Southland softball wealth spread throughout the land

With the NCAA softball season having come to an end last week, it’s time to wrap up the look at locals playing all over the country at the Division I level.

Last week, we took on teams from the first half of the alphabet that hadn’t yet been covered in this space.

Now, we conclude this extensive examination by going after (in no particular order) the most significant efforts from players at N-Z schools — although N-W would be more accurate since there are No Zs in Division I and the only Y (Yale) was covered here weeks ago.

Catcher Brandi Scoggins (Chino Hills HS) was named co-freshman of the year in the Pacific Coast Conference after leading Portland State (23-34) with a .336 average. She also led the Vikings with 51 hits, 13 doubles and a .422 on-base percentage. In conference play, Scoggins batted .393 in 19 games.

In other categories, Scoggins had one home run, 23 walks and 27 RBIs, and made only one error for a .997 fielding percentage.

“Brandi is very deserving of this award,” Portland State Coach Amy Hayes said in a release. “She had an outstanding start to her college career and I look forward to seeing her behind the plate for three more years. She has an undeniable passion for the game and the respect of her teammates and coaches. I’m extremely happy for her.”

Scoggins shared the co-freshman honor with pitcher Melissa Dykema (Cerritos Valley Christian HS) of Loyola Marymount and pitcher Jennifer Ellenbeck of San Diego.

Dykema was 26-7 in 40 appearances for the Lions with 201 strikeouts in 226 innings, 27 complete games, three shutouts and a 2.29 ERA.

Another freshman who stepped right in to perform at a high level was Krista Seeman (Irvine Woodbridge HS).

She was named the Northeast Conference freshman of the year for Quinnipiac (18-27) after leading the team in the batter’s box and in the circle.

Offensively, Seeman batted a team-leading .370 in 43 games. She also led the team in runs (28), hits (50), home runs (10), RBIs (37), slugging percentage (.659), on-base percentage (.419) and tied with two others in doubles (seven). As a pitcher, Seeman struck out a team season-record 122 batters in 120 1/3 innings and was 10-9 in 23 appearances. She had a 2.15 earned-run average and three shutouts.

Quinnipiac had another local on its roster, senior pitcher Jessica Skaare (Aliso Niguel HS), who made 15 appearances and was 2-4 with a 2.87 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings.

Sophomore shortstop Sarah Kalka (Moreno Valley Valley View HS) was a first-team All-Big East Conference selection after leading Rutgers (20-34) with a .359 average in 52 games. Kalka had 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 33 RBIs and a .595 slugging percentage.

Junior outfielder Mallory Miller (Anaheim Esperanza HS) was second on the team in average (.319) in 52 games. Miller also had a team-leading eight home runs and tied Kalka for the team lead in RBIs (33).

The Scarlet Knights also had a third local who contributed in sophomore outfielder Amanda Shaw (Placentia Valencia HS). Shaw batted .256 in 53 games and had four doubles, nine RBIs, 24 runs and a team-high nine stolen bases.

Another Big East school with plenty of locals was St. John’s (18-36), which had five making contributions.

Leading the way was freshman catcher Brandy Reyes (Moreno Valley Valley View HS), who led the Red Storm with a .398 average in 54 games. Reyes had 10 doubles, two home runs, 18 RBIs and a team-high .448 on-base percentage.

Junior second baseman Bionka King (Colton HS) played in 53 games, batting .287 with 16 runs, eight doubles and 15 RBIs. Sophomore third baseman/catcher Roxann Struble (Chino Don Lugo HS) played in 50 games, batting .276 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs. Junior shortstop/outfielder Danielle Estrada (Moreno Valley Canyon Springs HS) played in 53 games, batting .265 with 13 doubles, four home runs and 24 RBIs.

In the circle, junior pitcher Lisa Geer (Anaheim Canyon HS) had a team-high 36 appearances but struggled to an 8-22 record with 134 strikeouts and a 3.95 ERA in 188 innings.

Syracuse (21-31), another Big East team, had five locals on its roster, three of whom played extensively, led by junior outfielder Chanel Roehner (Simi Valley HS).

Roehner played in 50 games and led the team with a .336 average. She also led in doubles (12) and slugging percentage (.537) and had six home runs and 29 RBIs.

Sophomore outfielder/second baseman Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) played in 51 games and batted .303 with 28 runs, seven doubles, 17 RBIs and a team-leading 12 stolen bases.

Sophomore infielder Nicole Miller (Simi Valley HS) played in 52 games, batting .232 with 13 runs and eight RBIs.

Villanova (25-31-1) had six locals on its Big East roster, led by senior Sheri Donley (Villa Park HS) and her .337 average.

Another top player was junior outfielder Jessica Curtis (Anaheim Esperanza HS), who batted .314 in 51 games with 17 runs and 12 RBIs. Freshman third baseman Danielle Maricle (Valencia HS) played in 48 games and had a .282 average with one home run and 17 RBIs.

Elsewhere, sophomore utility player Meghan Morese (Laguna Hills HS) played in 57 games and despite a .240 average had six home runs and a team-leading 29 RBIs. Junior pitcher Kat Walsh (Granada Hills HS) made 28 appearances and was 6-9 with 93 strikeouts and a 3.25 ERA in 116 1/3 innings.

The top four hitters for Texas El Paso (28-23) this season were locals.

Leading the way was freshman outfielder Ashley Ellis (Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon HS), who played in all 51 games and batted .348 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 34 RBIs.

Sophomore infielder Amber Bennett (Chino HS) also played in every game and batted .345. She led the team in home runs (nine) and tied for the lead in RBIs (38) with Kelly Lombard (Woodland Hills El Camino Real HS).

Junior first baseman Simone Holland (La Mirada HS) was third with a .329 average in 47 games. She had 10 doubles, eight home runs and 30 RBIs. Lombard was fourth with a .315 average.

Southeast Missouri State (20-29) may be in the middle of the country, but the team certainly had a Southern California flavor with five locals in the starting lineup.

Junior utility player Michelle Summers (Glendale Hoover HS) led the team with a .333 average in 49 games. She also had seven doubles, 14 home runs and 34 RBIs. Right behind Summers in average was freshman Stacia Dopudja (Santa Margarita HS) at .327. Dopudja had 11 doubles, 12 home runs and 40 RBIs. She also was 2-6 as a pitcher in 18 appearances.

Sophomore catcher/infielder Amber Peterson (Westlake Village Oaks Christian HS) played in 46 games and batted .280 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. Freshman catcher Alex Ramirez (Orange El Modena HS) played in 39 games and batted .257 with four doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs. Rounding out the locals was freshman utility player Jennifer Vasquez (Orange El Modena HS), who played in 48 games and batted .255 with four doubles, two home runs and right RBIs.

Nevada (28-31) finished tied for third place in the Western Athletic Conference. Sophomore outfielder Kym Silagyi (Pomona Catholic HS) had a big season as one of the team’s sparkplugs.

Silagyi batted .331 in 59 games and led the team with 14 stolen bases, 14 sacrifice hits and three triples. She also had 25 runs, 10 doubles and 21 RBIs, and struck out only 14 times in 175 at-bats.

Sisters Kristin and Katie Stith (Chino Hills Ayala HS) also played extensively. Kristin, a junior second baseman, batted .182 with 29 runs, one home run and 14 RBIs in 57 games. Katie, a sophomore catcher, batted .154 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 53 games.

New Mexico State (29-27) was the team that tied with Nevada in the WAC. Junior infielder Ashley Frisby (Fullerton HS) played in 50 games for the Aggies and batted .238 with four home runs and 21 RBIs.

Sophomore outfielder Richelle Gastelum (Santa Ana Foothill HS) played in 52 games and batted .225 with 16 runs and 11 RBIs.

San Diego State (32-24) finished fifth in the Mountain West Conference and had five locals on its roster, three of whom made significant contributions this season.

Freshman utility player Lindsey Marquez (Orange Lutheran HS) batted .328 in 54 games with seven doubles, two triples, two home runs and 21 RBIs. Another key player was sophomore infielder/pitcher Monica Alnes (Palos Verdes HS), who batted .299 in 51 games. Alnes also had eight doubles, four home runs and 25 RBIs.

Freshman pitcher Christina Ross (Valencia HS) was the team’s No. 1 in the circle. Ross was 23-12 in 45 appearances with a 1.90 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 228 2/3 innings. She had 25 complete games, nine shutouts and two saves.

Sophomore outfielder Brittany Bolinger (Yucaipa HS) was one of the top hitters for Nevada Las Vegas (37-27). Bolinger played in 63 games and batted .304 with one home run and 23 RBIs, and led the team with 19 stolen bases in 24 attempts.

Bolinger also scored 31 runs for the Rebels, who finished second in the Mountain West Conference behind Brigham Young.

Junior utility player Rosa Ordaz (Santa Monica HS) played in 56 games (33 of them starts) and batted .232 with five home runs and 21 RBIs.

Of the three locals on San Jose State (23-28), junior third baseman/utility player Sarah Smith (Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon HS) had the most solid season. Smith played in 45 games and was second on the team with a .291 batting average. Smith also had five doubles, six home runs and 27 RBIs.

Four locals on Temple (18-21) got plenty of playing time this season, led by junior infielder Anna Rico (Lakewood Artesia HS), who played in 33 games, batting .313 with 22 runs, five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs.

Sophomore utility player Nicole Lee (Moreno Valley Canyon Springs HS) batted .300 in 26 games, junior outfielder Brittany Burks (Ontario Christian HS) batted .250 in 33 games, and junior utility player Amanda Carver (Moreno Valley Canyon Springs HS) batted .233 in 31 games.

Niagara (18-20) finished third in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and had two locals on its roster. Sophomore outfielder Heather Lohrman (Corona del Mar HS) batted .301 in 30 games with 12 runs, four doubles and six RBIs.

In the circle, junior Brooke Viola (Los Alamitos HS) was one of the team’s busiest pitchers. Viola was 8-10 in 22 appearances with a 4.16 ERA. She had 71 strikeouts in 96 innings and nine complete games.

Rider (11-36) may have finished below Niagara in the MAAC, but junior outfielder Tiffany Day-Neutill (Westlake Village Oaks Christian HS) had a huge season with a team- and conference-leading .427 average.

Day-Neutill led the Broncos in hits (61), triples (four), home runs (four), RBIs (24), walks (17), slugging percentage (.594) and on-base percentage (.488). She was a first-team All-MAAC selection and also made the conference’s all-academic team with a 3.973 grade-point average as a biopsychology major.

Another local on the Rider team was junior utility player Aimee Schiller (Moreno Valley HS), who played in 41 games and batted .213 with five doubles, seven RBIs and 10 runs.

In addition to senior Caitlin Carroll (Fullerton Rosary HS), Sacred Heart (16-28) had three other locals who contributed this season.

Junior pitcher/infielder Megan Spehar (Thousand Oaks HS) batted .236 in 42 games with four doubles, one home run and nine RBIs. In the circle, Spehar was 10-12 in 24 appearances with a 2.43 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 147 innings. She had 16 complete games and two shutouts.

Sophomore outfielder Jessica Perez (Santa Maria St. Joseph HS) played in 43 games and batted .162 with 12 runs and five RBIs. Senior pitcher Danielle Mellin (La Canada HS) made 20 appearances and was 2-5 with a 3.90 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings.

Ohio (27-31) finished fourth in the East division of the Mid-American Conference and had contributions from two freshman locals.

Candace Saucedo (Chino HS) stepped in to play in 54 games, batting .222 with two home runs, five doubles, 17 runs and 13 RBIs. In the circle, Saucedo led the team with a 2.03 ERA in 23 appearances and was 6-5. She had 45 strikeouts in 86 innings, nine complete games and two shutouts.

Deanna Hartsough (Santa Ana Foothill HS) played in 33 games and batted .300 although she had only 20 at-bats. Hartsough also made two appearances in the circle.

Rhode Island (10-35) had a rough year, but junior outfielder Shelly Petersen (Manhattan Beach Mira Costa HS) batted .254 in 44 games. She led the Rams with nine doubles and also had nine RBIs.

Junior utility player Danielle Quimby (Lake Forest El Toro HS) played in 41 games and batted .219 with six doubles and 12 RBIs.

Two of the four locals who played for St. Mary’s (24-36) this season were junior infielder Sandra Ruezga (El Monte Mountain View HS) and freshman catcher Jenna Smith (Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley HS).

Ruezga played in 56 games and was second on the team with a .308 average. She had 11 doubles, three home runs and 19 RBIs. Smith batted .258 in 39 games with six doubles and 14 RBIs.

Freshman outfielder/catcher Amanda Davidson (Oxnard HS) played in 62 games for Radford (44-27), which finished third in the Big South Conference. Davidson had 22 runs, eight doubles, four home runs and 17 RBIs…. Sophomore Samantha Davis (Alta Loma HS) was a key pitcher for Southern Mississippi (18-38). Davis was 7-13 in 29 appearances with 3.27 ERA in 143 1/3 innings…. Junior second baseman/catcher Courtney Chappel (L.A. Center for Enriched Studies HS) led Southern with a .360 average with eight doubles, two triples, 27 runs and 17 RBIs…. Sophomore outfielder/second baseman Christie Crowell (Glendora HS) played in 45 games for St. Peter’s (22-23) and batted .281 with 16 runs, nine RBIs and a team-high 12 stolen bases…. Junior outfielder Ashley Westphal (Huntington Beach Edison HS) played in 48 games for Stony Brook and batted .290 with nine doubles, five home runs and 21 RBIs…. Freshman utility player Megan VanArsdale (Garden Grove HS) batted .283 in 63 games for Tennessee Martin (30-33) with 13 doubles, five home runs and 34 RBIs. Sophomore pitcher Kara Harper (Long Beach Millikan HS) was 8-8 with a 3.02 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 116 1/3 innings…. Freshman shortstop Lacey LeVier (Diamond Bar HS) batted .264 in 39 games for Toledo (10-32) and had eight doubles and 17 RBIs…. At Towson (25-31), junior outfielder Nina Navarro (Diamond Bar HS) batted .295 in 51 games with a team-high 13 doubles, four home runs and 14 RBIs. Junior catcher Aimee Rosa (Whittier California HS) batted .287 in 56 games with seven doubles and team highs in home runs (eight) and RBIs (29)…. Junior outfielder Jasmine Joyce (Lake Forest El Toro HS/Santa Ana College) batted .301 in 43 games for Utah Valley State (23-29) with four home runs and 20 RBIs…. Junior catcher Victoria Bastistelli (Huntington Beach HS) batted .313 in 53 games for Wagner (34-19) with team highs in home runs (11) and RBIs (49)…. Junior Kyla Sullivan (Saugus HS) was the No. 1 pitcher for Western Michigan with a 14-14 record in 30 appearances. She had a 2.13 ERA with 139 strikeouts in 183 2/3 innings, and had 31 complete games and five shutouts…. Sophomore infielder Alexis Garcia (Canoga Park Faith Baptist HS) batted .282 in 47 games for Wisconsin (27-20). She also had five doubles, four home runs and 26 RBIs.

“From Here To There” is a weekly web-exclusive column that appears Wednesdays during the academic year. If you are aware of a former area prep standout competing in sports and excelling at the collegiate level or elsewhere, please let us know. Send any leads, tips or ideas to: jim.barrero@latimes.com.