Oaks Christian’s Micaela Kastor spearheads 2022 Daily News All-Area softball team
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DAILY NEWS 2022 ALL-AREA SOFTBALL TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Micaela Kastor, Oaks Christian, Sr.
One of the most marquee names in Major League Baseball is Angels do-it-all star Shohei Ohtani. He can hit and he can pitch. He doesn’t just “do it,” he’s one of the league’s best at both. It’s something the league hasn’t seen since the likes of Babe Ruth.
What Oaks Christian softball player Micaela Kastor did this season isn’t as rare as Ohtani, given that numerous high school players pitch and hit, of course. But they don’t do it like Kastor does.
Like Ohtani, Kastor dominates at both. Micaela Kastor is the Shoei Ohtani of high school softball.
“I haven’t heard anyone make that comparison before, but it sounds good,” Kastor said laughing.
The Notre Dame-bound senior went 25-1 from the pitching circle this season with an eye-popping ERA of 0.51. She struck out 256 batters in 151 1/3 innings and gave up only 11 earned runs all year.
“It was just one of those games,” Kastor said of her one loss, which was to Los Alamitos in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. “It wasn’t a reflection of how we played this season. We had a redemption tour after that loss.”
End of 2.
Oaks Christian 0, Los Alamitos 0Micaela Kastor has 5Ks pic.twitter.com/KGnfbeASBG
— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) May 14, 2022
One of Kastor’s best games this year came in the regional playoffs when she threw a no-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk in Oaks Christian’s 5-0 win over San Marcos. She also hit two homers in the game – a solo shot on the first inning and a two-run homer in the third.
She was the catalyst for Oaks Christian’s remarkable 34-1 season, which ended with a victory over Eastvale Roosevelt in the CIF State SoCal Division I Regional final.
She helped her pitching cause from the batter’s box, piling up a team-high in hits (59), triples (8) and home runs (11). She batted .522, scored 40 runs and was walked 18 times in 35 games.
“I’ve always wanted to do both throughout my high school career,” Kastor said. “I can pick myself up with my bat if I’m not pitching how I’d like to, or I can pick myself up pitching if I’m not batting well. Just knowing I can still be there for my team if I’m off in one aspect is what drew me to be a two-way player.”
It was a season of pure domination.
It’s why Kastor is not only the Daily News’ Softball Player of the Year, but also the Gatorade California Softball Player of the Year. She also earned All-CIF honors and was named the Marmonte League MVP.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Brooke DeSmet, El Camino Real, Sr.
DeSmet was the one of the area’s most dominating pitchers this season, and certainly the best in the City Section.
The savvy senior went 22-6 from the circle in 30 appearances with an ERA of 2.82. She struck out 92 batters in 164 innings to pace El Camino Real to the program’s 18th City Section title, the most in section history.
El Camino Real softball rallies to beat Kennedy, claims program’s 18th City title
One of DeSmet’s best performances was in ECR’s lopsided victory over Cleveland when she gave up no hits in five innings and struck out 10 batters.
The Cal Lutheran University commit finished her career as a three-time City champion, winning the Open Division crown in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Christian Carbajal, Kennedy
Carbajal displayed the ultimate traits of a great high school coach this spring. The former standout softball player herself for the Cougars, led Kennedy to the LA City Section Open Division final as the No. 7 seed, and did it without an on-campus field.
Kennedy softball forges City title shot without home field; practicing in thrower’s pit, on blacktop
Every day, Carbajal and her team would find different places to practice. Sometimes it was the blacktop, sometimes it was in the track and field team’s throwers pit next to the football field.
“When there’s a will, there’s a way,” Carbajal would always claim.
Despite the challenges, Carbajal rallied her team to win the Valley Mission League title (playing home games at Petit Park), and it took down No. 2 Granada Hills Charter and No. 6 Carson en route to a City final loss to El Camino Real at Cal State Northridge.
The Cougars finished the season 23-6.
ALL-AREA TEAM
Marina Provencio, Saugus, Sr.
Provencio went 11-2 from the circle with an ERA of 1.81 and struck out 120 batters in 100 innings. She was named the Foothill League Pitcher of the Year.
Isabella Wellbaum, Louisville, So.
Wellbaum earned All-CIF honors and was named the Mission League Pitcher of the Year. She also led Louisville in hits (38) and batting average (.500) in 23 games.
Madison Finnerty, Moorpark, So.
Finnerty went 14-3 in 20 appearances with an ERA of 1.12. The super sophomore struck of 195 batters in 112 2/3 innings. She pitched a perfect game in a 5-0 CIF-SS semifinal victory on May 18. Finnerty was instrumental in getting Moorpark to its first CIF final since 1996. She also received All-CIF honors.
Kaitlyn Bartlow, Westlake, Jr.
Bartlow went 15-3 from the circle in 23 appearances with an ERA of 2.02. The junior struck out 125 batters in 97 innings, which earned her Marmonte League Pitcher of the Year honors.
Hailey Shuler, Sierra Canyon, So.
Shuler, who was named the Gold Coast League MVP, did it all for the Trailblazers. She struck out 108 batters in 73 innings, and also was great in the batter’s box with 30 hits, 24 RBIs and seven homers.
Cynthia Carrillo, El Camino Real, Sr.
Carrillo had 48 hits, 32 RBIs, 10 doubles, seven triples, five homers and batted .516 in 31 games. Carrillo helped ECR win the program’s 18th City title (the most in section history), was named West Valley League MVP and City Open Division Player of the Year.
Hannah Di Genova, El Camino Real, Sr.
Di Genova piled up 46 hits, 41 RBIs, 11 doubles, 10 home runs and batted .474 in 31 games. She was part of ECR’s City Section Open Division championship and was named to the All-City team.
Ella Parker, Notre Dame, Jr.
Parker had 41 hits, 31 RBIs, 11 home runs and batted .651 in 26 games. She earned All-CIF honors and was named Mission League MVP
Anahi Arreola, Oaks Christian, Jr.
Arreola had 49 hits, 47 RBIs, 11 homers and batted .471 in 34 games. She provided the walk-off hit that advanced the Lions to the CIF State SoCal Regional final.
Rylee McCoy, Oaks Christian, Jr.
McCoy had 40 hits, 41 RBIs, 13 doubles, 10 home runs and batted .367 in 35 games,
Alyssa Ramirez, Saugus, Sr.
Ramirez had 36 hits, 35 RBIs, 35 runs scored and batted .404 in 28 games. She received All-CIF honors and was named Foothill League MVP.
Kate Penberthy, Hart, Jr.
Big-bat Penberthy. The slugging junior had 51 hits, 47 RBIs, 13 homers and batted .554 in 28 games. She earned All-CIF honors.
Emily Jones, Westlake, Sr.
Jones had a team-high 54 hits, 34 RBIs, 12 doubles, five home runs, stole 17 bases and batted .593 in 26 games. She earned All-CIF honors and was named Marmonte League Offensive Player of the Year.
Lily Berlinger, Westlake, Sr.
Berlinger had 41 hits, 39 RBIs, 11 doubles, five homers and batted .432 in 26 games this season. She was named the Marmonte League Defensive Player of the Year.
Madison Zulager, Moorpark, Sr.
Zulager had 40 hits, 38 RBIs, 12 home runs and batted .426 in 28 games. She earned All-CIF honors after leading Moorpark to its first CIF-SS title appearance since 1996.
Alondra Dominguez, Kennedy, Sr.
Dominguez led the Cougars offense with 46 hits, 39 RBIs, 12 doubles and six homers in 24 games. She was selected to the All-City Open Division team.
Katelyn Garcia, Kennedy, Sr.
Garcia had 27 hits, 29 RBIs, and a team-high nine home runs in 23 games. She also stole six bases. Garcia was selected to the All-City Open Division team.
Cheyanne Marxer, Valencia, Sr.
Marxer batted .477 with a team-leading 33 RBIs along with 19 extra-base hits and six home runs.