Courtesy of Fresno State Athletics: By Geoff Thurner
FRESNO, Calif. – Starting their third week of fall practice, the Fresno State softball team continues to integrate a talented nine-member newcomer class into a squad that is arguably its deepest in recent memory.
Third-year head coach Trisha Ford and the `Dogs rounded out her second recruiting class with the addition of freshman outfielder Brooke Coates, freshman pitcher Jasmine Hill and junior transfer and outfielder Victoria Trevino.
“We’re excited to have added three more local players that will elevate our level of competition,” Ford said. “Brooke and Victoria fit nicely into our system of putting pressure on the defense, and come from very successful Valley programs – Fresno Force and Dirt Dogs. Jasmine joins us from Modesto and will bring some needed depth to our pitching. We are excited about their additions and look forward to having a very productive fall season.”
Coates, a 5-6 left-handed hitter, was one of the Central Valley’s top prospects as a sophomore in 2012 after she posted Exeter High School season records for batting (.611), hits (55), runs (39) and game records for runs (5) and stolen bases (5). In other sports, she also lettered three seasons in basketball at point guard, and won a California wrestling middle school state title.
The 5-6 outfielder played prep ball for Karen Zeibak, a former Fresno State outfielder, and in her three-year club career with the Fresno Force squad Coates helped the squad win the 2014 Triple Crown.
Hill, a 5-5 right-hander, was a first-team all-league honoree as a junior and senior for Modesto High School. The four-year letterwinner was also the team’s best offensive player, a basketball team MVP and two-time water polo letter-winner.
Trevino, a 5-5 right-handed hitter, was a four-year all-league shortstop for Lemoore High School before attending West Hills College the past two seasons. The Lemoore, Calif., native also played club softball for the Central California Dirt Dogs from 2006-12. The team leader in homers in 2012, she helped the squad play at the Gold Level for three seasons and notch a top-25 finish in the 2011 Premier Nationals.
The trio join a crowded group of ‘Dog softball newcomers that also includes junior transfer and infielder Alyssa Villalpando (El Monte, Calif. / University of Hawai’i), sophomore transfer utility player Malia Rivers (Brentwood, Calif. / University of Georgia) and four freshmen that signed National Letters of Intent last fall – infielders Wendy Cardinali (Santa Clarita), Katie Castellon (Stockton), Vanessa Hernandez (Hesperia) and Chase LeeHong (Monterey).
Their arrival will help ease the offensive loss of four `Dog starters from last season – first baseman Stesha Brazil, third baseman Vonnie Martin, shortstop Brooke Ortiz and outfielder Kapri Angotti.
Team-wise last year, the `Dogs (31-21, 15-9) staked runner-up conference honors for the second straight year under Ford, and earlier topped a pair of top-25 teams and 2013 Women’s College World Series returnees in No. 6 Washington and No. 14 Nebraska.
Looking ahead to 2015, the `Dogs return four All-MW selections from last spring – MW Defensive Player of the Year and senior center fielder Brenna Moss, junior pitchers Jill Compton and Hannah Harris and sophomore outfielder Kierra Willis. Moss and Compton were also All-Pacific Region choices – the first Bulldog duo since 2008.
Besides practice, the squad looks ahead to several fall exhibition games against area schools that will be announced in upcoming weeks.
