Softball Preview: Go ahead, who are the best teams and players in 2012? ...

It's going to be a great year. The Sierra League definetly will remain the toughest. I think everyone agrees that the top 3 teams in the Sierra League are South Hills, Chino Hills, and St. Lucy's. South Hills doesn't have the pitching that Chino Hills and St. Lucy's has, but has a great team. With Danielle O'Toole and Laura Swan, St. Lucy's will be tough, but still think Chino Hills has the best all around team with all the ingredients- 2 Outstanding Pitchers, solid defense at all positions, and the best 1-9 line-up. Time will tell and it will be fun to watch. Let the season begin!

No. What makes you say I am bitter. What I am saying is I don't like gauging a teams status by comparing colleges the players are going to. A player that goes to Tennessee may not be as good as a player that goes to DePaul. I compare teams by what I know they have done and can do. Just because your team may have 3 PAC-12 players doesn't mean they're better than a team with 1 PAC-12 player and a WAC Player.

I also agree that teams need to start to open up the playing field a little bit and play teams from other areas. Sometimes I feel that teams can get complacent and play in the same local tournaments every year (i.e. San Dimas Tournament, Duarter Tourn., Chater Oak Tourn.). From what I understand, both Chino Hills and South Hills are going to The Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, AZ. It'll be interesting to see how they do since they have done so well in the last few years in regards to the CIF playoffs. Also, I saw in a previous post that Bonita is getting out of the Palm Springs tournament and playing in some tournament in Orange County. Is it the Brea Tournament of the Corona Tournament?

In regards the the previous post about Bonita's freshman class: It will be pretty interesting to see if they have another interesting class. Anissa Sanchez showed us that she was a great pitcher. She has what it takes to be a great player in the SGV.

All in all, good luck to everyone this season.

The Sierra League looks awesome but don't count out the Hacienda.
Along with Bonita, there is Diamond Bar who returns all or most of their starters. They lost a big time player in Stephanie La Rosa but they will be tough.
And of course Los Altos will come back strong. They only lost one starter to graduation and return with solid pitching and Alyssa Villalpando behind the plate. They also have Mariah Midyette in Center. Both have signed letters of intent to D1 schools (Hawaii and Bucknell)..

It's just a pick using the known players as a gauge. My daughter is not going to a D1 and no longer plays softball. Good luck to South Hills and all the teams in the Sierra League as well as the surrounding leagues. I am still going with St. Lucy's from what I know about their pitching. As far as a lineup goes I believe Chino Hills has the best 1-9 but we will see. Should be fun!!!

Pitcher alone does not make a team...you also need to score runs and play good defense when you don't have a strikeout pitcher on the mound.....I agree that the SGV does have a lot of good players and would like to see them play more tournaments in the IE and OC against the big Div 1 schools.

@shfan
"All three teams have players going D-1 which means nothing to me."

a little bitter?

Honestly, the top three of the SGV rankings should be between South Hills, Chino Hills, and St. Lucy's. Those three teams could be in any order and it could be correct. All three teams have players going D-1 which means nothing to me. It all depends on the players at the high school level. People always think that the name of the school that their daughter is going to makes them better than someone else. I could care less about that. Does someone going to Cal State Long Beach make them better than someone going to Citrus College. Not necessarily. I rank teams by how much talent the teams have; not by how impressive the schools they are going to be getting their degrees at. In my opinion, all three schools have great pitchers. South Hills has the best lineup while St. Lucy's has the best pitcher. Innamorato, Parks, and La Follette aren't far behind. South Hills has been the best team in the valley the last twos years even though they didn't finish the season on a good note. Two CIF Finals appearances in a row is damn impressive. Chino Hills went to the Semi-finals while St. Lucy's surprised a lot of people outside of the Sierra League by reaching the quarterfinals. Any way you look at it, the Sierra League is the best in the valley 100%. I even heard from a few insiders that it's the best league in CIF.

A lot of great players in the Sierra and surrounding leagues. Should be very exciting and can't wait for the season to begin. Still going with St. Lucy's because of the Pitchers. Chino Hills is obviously loaded and will be very tough to beat, Brittany Rodriguez is incredible and South Hills will be good again as well. Good luck to everyone.

Chino Hills has D1 players too:

Nikki Innamorato - Cal Poly SLO
Paige Gumz - Fresno St
Trisha Parks - Arizona
Tannon Snow - Arizona St
Garie Blando - UNLV
Nikki Girard - Arizona St

South Hills Too:

Brittney Rodriguez - UCLA
Kristen Stewart - Utah
Lexi Robles - St. John's

It's going to be a competitive season in the Sierra League....

I am picking St. Lucy's with 5 D1 Players

Danielle O'Toole, St. Lucy's, San Diego State
Danielle Mavridis, St. Lucy's, University of San Diego
Brandi Harkness, St. Lucy's, St. Joseph's
Laura Swan, St. Lucy's, University of Illinois at Chicago
Shannon Kent, St. Lucy's, Loyola Marymount University (Signed LOI in Softball not Soccer)

First game is less than a moNth away and teams are on the field practicing. Aram has already put out a football poll for NEXT season, we for sure can talk baseball/softball a few weeks from the forst scrimmage

Fred,
We are not even half way though the winter sports season and you put this out? And you are going to do same for baseball? It didn't take long for someone to step in it. HAHA!

Heard Bonita is on the re-load with another good freshmen class. Word is they will venture out of the sgv and ie, skip the rec ball tourney in palm springs and play in the oc. Go kitty's

Sorry must have forgot your kid!!!!!!!!

I think Fred is asking about the top area team and it's key players. You are trying to come up with an all area team even before the season starts. Let's see how the season plays out, and then you can nominate your daughter.

I think Fred is asking about the top area team and it's key players. You are trying to come up with an all area team even before the season starts. Let's see how the season plays out, and then you can nominate your daughter.

Pre Season All Area Softball Team
P-DANIEL O'TOOL-ST LUCY'S
C-BRITNEY RODRIGUEZ-SH
1B-LEXI GONZALEZ-BISHOP AMAT
2B-LEXI ROBLES-SH
SS-NIKKI GIRARD-CHINO HILLS
3B-BRANDI HARKNESS-ST LUCY'S
OF-NICKI SPRAGUE-CHARTER OAK
OF-BRIANNA CELAYA-AYALA
OF-PATRICIA PARKS-CHINO HILLS
WELL?

Expect good things from two Ontario High School Jaguar seniors, Melina Preciado (Ole' Miss) and Sabrina Gamboa (Western Michigan).

Gamboa was Mt. Baldy League Player of the Year in her Sophomore year at Ontario.

Of course, I'll ask this same question for baseball in the coming days, plus before the season starts, I want to do a pre-season all-area team for baseball and softball.

Fred, are you going to make a baseball preview?