When a team has proven for the
last several years that they are
to be considered a powerhouse,
other schools take notice,
especially when it comes time to
hand out post-season awards.
It's no different for the
Cerritos College softball team,
who are getting ready to compete
in the California Community
College Athletic Association
Softball State Championships for
the second year in a row. The
Falcons (37-5) are the #2-seeded
team from Southern California
and open the tournament on
Friday at noon at Orange Terrace
Park in Riverside and face San
Jose City College (42-7).
But prior to the
tournament, several Falcons have
been honored with awards, most
notably sophomore pitcher
Jessica Navarro (South
Gate HS), who owns
countless school single-season
and career batting and pitching
records. Navarro was recently
named the state's Co-Player of
the year, along with being named
the Co-Player of the Year by the
National
Fastpitch Coaches
Association. It marks the first
time in school history that a
Falcon player has been named the
Player of the Year by both
associations. Also earning
national recognition was
sophomore outfielder
Capree
Williams (Paramount
HS/Bethune-Cookman
University), who garnered
the
NFCA Golden Shoe Award
for her base-stealing efforts,
while she was also named
All-American. On the year,
Williams has set a new school
record with her 43 swipes, while
she leads the team in batting
(.473), hits (70) and has scored
53 runs and driven in 22 runs.
In addition to Navarro on the
All-State team, freshman
outfielder
Jennifer Salas (California
HS) was named to the
All-Southern California Team.
Heading into the state
tournament, Navarro is batting
.415 and leads the team in home
runs (11), RBI (66), slugging
percentage (.777), along with 12
doubles and is 5-for-5 in stolen
bases. In the circle, she has
posted a 23-5 record with two
saves and a 1.30 ERA in 178
innings of work. She has struck
out 120 and limits opponents to
a .215 batting average. For
Salas, she is hitting at a .430
clip with a team-high 14 doubles
and has driven in 43 runs.
When the South Coast Conference
awards were announced, Navarro
was honored by being named the
Player of the Year, while
Williams and Salas were named to
the 1st Team. Joining them on
the 1st Team were sophomore
catcher
Nadine Garcia (Mayfair
HS), sophomore shortstop
Jenel
Guadagno (Warren
HS) and sophomore second
baseman
Vanezza
Martin Del Campo (St.
Joseph HS), who were all
named for the second year in a
row. On the year, Garcia (.378,
10 doubles, 4 HR, 34 RBI),
Guadagno (.385, 54 runs,
4 triples, 19 SB, 43 RBI) and
Martin Del Campo (.377, 10
doubles, 4 triples, 3 HR, 29
RBI) are all having stellar
seasons.
Named to the 2nd team were
sophomore first baseman
Stephanie
Lomeli (Montebello
HS) and sophomore
outfielder
Cecily Garcia (St.
Joseph HS).
Lomeli, who is batting
.392 with 12 doubles and 30 RBI,
was named to the 2nd Team for
the second year in a row. As for
Garcia, she has been solid in
the outfield, while she is
batting .232 with five RBI.
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