Giants' softball reloads in quest for another conference title, playoff appearance
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
As College of the Sequoias' softball team prepares to launch the 2025 season, it will do so without the majority of the players who helped produce a Central Valley Conference championship and Northern California Regional playoff appearance a year ago.
Only three regulars -- pitcher/corner infielder Grace Chojnacki (Mission Oak High), first baseman/catcher/outfielder Skye Gomez (Corona) and outfielder/third baseman Susie Ortega (Mission Oak) -- return from a team that went 30-10 overall, 15-3 in the CVC to tie Fresno City for the title and reached the NorCal Regionals for the fifth time in the past six championship seasons.
Chojnacki figures to play a prominent role when the Giants open the season on the road at Modesto on Jan. 28 in a nonconference doubleheader scheduled for noon and 2 p.m. Chojnacki went 10-5 with a 1.47 earned-run average and 92 strikeouts in 118 2/3 innings while splitting duties in the circle last season with CVC Pitcher of the Year Bailee Bustos. Chojnacki also is Sequoias' top returning hitter, after finishing with a .336 batting average along with 12 doubles, a triple, two home runs and 32 RBIs last season.
Gomez and Ortega also contributed to the Giants capturing the 20th conference championship in program history last season, with Gomez hitting .297 with a double and 11 RBIs, while Ortega hit .262 with a double and eight RBIs.
Sequoias returns one other player, pitcher/outfielder Celina Banuelos (Hanford), who got into five games and went hitless in two at-bats last season.
The Giants welcome one sophomore transfer in pitcher/outfielder Nayzeth Gonzalez (Hanford), who hit .368 with two RBIs in 13 games at Solano in 2024.
A nine-member freshman class features two potential impact players in pitcher/corner infielder Taylor Hastin (Tulare Union) and catcher/third baseman Shelby Somavia (Redwood).
Hastin sat out last season with an injury, but was a dual threat for Tulare Union during her senior season in 2023, hitting .379 with 11 doubles, five home runs and 30 RBIs, while also going 8-1 with a 0.89 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 70 2/3 innings as a pitcher.
Somavia was one of the best hitters in the area last season at Redwood, posting a .481 batting average with 14 doubles, six home runs and 28 RBIs.
Sequoias recruited two players from Hanford in catcher/utility Madison Lujan and utility Madisyn Benedict. Lujan hit .263 with three doubles and five RBIs, while Benedict hit .262 with three doubles and three RBIs for the Bullpups last season.
The Giants also landed two players from Corcoran in shortstop/outfielder Emilee Santos and outfielder Rozalynn Yang-Garza. Santos hit .416 with nine doubles, a triple, and homer and 12 RBIs, while Yang-Garza hit .238 with seven doubles, a triple and six RBIs for the Panthers as seniors.
The rest of Sequoias' freshman class of recruits includes outfielder/second baseman Isabella Ortega (Dinuba), third baseman/shortstop Elaine Duran (Tulare Western) and utility Sarah Garcia (Mt. Whitney). Ortega hit .286 with two doubles, a triple, a homer and eight RBIs and Duran hit .273 with five doubles, a homer and 16 RBIs last season. Statistics for Garcia's senior season were not available.
Offensively, Sequoias will be out to replace the production of last season's CVC Player of the Year Emily Ibarra (Redwood) and all-conference pick Isela Villarreal (Dinuba). Ibarra hit .470 with 17 doubles, five triples, two homers, 43 runs, 31 RBIs and 13 steals last season, while Villarreal delivered a .373 batting average along with five doubles, three triples, 23 RBIs and 35 runs.
The Giants will play their first six games on the road -- doubleheaders at Ohlone on Feb. 1 and at Bakersfield on Feb. 4 -- before playing their first home games, a doubleheader against Lassen set for noon and 2 p.m. Feb. 8.
Sequoias opens CVC play at 2 p.m. Feb. 27 at Merced.
The Giants face reigning CVC co-champion Fresno City for the first time in a home doubleheader scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m. March 4.