New coach, same goals

Steve Virgen

The Costa Mesa High softball team has a new coach. Well, sort of.

Four years ago, Sharon Uhl coached the Mustangs and now she’s

back. Last year she went to several games, as she watched and

encouraged the Costa Mesa players.

Though she is in her first year back, the Mustangs’ goals remain

the same. Costa Mesa is on a quest to make history and record the

program’s first win in the CIF playoffs. Last year, the Mustangs won

their first league title, but for the fourth straight year they lost

their first game in the CIF playoffs.

Defending the league title and winning a CIF playoff game will

definitely be challenging for Costa Mesa, especially without

three-time All-CIF shortstop Ann Marie Topps, who now plays for

Oregon. However, the Mustangs return seven players, including five

who earned all-league honors last year in Jane-E Yamamoto, Michelle

Miller, Jackie Butler, Uyen Mai and Topps’ younger sister, Kelly, a

fast junior who will take over at shortstop.

“Our ultimate goal is to try and defend our Golden West League

championship,” Uhl said. “I don’t think they believe they can do

that, but I think they can. I want them to believe they can do it. I

have a good core coming back. You can’t replace Ann Marie, but

everyone is filling in and helping.”

Uhl, who is also the school’s girls athletic director, will depend

on her seniors to help in boosting confidence and motivating the

Mustangs. The seniors include Yamamoto, who plays second base and

pitches, Miller, the catcher, Teresa Lau, a returner who plays first

base, Mai, an outfielder, and Litha Ria, who played under Uhl on the

junior varsity team she coached three years ago.

The Mustangs’ juniors will also deliver key contributions, led by

Kelly Topps, who hit .300 against Golden West League pitching and

stole five bases on her way to first-team all-league recognition.

Paulina Rodriguez, a junior, will play in the outfield and is

another returner for Uhl’s squad.

Butler will be Costa Mesa’s No. 1 pitcher, and she has been off to

a hot start. She helped lead the Mustangs to wins over Newport Harbor

and Laguna Beach in the Costa Mesa tournament March 6. She struck out

eight and allowed just three hits in a 1-0 win over the Sailors and

then she threw a two-hitter in the Mustangs’ 9-3 win over Laguna

Beach.

“She is pitching better than ever,” Uhl said of the lefty. “She is

ahead of the pace she was at, at this point last year. She is a lot

faster and her drop is working. She can hit her locations.”

Uhl replaced Rick Buonarigo, who resigned after three seasons.

Last year, he guided the Mustangs to a 17-11 record and the program’s

first league title.