Just four players are returning from last year's squad that finished third in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division.
Meagan Marshall is the only senior of that group.
 Regina Sena is one of four returnees for the Half Moon Bay softball team. The Cougars begin their season Saturday in the San Lorenzo Valley Tournament. |
Does that mean the remaining nine players are all juniors and fresh from a two-year experience with the frosh-soph program? Not exactly.
Junior Bella DePillo has not played high school softball. She has played on some competitive summer league teams.
Freshman Akemi Hamada has been a starting second baseman for Half Moon Bay age-group teams.
Junior Iris Loughran has played summer league ball.
Middle infielder Christina Myles, a junior, moved to town from Texas.
Ashley Zmerzlikar, Brittney Laver, Kayla Picard, Bianca Navarrete and Anna Mathiasen are new to varsity with frosh-soph experience.
"This is one of the youngest teams I have ever had," coach Naomi Patridge said. "But we don't have a lot of inexperience."
The team is also very versatile as nearly everyone can play at least two positions. Patridge gets her first chance to see the Cougars in action Saturday as they participate in the one-day San Lorenzo Valley Tournament.
The tournament features four teams, with each team playing three games.
Half Moon Bay's nonleague schedule includes participation in the Anne Lynch Memorial Tournament, this year moving from Twin Creeks to Salinas, as well as the Burlingame Tournament.
The Cougars have a nonleague game with Soquel. The Knights have qualified for the playoffs four of the last five years.
Half Moon Bay begins play in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division March 20, hosting Capuchino.
"We should be fine in league play," Patridge said.
However, Patridge notes that the league is still has strong as ever. Carlmont, with defending Most Valuable Player and pitcher Ashley Chinn back, is considered the favorite.
It should be a battle for the league title.
"Burlingame was a very young team last year," Patridge said. "They were very good."
The Panthers were second in the PAL last year and made it to the semifinals of the playoffs.
For Half Moon Bay, Mathiasen and Garcia are expected to share the pitching chores.
"Everything depends on our pitching and our health," Patridge said. "We should be fine offensively and defensively."
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