Softball All-State Teams and Players of the Year announced

LOS ANGELES — The California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association announces its 2023 All-State teams, Players of the Year, and Coaches of the Year awards.

Eighteen players from the North and 18 players from the South make up the All-State teams. Fifteen players from the North and 15 players from the South make up the All-Northern and All-Southern teams. 

North End of the Year Awards

Eliza Deatherage was named the North Player of the Year after leading Sacramento City to a No. 6 seed in the postseason. Deatherage had an incredible season for the Panthers, ranking in the top-5 in the state in most offensive categories. She leads the state in total bases (129) and triples (9) and ranks second in both batting average (.532) and RBIs (52). She also ranks second in slugging percentage (1.040), third in on-base percentage (.590), third in hits (66), fifth in runs (44), and fifth in home runs (11).

The Panthers ended the regular season with a 26-12-1 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the extremely competitive Big 8 Conference. Sacramento City opens the postseason against San Jose on Friday.

Amaya Sutton of Sierra College earns North Pitcher of the Year honors after a dominant season in the circle. In 30 appearances she posted a 21-1 record with two saves, 17 complete games, and eight shutouts. Her 21 wins lead the North and are tied for the third most in the state and her average of 7.83 strikeouts per game ranks fifth. She led the North and ranked second in the state with 186 strikeouts and allowed just 30 earned runs the entire season for a 1.26 ERA. Batters could not do much against Sutton, combining for a mere .186 batting average.

Sutton and the Wolverines have been the top team in the North all season. They go into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the North and will face Solano to open the postseason.

Darci Brownell, Head Coach of the Sierra Wolverines was tabbed North Coach of the Year. Sierra was the team to beat in the North all year and enters the playoffs as one of the favorites to come out on top. The Wolverines were nearly unstoppable, posting a 38-2 overall record and a 23-1 conference record to win the Big 8.

South End of the Year Awards

Aaliyah Rivas picks up South Player of the Year honors after leading Palomar to a No. 1 seed ranking in the South. Rivas had a fantastic season at the plate and stood out as one of the best power hitters in the state. She ranks second among all players with 14 home runs and fourth with a 1.022 slugging percentage. She added 91 total bases with 40 RBIs, 38 hits, and 35 runs. Rivas finished the regular season with a .509 on-base percentage and a .427 batting average.

India Caldwell has been named the South Pitcher of the Year after an incredible season for Palomar. Caldwell was nearly unhittable during the regular season and almost impossible to score against. She led the state with a 0.64 ERA allowing just 13 earned runs and 14 total runs during the season. She led the state with 11 shutouts and ranked sixth with a .157 batting average against. In her 32 appearances, she posted a 24-1 record with 18 complete games and a save. Her 171 strikeouts rank third in the state and she boasts 8.37 strikeouts per game, good for fourth among all pitchers.

Lacey Craft is the South Coach of the Year marking a Palomar sweep of the major awards. Craft led the Comets to a 36-1 overall record and a perfect 12-0 record in the Pacific Coast Conference. Palomar has been ranked as the top team in the state for most of the year and shows no signs of slowing down. The Comets earn the No. 1 seed in the South and await the outcome of the play-in games to see who they will face first in the postseason.

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Anthony Avila, Sports Information Director, California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association (3CFCA)