Prep Softball Preview: Norco Looks For A Repeat Performance

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There is an adage successful sports that it is harder to take sides a title than to triumph it. That is nan situation that coach Rick Robinson and nan Norco High softball squad look this season, but nan Cougars person nan accomplishment to make a tally astatine back-to-back titles aft winning 29 of 32 games en way to nan Southern Section Division 1 crown past spring.

Robinson entered nan 2026 run pinch 728 profession wins and has added 3 to that full arsenic his squad won its ain showcase past week astatine Big League Dreams successful Chino Hills.

In nan final, inferior pitcher Coral Williams fanned 11 Orange Lutheran batters successful a 2-1 victory, picking up wherever she near disconnected past outpouring erstwhile she was named nan Southern Section Division 1 subordinate of nan twelvemonth aft going 17-0 pinch 10 complete games, a 0.59 earned tally mean and 147 strikeouts while giving up only 9 earned runs successful 106 innings. In nan semifinals, Oklahoma State signee Peyton May threw a no-hitter and struck retired 12 successful an eight-inning 3-0 triumph against Aliso Niguel. She was 10-3 past twelvemonth pinch a 1.49 earned tally mean and 132 strikeouts successful 80 innings.

Offensively nan Cougars are led by inferior shortstop Leighton Gray, a Texas A&M perpetrate who was All-Southern Section arsenic a sophomore aft batting .435 pinch 40 hits, 8 location runs and a 0.793 slugging percentage. Add to nan operation London Potter, who follows successful nan footsteps of sisters Riley and Dakota (Norco alums now playing astatine Quinnipiac and South Carolina, respectively) and catcher/first baseman Camryn May, Peyton’s younger sister.

Since taking complete nan programme successful 2000, Robinson has guided Norco to conception titles successful 2003, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2025 (all but nan first successful nan apical division). He besides won nan Division IV title successful 1996 successful nan 2nd of his 5 years astatine Corona Centennial —giving him a Southern Section grounds of eight.

Among nan teams tin of dethroning Norco is Orange Lutheran, No. 2 down nan Cougars successful Cal-Hi Sports’ preseason Southland apical 20 rankings. The Lancers will miss prima halfway fielder Kai Minor (now an Oklahoma Sooner) but returning are 2nd baseman Sierra Nichols (40 hits), shortstop Madelyn Armendariz (32 hits, 29 RBIs) and pitching aces Rylee Silva (135 strikeouts arsenic a freshman) and UCLA signee Jo Marsh.

Battling nan Lancers for Orange County supremacy could beryllium Trinity League rival JSerra, which is disconnected to a 2-0 commencement down Florida-bound pitcher Liliana Escobar and sophomore sensation Annabel Raftery, who led nan squad pinch 36 hits, 21 RBIs and 5 homers a twelvemonth ago.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has 1 of nan section’s champion all-around players successful Oklahoma State perpetrate Aliyah Garcia and starts retired arsenic nan squad to hit successful nan San Fernando Valley. The elder pitcher/shortstop had 1 run, 2 hits, an RBI and drew 2 walks while signaling 5 strikeouts successful 3 innings successful nan Knights’ season-opening win.

Fullerton has 1 of nan astir formidable one-two pitching combos successful California Baptist perpetrate Katelynn Mathews and Analise Barrios (both besides play 2nd base). Mathews had a 15-3 grounds pinch 185 strikeouts successful 115 1/3 innings and Barrios had a 0.72 earned tally mean past play erstwhile nan Indians won 21 games and played Norco reliable successful nan third-place crippled of nan Michelle Carew Classic successful April. Utah State-bound outfielder Hayley Brock batted .393 pinch 38 hits and 24 RBIs.

Fullerton pitcher Analise Barrios strides guardant arsenic she unleashes a windmill pitch.

Despite its nonaccomplishment to Norco successful nan 2nd information of nan playoffs a twelvemonth ago, Oaks Christian is nan pick of nan harvest successful Ventura County arsenic astir of its cardinal contributors are backmost — Utah State-bound shortstop Gianna Garcia, Brigham Young-bound outfielder Terrianna Kelley (33 hits, 27 RBIs, 9 doubles, 5 homers and a .750 slugging percent successful 2025); shortstop Trystyn Crutcher, pitcher Sophia Debs, outfielder Reagan Beck and catcher Giabella Otani.

Other Southern Section programs that should proceed their occurrence from past twelvemonth see Division 1 runner-up El Modena and semifinalist Temescal Canyon, Division 2 champion Los Alamitos and Division 3 champion Marina arsenic good arsenic La Mirada, Ayala, Chino Hills and Long Beach Poly.

In nan City Section, Granada Hills vanished 28-3 past play and hit nemesis Carson 11-2 successful nan Open Division last down subordinate of nan twelvemonth Addison Moorman (now a freshman astatine Lehigh) but backmost to thief nan Highlanders take sides their title are All-City elder co-captains Zoe Justman (who slugged .802 arsenic a junior) and Elysse Diaz (47 hits, 12 doubles, 7 stolen bases and an .865 slugging percentage).