Foothill Doesn’t Have Shortage of Talent This Year : Top teams: With seven returning starters who have proven skills, the Knights are the team to beat.

Once more, it’s time to peek around the county’s high school ballparks to see who’s got what and who’s going where in yet another softball season.

The list starts with Foothill, a team loaded with talented returning players, and continues with some of the standards: Mater Dei, Irvine, Fountain Valley and the rest.

As happens every year, there are those who cry foul and protest the omission of teams they believe should have been included in the top 10. That’s understandable, but with only 10 spots and a lot more deserving teams than that, the decision is tough.

So, for better or for a heartache, these are our top 10 preseason selections:

1. FOOTHILL

With seven returning starters, including All-County pitcher Leeann Gonzalez, the Knights have one of the strongest teams in the state.

Only shortstop Kathy Shortall (now at Orange Coast College) and center fielder Julie Ehret (Irvine Valley College) graduated from the team that lost to Irvine, 1-0, in the Southern Section Division 4-A final last year.

Coach Joe Gonzalez--Leeann’s father--enters his third season with the Knights with few worries.

Leeann, a senior right-hander who was the Century League’s most valuable player in 1991, was 21-3 with an earned-run average of 0.31. Her battery mate will be left-handed catcher Kelley Green (.394 batting average last season).

Also back are senior Melissa Wielandt (.321), who moves from third base to shortstop; outfielders Andrea Chambers (.343) and Julie Metzger (.207); first baseman Christina Mazurie (.343), and second baseman Amy Tessman (.200 and no errors in 34 fielding chances).

2. MATER DEI

Another squad loaded with returning starters, the Monarchs should be as good as last year’s team that was 22-4 and made it to the section 5-A quarterfinals.

Coach Cathy Quesnell lost All-Angelus League pitcher Amy Godwin to graduation, but she still has the luxury of having two outstanding pitchers in Jennifer Clark and Terry Kobata.

The right-handed Clark had a 1.12 ERA with 75 strikeouts last year. And Kobata, a right-hander who played only in the outfield last season, was one of the leading pitchers in the county two years ago but didn’t take the mound last year because her crow-hop style was ruled illegal. At the time, Quesnell said Kobata didn’t want to alter her delivery, but Kobata apparently has changed her mind.

Also returning for the Monarchs are all-league catcher Jennifer Cline, who had a team-high .314 batting average last season, infielders Dawn Kobata--Terry’s sister--and Marie O’Beck, and outfielder Kim Fox.

3. IRVINE

Yes, all-everything pitcher Jennifer Brundage is now wearing the gold and blue of the UCLA Bruins after leading the Vaqueros to the section 4-A championship last year. A couple of other key players on last season’s team also have graduated or decided not to play this year, but Coach Lisa Limp-Baker still has a solid club.

The Vaqueros feature four returning starters. Of those, the one with perhaps the most pressure is right-hander Rebecca Smith (0.64 ERA and 43 strikeouts last season), who takes over for Brundage (21-2, 0.12 ERA, 223 strikeouts and one no-hitter), The Times’ Orange County Player of the Year in 1991.

Also back are outfielders Carly Girton (.408), Carrie Caudill (.190) and Emily Lowrey (.173), and All-South Coast League first baseman Alleah Poulson (.241 batting, .989 fielding).

4. FOUNTAIN VALLEY

Coach Cary Baker fields one of the most competitive teams in the county despite losing All-County pitcher Rae Rice (17-4, 0.24 ERA, 213 strikeouts) and four-time All-Sunset League selection Shannon Dolan (.375 last year). Rice is now playing at Cal State Long Beach and Dolan is at Cal State Fullerton.

Replacing Dolan at shortstop has been more difficult than finding a replacement for Rice. Baker has filled that vacancy with sophomore right-handed power pitcher Danielle Rodriguez, a transfer from Trabuco Hills. Rodriguez was a second-team All-Pacific Coast League pick last year, when she had a 0.51 ERA and one no-hitter.

Behind Rodriguez, the Barons feature seven returning players, including third baseman Jennifer Allchin (.311) and outfielder Danelle Lovetro (.282). First baseman Michelle Kravik drove in 15 runs and had six game-winning RBIs in 1991.

5. LA HABRA

Good pitching and defense are indispensable commodities in softball, and the Highlanders again have both this season.

The defending Freeway League champions, who finished 20-4 after losing to Arcadia in the first round of the section 4-A playoffs last year, return pitching ace Danielle Ortega and league MVP Sara Mallett, both Times’ All-County selections last season.

Ortega, a junior right-hander, won all but one of her team’s games last year and had 145 strikeouts. Mallett, one of the top second basemen in the county, batted .414 last year.

At shortstop, first-year Coach Sue Briquelet will depend on all-leaguer Cathy Turner, who batted .350 and had a .925 fielding percentage in 1991.

6. KENNEDY

Much like Irvine, the Fighting Irish had to look for a suitable pitching replacement after losing their workhorse, All-County left-hander Cheryl Longeway (20-4, 0.23 earned-run average, 268 strikeouts), to graduation and Cal State Fullerton.

But Coach Sue Hall apparently has come up with another dandy in freshman right-hander Lisa Pitt.

“She’s one of the better ones (pitchers) in the county,” Hall said.

If Pitt can hold up, Kennedy indeed will be tough. The Fighting Irish return all of their starters, except Longeway, from a team that finished 22-4 last season.

Leading that group of returners are second-team All-County third baseman Danielle McLeod (.393), center fielder Lana Jimenez (.381) and left fielder Kristy Hensel (.317).

7. GARDEN GROVE

No need for Coach Paula Cervantes, now in her ninth season with the Argonauts, to search her troops for a reliable pitcher. With ace Kim Taylor back for her senior season, Cervantes knows she’s got dependability at the position and the foundation for another excellent team.

Taylor, a right-hander with a variety of pitches, was 13-4 last year with a 0.48 ERA. She led the Argonauts to an undefeated (14-0) Garden Grove League championship and the section 5-A playoffs, where Garden Grove lost to Cypress, 3-0.

The departure of All-County shortstop Michelle Cash (now at New Mexico) has left a void in the infield, but Cervantes will give power-hitting junior Nakia Houston a shot at the spot or move all-league second baseman Kelly White (.324 last season) to shortstop if needed.

Junior first baseman Briana Corona (.280) and switch-hitting center fielder Stephanie Mariena (.276) provide offensive punch. Strong-arm sophomore catcher Jennifer Johnson lends stability behind the plate.

8. EL TORO

Nine players return to Coach Jim Daugherty’s team that finished second to Irvine in the South Coast League last season.

Heading the list are right-handed sophomore pitcher Misty Lauby, who was 16-7 with a 0.72 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 1991; junior third baseman Tricia Bulkeley (.341); junior center fielder Traci Jensen (.308); senior shortstop Jaime Smith (.296 batting and .968 fielding percentage), and senior catcher Maegan Juggert (.267).

The Chargers, who were 18-13 last year, won the section Division 3-A title in 1990. On paper, at least, they look as if they will be contenders for the 4-A championship.

9. KATELLA

The Knights advanced to the semifinals of the section Division 5-A playoffs last year, where they lost to champion Camarillo, 1-0. They did it on the strength of their pitching and hitting throughout the lineup. Those areas remain the backbone of the team.

Coach Rhonda Weyer has seven players returning from the squad that won the school’s first Empire League softball championship in 14 years.

Leading the Knights, who were 17-7 last year, is All-County shortstop Tammy Lohmann, the county’s leading hitter in 1991 with a .541 average. Also helping on offense will be all-league third baseman Melissa Benbow (.382) and first baseman Lisa Helg (.358).

At pitching, Weyer depends on junior right-hander Kelsi Armbruster, who was 9-2 with a 0.44 ERA last year. Armbruster was a second team Times’ All-County pick.

10. WOODBRIDGE

With two front-line pitchers good enough to be sought by Division I colleges, the Warriors are one of those rare teams with more than one capable player at the position. And, with a little bit of defensive support behind those pitchers, Woodbridge should be able to play with anybody in the county.

Right-handers Alison Ward and Stacy Washington give the Warriors their one-two pitching punch. Ward was 10-5 before the section Division 3-A playoffs, in which Woodbridge reached the quarterfinals. Washington was 9-1. Ward plays in the outfield when she’s not pitching.

The offense is led by center fielder Alison Johnsen, who batted .339 and led the county with 37 stolen bases; first baseman Jessica Montgomery (.313), a second team Times’ All-County pick, and third baseman Deanna Black (.273).

Coach Alan Dugard, who picks his team as the Sea View League favorite, is also fortunate to have one of the fastest clubs around. Last year, the Warriors stole 109 bases.

Other teams to watch: Brea-Olinda, Canyon, Cypress, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Rancho Alamitos.