2012 MANTECA BULLETIN ALL-AREA BASEBALL TEAM
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Iyana Hughes, Sierra senior: Hughes was the cornerstone for the Sierra offense, batting leadoff and playing centerfield. She hit .475 on the season and led the Timberwolves in runs, hits, RBI and stolen bases.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Cherish Burks, East Union freshman: Played a near perfect centerfield for the Lancers throughout the 2012 season. Even though the freshman hit .410, was a perfect 27 for 27 in stolen base attempts, she also roamed centerfield in each of the Lancers 25 games.
Pitchers
Peyton Rose, Manteca sophomore: Rose threw nearly every inning for the Manteca Buffaloes in her second season, putting together a season with 132 strikeouts and just 32 walks. Rose gave up less than a hit an inning for the year.
Mackenzie Gauden, Ripon sophomore: Gauden put together an impressive sophomore season, twirling over 140 innings for an Indians squad that just missed the playoffs. Gauden had 107 strikeouts and started each of the Indians 24 games.
Catcher
Mia Ramirez, Manteca senior: Ramirez was behind the dish for the majority of Manteca’s innings, rifling dwon would be base stealers with a cannon arm. Ramirez also hit safely in all but eight of Manteca’s 22 contests.
Infielders
Selena Gonzalez, Manteca junior: Was the shortstop for the Buffaloes and also was second on the team in hits, runs scored and batting average with a .476 season.
Raileen Romo, Weston Ranch senior: Romo helped VOL coach of the year Janelle Bauer turn around a Cougars team that recorded the most wins in school history. Romo was first team All-VOL, banging out 22 hits and leading the club in runs scored.
Sommer Wilson, Sierra junior: Plagued by injuries throughout the season, Wilson still made her presence felt. Earning a first team All-VOL spot by hitting .455 and driving in the most runs on the team in just 10 games.
Kelsey Emerson, East Union senior: Was first team All-VOL after leading the Lancers with five homeruns and six doubles. Emerson hit .400 on the season and one of the area-best totals in RBI with 33.
Taylor Vernon, Ripon sophomore: Led the Indians with a ridiculous .493 batting average, drove in 30 runs and came around to score 16 times. Vernon closed the season with seven consecutive multi-hit games.
Outfielders
Lily Gonzalez, Sierra senior: Gonzalez played an integral part in Sierra’s success her senior year, providing steady defensive play, while making major contributions with the bat. Gonzalez hit .350 and was second on the club in homeruns.
Tiana Chacon, Ripon sophomore: Chacon was everything and more for the Indians, scoring 29 runs to lead the team and collecting 33 hits. Chacon was solid on defense from her outfield spot as well as third base.
Katie Thomas, Ripon Christian senior: Thomas collected first team All-League honors in the Southern Athletic League after closing the season with a .474 batting average. Thomas led the Knights in hits, RBI, doubles and homeruns.
— Jagada Chambers
After an opening act that culminated in Sierra High’s first-ever Sac-Joaquin Section softball title, Allison Walljasper came into her sophomore season toting huge expectations.
Walljasper wasn’t able to hold grasp on the section title, but a 10-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 13 wins and an ERA of less than a half run were good enough to land her The Bulletin’s 2012 All-Area Softball Player of the Year award.
Walljasper continually excelled in just her second season at the high school level, guiding a completely different Sierra High group back to the Division IV section championship. From the season’s onset until the Timberwolves’ title game loss, Walljasper was the definite force navigating Sierra’s success.
“In the beginning of the year we were not as strong as last year’s team, but we knew we could get work done,” Walljasper said. “We weren’t expected to get that far in sections but we did. We all worked hard and we worked hard with what we had to work with.”
Key injuries, key departures and the keen focus from each of its opponent each time they got a shot at Walljasper made Sierra’s run inevitably more difficult. Yet, those same hurdles were eventually what defined the section’s runner-up.
Walljasper definitely was the focal point from her pitching circle, but the prowess that she took into the batter’s box was second to none. Walljasper was walked time and time again (22 times in 62 plate appearances), but took full advantage when teams pitched to her.
She led the club with five home runs, finished second in RBI and runs scored and closed the season with a .368 clip.
“I am a softball player,” Walljasper said. “I am an all-around player. I can play first and I like to hit and I like to pitch. I just try and get things done at all of my positions. Getting walked is a little bit frustrating, but you just have to have the mentality you’re taking it for the team.”
Walljasper’s dominance did not go overlooked amongst the Valley Oak League coaches, as she garnered her second MVP award, sharing the honors with Ariana Hawkins of Kimball High. Oakdale high edged Sierra out for the section crown, substantiating the depth of talent in VOL softball.
“It was extremely competitive,” Walljasper said of the VOL grind. “Way more competitive than it was last year. Kimball came out really good and surprised a lot of people and Oakdale was just Oakdale.
“You know what you get from them every year.”
With an expected spike in talent from incoming freshmen, Louisiana State University verbal commit Walljasper returning, and a shift in the hierarchy with the Oakdale pitching staff makes Walljasper’s chances at returning to the final game of the season a pretty good one.
“It was good for Oakdale to win it, that team deserved it,” Walljasper said. “We worked really hard throughout the season, but we knew that they were the better team at that point and we really couldn’t do anything about it.
“We have some good freshmen coming in, Oakdale’s pitcher (Shelby Reali) is leaving. I think we have a pretty good chance at winning it all.”
