All-Madera Tribune Softball Team
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
After a slow start to the 2021 season, Galvan finished with a flurry. She helped lead the Coyotes to a 15-3 record over the final 18 games while compiling a 1.94 ERA in those games. She was named the County/Metro Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player and earns The Madera Tribune’s Softball Most Valuable Player award, as well.
Most Valuable Player
Alexis Galvan, P Jr. Madera
Stats: .293 BA, 12 hits, 2 2B, HR, 10 RBI, 14-8 record, 2.80 ERA, 148 K, 137 1/3 IP.
All-League: County/Metro Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player
As “Noodles,” as Galvan is affectionately nicknamed, went, so did the Coyotes. The season came up quickly on Galvan and the rest of the Coyotes so it took a little for the chemistry and the conditioning to kick in. It also didn’t help that head coach Judy Shaubach scheduled a gauntlet of Clovis schools. Madera went 0-6 to open the season. In those six games, Galvan allowed 35 runs, 26 earned, in 32 2/3 innings for a 5.58 ERA. However, in the 18 games that followed, Madera went 15-3 while Galvan had a 1.94 ERA with 29 earned runs over 18 games. She allowed 7.7 hits and 1.7 walks per game in the first six contests. In the following 18, she allowed just 4.8 hits and 1.3 walks. She also struck out just 3.8 batters in the first six, but struck out 6.9 batters in the final 18. She also helped herself at the plate by hitting almost .300 and also hit her first career home run. In getting named the Most Valuable Player in the County/Metro Athletic Conference, Noodles went 9-0 in the circle. In 53 innings, she allowed just 13 runs for a 1.72 ERA. She struck out 76 batters and gave up just 16 walks to go only with a no-hitter and a perfect game. She is already second in most career no-hitters and career shutouts. By the time she graduates, she should climb the charts to third in wins, second in strikeouts and third in innings pitched. She is a two-time All-Madera Tribune selection.
Pitcher of the Year
Karsyn Bauer, P Fr. Liberty
Stats: .394 BA, 28 hits, 18 runs, 22 RBI, 15-6 record, 1.39 ERA, 125 2/3 IP, 105 K.
All-League: North Sequoia Conference Pitcher of the Year, 1st Team.
Talk about coming onto the scene like gangbusters. Liberty lost one of their best pitchers in history (Sarah Shevenell) to the pandemic. However, in stepped Bauer, who had one of the best freshman seasons in Liberty history. She certainly helped herself at the plate hitting close to .400 and driving in 22 runs. She did most of her damage in the circle. She put the team on her back during the North Sequoia League championship run. Although she could be a little wild (76 walks), she bore down when she needed to and allowed 25 earned runs all season long. She was unquestionably named the NSL Pitcher of the Year and should be on this list for the next three years.
Offensive Player of the Year
Erika Perez, 3B Jr. Madera
Stats: .500 BA, 21 runs, 32 hits, 9 2B, 16 RBI.
All-League: CMAC 1st Team
Not having Perez on the field early in the season hurt. Madera’s turnaround could also coincide with getting Perez back after she spent the first couple of weeks on recruiting trips. However, Perez didn’t really explode at the plate until head coach Judy Shaubach moved her to the lead-off spot. There, Perez excelled and became just the second player in Coyote history to hit .500 or better. She did challenge Tayah Hernandez (2019 Tribune MVP) for the school record, but has another year to do that. Perez was even better in the CMAC where she hit .618 with nine RBIs and a team-leading 16 runs scored. Perez was a first team All-CMAC recipient and this is her second All-Tribune selection.
The Team
Eliza Nunez, C Jr. Madera
Stats: .356 BA, 26 H, 9 2B, 18 RBI.
All-League: CMAC 2nd Team
The Coyotes are junior heavy and should be a force next season. Nunez, although a little too relaxed behind the plate receiving the ball, was a force in the middle of the Coyotes’ line-up. Nunez had the tendency to get the clutch hit or get a hit off a pitcher Madera was struggling with to get the offense going. She hit nine doubles this year and is tied with Perez three others for eighth on the career doubles list with a legitimate shot at the record of 35. Nunez is a two-time All-Tribune selection.
Katlyn Edmundson, C Jr. Liberty
Stats: .383 BA, 25 runs, 28 RBI, 7 2B, 7 HR.
All-League: NSL 1st Team
Edmundson not only provided a lot of pop to the Liberty line-up, but she also gave big hitter Lauren Chapman some protection in the line-up. Both batters hit seven home runs on the year, which is tied for sixth all-time. She also drove in a team-tying 28 runs in her first full year on the Liberty varsity squad.
Kaylee Patlan, 1B Sr. Madera
Stats: .250 BA, 8 runs, 15 hits.
All-League: CMAC Honorable Mention
Patlan, basically, makes the list on one swing of the bat. The Coyotes were tied with the Bullard Knights in the bottom of the seventh with a runner at third. Patlan came off the bench and doubled over the center fielder’s head to give the Coyotes their first sweep of the Knights in 10 years and helped lead the Coyotes to an undefeated CMAC title. Patlan also supplied athleticism at the position. She came up with some amazing catches on bunt pop-ups to foil any chances of advancing runners. She was also a co-winner of The Madera Tribune’s Sportsmanship Award.
Desiree Sanchez, 1B Jr. Liberty
Stats: .258 BA, 15 runs, 24 hits, 17 RBI
All-League: NSL 2nd Team
Sanchez also benefited from a full year in a Hawks’ uniform. She was solid near the bottom of the middle of the Hawks’ order. She was one of eight Hawks to drive in 15 or more runs and one of seven to hit three doubles in the year. She also was the only player besides Chapman and Edmundson with more than one home run. She helps lead a senior-heavy and powerful Hawks team into next season.
Lealani Ricks, 2B Sr. Madera
Stats: .338 BA, 22 runs, 10 SB
All-League: CMAC 2nd Team
The unquestionable leader of the 2021 Coyotes’ squad. She picked up from the previous year’s squad that had five players move on to play softball in college. Ricks, a Howard University recruit, hit near the top of the Coyote order for most of the season. She gave the Coyotes speed on the bases and leadership on the field. She hit. 423 during the CMAC season and scored 15 runs.
Saylor Steiner, 2B So. Liberty
Stats: .347 BA, 20 runs, 25 hits, 15 RBI
All-League: NSL 2nd Team
Steiner gave the Hawks speed at second. She also helped herself by hitting almost .350 the entire season. She was third on the team in at-bats and scored 20 runs. She played in all 27 games for head coach Steve Uyeda and was as dependable as they come.
Anna Garcia, 2B Jr. Madera South
Garcia was one of three standouts for the Stallions’ squad. A quiet, but dependable player for head coach Peter Gallegos. She was always there to be written on the line-up card at second base. She fluctuated throughout the line-up before settling in the middle.
Lauren Chapman, 3B Jr. Liberty
Stats: .435 BA, 29 runs, 28 RBI, 8 2B, 7 HR.
All-League: NSL 1st Team
If her sophomore season hadn’t been cut because of COVID-19, Chapman’s name would be at or near the top of nearly every Liberty offensive record. She is sixth all-time in batting average (.433), tied for sixth in home runs (8) and 14th in RBIs (58). She has a legitimate shot to move in to the top five in RBIs, top four in home runs and top 10 in hits. She is the big hitter in the middle of the Liberty line-up. She is a two-time All-Tribune selection.
Kailea Ricks, SS Fr. Madera
Stats: .394 BA, 28 H, 19 R, 102B, 21 RBI
All-League: CMAC 1st Team
Ricks had arguably one of the best freshman seasons in Coyote history. She was near .400 all year long despite getting shuffled between the top four spots in the Coyotes’ line-up. She was the ying to her sister’s yang. While her sister relied on her slapping ability, Kailea straight out mashed the ball. He led the team in doubles and was second in RBIs in just her freshman year. More good things are expected from her in the next three seasons.
Jaclyn Smith, SS Sr. Liberty
Stats: .365 BA, 20 runs, 23 hits.
All-League: NSL 2nd Team
Talk about dependability. Smith has been the Liberty starting shortstop since she entered the scene in 2018. She ends her four-year run with a .363 career batting average with 93 hits and 63 runs scored despite getting just 32 at-bats last season. Her name can be found in almost every offensive category in the Liberty record book. She was the Hawks’ City/County All-Star game representative and it was only fitting because she was Liberty’s lone senior. She is a two-time All-Madera Tribune selection.
Brianah Hamilton, CF So. Madera
Stats: .389 BA, 24 runs, 28 hits, 7 HR, 25 RBIs
All-League: CMAC 2nd Team
Talk about making an entrance. Hamilton did just that for the Coyotes by setting the school record for home runs in a season with seven. She led the team in RBIs and runs scored and was tied for second in hits while she was one of five Coyotes with double-digit steals. What makes her more interesting is her attitude. She does everything she can to help her team win and will be counted on next season.
Sarah Walter, LF-RF Sr. Madera
Stats: .362 BA, 17 runs, 21 hits, 11 SB.
All-League: CMAC 2nd Team
Walter really excelled during the CMAC season. She hit .480 from the No. 9 spot in the line-up. She added seven RBIs and 12 runs scored. She may have been the only No. 9 batter selected to represent her team at the City/County All-Star game where she was able to show off her speed with a lead-off double, going to third on a wild pitch and scoring on an infield hit. She was The Madera Tribune’s selection for its Sportsmanship Award, as well.
Arissa Arias, RF-LF Sr. Madera
Stats: .273 BA, 10 runs, 15 hits.
All-League: CMAC Honorable Mention
Arias was the quiet one of a quiet outfield. However, she let her bat do her talking. Although her average wasn’t as high as she would have liked, she came up big in clutch moments. She also batted .313 during the CMAC season with five runs scored despite missing a couple of games due to illness.
Paige Chapman, CF Jr. Liberty
Stats: .428 BA, 32 runs, 39 hits, 2 3B, 11 SB
All-League: NSL 2nd Team
Like her twin sister, Paige’s name can be found near the top of every offensive category in the Liberty record book. However unlike her twin, Paige’s game is more speed to Lauren’s power game. Paige was the only Hawk to reach double-figures in stolen bases. By the time her senior year is over, Chapman could hit the top 10 in career hits, top three in triples and top three in stolen bases. Like her sister, she is a two-time All-Tribune selection.
Rylee Bocchini, LF Fr. Liberty
Stats: .568 BA, 42 Hi, 24 RBI, 7 2B.
All-League: NSL 1st Team
Bocchini became the first player in five years to record a batting average of .500 or more and finished second to Devin Kochergen’s .590 in batting average. She helps lead a freshman class that gave significant contributions to the Hawks’ run to the Valley Championship game. She was tied for second in RBI, led the team in hits and was second in runs scored in just her freshman season.
Elena Garcia, C-1B-P Sr. Madera South
All-League: CMAC 2nd Team
One thing Garcia could do for the past four years was hit. She was a fixture near the top of the line up for the past four seasons. Nicknamed Lefty because she was a solid hitter from that side of the box. Her sweet swing resulted in many highlights during her Stallions’ career.
Mariah Williams, P-1B So. Madera South
All-League: CMAC 2nd Team
Williams’ was the go-to pitcher for the Stallions. With her icy demeanor behind those sunglasses on the mound, Williams had the face made for a dominating pitcher. She helped keep the Stallions in the game, despite what was happening behind her. He also helped herself at the plate by also being a solid hitter in the middle of the line-up.
