Season starts with tournament play

Mike Sciacca

The 2004 prep softball season begins in full force this weekend, with

three local schools involved in tournament play.

Below is a capsule look at three of the local prep teams:

Ocean View Seahawks

League: Golden West

Head Coach/Year: Kathy Ponce/Fifth

2003 record: 9-12 overall; 6-6 in league

CIF Result: Didn’t qualify for the playoffs, first time since

1992.

Returners: Jennifer Shafizadeh, SS, .412, first-team all-league,

Sr., committed to Columbia University; Jesica Cruz, 2B, .375,

first-team all-league, team co-MVP, Sr.; Jessica Lupton, OF,

first-team all-league, team co-MVP, Sr.; Jerian Isfeld, P,

second-team all-league, Sr., committed to Southern Virginia; Jen

Walker, Sr., committed to Indiana Tech.

Key Newcomers: Nikki Ayres, P, transfer, Jr.; Melissa Point, P/3B,

Jr.; Sara Seman, 3B, OF, Sr.

Team Outlook: Ocean View found itself in an uncustomary position

last spring, as it missed the CIF playoffs for the first time since

1992. The Seahawks begin their season March 20 at the Northwood

Tournament.

“We did not lose anyone to graduation, and with the addition of

three new, strong players, we are in the hunt for a league title,”

Ponce said. “Last year was the first time that we didn’t qualify for

CIF since 1992, when I was a student at Ocean View, so we are

definitely looking to go back. I don’t see any real weaknesses, but

we need to play together as a team, and play to our ability. We have

three players who have committed to four-year universities.”

Edison Chargers

League: Sunset

Head Coach/Year: Suzy Mathieson/Eighth

2003 Record: 15-15 overall; 3-7 league

CIF Results: Did not qualify

Returners: Alex Bottorff, C, Sr.; Monica Chavez, 3B, Sr.; Heather

Hamilton, OF/C, all-league, Jr.; Vanessa Hardway, OF/SS, Jr.; Jessica

Marlow, CF/SS, Soph.; Jackie Obie, OF/2B, Jr.; Ashley Westphal, 1B,

all-league, Sr.; Alexandra Wilson, 2B/OF, Sr.

Key Newcomers: Jessica Aldrich, P/1B, Soph.; Monica Bledsoe, 2B,

Fr.; Britney Gorman, Utility, Soph.; Krystina Ramirez, P, Soph.

Outlook: “Strong senior leadership could help to produce a few

more wins this season,” said Coach Suzy Mathieson, whose Chargers

open play Saturday at the Cypress Tournament.

Huntington Beach Oilers

League: Sunset

Head Coach/Year: Bob Macias/First

2003 Record: 1-9 in league

Returners: Holly Jackson, SS/P, all-league, Sr.; Brittany Hay, 3B,

all-league, Jr.; Victoria Batistelli, C, Sr.; Karissa Plotnik,

C/P/Utility, Soph.

Key Newcomers: Samantha Randall, 2B/OF, Soph.; Mallory Smith,

CF/Utility, Soph.; Nikki Uranga, Utility, Soph.; Simone Permenter,

Utility, Soph.

Outlook: The Oilers are playing their first season under Bob

Macias, who previously coached Connie Mack Baseball for 25 years and

was a scout for the Houston Astros.

Huntington joins Edison and Marina Saturday at the Cypress

Tournament.

“We’re looking forward to a good season,” Macias said. “We have a

good group of sophomores and with the leadership of the seniors on

the team, we will be very competitive. We are, perhaps, in one of the

toughest leagues in the county and our nonleague schedule is very

hard.”

Marina Vikings

League: Sunset

Head Coach/Year: Shelly Luth; 14th

2003 Record: 17-10 overall

2003 CIF Results: Lost in first-round

Returners: Krystal Heinle, P, 0.62 ERA, .430 avg., Soph.; Britt

Boyer, C, .338 avg., all-league, Jr.; Mandee Farish, 3B, .260 avg.,

Soph.; Amanda Marchegiano, 2B/SS, .188 avg., Sr.

Key Newcomers: Michelle Fuzzard, P/1B.

Outlook: Marina will field a young squad, with Marchegiano the

only senior on the roster. Among the returners are first-team

all-leaguer Boyer and Heinle, who was the Sunset League’s most

valuable pitcher and rookie of the year as a freshman.

“We have excellent pitching and that is a great start,” Coach

Shelly Luth said. “We are very young with only one senior; however,

Amanda has awesome leadership skills and is leading our young players

everyday. We will definitely be competitive within the county and I

expect us to do very well in the Sunset League.”