Burbank softball’s Brooks earns third straight league POY

When Caitlyn Brooks was a freshman four seasons ago, she earned All-Pacific League first-team honors after posting a 16-5 record, 1.95 earned-run average and hitting .429.

She wanted to win the league player of the year honor.

“I did want to win it when I was a freshman,” Brooks said. “My goal was to try and be the best every year.”

The next two years the Notre Dame-bound senior earned the league’s highest honor, although there was some debate among the other league coaches.

This year there was no such debate, as Brooks earned her third straight player of the year honor by a unanimous vote.

“We went in to our meeting this year and the other coaches kind of said, ‘Well, Caitlyn’s the player of the year, let’s move on,’” Burbank Coach Mike Delaney said. “It is the first time that’s happened like that. I think the other coaches saw what she did during the season and gave her the respect. She definitely deserved it.”

For Brooks, the reigning Burbank Leader Girls’ Athlete of the Year who is also a multiple All-CIF Southern Section honoree and back-to-back All-Area Softball Player of the Year, she is grateful for her third straight MVP selection.

“I am definitely honored to be able to win the award this season,” Brooks said. “It’s really awesome. And to be able to win it three years, I’m blessed and honored. I know to be able to win the MVP three years is a big accomplishment and I don’t take it lightly.”

Brooks was among 14 combined players from Burbank and Burroughs to earn all-league accolades after the teams shared the Pacific League championship.

Earning spots on the first team for Burbank were Lily Winn, a senior third baseman, senior catcher Bridgette Pisa and junior outfielder Isabel Frias.

For Burroughs, freshman pitcher Presley Miraglia, senior catcher/infielder Michelle Santiago and junior infielder Kaitlin Okimoto garnered top-team recognition.

Burbank had second-teamers in junior first baseman Julia Duarte and senior outfielder Jazmin Orozco and senior center fielder Delaney Nicol, sophomore catcher/infielder Brianna Johnson and senior infielder Kailanie Oasay were second-team picks for the Indians.

Receiving honorable mention were junior infielder Cailey Stevenson from Burbank and Burroughs senior first baseman Tori Talavera.

It was another wildly successful campaign for Brooks, who helped the Bulldogs (21-5, 13-1 in league) earn a share of their third straight league championship.

In the circle, she had an 18-5 record with a 0.66 earned-run average, 264 strikeouts and 18 walks over 149 1/3 innings. Opposing teams hit just .172 against her. She ended her career with 82 career victories and an amazing 1,002 strikeouts.

At the plate, Brooks hit .451 (32 for 71) with 26 runs batted in, five doubles, three triples and six home runs. In addition, she had an .859 slugging percentage.

“With all of her success, Caitlyn has continued to be a leader and a role model for the players on our team,” Delaney said. “And I think that says a lot about her. She just brings it every game and you know when she’s out there she’s going to give it her best.

“Not too many players in any program anywhere have been able to accomplish what she’s been able to accomplish.”

Making the first team, Winn, a four-year starter, hit .390 (32 for 82) with 18 RBI, 21 runs and three home runs. Pisa batted .373 (28 for 15) with 18 RBI and 25 runs and Frias hit .417 (30 for 72) with 16 RBI, 17 runs and four doubles.

“All three of our girls who made first team were valuable players in our success this season,” Delaney said. “We were able to move Izzy up in the lineup and that allowed us to move Lily back up to leadoff and they both really came through for us. Both are just very good athletes.

“Bridgette is tough as nails. She was really the heart and soul of this team. ...In my 30 years of coaching, this is the first time I let a catcher call her own pitches. That’s how much confidence I had in her.”

Duarte had a .365 average (27 for 74) with 17 RBI, 21 runs and five doubles and Orozco had a .310 average (22 for 71) with 16 RBI, 11 runs and six doubles.

Like Burbank, Burroughs (23-5, 13-1) put together a successful season, finishing with a share of the league title for the first time since 2012.

Santiago finished her high school career by garnering her fourth straight first-team honor.

“Not many people do that,” Burroughs Coach Doug Nicol said. “That is an amazing accomplishment.”

Making the first team, Santiago had a .417 batting average (30 for 72) with 22 RBI, 26 runs scored, six triples and five home runs. She also struck out just once.

“Michelle has put a lot of time in to be a successful softball player and that’s showed in her time at Burroughs,” Nicol said.

Okimoto hit .480 (36 for 75) and had a .511 on-base percentage, 21 runs, 21 RBI and eight doubles.

“Kaitlin is a three-year varsity player and we are going to look to her for leadership for us next year,” Nicol said. “She really did her job this year.”

Miraglia had a 20-4 record and a 1.99 ERA with 119 strikeouts and 25 walks over 151 innings. She so hit .400 (34 for 85) with 25 RBI, 12 runs, eight doubles and three home runs.

“What she was able to accomplish as a freshman is just amazing,” Nicol said. “There are not too many freshmen who come along and can do that, especially playing a pivotal role like she’s played for us this year.”

Delaney Nicol led the Indians in hits with 37 to go along with a .420 average (37 for 88), 22 RBI, 28 runs and three home runs. Johnson was tops on the squad in average after batting .545 (24 for 44) and also had 13 RBI and 20 runs. Oasay had a .446 (29 for 65) average with 11 RBI and 19 runs.

Stevenson ended with a .319 (23 for 72) average with 16 runs and Talavera hit .250 (14 for 56) with 13 runs and seven RBI.