Prep softball: Dream Team

Barry Faulkner

Corona del Mar High softball returned with a vengeance this spring

after a two-year layoff, but there was nothing novel about the play of

Costa Mesa High senior shortstop Kelly Daub.

Daub, an All-Newport-Mesa District performer as a sophomore and a junior,

continued to display the speed, athleticism and experience which helped

the Mustangs return to the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the first

time since 1996. For her efforts, she is the Player of the Year on the

Daily Pilot’s All-Newport-Mesa District Dream Team.

Daub is one of four repeat honorees, including senior teammate Brooke

Shanley, but CdM, which did not have a softball team the last two

seasons, led district schools with six players recognized on the

13-player unit.

Newport Harbor senior Kristen Smith, as well as Sailor junior Lisa

Huntington, each earned their third straight Dream Team selection, while

senior Lindsay Moore and freshmen Athena Vasquez and Amanda Campbell

round out the Harbor contingent.

Freshmen Alissa Zoelle, Amy Tyson, Meaghan Bunney and Lauren Low, as well

as sophomore Casey Bunney and junior Mijanou Pham, are the CdM

representatives. They personify the optimism which pervades in a program

that nearly made the playoffs this season, under the guidance of Terry

Christiano, who is Coach of the Year.

Daub, who will continue her career at Concordia University, hit .441 with

a district-leading 30 hits. Capitalizing on her blazing speed, she

produced most of her hits by bunting. Those wheels also served her well

on defense, where she compiled a .980 fielding percentage in the dominant

position on the infield.

“She did it all for us,” Mesa Coach Sharon Uhl said. “She was our leadoff

batter and once she got on, we knew we could score. She also saved a lot

of ballgames on defense and she was a team leader.”

The other primary force behind the Mustangs’ third-place finish in the

Pacific Coast League was senior Brooke Shanley. She posted a 1.43 ERA and

a 7-8 record in the circle, but was also the team’s biggest run producer.

Shanley collected a team-high 12 RBIs with her 15 hits, finishing with a

.290 average. She will play next season at Orange Coast College.

Smith, the Sailors’ veteran shortstop, hit .369 (24 for 65) with three

home runs, 15 RBIs and three steals. She will play next spring at Santa

Ana College.

Zoelle, a part of the incoming class which sparked the reformation of the

team, burst upon the prep scene with an impressive season. She hit a

district-best .456 (26 for 57) with a .508 on-base percentage, 16 RBIs,

14 runs, four doubles and two triples. When not playing shortstop, she

pitched, fashioning a 6-4 record, including a one-hitter with 12

strikeouts against Bolsa Grande.

Meaghan Bunney, a first baseman, hit .444 (24 for 54) with a .592 on-base

percentage. She drove in 11 runs and scored 12.

Tyson, a solid defender behind the plate, hit .397 (23 for 58) with a

.603 on-base percentage from the leadoff spot. She scored 22 runs laced

three doubles and three triples and drove in five runs.

Pham, who spent last season on the diamond with the Sea Kings’ junior

varsity baseball team, hit .344 (21 for 61) with five doubles and 12 RBI.

Primarily a shortstop, she also pitched some.

Casey Bunney, who played third base, hit .333 with 18 hits, 12 runs and

11 RBIs.

Moore, who shared the captain role with Smith, batted .310 (22 for 71)

with 11 RBIs and seven stolen bases. She played primarily at third base

for the Tars, who battled rugged competition in the Sea View League.

Loe, a second baseman with great range, hit .304 (17 for 56). She also

scored eight runs and drove in seven.

Campbell, another first baseman, hit .295 (18 for 61) with 12 RBIs, while

Vasquez, a sparkling defensive outfielder, hit .269 (18 for 67) with 10

RBIs and five steals.

Huntington, whose season was hampered by injuries, hit .275 (11 for 40)

with three RBIs and three steals. But, operating behind the plate, she

was a defensive leader.