Who has been the best softball player in the Southern Section in 2022? Here are 20 names to consider

With the CIFSS softball finals looming and then the Regional playoffs coming up afterwards, it's too early to hand out awards for the 2022 season. But it's not too early to start thinking about them. 

Here's a rundown on 20 softball stars who built – or are still building – a Southern Section Player of the Year case this season. Note that only one player was listed per school.

Who are we missing that you think has been one of the best softball players in the Southern Section this season? Let us know on social media or by emailing statistics to lance@scorebooklive.com, and we will consider them in our future coverage and award nominations.

Sydney Somerndike – Villa Park – SR.

The conversation has to start with the reigning Gatorade State Player of the Year. As a junior, Somerndike went 24-2 with 323 strikeouts in 157 innings while also batting .337 with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and a .600 slugging percentage. Before she missed time with an ankle sprain at the end of March, the Arizona commit had been just as good in 2022 for what was the unbeaten No. 1 team in the state. When the Spartans fell 2-1 in extra innings to Orange Lutheran in the second round of the Division 1 playoffs on May 10, it was only their first loss of the season with Somerndike in the lineup.

Micaela Kastor – Oaks Christian – SR.

Even now that the previously-unbeaten Lions fell 4-0 to Los Al in the Division 1 semifinals, Kastor remains one of a very few frontrunners to be named the statewide player of the year. It's no stretch to say that the Notre Dame commit has been one of the very best hitters and pitchers in California in 2022. She's batting .524 with nine home runs, 36 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 1.000, good for an OPS of 1.590. Kastor is also 22-1 in the circle with an ERA of 0.38 and 231 strikeouts in 130.1 innings, and has two saves in her only appearances from the bullpen.

Anahi Arreola, a junior, is another Oaks Christian star in the conversation of best players in the section.

Mya Perez – Norco – JR.

Perez might prove to be the best yet from a nationally-renowned program that has a history of putting out incredible softball players. She was named the Press-Enterprise's Inland Empire Player of the Year as a sophomore for hitting .543 with 11 homers and a school-record 54 RBIs, and was arguably even better as a junior. This season, the ASU commit hit over .650 and broke the program single-season record of 14 home runs with room to spare, and also was a huge factor for the Cougars in the circle. 

Ainsley Berlingeri – Camarillo – JR.

One of the best 2023 pitchers in the state for the second year in a row, Berlingeri finished the regular season 19-3 with a 1.36 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 123.1 innings for the D1 quarterfinalist.

Corner infielder Natalie Yamane and middle infielder Rylee Pinedo have both had dominant seasons at the plate for the Scorpions, and are also candidates for top-20 consideration.

Brooke Perez – Esperanza – SR.

Perez cemented herself as one of the best pitchers in SoCal as a senior. She was consistently effective playing one of the hardest schedules in the state, and is committed to UC Riverside.

Regan Shockey – Chino Hills – JR.

One of the best contact hitters and base running threats in California, the Arizona commit was one of the section's leaders in runs scored with 38. As a junior, Shockey batted .547 with 28 RBIs and 21 stolen bases, and she's a standout defensive asset with the ability to play anywhere in the outfield or middle infield at a very high level.

SS/2B Samantha Bland, another junior, has also had an MVP-caliber season for the Huskies.

Emma Martinez – Yucaipa – SR.

Playing one of the tougher schedules in SoCal, Martinez hit .538 with 20 RBIs for the D2 quarterfinalist. 25 of her 56 hits were for extra bases, and with a slugging percentage above .900 she finished with a 1.473 OPS, making her arguably the hardest-hitting middle infielder in SoCal. The Fresno State commit also stole 18 bases on her way to scoring 43 runs, and is a versatile defensive contributor.

Alyssa Ramirez – Saugus – SR.

Another Fresno State commit, Ramirez broke Saugus' single-season home run record of 12 as a senior en-route to being named the Foothill League Player of the Year. Ramirez, a two-way prospect, was also a key contributor for the Centurions in the circle.

Zoe Prystajko – Huntington Beach – SO.

Prystajko has been one of the best sophomores in Southern Section softball this season, going 6-1 in 22 appearances with an ERA of 0.46 and 158 K's in 90.2 innings. She also hit .271 and blasted three home runs.

Cambria Salmon – Beaumont – SO.

As just a sophomore, Salmon solidified herself as one of the best pitchers in California for the 23-5 Cougars. She led the Southern Section in reported strikeouts with 309 of them while going 19-4 with a 0.52 ERA in 160.1 innings. Salmon also hit 0.338 with five homers and a team-high 19 RBIs, finishing with an OPS of nearly 1.100.

Ryann Orange – Torrance – SR.

Orange led the Tartars to the Division 2 semifinals as both their ace and as one of the top hitters in the Southern Section. She is committed to Rutgers.

Brianne Weiss – Orange Lutheran – SO.

As just a sophomore, Weiss took on one of the toughest schedules in California as a pitcher and came out with a sub-1.00 ERA. Appearing in 24 of OLu's 30 games, Weiss tossed 152 innings and went 18-5 with a 0.83 ERA and 200 strikeouts. Perhaps the most impressive statistic, however, is this: until red-hot Gahr got to Weiss for four runs in the seventh inning of the D1 quarterfinals, she hadn't allowed more than two earned runs in a game all season, and only 13 total. Heading into that match, she had thrown 145 innings and her ERA was only 0.63.

Two other Lancers have also been firmly planted in the discussion for best player in the section this season – power-hitting corner infielder Kiki Estrada, committed to Arkansas, and one of the best freshmen in the country in CF Kai Minor.

Jazzy Burns – Murrieta Mesa – JR.

Burns batted a line of .438/13/48 with an OPS of 1.543 to held lead the Rams (25-8) to the D1 quarterfinals and one of the best seasons in school history. 

Caylea Rains-Campbell, who had a 1.83 ERA in 145 innings, would be another worthy candidate.

Brynne Nally – Pacifica (Garden Grove) – SO.

Named the Cal-Hi Sports Freshman of the Year last year for her 16-3 record and 1.03 ERA, Nally has continued to be both one of the best pitchers in the state and a good hitter in 2022. She led the Mariners to a 26-5 record and Division 1 quarterfinals appearance.

Kylee Magee – Canyon (Anaheim) – SR.

The hard-throwing ASU signee started almost every game for the Comanches as a senior, and led them to a 23-6 record with an ERA of just over 1.00.

Marley Cortez – Gahr – SO.

One of the most underrated players in California (for now), Cortez has been a two-way force to help lead the Gladiators to the D1 semifinals. After hitting .571 as a freshman, she's hit for a similar average in 2022 while upping her power and also solidifying herself as an exceptional pitcher.

Emily Jones – Westlake – SR.

Jones, a Stanford commit, built on a tremendous junior campaign by posting career-highs in batting average (0.593), on-base percentage (0.626), slugging (0.890), OPS (1.516), hits (54), RBIs (34), and homers (five). She also set a new career-high in runs scored with 47, which led Division 1, thanks in part to her 17 stolen bases. Jones is in the conversation for both best-hitting middle infielder and best defensive middle infielder in the state simultaneously. She didn't commit one error all season and routinely robbed opponents of hits and runs.

Brooklyn Carreon – Whittier Christian – SR.

Carreon, a Utah commit and two-way star, is the reigning Cal-Hi Sports Medium Schools Player of the Year. She was unstoppable as a junior, batting .518 with 38 RBIs and an OPS of 1.446, and pitching 141.2 innings with a 0.69 ERA and 246 K's. While her numbers haven't been as jaw-dropping in her senior year, she's still one of the premier players in SoCal, posting a .404 BA, 24 RBIs, and a 1.24 ERA in the Heralds' first 17 games of the season.

Sydney Saldana – Los Alamitos – SR.

After a strong regular season playing one of the toughest schedules in the state, Saldana has cemented what was already a tremendous senior campaign with an outstanding playoff run. The Utah State commit has pitched the Griffins into the Division 1 finals with efforts including shutouts against Beaumont and Oaks Christian.

Kayla Lyon – Roosevelt (Eastvale) – SR.

One of a few MVP candidates on the Mustangs, Lyon has been one of the best infielders in SoCal. As of the end of April, she was hitting over .450 with close to 10 homers and 40 RBIs. The Cal Baptist commit is also a defensive Swiss Army knife, a high-caliber third baseman who can also play catcher and just about anywhere. 

Priscilla Llamas and Emily Carr are also having huge seasons for Roosevelt. Llamas has been dominant in the circle almost every time out, but was slowed down by an injury for much of the season. Carr has been another outstanding hitter for the Mustangs, and has been arguably their most clutch, particularly in the playoffs.