1996 Softball Preview : Garden Grove League

Bolsa Grande: 14-9, 7-5 in 1995. Coach: Al Verellen (second year, 14-8). Prospects: The Matadors hope to challenge for third place and the final automatic playoff berth and have first-team all-league pitcher Mary Petrie leading the way. Petrie, a junior left-hander, won seven games last season and also hit .342. Infielder Jill Tantardini also returns after leading the team in runs batted in.

Garden Grove: 20-8, 10-2 in 1995. Coach: Cliff White (second year, 20-8). Prospects: Garden Grove figures to be the top candidate to finish second behind Pacifica with second-team all-county pitcher Kathy Moore leading a solid pitching staff. Moore finished 14-6 with a 0.51 earned-run average, striking out 136 in 138 innings as a sophomore. Sophomore Erica Hammontree went 5-2 last year. The Argonaut defense should be solid, anchored by senior shortstop Melissa Beck and senior catcher Angela Sifuentes.

La Quinta: 13-11, 6-6 in 1995. Coach: Dave Weld (third year, 31-19). Prospects: The Aztecs’ hopes could rest on the tender arm of senior pitcher Kelly McLaughlin, who had major elbow surgery and missed the majority of last season. If she is productive, Weld said the Aztecs could challenge for second or third because behind McLaughlin there is a young, talented unit led by junior shortstop Jaclyn Fredrickson. Four freshmen start for the Aztecs, including including power-hitting first baseman Heidi Foster and catcher Nicole Hanning.

Los Amigos: 0-24, 0-12 in 1995. Coach: Greg Aguilar (first year). Prospects: Aguilar faces a stiff challenge, hoping to turn around a team that has not won a league game since 1992 and is 2-60 in the past three seasons. Senior third baseman Dorothy Taula, junior Qianna Wiley--a second-team all-league selection last season--and freshman pitcher Kim Guillen will play key roles.

Pacifica: 27-3, 12-0 in 1995. Coach: Rob Weil (seventh year, 109-34). Prospects: Pacifica is the overwhelming favorite to win the league, but that’s easy to understand considering its two pitchers are junior Toni Mascarenas and sophomore Amanda Freed, both first-team all-county selections. Mascarenas was 13-3 with a 0.19 ERA and Freed was 14-0 with a 0.29 ERA. The two combined to allow only seven earned runs in 206 innings. Mascarenas also hit .393 with a team-high 20 RBIs. All-league selections first baseman Andrea Pickett (.326, 17 RBIs) and outfielder Kristin Freed also return.

Rancho Alamitos: 4-19, 2-10 in 1995. Coach: Jeff Howe (first year). Prospects: The Vaqueros have everyone back from last season, but Howe’s team is still young and improving. Leadoff hitter junior third baseman Ha Nguyen, a second-team all-league selection, returns after leading the team in hits as a sophomore. Howe hopes freshman April Salazar and junior Kristen Hennes will provide some run production, but the pitching is unproven with Brooke Green and Mandy Giroud.

Santiago: 10-13-1, 5-7 in 1995. Coach: Corky Driver (ninth year). Prospects: The Cavaliers haven’t appeared in the playoffs since the early 1980s, Driver said, but they have the players who should help them challenge for a playoff berth this season. Anchoring the infield are junior first baseman Jackie Godinez, a second-team all-county selection who hit .411 last season, and first-team all-league senior shortstop Jessica Cisneros, who hit .377 with 16 RBIs. Junior pitcher Erica Pilkington is improved and senior outfielder Michelle Crank, a two-year starter, returns after missing her junior season with a leg injury.