Don’t expect to contend for an NCAA softball championship without a Southern California native. They’re seemingly everywhere making an impact, and No. 1 Oklahoma is off to a 25-0 start with the help of freshman Tiare Jennings from Long Beach St. Anthony High, sophomore Kenzie Hansen from Norco and senior Taylon Snow from Chino Hills.
Jennings has 42 hits, a .512 batting average and 15 home runs. Hansen is hitting .507 with 14 home runs. Snow is hitting .403.
UCLA is 19-1 and relying on former Oaks Christian standout Maya Brady, who’s batting .421 with five home runs. Teammate Kelli Godin from Santa Ana Mater Dei is hitting .400 while going eight for eight in stolen bases. And the Bruins’ No. 1 pitcher is the great Rachel Garcia from Palmdale Highland. She’s 4-0 with an 0.38 ERA.
At Oregon, freshman Alyssa Brito from Garden Grove Pacifica is batting .418 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs.
At Stanford, freshman Aly Kaneshiro from Hart is six for 15.
At Arizona, the leading hitter is Janelle Meono from Hacienda Heights Wilson. She’s batting .471 with eight stolen bases in nine attempts. The No. 2 hitter is Dejah Mulipola from Pacifica. She’s hitting .436 with 12 home runs and 35 RBIs.
