There are six returning varsity players from a team that last season finished in a tie for second in league and only one game out of first place, then advanced to the semifinals of the CCS playoffs before bowing to eventual Division II champ Carlmont. The group includes three starters--junior third baseman Ashleigh Adams, senior outfielder Sara Boring and junior shortstop Christina Saenz, who was a first team all-league selection as well as Sophomore of the Year in 2004.

Also returning are senior Lauren Jones, who was not a starter but saw plenty of playing time, senior Dana Asleson and sophomore Sara Adams.

Gron is anticipating some solid help from a group of frosh-soph players moving up to varsity and transfer sophomore Kristen Rorie in from Willow Glen. Part of the group coming up is pitcher Vanessa Truan and catcher Jessica Talaugon and they will figure heavily into Leland's plans since one of the graduating seniors was pitching standout Kelly Harrison. Gron is also expecting freshmen Amy Hakkinen and Elisa Vye to step in and shoulder part of the load.

"Even though we are really young, I think we will be all right," Gron said. "They are a physically talented and very athletic group that competes hard and practices hard. Being young, it could be the mental aspect of the game that hurts us."

Gron figures that last year's champ Leigh is the team to beat along with Oak Grove. The Chargers have been working hard preparing to open preseason play. They were scheduled to play their first game against Piedmont Hills at home on March 9. The Chargers will travel to meet Santa Clara on March 10 and Independence on March 11. Games begin at 3:30 p.m.

Pioneer softball

The Mustangs languished near the bottom of the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL last year with a team that was very young and inexperienced with only four seniors. The hope for this year is that those returning varsity players will utilize the experience gained from last year and turn it into success in 2005.

The Mustangs have a new leader at the helm with first-year coach Ernie Garcia. He is new to Pioneer but has been involved in coaching softball traveling teams for many years.

"We are learning to adjust to each other. The players have a new coach and I need to learn my new players, " Garcia said. "But we will compete."

Good pitching is always key to the success of a softball team and freshman Alyssa Walker is the only true pitcher Garcia has on the team. He is anticipating that returning catcher Nicki Rebhan will utilize her outstanding skills to bring Walker along and help her develop.

Included among the returning varsity players are team captains seniors Stephanie Habian and Stephanie Morales, who Garcia says is "one of the hardest workers he has." Also serving as a team captain is junior Amber Medlock.

Returnees sophomore Brittney Rivas and junior Katie Town will be anchoring the defense up the middle and sharing duties at shortstop and in center field. Returnee Sophomore Daniele Clough completes the middle of the defense lining up at second base.

Completing the list of returnees are seniors Alysia Ramirez and Katie Kasik and junior Chenelle Blake.

In addition to Walker, Garcia has three other freshmen that he sees as potentially contributing to the success of Pioneer this year--Alicia Ruiz, Michelle Minarik and Terry Hreha.

Pioneer opened up preseason play by dropping a close 3-2 game to Willow Glen and then evened its record at 1-1 with an 8-0 shellacking of Monte Vista Christian in the first round of the Watsonville Tournament.

Walker (1-1) got the win with a complete game three-hit shutout. Rebhan demonstrated she has a little pop in her bat as she blasted a two-run homerun to give Walker all the run support she needed. Rebhan also added a double and drove in four runs.

The Mustangs got bit by the error bug in a 3-1 loss to Saratoga earlier this week. Pioneer manufactured a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Habian lined a single and then proceeded to steal both second and third. In the attempt to steal third, the Saratoga shortstop could not handle the throw. As the ball squirted past her down the line, Habian scrambled around third and raced home.

The wheels came off in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Mustangs committed three errors and gave up three runs after two were out and basically handed Saratoga the win.

The loss wasted a superb pitching effort by Walker, who gave up only three hits in a complete game performance.

The Mustangs continued non-league action, hosting Valley Christian on March 9.

Branham softball

The Branham girls find themselves playing in a new division for a new head coach this spring. First-year head coach Jennifer McGrath leads Branham into the Mt. Hamilton Division this spring after the Bruins won the Santa Teresa title a year ago with a 9-1 record.

The Bruins started quickly in the 2005 season with a lopsided 10-0 win over Prospect in a non-league game, but cooled off just as quickly, suffering losses to Willow Glen (12-0) and Live Oak (1-0).

Sophomore Audrea Lopez was 3 for 3 with a triple, scoring two runs and knocking in one, in the season opener against the Panthers. Jennifer Rubino, another soph, singled twice and drove in a pair of runs.

Junior Jaimie Foltz doubled and knocked in three runs for the Bruins and Cherine Hayes, a sophomore, plated a pair with a single.

Freshman Michelle Haughey singled and scored twice and junior Brianna Rotondo also scored twice in the win. Senior Michelle Yankee and junior Letricia Soto also scored. Junior hurler Holly Griggs tossed a two-hit shutout to pick up the pitching win for Branham.

McGrath will field a young team this spring with Yankee and Tiffany Rubino the only seniors on the squad.