PITCHERKRISTEN DEDMONEsperanza; So.Was central figure in Esperanza’s...

PITCHER

KRISTEN DEDMON

Esperanza; So.

Was central figure in Esperanza’s first playoff run since 1988, reaching the Southern Section Division I finals. There, Aztecs lost to Rancho Cucamonga on an unearned run with two outs in the 12th inning. Dedmon went 20-5 with 17 shutouts, a 0.07 earned-run average and 229 strikeouts in 187 1/3 innings.

PITCHER

COURTNEY FOSSATTI

Foothill; Sr.

Arizona-bound Fossatti was a four-year first-team selection for Foothill, which was among the most highly-regarded teams in the nation. Fossatti went 20-3 with a 0.26 earned-run average and held opponents to a .101 batting average. Offensively, she batted .379 with five triples, 20 runs and 18 RBIs.

PITCHER

MICHELLE TURNER

Kennedy; Jr.

Second year on the first team, Turner is Kennedy’s first player of the year. She went 18-3 with a 0.12 ERA for the second-ranked Fighting Irish. She struck out 225 in 172 2/3 innings, and walked only five batters. She also played a pivotal role on offense with a .325 average, team-high 16 runs and eight RBIs.

PITCHER

MICHELLE WHITEMAN

Valencia; Sr.

Went 19-9 with 0.72 earned-run average, but looks were deceiving. Excluding season’s first week in which she had tendinitis and was missing three starters behind her, Whiteman closed 18-6 with 0.39 ERA, leading Valencia to share of the Orange League title and an upset of Pacifica in the Divison III quarterfinals.

CATCHER

ERIN SLETTVET

Canyon; So.

Few catchers were as good as Slettvet, who not only handled three distinctly different pitchers, but also threw out 23 of 31 runners attempting to steal. Also contributed offensively, batting anywhere from third to fifth in the lineup for the third-ranked Comanches (26-8-1) and delivering a .330 average with 12 RBIs.

FIRST BASEMAN

KRISTEN MANN

Foothill; Sr.

Mann didn’t commit an error in 216 chances, batted .344, scored 21 runs, and shared the team lead with 21 RBIs on the county’s top-ranked team. Few are more accomplished; a three-time first-team choice in basketball and softball, she has a basketball scholarship to UC Santa Barbara.

INFIELDER

LAUREN LAPPIN

SS; Loara; Jr.

A second-team designated hitter as a freshman catcher, Lappin makes the first team as a shortstop. Helped Loara to its first playoff victories in the program’s history. Had only 13 RBIs with four home runs, but scored 33 runs while batting third in the order. Her on-base average opened door for Alicia Owen to drive in 44 runs.

INFIELDER

DOMINIQUE LASTRAPES

SS; Laguna Hills; So.

Lastrapes made the transition from second base to shortstop out of necessity, and used her extensive range to help Laguna Hills (23-6) rise to No. 9 in the county rankings. A quick leadoff batter who was a second-team selection last season, Lastrapes batted .400, scored 22 runs and had 14 RBIs.

INFIELDER

JODIE LEGASPI

2B; Pacifica; So.

Dangerous and consistent, Legaspi wielded a potent bat on a 23-7 team. She batted .458 with 27 RBIs and she also scored 30 runs for the fifth-ranked Mariners, who won their 10th consecutive Garden Grove League title. With eight doubles, two triples and four homers, had a .708 slugging average.

OUTFIELDER

AUTUMN CHAMPION

CF; Foothill; Jr.

Champion, a second-team choice last season, often had to take pitches while batting second behind Caitlin Lowe, and still she had a stellar season. She batted .457, scored 23 runs and drove in 15. She also had a team-high 27 stolen bases that made Foothill’s top of the order the county’s most potent.

OUTFIELDER

DANA KENNEY

CF; Rosary; Sr.

Leadoff batter reached base in 28 of 29 games and had hits in 26 for the Royals (18-11). A first-team selection for the second year in a row, Kenney reached base in the first inning 18 times and scored nine. DePaul-bound, she batted .516, had a .580 on-base average and had 30 stolen bases.

OUTFIELDER

CAITLIN LOWE

LF; Foothill; So.

Two-time first-team selection was among county’s quickest players. She was the sparkplug in Foothill’s lineup. An outstanding leadoff batter, she hit .521, scored 28 runs and had 13 RBIs. She also had 26 stolen bases. Maybe most amazing was her .628 slugging average for the 30-3 Knights.

DESIGNATED HITTER

ALICIA OWEN

2B; Loara; Jr.

The first team’s DH for the second consecutive season, Owen led the county’s public schools with 46 RBIs, 16 more than the next closest player. She also hit eight home runs, and came up big in the clutch. She had the winning hit in seven league and three playoff victories, including an upset of Foothill.

UTILITY

LAURA MIKLOS

P/SS; Orange Lutheran; Sr.

Miklos was one of the primary reasons Orange Lutheran won the Southern Section Division V title, pitching the Lancers (23-8) past Paraclete, 4-0. She batted .455 in the leadoff spot and scored 23 runs, and when she didn’t play shortstop, she was pitching for the Lancers. She went 13-5 with a 0.40 ERA.