SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE’S 2018 HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL ALL-AREA TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Savannah Diederich, Los Altos, Senior
The Los Altos High School softball season was a thrill ride, and at the controls was senior pitcher Savannah Diederich. She was gritty, she was determined, and she simply stood above the rest in leading the Conquerors to a remarkable 28-3 record, an undefeated run to the Hacienda League title, and a yes-we-can march to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals, something almost unheard of for a bunch of neighborhood players in arguably the country’s toughest division.
Diederich, a University of Mississippi signee, pitched every game for the Conquerors, who had 28 victories. She finished with a 1.50 ERA and 251 strikeouts, which was simply an amazing accomplishment considering the tough nonleague tournament schedule the Conquerors played to prepare for the postseason. And if that wasn’t enough, she also hit.374 with 23 RBIs, 10 doubles and two home runs.
For her efforts, Diederich has been selected the San Gabriel Valley Tribune’s 2018 softball player of the year for the second consecutive season. She also was named the Hacienda League MVP and is expected to be named to the CIF-SS Division 1 first team.
“She’s a complete all-around player,” Los Altos coach Lydell McCullough said. “She hits the ball in the gap, for power, and that’s what we need in the middle of our lineup. I doubt there are very many complete players around doing what she’s doing against the competition she’s doing it against.”
And in the circle?
“You don’t have a chance unless you have pitching,” McCullough said. “I think Savannah’s confidence is at an an all-time high. Her leadership has gone to another level. Her work ethic over the past year has taken her to another level, and having the success we have and proving to ourselves that we can compete with these teams has taken our (team) confidence to another level, and that all starts with Savannah.”
In fact, it took a team like Norco, which boasted a starting lineup that featured every single player either signed or committed to Division 1 colleges, to beat Los Altos in the semifinals.
That is also what’s remarkable. Of Los Altos’ three losses, two came to Norco and the other came against Orange Lutheran, another section power.
Los Altos’ 2-0 quarterfinal win over Great Oak may have been Diederich’s signature game. She tossed a shutout against one of the hottest-hitting lineups around.
Diederich said she relishes the big moments.
“I think so,” Diederich said. “The big moments, the challenges, I love it. I want all the eyes on me, I love having all the pressure on me. Give me that situation and I thrive off it.”
And when it was all over, Diederich found something bigger than herself to reflect on.
“I grew up with all these girls,” Diederich said of her teammates. “The legacy we built was so much bigger than us. We made history. We came here to show everyone who we are, and we’re so proud of each other for what we accomplished.”
COACH OF THE YEAR: Lydell McCullough, Los Altos
When Los Altos reached the CIF-SS Division 3 quarterfinals a year ago, Los Altos coach Lydell McCullough figured that 2018 would be the year the Conquerors closed the deal and won a championship for only the second time in school history, because the team returned practically every starter.
And while all that was true, the unthinkable happened when the CIF Southern Section reshuffled its divisions based on parity, putting Los Altos in Division 1, where it would have to take on not just the best in Southern California, but teams ranked in the state and nationally.
But McCullough challenged his team to be bigger and bolder than ever before, and it answered his challenge.
Los Altos not only finished a remarkable 28-3, it went undefeated in the Hacienda League and advanced to the Division 1 semifinals. While it might not have won a championship, advancing to the Final Four on Southern California’s biggest stage — in some ways — was just as satisfying.
For his efforts, McCullough has been selected the San Gabriel Valley Tribune’s 2018 softball coach of the year.
“This season couldn’t have gone any better for me,” McCullough said. “When you think about the quality of wins and the heights we have reached in terms of rankings, I’m just in awe of this team.”
Los Altos was ranked as high as 15th nationally by one publication before it lost in the CIF-SS semifinals to eventual champion Norco. And in the playoffs, trailing 2-0 against Camarillo going into the bottom of the seventh in the first round, the Conquerors came back to win 4-3 in nine innings.
“To beat perennial Southern California power teams like Pacifica and Mater Dei during the season — both of whom we had to come from behind to win, was unreal,” McCullough recalled. “We won a second straight undefeated league title. And to show our resilience in the playoffs coming back against Camarillo and beating a loaded Great Oak team in the quarterfinals. What more can you say?”
And what made McCullough even more proud is that while most of his players are homegrown neighborhood kids, so is he.
“Honestly, it meant the world to me,” McCullough said of the season. ” I grew up in Hacienda Heights. I went to Los Altos. There’s a lot of pride there. Knowing that these girls have known and competed against each other since there were 6 years old is truly special. The last two years we have had a family environment. You can see all these girls genuinely care and love one another.”
FIRST TEAM AT A GLANCE
Los Altos’ super season landed four players on the first team, and all four were named to the all-Hacienda League first team.
Infielder Kelly Monroy, who batted .390 with 18 RBIs, was joined by fellow infielder Jocylyn Vidal, who was a hitting machine, batting .452 with five homers and 26 RBIs.
Los Altos outfielder Brianna Santos was special too, hitting .428 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs. Catcher Mikayla Ceballos, a sophomore, hit .420 with five home runs and 20 RBIs.
The Tribune’s three first-team pitchers all had special seasons.
San Dimas’ Samantha Garcia was named the Valle Vista league MVP, going 16-5 with a 1.32 ERA and 191 strikeouts. And she also hit .477 with 31 RBIs and 10 home runs.
South El Monte’s Nevaeh Castruita was the Mission Valley League MVP, finishing 17-2 with a 1.33 ERA with 154 strikeouts in leading her team to a 20-2 record and MVL title. She also hit .536 with 31 RBIs and four doubles.
Edgewood senior Kennedy Cuevas led her team to a 17-2 overall record, the league title and the second round of the Division 5 playoffs.
The talent behind the plate was so fierce this season, three catchers earned first-honors. In addition to Los Altos’ Ceballos, Charter Oak senior Jantzen Owen and San Dimas’ Clarissa Reynoso also were named to the first team and both were first-team all-league selections. Owen batted .383 with three home runs and 25 RBIs. Reynoso batted .344 with 15 RBIs and seven doubles.
St. Lucy’s Samantha Garcia, Lauren Nunez and Bonita’s Camyl Armendarez were named first-team infielders. Garcia batted a whopping .446 with 22 RBIs and six home runs to earn Baseline League first-team honors. Also on the Baseline first team was Nunez, who hit .316 with 10 RBIs and seven doubles.
Armendarez, a sophomore, was named to the Palomares first team after hitting. 405 with 23 RBIs and six home runs.
South Hills won the Palomares League title, and utility player Quinn DeAvila and outfielder Alexis Lujan, who both earned first-team all-league honors, were a big reason why. De Avila, who played a multiple of positions, batted .400 with two home runs and Lujan batted .360 with 15 stolen bases and a homer.
Glendora’s Chloe Bahruth and Bonita’s Megan Jones were also named first-team outfielders. Bahruth, also named to the all-Palomares first team, batted .371 with 30 RBIs and four home runs. Jones batted .446 with 23 RBIs and five doubles.
FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: Samantha Garcia, San Dimas, Sr.
Pitcher: Kennedy Cuevas, Edgewood, Sr.
Pitcher: Nevaeh Castruita, South El Monte, Jr.
Utility: Quinn DeAvila, South Hills, Sr.
Catcher: Clarissa Reynoso, San Dimas, Sr.
Catcher: Jantzen Owen, Charter Oak, Sr.
Catcher: Mikayla Ceballos, Los Altos, So.
Infield: Kelly Monroy, Los Altos, Sr.
Infield: Samantha Garcia, St. Lucy’s, Sr.
Infield: Lauren Nunez, St. Lucy’s, Sr.
Infield: Camyl Armendarez, Bonita, So.
Infield: Jocylyn Vidal, Los Altos, Jr.
Outfield: Chloe Bahruth, Glendora, Jr.
Outfield: Alexis Lujan, South Hills, Sr.
Outfield: Megan Jones, Bonita, Sr.
Outfield: Brianna Santos, Los Altos, Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: Amanda Hernandez, Bishop Amat, Jr.
Pitcher: Sal Munoz, South Hills, Jr.
Catcher: Clareese Santiago, Glendora, Jr.
Catcher: Natalie Sicairos, Diamond Ranch, So.
Utility: Felicia De La Torre, South Hills, Jr.
Utility: Hanna Becerra, Diamond Ranch,
Infield: Desiree Marin, Bishop Amat, Fr.
Infield: Janelle Meono, Wilson, Jr.
Infield: Alanna Barraza, Diamond Ranch, Jr.
Infield: Ashlei Sanchez, San Dimas, Sr.
Infield: Emily Bracamonte, Wilson, Jr.
Infield: Jadelyn Juarez, Bishop Amat, So.
Infield: Raeleen Gutierrez, St. Lucy’s, Jr.
Infield: Bailey Chavez, Los Altos, Sr.
Outfield: Morgan Salgado, Charter Oak, So.
Outfield: Clarissa Reynoso, San Dimas, Jr.
Outfield: Melissa Felix, Los Altos, Sr.
Outfield: Danielle Ruiz, South El Monte, Sr.
FINAL TOP TEN
1. Los Altos (28-3)
2. South Hills (20-7-1)
3. San Dimas (21-9)
4. Bonita (14-10)
5. Charter Oak (12-10)
6. South El Monte (20-2)
7. Edgewood (17-2)
8. Wilson (17-9)
9. Bishop Amat (16-12)
10. St. Lucy’s (11-15)
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Baseline: Chino Hills
Del Rey: St. Paul
Hacienda: Los Altos
Miramonte: Edgewood
Mission Valley: South El Monte
Montview: Sierra Vista
Palomares: South Hills
Valle Vista: San Dimas
