Best of West Get Together

There’s no state championship in softball, but perhaps the closest thing to it takes place this week at Hagerman Softball Complex in Santa Maria at the Best of the West tournament.

The 30-team tournament includes five teams ranked by Cal-Hi Sports magazine among the top 11 in the state: Salinas Notre Dame (3rd), Santa Maria Righetti (6th), Clovis West (7th), Fresno Buchanan (9th) and Goleta Dos Pueblos (11th).

The tournament, which began Monday, concludes Wednesday.

“Because we don’t have a state championship in softball, it’s an opportunity for Central, Northern and Southern California [teams] to play each other,” said Richard Cornejo, coach of tournament host Righetti.

“Since we’re centrally located, it’s the only time teams from all the regions get to play each other.”

Righetti, ranked No. 4 in the Southland by The Times, No. 6 Dos Pueblos and No. 15 San Bernardino Cajon are the top Southern Section teams participating.

Senior Jenna Maiden (5-0 with a 0.23 earned-run average and 52 strikeouts in 31 innings) leads Righetti.

“She hasn’t signed yet, so this is a real good opportunity for her,” Cornejo said. “She’s going to pitch every other game in the tournament. I told her that I need her healthy in league and playoffs.”

Cornejo’s decision is made easier because he likes what he sees in sophomore pitcher Sarah Grosse (2-1), “who’s surprising all of us.”

Much of Maiden’s offensive support has come from two juniors, each batting .526 -- catcher Kelsey Anderson and third baseman Natalie Estorga.

-- Martin Henderson

Chris Parmelee, a Chino Hills outfielder, and Dan Garcia, a shortstop for La Puente Nogales, have already shown why they are highly regarded baseball players.

Parmelee, who has committed to Cal State Fullerton, had six home runs and three doubles in his first seven games this season. Garcia, a Southern Section Division III first-team selection last season when he drove in nine runs in one game, had 13 hits in 24 at-bats with 15 RBIs to open this season.

“He hasn’t had that monster game yet this season,” said Coach John Romano, in his 27th season at Nogales. “The kind of game that takes your stats to another level.”

Parmelee, on the other hand, had three solo home runs last week in a 9-4 victory over Glendora, doubling his output for the season.

-- Dan Arritt

If Lake Forest El Toro’s youthful team didn’t know what it was doing at first, the Chargers are fast figuring it out.

The Chargers (8-2, 3-0), who start as many as seven sophomores, are riding a seven-game winning streak, the latest victories against Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, Mission Viejo and Dana Point Dana Hills in South Coast League games.

“They’re good ballplayers, but they’re young,” said fifth-year Coach Mike Gonzales, a 1986 graduate of El Toro. “To be honest, they’re young enough not to really know any better.”

Senior first baseman Riley Ward -- the only regular starter besides junior second baseman Mike Czapski who isn’t a sophomore -- drove in three runs in the Chargers’ 5-1 upset victory over Capistrano Valley in the league opener March 18.

Nick Porazzo, a sophomore shortstop, and Kris Minton, a sophomore third baseman and pitcher, each had two hits.

In Tuesday’s 9-4 victory over Mission Viejo, Minton hit a two-run home run and Zac Van Every, a sophomore left fielder, had three hits and two RBIs.

Other sophomores in the lineup are outfielder Kyle Stokes, catcher Austin Romine, center fielder Kyle Ohlwiler and infielder/outfielder Drew Hillman.

-- Lauren Peterson

Girls’ Soccer

Junior forward Sophia Medina and senior midfielder Hayley Bolt of Los Alamitos have been selected the Southern Section Division I offensive and defensive players of the year, and Pat Rossi, who led the Griffins to the division title, was chosen coach of the year.

Ventura Buena dominated the Division II awards as it did the playoffs, with junior forward Yeraldy Hurtado and senior defender Sara Baca selected as offensive and defensive players of the year.

A complete list of players of the year and listings of all division teams can be found at www.CIFSS.org.

Boys’ Soccer

Jeff Clark of Anaheim Esperanza and Tony Vela of La Verne Damien, both senior midfielders, have been selected the Southern Section Division I offensive and defensive players of the year, and Juan Fresquez, who led Damien to the division title, was chosen coach of the year.

Thousand Oaks and Los Angeles Loyola, which shared the Division II title, also split the awards, with Thousand Oaks senior forward Jason Leopoldo selected offensive player of the year and Loyola senior midfielder Andreas Andrews chosen defensive player of the year.