Giants softball set to start 19-game season
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
It's going to be ironwoman softball for College of the Sequoias.
That's because the Giants have a bare minimum nine-women roster for a Covid-19 pandemic delayed and shortened season that launches April 10 with a nonconference doubleheader at Modesto. Games are scheduled to start at noon and 2 p.m.
Fortunately for Sequoias coach Cori Janelli, she returns six contributors from a team that went 14-8-1 overall and 3-1 in the Central Valley Conference before last season was canceled over safety precautions caused by the coronavirus, including three players who played key positions: sophomore Audra Pratt (Golden West High) in center field, freshman Emily Ibarra (Redwood) at shortstop and sophomore Olivia Aguigam (El Diamante) inside the pitching circle.
Pratt hit a team-leading .434 with eight doubles, three triples, a home run, 22 RBIs and 24 runs.
Ibarra also was an impact bat, hitting .420 with five doubles, four triples, three homers, 18 RBIs and 22 runs.
Aguigam was the Giants primary pitcher, going 10-7 with a 3.68 earned-run average and 128 strikeouts in 118 innings. The highlight of Aguigam's season came on Feb. 8, 2020 when she fired a perfect game against Shasta, striking out 15 of the 21 batters she faced.
The Giants also return sophomore outfielder Monica Meza (Caruthers), freshman infielder Maddison Servadio (Mission Oak) and freshman outfielder Yennifer Gaitan.
Meza hit .316 with two RBIs and seven runs in a part-time role last season.
Servadio was a regular at third base, hitting .222 with two doubles, six RBIs and 14 runs.
Gaitan was 2 for 3 with two RBIs in her only appearance last season.
Sequoias welcomes three newcomers in freshmen Emily Juarez (Hanford), Mariah Guerrero (Redwood) and Alyssa Grijalva (Selma).
Juarez was a four-year varsity starter and two-time All-West Yosemite League selection while becoming the Bullpups' career leader in hits, stolen bases and runs. The 2019 Hanford graduate played at Cuesta College during the abbreviated 2020 season that did not count against athletic eligibility, hitting .353 with a home run, six steals, 26 RBIs and 28 runs in 23 games for the Cougars.
Guerrero was a two-year varsity starter at Redwood, hitting .304 with 10 RBIs and 14 runs in 34 career games while playing outfield and third base.
Grijalva spent two seasons as Selma's primary pitcher, going 15-8 with a 3.99 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 142 innings. She also had one save.
Sequoias begins a 16-game conference schedule April 20 with a doubleheader at Merced. Game times are set for 1 and 3 p.m.
The Giants' home opener is April 22, a doubleheader against Fresno City at 1 and 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to members of a player's household only. General admissions will not be allowed because of Covid-19 safety precautions.
Sequoias' 19-game season also includes a nonconference game at Bakersfield College on May 20.
The Giants won consecutive Central Valley Conference titles in 2018 and 2019, and were in the thick of the title race last season when it was canceled.
