High school athletic programs throughout the Sac-Joaquin Section had their seasons cut short in 2020-21 due to COVID-19 safety concerns.

Ceres High’s and Central Valley’s softball teams are looking forward to playing a full slate of games this spring.

“It will be awesome to get an actual full season in post COVID,” Hawks’ head coach Regina Selfridge said. “Last year was rough. We had girls playing multiple sports at the same time … You should have seen the practice game schedule I had to create and share with the girls. It had to be color coded for wrestling, volleyball, and softball. It was nuts.”

Added Bulldogs’ leader Mike Corsaut: “It’s been two years since we had a full season. I’m just glad we get to play. I’m excited to see what happens.”

 Ceres High will look to continue its winning ways in 2022.

Central Valley is trying to establish a tradition of excellence.

“Ceres High is known for its softball program and how well it’s done in the past,” Corsaut said. “We want to carry that forward.”

“The goal as it is for every season is to do better than the previous season,” Selfridge said. “Along with that, we want the girls to grow as players not only in their defensive position and batting capabilities, but in their knowledge of the game.”

Ceres High has 15 players on its roster.

Alayna DeLaTorre (Sr.), Brooklyn Heffernan (Sr.), Celeste Leon (Sr.), Sehren Martinez (Jr.), Isabela Giraldes (So.) and Aryana Maldonado (So.) are returners.

Tatum George (Jr.), Natalie Gomes (Jr.), Kareli Hernandez (Jr.), Emma Johnson (Jr.), Antonia Solis (So.), Alizae Cole (Fr.), Ava Montesdeoca (Fr.), Nani Sagapolu (Fr.) and Maddie Schultz (Fr.) are newcomers.

Heffernan was voted Most Valuable Player of the Western Athletic Conference South Division as a junior. She posted a 10-0 record in league play with a 0.88 earned-run average, 118 strikeouts, seven complete games and one save. Heffernan batted .375 on the year with one home run, one triple, seven doubles, 17 RBIs, 22 runs and four stolen bases. She had on-base, slugging and on-base plus slugging percentages of .485, .589 and 1.074, respectively.

Giraldes and Martinez both earned first-team all-league honors.

Giraldes batted .606 with two triples, four doubles, 21 RBIs, 23 runs and six stolen bases.

Martinez batted .450 with seven doubles, 20 RBIs, 30 runs and 10 stolen bases.

Central Valley’s roster consists of 10 players.

Kylie Maines (Sr.), Julia Roton (Sr.), Soria Corona (Jr.), Janessa Godinez (Jr.), Micaela Martinez (Jr.), Victoria Lloyd (Jr.), Allie Peterman (Jr.), Priscilla Hamidat (So.) and Jannet Valencia (So.) are returners.

The Hawks have one newcomer in Destiny Herrera (Fr.).

Lloyd, Peterman and Godinez were selected to the WAC South First Team as sophomores.

Lloyd batted .595 from the plate with 12 RBIs and 10 runs.

Peterman batted .537 with one homer, one triple, six doubles, 20 RBIs and eight runs.

Godinez batted .436 with three doubles, eight RBIs and 19 runs.

Ceres High and Central Valley finished first and third, respectively, in the WAC South during the 2021 COVID-shortened season. 

The Bulldogs and Hawks will compete in different leagues this year as the conferences they previously belonged to prior to temporary realignment reassembled.

Ceres High and Central Valley returned to the WAC and Central California Conference.

“We don’t care which league we play in,” Selfridge said. “We just want to play the sport we love.”

The Bulldogs and Hawks compiled 15-0 and 8-7 records, respectively, versus WAC South competition a year ago. Central Valley compiled a winning record in league play for the first time in program history.

Ceres High’s 2022 conference schedule features games against Beyer, Johansen, Grace Davis, Los Banos, Pacheco, Lathrop and Mountain House.

Central Valley will play Patterson, Atwater, Buhach Colony, Merced, Golden Valley and El Capitan during the CCC season.

The Bulldogs and Hawks will be vying for postseason berths.

Ceres High had a combined record of 28-1 while claiming league titles in 2021 and 2019.

“A successful season is one in which all the girls have improved their batting average from the beginning of the season and we have improved our defense,” Selfridge said. “Playoffs are always a possibility.”

“They can be as good as they want to be,” Corsaut stated. “It comes down to executing.”