Prep softball preview: Norco looks for a repeat

There is an adage in sports activities that it’s more durable to defend a championship than to win it. That is the problem that coach Rick Robinson and the Norco High softball workforce face this season, but the Cougars have the ability to make a run at back-to-back titles after profitable 29 of 32 video games en route to the Southern Section Division 1 crown last spring.

Robinson entered the 2026 marketing campaign with 728 profession wins and has added three to that whole as his workforce received its own showcase last week at Big League Dreams in Chino Hills.

In the ultimate, junior pitcher Coral Williams fanned 11 Orange Lutheran batters in a 2-1 victory, choosing up where she left off last spring when she was named the Southern Section Division 1 participant of the yr after going 17-0 with 10 full video games, a 0.59 earned run average and 147 strikeouts while giving up only 9 earned runs in 106 innings. In the semifinals, Oklahoma State signee Peyton May threw a no-hitter and struck out 12 in an eight-inning 3-0 win against Aliso Niguel. She was 10-3 last yr with a 1.49 earned run average and 132 strikeouts in 80 innings.

Offensively the Cougars are led by junior shortstop Leighton Gray, a Texas A&M commit who was All-Southern Section as a sophomore after batting .435 with 40 hits, eight home runs and a 0.793 slugging share. Add to the combination London Potter, who follows in the footsteps of sisters Riley and Dakota (Norco alums now enjoying at Quinnipiac and South Carolina, respectively) and catcher/first baseman Camryn May, Peyton’s youthful sister.

Since taking over this system in 2000, Robinson has guided Norco to part titles in 2003, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2025 (all but the first in the top division). He also received the Division IV title in 1996 in the second of his 5 years at Corona Centennial —giving him a Southern Section report of eight.

Among the groups succesful of dethroning Norco is Orange Lutheran, No. 2 behind the Cougars in Cal-Hi Sports’ preseason Southland top 20 rankings. The Lancers will miss star heart fielder Kai Minor (now an Oklahoma Sooner) but returning are second baseman Sierra Nichols (40 hits), shortstop Madelyn Armendariz (32 hits, 29 RBIs) and pitching aces Rylee Silva (135 strikeouts as a freshman) and UCLA signee Jo Marsh.

Battling the Lancers for Orange County supremacy could possibly be Trinity League rival JSerra, which is off to a 2-0 start behind Florida-bound pitcher Liliana Escobar and sophomore sensation Annabel Raftery, who led the workforce with 36 hits, 21 RBIs and 5 homers a yr in the past.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has one of the part’s best all-around gamers in Oklahoma State commit Aliyah Garcia and begins out as the workforce to beat in the San Fernando Valley. The senior pitcher/shortstop had one run, two hits, an RBI and drew two walks while recording 5 strikeouts in three innings in the Knights’ season-opening win.

Fullerton has one of the most formidable one-two pitching combos in California Baptist commit Katelynn Mathews and Analise Barrios (both also play second base). Mathews had a 15-3 report with 185 strikeouts in 115 1/3 innings and Barrios had a 0.72 earned run average last season when the Indians received 21 video games and performed Norco robust in the third-place recreation of the Michelle Carew Classic in April. Utah State-bound outfielder Hayley Brock batted .393 with 38 hits and 24 RBIs.

Despite its loss to Norco in the second spherical of the playoffs a yr in the past, Oaks Christian is the cream of the crop in Ventura County as most of its key contributors are back — Utah State-bound shortstop Gianna Garcia, Brigham Young-bound outfielder Terrianna Kelley (33 hits, 27 RBIs, 9 doubles, 5 homers and a .750 slugging share in 2025); shortstop Trystyn Crutcher, pitcher Sophia Debs, outfielder Reagan Beck and catcher Giabella Otani.

Other Southern Section packages that ought to continue their success from last yr embody Division 1 runner-up El Modena and semifinalist Temescal Canyon, Division 2 champion Los Alamitos and Division 3 champion Marina as nicely as La Mirada, Ayala, Chino Hills and Long Beach Poly.

In the City Section, Granada Hills completed 28-3 last season and beat nemesis Carson 11-2 in the Open Division ultimate behind participant of the yr Addison Moorman (now a freshman at Lehigh) but back to help the Highlanders defend their title are All-City senior co-captains Zoe Justman (who slugged .802 as a junior) and Elysse Diaz (47 hits, 12 doubles, seven stolen bases and an .865 slugging share).

Players to watch

Name; School; Year; Position

Coral Willams; Norco; Jr.; Pitcher

Leighton Gray; Norco; Jr.; Shortstop

Emoni Lam Sam; LB Poly; Sr.; Third Base

Kale’a Tindal; Harvard-Westlake; Sr.; Outfield

Aliyah Garcia; Notre Dame; Sr.; Pitcher/Shortstop

Rylee Silva; Orange Lutheran; So. Pitcher

Katelynn Mathews; Fullerton; Jr.; Pitcher

Dailynn Battee; Etiwanda; So.; Third Base

Mia Valbuena; Marina; Sr.; Pitcher

Alison Ortega; La Mirada; Jr.; Pitcher

Koa Puppe; Bonita; Jr.; Third Base

Terrianna Kelley; Oaks Christian; Sr.; Outfield

Annabel Raftery; JSerra; So.; Catcher

Alivia Magallanes; Los Alamitos; Sr.; Outfield

Bree Carlson; Huntington Beach; Jr.; First Base

Nia Hall; Temescal Canyon; Jr.; Third Base

Brett Lambrecht; Chino Hills; So.; Utility

Eliana Corona; La Habra; So.; Catcher

Zoe Justman; Granada Hills; Sr.; Utility

Ashannalee Titialii; Carson; Sr.; Shortstop

Zoe Justman slugged .802 to help Granada Hills declare the City Section Open Division title last season.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)