El Dorado fights through softball woes

Based on preseason expectations, few softball teams have been more disappointing than Placentia El Dorado. The Golden Hawks began the season ranked No. 10 in the Southland by The Times but lost their first three games.

But the program, which compiled a 65-14 record the last three seasons, is showing signs of life.

El Dorado has won five of its last six games — the loss was a forfeit — since losing to sixth-ranked Norco, 1-0, in the Anaheim Canyon/Michelle Carew Classic. It most recently defeated No. 16 Santa Ana Mater Dei and No. 18 Canyon.

Included in that stretch is a victory over Long Beach Wilson, which split doubleheaders with No. 5 Corona Santiago and No. 10 San Pedro.

“The girls are starting to put it all together; it just took a while,” said Melissa Chavez, who coached El Dorado to a Southern Section title in 2002 and a runner-up finish in 2005. “It’s a different dynamic, and the girls are starting to get on the same page. I can see the difference in their play these last few weeks. I think we can be in the [playoff] mix.”

The dynamic that has changed is that Chavez is now mostly an administrative coach, handling paperwork and fundraising. She is expecting a child next month and has left the day-to-day coaching to Samantha Kimura, who is technically a co-coach, and Kristi Durant. Both graduated from El Dorado. Kimura has been on the staff for only a year, and Durant joined this season after playing at Tennessee.

The team also declined to accept back senior Christie Nieto, who batted .426 last season but enrolled at Anaheim Esperanza in the fall. She returned to El Dorado for the second semester but was told by the program not to come out for the team, Chavez said.

The Golden Hawks also added left fielder Raven Richardson, a transfer from Florida who is batting .368, which is second only to Kayla Van Dieren’s .438. Alyssa Freight, in her fourth season of pitching, is 10-3 but with the highest earned-run average of her career at 1.65. She is 50-9 over four seasons.

El Dorado gets another shot at a top 25 opponent Friday, when it plays host to No. 4 Orange El Modena in a Century League game. El Modena has won 14 in a row, including a victory over Newhall Hart in the championship of the Irvine Woodbridge Classic on Saturday.

El Dorado plays No. 13 Murrieta Valley on Saturday at the Corona Santiago Spring Fling. The Golden Hawks forfeited to Murrieta Valley a few weeks ago at the Carew Classic in what would have been the fifth game of the tournament. They will meet in the final round of pool play before playing in the championship rounds, possibly against Santiago.

When it comes to league games, one of the bigger ones in the Southland takes place annually in the Foothill League. There was no surprise Tuesday when visiting Valencia beat Hart, 3-1. Few outside of Newhall would have given the home team a chance, and for good reason: Valencia pitcher Jordan Taylor leads the Southland in strikeouts and is third in earned-run average, and she’s backed by a potent offense.

Second baseman Nicole Matson hit a two-run home run in the first inning off left-handed sophomore Destiny Rodino. That was more than enough for Taylor, whose earned-run average actually increased to 0.25.

The Vikings have eight players with 39 or more at-bats who are batting .333 or better. Matson leads the way with a .738 average, which is all the more impressive because Valencia (21-1) has played no fewer than 15 games against opponents ranked by The Times, Cal-Hi Sports or one of the national publications.

Rob Weil, the coach who built Garden Grove Pacifica into a national power but was fired after becoming a “subject of interest” by the Garden Grove Police Department over fundraising issues within the program — though he was never charged with any wrongdoing — has surfaced as an assistant at Mater Dei. Two of his former Pacifica assistants, Sean Nierman and Jimmy Costello, also have joined the Monarchs’ staff.

“They’re terrific coaches,” Mater Dei Coach Doug Myers said. “They not only have incredible knowledge but tremendous commitment to the game and the kids. They provide a great team atmosphere. I’m excited about that.

“We’re fortunate to get with them. We work really well together.”

Weil said he wants and expects to be a head coach again, but is enjoying coaching without the problems involved with being the point man.

“It’s a good role that I’m,” he said. “There’s not a lot of responsibility with parents, administrators or districts. I just like being with the kids and being able to teach. Not being worried about the responsibility is a good thing.

“People have been absolutely supportive. People who have been close to me and know me, they know who Rob Weil is and know there was no malicious mischief going on in our program.

“Garden Grove Unified was very good to me over 16 years. It was more of a misunderstanding…. They reacted on it, couldn’t back out of it, and I think they wanted to save face by already committing to let me go. But I have no ill feelings against them.”