Daily Pilot Softball Dream Team: Mia Valbuena’s magic didn’t run out
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Mia Valbuena’s rise ball soared through the upper regions of the strike zone, leaving hitters frozen in time as they attempted to catch up to the heater.
Can you say Wingardium Leviosa? Much like the spell from the “Harry Potter” series, the pitch appeared to take the bat out of the opposition’s hands.
After leading Marina to a CIF Southern Section Division 3 softball championship as a junior, Valbuena stepped up to perform her next trick.
The Michigan-bound right-hander had a section-leading 270 strikeouts, elevating the Vikings to a berth in the Division 1 playoffs. Valbuena has earned repeat honors as the Daily Pilot Softball Player of the Year.
Valbuena posted an 18-5 record with a 0.95 ERA over 139⅔ innings pitched, tossing 16 complete games, 11 shutouts, and four no-hitters, including a perfect game against Newport Harbor.
The Sunset League MVP and All-CIF Division 1 honoree was untouchable during a doubleheader at the Michelle Carew Classic, accumulating 28 strikeouts across the two games against Oxnard Rio Mesa and Hacienda Heights Los Altos. That included a career-high 18 strikeouts in a 1-0 win over the Conquerors.
“I think that’s definitely the most strikeouts I’ve had in a game,” Valbuena said. “I didn’t really think of it as, like, an outlier, because that’s kind of what I expect of myself. Obviously, it doesn’t always happen. That’s, like, my expectation.
“Some might say I have high expectations for myself, but yeah, I do. That was something that, obviously, I was happy about it, and I was proud of myself for that, but that’s the level I expect myself to perform at all the time, even though that’s not possible.”
Chrissy Haines, a pitching coach who began working with Valbuena when she was a 12-and-under club player, said the girl who would become a four-year starter for the Vikings had low strikeout totals before she learned to pitch north and south.
“The ball naturally comes out of Mia’s hand as a rise ball,” Haines said. “After her 12U season, I offered Mia and [her twin sister] Avi Valbuena an opportunity to come try out for Brian Tidd’s Athletics Mercado team. Both girls made the team and thrived.
“Over the years, Mia has developed one of the best rise balls in the country. The last two years, she has developed a drop curve and change to complement her rise.”
Haines also pointed to the twins’ mother, Willa Parchen Valbuena, formerly a Division 1 pitcher at Creighton, and Savannah Diederich, who pitched at Ole Miss, as integral parts of Valbuena’s growth.
Marina, which went 19-9 overall and 10-2 in the Sunset League, had high hopes of winning the league championship. It was on the cusp of doing so with a 10-0 start, before losses to Huntington Beach (20-11, 8-4) and Los Alamitos (19-9, 11-1), the league titlist, to close out the regular season. The Vikings lost at second-seeded Norco, 2-1, in the first round of the playoffs.
“That was really the peak of our confidence as a team,” Valbuena said of the long winning streak to begin the Sunset League slate. “We all felt like we could have beaten anyone if you put them in front of us at that point. That was really a good feeling.”
Gabriella DiBenedetto, who arrived at Marina with the Valbuena twins, appreciated the challenge of working with both throughout their prep careers, calling it “a great opportunity that definitely made me a more advanced catcher.”
“The bond that the three of us had, as well as the pitcher-catcher bond of Mia and I, definitely propelled us to win CIF my junior year,” DiBenedetto said. “Those relationships are ones that will last me a lifetime.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jeremy Barnes
Edison
Barnes’ second tour of duty as head coach of the Chargers saw the program return to the postseason for the first time in seven years upon his return in 2025. Edison (18-12) took two steps forward this season, earning its first playoff victories since 2018 in advancing to the Division 3 quarterfinals. After a fourth-place finish in the Sunset League, the Chargers beat El Segundo and El Toro, before bowing out against Temecula Great Oak, the bracket’s runner-up.
FIRST TEAM
Elina Garcia
P / 2B / SS | Edison | Jr.
Garcia (9-8, 2.59 ERA) had a knack for getting out of trouble, even while pitching to contact in a tough Sunset League. The junior was a tough-luck loser on April 28 at Los Alamitos, dropping a 2-1 decision in 10 innings. It was one of seven complete games thrown by the right-hander. Garcia also supported herself at the plate, driving in 17 runs, good for fourth on the team.
Gabriella DiBenedetto
C | Marina | Sr.
The longtime battery mate of power right-hander Mia Valbuena, the Maryland-bound receiver was the top hitter for the Vikings this season. DiBenedetto led the team with 35 hits and 28 runs batted in, compiling five doubles, two triples and three home runs along the way. Marina’s veteran backstop also threw out four of 15 would-be base stealers, a 26.7% success rate.
Analeah Vaca
P / 1B / 3B | Costa Mesa | Jr.
The power-hitting corner infielder rarely settled for singles, producing a total of 35 extra-base hits, including a dozen home runs. Costa Mesa (14-8-1), which placed second in the Orange Coast League and qualified for the Division 7 playoffs, found itself involved in a number of high-scoring games, the Mustangs themselves scoring in double digits on 16 occasions. Vaca drove the bus with a .654 batting average and 72 runs batted in. She earned all-league first-team and All-CIF Division 7 honors.
Kileigh Villalobos
2B / SS / OF | Fountain Valley | Sr.
Villalobos authored a .491 batting average as a senior, including team-leading totals with 26 hits, 21 runs batted in, and 10 doubles. Few could dream of the kind of farewell game Villalobos had for Fountain Valley (7-18). She doubled her career home run total in her last game as a Baron, a four-homer performance with 12 RBI in a 19-6 win over visiting Corona del Mar on May 5.
Bree Carlson
3B | Huntington Beach | Jr.
Opposing teams often opted to take a pass in facing the imposing Carlson, sending her on-base percentage to a remarkable .517 against tough competition. When she was allowed to swing away, she punished balls with 24 of her 42 hits going for extra bases. The Utah commit converted from first base to third base this season, smashing nine home runs, scoring 39 runs and driving in 35 runs. Carlson earned Sunset League first-team and All-CIF Division 2 accolades for Huntington Beach (20-11), which advanced to the section quarterfinals.
Kaila Arakaki
2B / SS | Edison | Sr.
A four-year varsity player for the Chargers, the North Dakota State-bound middle infielder had her best year at the plate. She posted a .558 batting average and reached base at a .600 clip, leading the team with 58 hits, 33 runs scored, 15 doubles and four triples. Arakaki, a Sunset League first-team and All-CIF Division 3 selection, also hit four home runs.
Maleah Humble
OF | Huntington Beach | Jr.
The table-setting right fielder reached base at a .483 clip, using her speed to create run-scoring opportunities for her teammates. Always a threat to take an extra base, Humble had six doubles, two triples and nine stolen bases. That speed translated to defense, too, where she provided six outfield assists and a .984 fielding percentage.
Cora Jordan
P / C / OF | Newport Harbor | So.
Newport Harbor (12-15) finished a couple wins shy of consideration for an at-large selection into the section playoffs, but with players like Jordan, the Sailors will be ready to run it back. Jordan made an impact all over the field, batting .464 with 39 hits and 36 runs scored. She added a team-best 12 stolen bases and five outfield assists.
Aubrey Catron
OF | Edison | Jr.
Catron’s run-producing prowess proved critical to the Chargers, who went 11-5 when she drove in a run and 7-1 when she had multiple runs batted in. The Portland State commit had team-leading totals of 30 runs batted in and eight home runs. Catron had a two-homer performance, including a go-ahead blast in the seventh, at Huntington Beach on March 12.
Cali Siguenza
2B / DP | Huntington Beach | So.
Huntington Beach could not be more grateful to have Siguenza to hit in the clutch, especially with teams pitching around Carlson. The first-team all-league selection hit .446, with 19 of her 37 runs batted in coming with two outs. Siguenza, who produced 14 extra-base hits — including four home runs — had the walk-off single in the Oilers’ first-round win over Santa Fe.
SECOND TEAM
Position, Name, School, Year
SS | Ella Carreon | Huntington Beach | Fr.
C / 3B | Savannah Fishe | Edison | Sr.
P | Sophia Gutierrez | Los Amigos | Jr.
C / 1B | Emma Johnson | Huntington Beach | Jr.
1B | Ava Kim | Marina | Jr.
C | Ella Kim | Fountain Valley | Sr.
OF | Emily Mayorga | Ocean View | Sr.
C / SS | Mia Palaferri | Corona del Mar | Fr.
OF | Victoria Rios | Costa Mesa | Jr.
C / 3B | Ally Shaw | Newport Harbor | Jr.
P / OF / DP | Avi Valbuena | Marina | Sr.
