All-State Softball: First Team

Ms. Softball State POY Jessica Oakland from Mountain View St. Francis and Gatorade State POY Micaela Kastor of Westlake Village Oaks Christian spearhead this elite first team on the 39th edition of the Cal-Hi Sports all-state softball teams. All first team players are featured in this post. We also have a second team and a third team in a separate post.

For the all-state second and third teams (Gold Club), CLICK HERE.

(Special thanks to Northern California correspondent Daniel Poulter for contributing writeups to this package.)

RELATED: All-State Underclass (Gold Club) | All-State Medium & Small Schools | Final 2022 All-State Nominations (SoCal) | Final 2022 All-State Nominations (NorCal)

For Gold Club post of our all-time all-state softball archives, CLICK HERE.

Note: We hope you enjoy this free post. State softball coaching record lists plus two of our four all-state softball posts are for Gold Club members only. To join our team today, CLICK HERE.

ALL PLAYERS LISTED BELOW AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL BE ABLE TO ORDER A SOUVENIR PATCH TO COMMEMORATE THEIR ALL-STATE SELECTION. IT COMES WITH A CERTIFICATE AND HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY OUR PARTNERS AT BILLYTEES.COM TO BE PLACED ON LETTERMEN JACKETS. THE SOFTBALL PATCH CAN NOW BE ORDERED. CLICK HERE.

Congratulations to these players who’ve been named first team overall for the 39th edition of the Cal-Hi Sports all-state softball honors program:

FIRST TEAM OVERALL CATCHERS

Jasmyn Burns (Murrieta Mesa, Murrieta) Jr.
Considered one of the top Class of 2023 catchers in the nation, Jazzy has a commitment to Ohio State. She led the Rams with 13 homers and 48 RBI and has already received a number of honors, including Southwestern League MVP, first team All-IE Varsity and first team All-CIF Southern Section. One of her best outings came in a CIFSS D1 playoff win against Norco when she ripped a pair of homers.

Sofia Mujica (Granite Hills, El Cajon) Soph.
There were three sophomores that made the cut for this year’s first team and Sofia is one of them. She first burst onto the scene as a freshman last spring with 17 homers and she still banged them out at a high rate (15 homers) this season despite pitchers being way more careful to her. She also essentially had to go up in our all-state pecking order after being named as the CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year (which included seniors and juniors).

FIRST TEAM OVERALL PITCHERS

Lauryn Carranco (Clovis) Sr.
While State Junior of the Year Ryan Maddox of Clovis North (Fresno) picked up most of the headlines from the Central Section this year, it was Carranco who carved out one of the top Central Section careers in Maddox’s shadow this year. Over two years, Carranco won 50 games and in 2022 the senior ace helped the Cougars secure a Central Section Division 1 title. The Cal State University Northridge signee had 309 strikeouts in 34 appearances, which is enough for second best all time in the storied Clovis program for punchouts in a single season. Carranco played her best in the postseason, as the senior threw four straight shutouts and powered the Cougars to the finals of the NorCal Softball Division 1 championship. The ace was also named the Pitcher of the Year for the Tri-River Athletic Conference.

Micaela Kastor (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) Sr.
In Southern California where stars are a dime a dozen, Micaela shined brightest in a monster year for Oaks Christian. The senior was the best two-way player in the state this past year, as Kastor was the ace hurler and top two hitter for the top team from Southern California. For this team, we’re listing her as a pitcher. Kastor was the runner up to Jessica Oakland of St. Francis (Mountain View) for the title of 2022 Ms. Softball, but the senior heading to Notre Dame next season was the Gatorade honoree. On the mound, Kastor was nearly unhittable, while also playing againt some of the toughest competition. The Lions’ ace had a 0.51 ERA through 151 ⅓ innings while punching out 256 batters. Kastor on average only allowed a hit once every three innings and surrendered just one earned run in every two starts. At the plate Kastor ripped apart opposing hitting, as the slugger had a .522 batting average and led the team with 11 home runs, 59 hits and 40 runs. The only category on the loaded Oaks Christian side that Kastor didn’t top the statistic was in RBI, where Kastor had a still impressive 39 on the year. Kastor was the main force behind a 34-1 season and an offensive unit that outscored opponents by a margin of 241-19 on the year. She will play next at Notre Dame.

Kylee Magee (Canyon, Anaheim) Sr.
After a battle with long haul COVID that took her out for nearly her whole junior season, Arizona State-bound Magee bounced back with force for her senior campaign. Magee shined brightest during the Michelle Carew Classic, as the senior was named tournament MVP after helping power the Comanches past the star studded field. The ace’s 14 strikeouts in a 3-2 upset over state No. 1 St. Francis (Mountain View) was the highlight of the tournament, with the Canyon victory over the NorCal Division 1 champions being the lone unavenged loss of the season for St. Francis. Over the tournament, Magee only allowed seven hits and fanned 31 of the top hitters across the state of California in the dominating performance. Unfortunately Magee and her teammates lost a coin flip tiebreaker to qualify for the playoffs, but Canyon did finish No. 18 in the state. She was first team all-Orange County and in a sign of great respect from the CIF Southern Section coaches who voted on the D3 player of the year it was given to Kylee even though Canyon wasn’t even in the playoffs.

Cambria Salmon (Beaumont) Soph.
When you pick up the award for Inland Empire Player of the Year, there is a good chance you will find yourself on this list of the best of the best for California. For our Sophomore of the Year Cambria Salmon, that is no exemption. The sophomore ace planted her flag as one of the top pitchers in the state and did it against some of the hardest competition any hurler has faced this season. Salmon was 19-4 with a 0.52 ERA in 160 ⅓ innings while punching out 309 batters on the year. Each of her four losses were all 1-0 games, with two defeats coming at the hands of top 25 sides Los Alamitos and Villa Park. Salmon didn’t lack at the plate either, as the sophomore led the Cougars with 19 RBI on 25 hits and had a .338 average on the year. This was the second year in a row that an IE player has snagged the honor of sophomore of the year and followed in the footsteps of Mya Perez of Norco.

Aissa Silva (Elk Grove) Jr.
It was a record setting year for one of the top pitchers in Northern California. Silva strapped a young Thundering Herd side to her back and pushed Elk Grove to the front of the Sac-Joaquin Section for most of the season. The junior southpaw hurler was one of the toughest assignments for hitters in Northern California, as Silva was 19-6 with a 0.54 ERA over 167 ⅓ innings while striking out a new school record 320 batters in 28 appearances. What made Silva so hard to hit was the junior’s ability to limit damage, as opposing hitters only managed six total extra base hits against the Elk Grove ace on the year. A highlight for Silva was shutting down fellow top 25 and top team in the Northern Section Sutter. Silva only allowed three hits and struck out 17 batters against a deep lineup and out-dueled fellow all-state first team pick Riley Wickum of the Huskies. The ace threw two no hitters during her junior campaign and at the plate had a team high 23 RBI on 35 hits. Silva, who was the Sacramento Bee Metro Player of the Year, wasn’t a power hitter, but still managed six doubles and eight triples for the season. The Thundering Herd only graduated one starter and Silva will lead the charge again next season.

Sydney Somerndike (Villa Park) Sr.
After amounting 660 strikeouts and putting together a 38-4 record in a prolific career, there is no doubt that 2020 All-American Sydney Somerndike was bound for this list. The senior missed a key chunk of her senior campaign with an ankle injury, but still did enough to be named Player of the Year by the Southern Section for D1. Somerndike helped Villa Park open the season as the No. 1 team in the state, with a postseason upset stopping the Spartans from climbing higher than 10th in the final slate of rankings. The ankle was never fully healed for the Ms. Softball State Player of Year finalist, but the senior still was able to put up a record of 14-1 with a 0.69 ERA and striking out 179 batters. Somerndike will be heading to a program on the rise in Arizona and it has already been announced that her number No. 12 will be retired by the Villa Park program.

FIRST TEAM OVERALL INFIELD

Tianna Bell (Heritage, Brentwood) Sr.
One of the top prospects in the San Francisco Bay Area finished up her four-year high school career this season. The power hitting Bell helped propel the Patriots to a North Coast Section Division 1 title this year. The senior had a team high nine home runs while knocking in a team second best 34 RBI and sporting an impressive .577 batting average. Bell has been a major recruiting score for nearby Cal, as the Golden Bears picked up the 13th overall player in the 2022 class. Under Bell, the Patriots secured the Bay Valley Athletic League title in all three eligible years and this year made it to the first NorCal Softball Division 1 championship.

Taylor Biehl (Vista del Lago, Folsom) Sr.
The pandemic caused Taylor to only play five games in her sophomore season, but didn’t slow her down one bit. She came back in the spring of 2021 to hit .646 with 51 hits. Her “drop” this season was to .590 with 49 hits, but all of her other power numbers were much greater, including 33 RBI, eight homers and 14 doubles. Biehl also led the Eagles to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D3 championship and will play next at Arizona. Her career batting average of .615 also will be talked about at Vista del Lago for many years.

Olivia DiNardo (Aragon, San Mateo) Sr.
Teammate Megan Grant and Olivia have been going back and forth with postseason honors during their four years of high school. We couldn’t quite get both on first team and this time DiNardo had the stronger numbers. She hit nine homers with a .606 average and had 38 RBI. Olivia is headed next to Arizona. Aragon reached the semifinals of the CIF Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs.

Kiki Estrada (Lutheran, Orange) Sr.
We were reluctant to have two from Orange Lutheran on first team but it’s a case of a sensational freshman and a senior who completed an outstanding four-year high school career. Estrada started out as one of the top freshmen in the state at Chino Hills and finished up at OLu. This season, she belted nine homers and had 32 RBI and was co-MVP of the Trinity League. Regarded as one of the top pure hitters in the state, Estrada also had a .500 batting average. The All-Orange County selection will play next at Arkansas.

Taylor Johnson (Los Alamitos) Sr.
This would be the leading honors candidate from a Griffins’ squad that knocked off Oaks Christian in the CIFSS D1 semifinals before losing 5-4 to Roosevelt in the final and then opting out of the CIF SoCal regional playoffs. Johnson, who will play next at the University of San Diego, smacked a two-run homer in the win vs Oaks and she also homered in the title game. Taylor also had a team-leading .433 batting average, five homers and 26 RBI.

Taryn Kern (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) Sr.
The West Catholic Athletic League was filled with talent this year and Kern was near the top of that list. The senior infielder bound for Indiana was one of the key kogs for one of the top teams in the state. The Monarchs were never able to overcome No. 1 St. Francis (Mountain View), but Kern still had a season to remember. The hard hitting Central Coast Section star was first-team all-WCAL and led the Monarchs with a .527 batting average, 13 home runs, and 40 runs on 49 hits. Kern helped power Archbishop Mitty to the No. 8 overall rank in the state and a record of 26-5 on the year. The Monarchs finished second in the WCAL and CCS overall, while being able to make it to the NorCal Softball Division 1 championship.

Kayla Lyon (Roosevelt, Eastvale) Sr.
Roosevelt won the CIFSS D1 title and can be hard to get info about players, but this is proof that it can still work if a coach just doesn’t want to participate in the MaxPreps’ business model. The Mustangs’ stats were sent in to us and it is Lyon who has gotten a first team all-state spot (with two more on second team and another on first team underclass). Lyon was first team All-CIFSS D1 and first team All-Inland Empire. She was one of the senior leaders on a team that lost to Oaks Christian in the CIF SoCal D1 final. Kayla, who will play next at Cal Baptist, batted .411 on the season and had power numbers (12 homers, 46 RBI) that stood out considering the competition that she faced.

Jessica Oakland (St. Francis, Mountain View) Sr.
One of the most prolific softball careers in CCS history came to an end this year, as Jessica Oakland walked off the Mountain View based campus of St. Francis with a laundry list of accolades. The daughter of head coach Mike Oakland is bound for the University of Minnesota after helping the Lancers secure the first ever CIF NorCal Division 1 championship and the overall moniker of the top team in the state. Oakland was named our 2022 Ms. Softball and is just the second player ever from the CCS to pick up that honor. Sharing that honor with Oakland is 2009 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) alumni Keilani Ricketts. Oakland was the main force on the Lancers’ three CCS Open Division title teams and led the state in home runs in each of the past two seasons. Last year, the slugger blasted 19 home runs, but outdid herself in her final rodeo. Oakland, in 119 plate appearances, launched 21 home runs while pushing across 67 RBI and scoring 52 runs. The 21 home runs in a season puts Oakland tied for fourth all-time for a single season in our record books. Oakland’s mark for RBI and runs also will find themselves in the record books, as the senior’s career numbers are staggering, especially with this class of players all losing a year to the pandemic. Oakland also had an impressive seasonal mark of a .578 batting average and a .678 on-base percentage while only striking out eight times on the year.

Sydney Stewart (St. Francis, Mountain View) Sr.
While 2022 Ms Softball Jessica Oakland received most of the statewide headlines for No. 1 St. Francis (Mountain View), teammate Sydney Stewart was right behind the historic power hitter in production for the Lancers. The University of Washington bound catcher who mostly played first base this season was among the state leaders for home runs, RBI and batting average. Stewart’s 15 home runs and 53 runs placed the senior on the all time single season state records for each category. During her four years at the Mountain View school, the Lancers won all three available Central Coast Section Open Division titles and this season defeated No. 6 Clovis to win the first NorCal Softball Division 1 championship. Stewart was second on the Lancers for batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. The power hitter was also disciplined at the plate, as Stewart only struck out nine times in 115 plate appearances.

Ramsey Suarez (Great Oak, Temecula) Sr.
This was our State Freshman of the Year from 2019 and fought back through several setbacks to have a senior year to remember. Suarez missed 2020 like everyone else with COVID breaking out, but she then had to sit for the 2021 season with a torn labrum. This year, she led a young team to a second-place finish in the Southwestern League behind Murrieta Mesa. Suarez, who is headed to UCLA, hit .500 overall in 76 at-bats with 18 walks. She also led the team in homers with six, in RBI with 26 and runs scored with 28. She only struck out six times in 95 plate appearances.

Mya Perez (Norco) Jr.
There may not be a player who hits a softball harder and further in California than Mya Perez. Our State Sophomore of the Year for 2021 and the 2021 Inland Empire POY continued to mash in 2022. The junior eventually bound for Arizona State was named to the LA Times All-Star softball team for 2022 after nearly leading the state with 17 home runs and blasted in 51 RBI for the season. Perez wasn’t just a swing and miss power hitter, as the Norco star had a ridiculous .676 batting average on the year. The hard hitting infielder helped Norco to a 21-9 record and the Cougars finished in No. 14 in the state. She also pitched, but makes it on the all-state team for hitting and being a position player.

Rylee Pinedo (Camarillo) Sr.
It was quite a ride for Rylee and her mom, Nichole, who is the head coach of the Scorpions. She ends it with a second straight all-state first team selection. In leading Camarillo to the semifinals of the CIFSS D1 playoffs and then to the semifinals of the CIF SoCal D1 playoffs, Pinedo was the ultimate leadoff hitter. This year, she batted .509 with 54 hits and had eight doubles and 20 RBI. She hit .512 as a junior and collected an offer from UCLA. She committed to the Bruins rather quickly and will be attending classes in Westwood in the fall.

Jordan Woolery (Clayton Valley, Concord) Sr.
A highly regarded D1 recruit headed to UCLA, Woolery backed up all of the attention she’s gained through ExtraInningSoftball rankings plus others with a more than solid senior season of high school ball. She’s already been named All-Bay Area by the Bay Area News Group and now gets all-state first team. Playing for a team that finished 18-5, Woolery also was the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division MVP. She batted .652 (45 for 69) with 40 RBI. Jordan also had eight homers and 24 extra-base hits.

FIRST TEAM OVERALL OUTFIELD

Dakota Kennedy (Sheldon, Sacramento) Sr.
Coming into the season, Sheldon picked up a high preseason state ranking off of the backs of a couple key returners. One of those returning stars was Kennedy. The future Arizona Wildcat finished off a four-year career that saw her prove that she was one of the top talents coming out of the loaded Sac-Joaquin Section. A turbulent start to the season quickly turned around at the Livermore Stampede for the Huskies, as Sheldon handed eventual No. 1 team in the state St. Francis (Mountain View) one of its two blemishes on the year. Kennedy would help Sheldon secure an undefeated Delta League championship, a feat that forced the Huskies to take out two fellow top 25 sides. The outfielder had a team best 54 runs, 13 home runs and Kennedy’s run total even beat 2022 Ms. Softball Jessica Oakland impressive showing of 52. Kennedy finished behind fellow D1 bound teammate D’uana Johnson with 42 RBI on the year and sported a .465 batting average. The Huskies were able to reach the CIF NorCal Division 1 playoffs before falling to eventual champion St. Francis in the semifinals.

Kai Minor (Lutheran, Orange) Fr.
Eyes from all over the state stood up and noticed the play of one of the top freshmen in the country this season, as Minor made waves for Orange Lutheran in her first high school campaign. The young outfielder is the frontrunner to be the star of the 2026 class, as Minor hit for a .532 batting average and sported a .579 on-base percentage. Even against some of the toughest competition in the Southern Section, Minor thrived with 50 hits while scoring 40 runs as the Lancers’ leadoff hitter. Minor also connected for seven home runs and raced to six triples and five doubles in her debut season. Add along that she had 22 stolen bases on the year, it was why she was our State Freshman of the Year award winner. Minor helped push the Lancers to a No. 26 finish in the top 40 state rankings.

Makayla Winchell (Granada, Livermore) Sr.
It was Winchell who helped guide one of the surprise up and coming teams in the North Coast Section this year, as Granada posted a 26-5 record and an appearance in the first NorCal Softball Division 1 playoffs. The senior outfielder bound for Notre Dame made first team all-East Bay Athletic League and led the Matadors with 35 RBI, 46 runs on 59 hits and had a .527 batting average at the plate. Winchell was also second on the team with eight home runs behind star freshman Delaney Aumua. The outfielder was also recently named to the PGF All American list and All American Game. Winchell also was the sparkplug player on offense when Granada won the Livermore Stampede tourney.

FIRST TEAM OVERALL MULTI-PURPOSE (Hit & Pitch)

Brooklyn Carreon (Whittier Christian, La Habra) Sr.
One of the top pitchers in the Southern Section was in Division 3, as Brooklyn Carreon of Whittier Christian (La Habra) put together a remarkable senior season. The University of Utah commit was named to the All-CIF Southern Section Softball team after helping power the Heralds to a 18-9 record and securing a second straight undefeated Olympic League slate. Carreon also picked up the honor of being the Whittier Daily News’ POTY for the second straight season. She wasn’t State Medium Schools Player of the Year once again, but makes all-state first team along with the girl who did get that honor (Sutter’s Riley Wickum). In the circle, Carreon had a 1.24 ERA and punched out 122 batters while being named the Olympic League pitcher of the year. Carreon was also quality at the plate, as the senior had a .404 batting average and knocked in 24 RBI on the year.

Sofia Elliott (Mission Viejo) Soph.
It could be called a jump into superstardom this season for Elliott. The sophomore burst onto the scene in Orange County and claimed the OC Register’s Player of the Year honors after blending together a resume of strong pitching and home run hitting. The underclassman sported a record of 22-4 while holding down an ERA of 1.84 against tough Southern California competition. At the plate, Elliott crushed 15 home runs and powered across 43 RBI while still hitting for a .443 average on the year. In the circle, Sofia helped lead the Diablos to a Southern Section Division 2 crown over Millikan (Long Beach) and were bumped up to Division 1 for the SoCal regional championships, where they would eventually fall to eventual champion and No. 2 in the state Oaks Christian (Westlake Village).

Carolyn Grimes (Del Oro, Loomis) Sr.
Del Oro was a tough team to get a handle on all of its top players, but Grimes wins out and gains a first team all-state slot. She pitched in many of the team’s biggest games (including one early shutout of Sacramento Sheldon) and although she gave up a lot of runs she also pitched in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D2 title game that the Golden Eagles won. For the season, Carolyn went 15-3 with a 1.95 ERA and she had 168 strikeouts in 153 innings. At the plate, she also was among the team leaders with a .405 batting average plus five homers and 27 RBI. She was the MaxPreps SJS Senior of the Year and was All-Metro by the Sac Bee. Grimes will play next at UC Davis.

Christal Lopez (Buchanan, Clovis) Jr.
This junior who has been No. 19 in the ExtraInningSoftball Elite player rankings for her class had a stellar season for the Bears. It included a 10-inning 1-0 win over Ryan Maddox and team at Clovis North that was that team’s first loss of the season. Buchanan would later lose to Clovis North and fell in the CIF Central Section D1 semifinals to Clovis. Lopez, who also hit some big home runs for the Bears this season, has committed to San Diego State.

Ryan Maddox (Clovis North, Fresno) Jr.
Clovis North (Fresno) without Maddox in the circle would have a decent chance at being the top team in its league but not the state. But a Broncos’ side with Maddox turns into a different animal altogether. The junior Arizona commit was a true force in the Central Section and was once again one of a handful of elite pitchers in all of California. Her hitting was such improved, however, that we put her on multi-purpose this time instead of pitching. Maddox was nearly perfect, as the hurler in 22 appearances had a 0.36 ERA with a 20-2 record. The top pitcher in the Central Section only allowed seven earned runs in 136 ⅔ innings while punching out 264 batters. Maddox was named our State Junior of the Year for the 2022 season. At the plate, Maddox was a key piece for the Broncos’ attack, as the two-way player had team highs with 42 hits, 30 runs, 11 doubles, .529 on-base percentage and 0.506 batting average. Maddox never lost a game in the circle in a regulation seven inning contest and was injured when the Broncos fell in the Central Section playoffs. The ace will be one of the top returning players in the state and nation next year.

Riley Wickum (Sutter) Sr.
Small school Northern Section power Sutter turned heads this season, as the Huskies had a near perfect 31-1 season that saw Sutter claim the first NorCal Softball Division 3 title over Central (Fresno). Key in that dream season was the arm of Riley Wickum. The Cal State University Northridge signee was the best pitcher in the Northern Section by a wide margin, as the senior sported a 25-1 record while having a shockingly low 0.41 ERA in 154 innings of work. Wickum had a season of legends, as the ace had 303 strikeouts on the year while having 15 shutouts, seven no hitters and one perfect game. Sutter upended top 5 ranked at the time Heritage (Brentwood) in preseason tournament play in Nevada and its lone loss came against top 25 side Elk Grove and fellow all-state first team member Aissa Silva. Wickum wasn’t shabby at the plate either, as the senior had a team second best 35 RBI while having a .470 batting average and cracked 16 doubles for the year. The ace already picked up our State Medium School Player of the Year award and was the first player from the Northern Section to receive the award.

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports