Travel and recreational softball teams to end summer in major tournaments

By Loren Kopff

All of the hard work of the past 10 months for four teams from the Artesia Punishers program, as well as the previous two and a half months for a pair of recreational all-star teams, will be put on the line next week. That’s when those teams will participate in their various national or Western Nationals tournaments. Listed below is a brief capsule of all six teams, who they are and where they will play.
Artesia Punishers 18 Gold
Manager: Bob Medina
Destination: Premier Girls Fastpitch National Championship
Opening Ceremonies: July 29, 5:30 at Huntington Beach Central Park
Pool play games: July 28 and 29 at Fountain Valley Sports Park
Bracket games: July 30-Aug. 2 at Fountain Valley Sports Park
Championship game: Aug. 3, 6:00 at Deanna Manning Stadium at Colonel Bill Barber Park, Irvine
1. Raquel Manzo, 3B/1B/OF, La Habra High School
4. Samantha Edmiston, OF/2B, Lakewood High School
6. Anna Marin, C/1B, Fountain Valley High School
8. Megan Ottino, OF, Seattle University
11. Kayla Henmi, OF, South Torrance High School
12. Monica Rodriquez, 3B/C, Banning High School
13. Mariah Ponce, 1B/C
14. Jennifer Vasquez, C/SS/CF, Norwalk High School
17. Isabel Sanchez, OF
18. Kelly Tatum, 2B/SS/3B, Fountain Valley High School
19. Vienna Benavides, SS/2B
22. Madison Shipley, RF/3B, Cypress High School
24. Sydney Overly, P/OF, North Torrance High School/Boston University
25. Nicole Ayala, P/1B, Torrance High School/Southeastern Louisiana University
27. Camille Manzo, SS/2B/OF, La Habra High School
28. Ivy Campbell, 1B, Hemet High School
32. Sara Garcia, P/3B/OF, Santa Monica High School
34. Milana Casillas, P/OF/1B, College of the Canyons
42. Berlyn Benavides, OF
44. Amanda Lara, SS/2B/UT, University of Hawai’i, Hilo
45. Kristen Reitz, OF, Cypress High School
55. Alyssa Stolmack, IF, La Canada High School
96. Melissa Ortega, 2B/CF/SS, Notre Dame de Namur University
Bob Medina, the architect of the entire Artesia Punishers program, is back in a national tournament for the first time since 2010 when he took his then-18-Under team to the Amateur Softball Association ‘A’ National Championships in Hemet. Medina was invited to go to this season’s PGF National Championship despite failing to automatically qualify in both the Southern California and Las Vegas qualifiers. Medina won a national championship in 2007 in College Station, TX.
Artesia Punishers 18-Under
Manager: Higinio Valdez
Destination: Amateur Softball Association 18-Under ‘A’ Western Nationals
Opening Ceremonies: July 30, 5:30 at Mesa Marin Softball Complex, Bakersfield
Pool Play games: July 31 at Mesa Marin Softball Complex, Bakersfield
Bracket games: Aug. 1-2 at Mesa Marin Softball Complex, Bakersfield
Championship game: Aug. 2, 5:00 at Mesa Marin Softball Complex, Bakersfield
7. Daphne Gaspar, SS/2B/3B, Downey High School
10. Lauren Coronado, P/OF, Schurr High School/Odessa (TX) College
11. Tess Von Flue, 1B/OF, El Segundo High School
12. Jessica Gonzalez, C/OF, Carson High School/Odessa (TX) College
15. Dominique Salgado, 1B/3B, Valencia High School
20. Shannon Brooker, P, El Segundo High School
21. Brittany Juarez, OF, Downey High School
23. Alexis Pintado, SS/2B/OF, Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High School
30. Angela Gonzalez, 2B/OF, Carson High School/Odessa (TX) College
42. Paige Johnson, 3B/OF, Canyon High School
44. Ramie Barajas, P, Carson High School
54. Erika Garcia, 3B/OF, Katella High School
77. Vanessa Valdez, C/OF, Lakewood High School
The other 18-Under Artesia Punishers team is coming off a valiant performance in the Champions Cup where it won six straight games after losing its first three pool play games. The Punishers were three wins away from advancing to the finals of the Champions Cup. The Punishers are one of only 16 teams in the Western Nationals.
Artesia Punishers 12-Under
Manager: Danny Guerrero
Destination: Premier Girls Fastpitch National Championship
Opening Ceremonies: July 29, 5:30 at Huntington Beach Central Park
Pool play games: July 28 and 29 at Harvard Park, Irvine
Bracket games: July 30-Aug. 2 at Harvard Park, Irvine
Championship game: Aug. 3, 12:00 at Deanna Manning Stadium at Colonel Bill Barber Park, Irvine
5. Berlyn Carreon, C
8. Merissa Millette, 2B/OF
10. Amanda Valle, 3B/OF
11. Rachel Hermann, OF
13. Jazzmyn Loe, P/1B
21. Kendall Henscheid, P/1B
25. Madeline Pirnat, 1B/OF
27. Erica Guerrero, P/CF
28. Roxanne Habash, 3B/C
34. Alani Nguyen, 3B/OF
42. Danielle Lew, 2B
55. Karina Ibarra, SS
Danny Guerrero’s team might be the hottest of all of the Punisher squads heading into the final week of July. The team recently finished 9-2 in the Triple Crown World Series in San Diego, outscoring their four pool play opponents 32-5. Following a loss in the first bracket game, the Punishers won five straight elimination games and, just like the 18-Under team, needed three more wins to advance to the championship game.
Artesia Punishers 10-Under
Manager: Sam Dumlao
Destination: Amateur Softball Association 10-Under ‘A’ Western Nationals
Opening Ceremonies: July 29, 6:00 at United States Cellular Community Park, Medford, OR
Pool play games: July 30 and 31 at USCCP, Medford, OR
Bracket games: Aug. 1-4 at USCCP, Medford, OR
Championship game: Aug. 4, 12:00 at USCCP, Medford, OR
The Artesia Punishers 10-Under team has had a successful summer, finishing in fourth place in the ASA state tournament in Lancaster, but decided to stay in the West and go to the Western Nationals. The team also qualified for the Triple Crown World Series after winning the Mother’s Day Classic in Fountain Valley but again, decided to opt out of the TCWS. The Punishers are one of 13 teams in the Western Nationals.
2. Hannah Mearns, P/OF/1B
3. Zoey Gaxiola, C/OF
6. Amber Soch, 2B/OF
10. Alisha Valadez, C/OF
12. Briana Vigil, 1B/3B
13. Angelina Dumlao, 2B/OF
14. Makenzie Hutchinson, C/OF/3B
15. Marissa Doria, 3B/P/OF
16. Samantha Cervantes, 3B/SS/P/OF
20. Sydni Jones, SS/OF
24. Isabella Savala, P/C/1B/3B/OF
27. Emily Vasquez, 2B/OF
Cerritos Girls Softball Association 14-Under Infinity
Manager: Carlos Acosta
Destination: Amateur Softball Association 14-Under ‘B’ Western National Championship
Opening Ceremonies: July 29, 6:00 at Klein Family Field on the campus of the University of the Pacific, Stockton
Pool play games: July 30 at Arnaiz Stadium, Stockton
Bracket games: Aug. 1-3 at Arnaiz Stadium, Stockton
Championship game: Aug. 3 at Arnaiz Stadium, Stockton
4. Cassie Oravetz
5. Tena Spoolstra
6. Alyssa Rios
7. Kayla Vukovich
12. Kaylee McGarvey
13. Kennedy Miller
16. Brianna Spoolstra
17. Nasrin Samoa
22. Emma Wolff
28. Alora Murray
Sierra Baca
Jocelyn Nieto
The CGSA 14-Under Infinity All-Stars have gone 15-9 in six tournaments since Memorial Day weekend including 8-1 in pool play action in their first four tournaments. This is the first time since 2011 that any CGSA team has advanced to the Western Nationals and the third time ever. Only 27 teams will compete in this tournament.
Norwalk Girls Softball 10-Under
Manager: Mike Ritcharoen
Destination: Amateur Softball Association ‘B’ Western National Championship
Opening Ceremonies: July 31 at Peoria Rio Vista Sports Complex, Peoria, AZ
Pool play games: Aug. 1 at Peoria Rio Vista Sports Complex, Peoria, AZ
Bracket games: Aug. 2-4 at Peoria Rio Vista Sports Complex, Peoria, AZ
Championship game: Aug. 4 at Peoria Rio Vista Sports Complex, Peoria, AZ
Valerie Alvarez
Ashley Benavides
Destanie Cervantes
Raylene DeLoza
Jazmin Enriquez
Dalilah Garcia
Haylene Gonzalez
Clarissa Marrujo
Briana Morales
Brianna Nunez
Estefania Perez
Malea Ritcharoen