has been an all-Garden Grove selection for three years. Last year, she batted .324 and stole 31 bases.

Krissy Kyriazis, Canyon senior third baseman: A two-time all-Century League selection, Kyriazis batted .265 last year and scored 24 runs. She is as strong in the field as she is at the plate.

DaLynne Large, Canyon junior second basemen: Large batted .297 a year ago, second at Canyon only to Chanele Chambrone, who is now a freshman at Cal State Long Beach. Large, who is also strong in the field, had 15 RBIs and 25 runs scored.

Tammy Lohmann, Katella sophomore shortstop: A solid fielder as well as a hitter, Lohmann batted .439 last season and should help Katella improve upon its fifth-place finish in the Empire League.

Linda Lunceford, Trabuco Hills senior pitcher/shortstop: Lunceford was second in the county in hitting with a .500 average last season. She was a first-team Southern Section 3-A selection and a member of the Times’ All-County team. She was voted the most valuable player of the Pacific Coast League. As a pitcher she had a 0.62 ERA.

Beth Queypo, Western sophomore pitcher/outfielder: Queypo played left field during the Pioneers’ playoff run that took them to the 4-A championship game. She batted .355 through league play and .278 overall, with five doubles among her 22 hits. As a pitcher, she was 10-1 with an 0.35 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 80 innings.

Kelly Ward, Sunny Hills senior outfielder: Ward is a gifted left-handed hitter with exceptional quickness and one of the best slap bunters in the county. “She is not a power hitter, she is a pesky hitter,” Canyon Coach Lance Eddy said.

Christa Yorke, Marina senior catcher: Yorke helped Marina to the co-championship of the Sunset League and the 5-A quarterfinals. She led her team with 29 hits in 83 at-bats for a .349 average. She stole 14 bases and allowed only one passed ball all season.

OTHERS TO CONSIDER

Michelle Cash, junior shortstop at Garden Grove; Michele D’Amato, senior second baseman at Villa Park; Natasha Dumoski, senior pitcher at Valencia; Shannon Ellis, senior pitcher at Tustin; Dawn Fowler, sophomore pitcher at Western.

Carrie Frederick, senior shortstop at Savanna; Leslie Gerbin, junior pitcher at Katella; Lana Jimenez, freshman right fielder at Kennedy; Jenny Jourden, senior third baseman/pitcher at El Toro; Erica Koch, senior catcher at Irvine.

Leann Larriva, senior outfielder at Saddleback; Sara Mallett, sophomore infielder at La Habra; Michele Methot, junior shortstop/pitcher at Santa Margarita; Amy Moeller, sophomore first basemen at Mater Dei; Wendy Moon, senior infielder at San Clemente.

Liz Moore, senior catcher at Cypress; Sundy Mosqueda, senior third baseman at Mater Dei; Alisha Nelson, senior pitcher at Woodbridge; Willa Parchen, junior pitcher at Marina; Marla Pickard, a senior pitcher at Ocean View.

Misty Pinkerton, senior infielder at Western; Sara Roberts, junior pitcher at Canyon; Tara Roush, senior pitcher at San Clemente; Jena Sansone, junior outfielder at Ocean View; Shannon Skoglund, senior pitcher at Los Alamitos.

Wendy Stewart, senior infielder at San Clemente; Cathy Turner, sophomore shortstop at La Habra; Melissa Weilandt, junior catcher at Foothill; Corrie Yauney, senior second baseman at El Toro.