All-Inland Softball: Norco's Peyton May is the IE Varsity Player of the Year
NORCO - Peyton May once was told to look at positions other than pitcher if she wanted to have success.
May, who recently graduated from Norco High School, did not let those words deter her. She chose to use them as motivation.
“I wanted to prove that I am a pitcher and that some people were wrong about me,” said May, who is headed to Oklahoma State.
May did that and more her senior season. She was one of the most consistent and dominant performers inside the pitcher’s circle, compiling a 13-1 record with a 0.35 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 100 innings of work. May made 18 appearances and did not yield a run in 13 of the games. She allowed only eight runs (five earned) all season, and three of those came in one inning against King.
For those reasons, May has been selected the IE Varsity Softball Player of the Year for the 2026 season.
May played her freshman season at Orange Lutheran and transferred to Norco. She had trouble earning innings as a sophomore because of an injury and rust following the sit-out period for transfers. May and 2025 IE Varsity Player of the Year Coral Williams combined forces and became one of the most dynamic 1-2 punches in the nation, with those two pitchers often alternating starts.
“When Coral throws great, I want to match that. And I think its vice-versa with her,” May said. “It also made things easier out there. I can pitch a lot more relaxed knowing someone can come in and have my back. Watching her work ethic has really pushed me.”
Norco pitching coach Beth Windham said May and Williams worked in harmony over the past three seasons.
“I’m sure people who don’t know them believe they were jealous of each other or always at each other’s throats,” Windham said. “Nothing could be further from the truth. They genuinely wanted each other to succeed. They were great because of each other.”
May had a solid junior campaign, going 11-2 with 1.49 ERA and 142 strikeouts. She raised her game to another level this season. That 0.35 ERA matches the program low shared by Teagan Gerhart (2009) and Emily Lockman (2012). May allowed only 41 hits during the season and batters posted a miniscule .120 average against her. May allowed more than four hits in a game only twice.
“I just believe Peyton was relaxed and throwing with so much more confidence this season,” Norco coach Rick Robinson said.
Robinson and Windham both credit May’s effort to improve her change-up for the reason why the numbers dropped this season.
“It might not have been her best pitch, but it was solid and made every one of her other pitches that much better,” Windham said.
May turned in some of her best performances of the season against the state’s top-ranked teams. She tossed a shutout against Orange Lutheran in the semifinals of the Michelle Carew Classic and also blanked Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the Division 1 quarterfinals. Norco dropped a 2-0 decision to JSerra in the Division 1 semifinals, but May closed out her high school career by retiring all 13 batters she faced in relief. She pitched 15 1/3 innings against Division 1 champ JSerra and did not allow an earned run.
“I’m happy for her,” Robinson said. “Other than winning another CIF title, I’m sure she is happy with how her senior year went.”
May is looking forward to arriving in Stillwater in the coming months and making an impact for perennial power Oklahoma State.
“When I was younger, I was told to lower my expectations when thinking about where to go to college,” May said. “That almost made me fall out of love with the sport. They were the first of the really big schools to reach back out to me after that injury my sophomore year. I went out there on a visit and just fell in love with everything. It became my dream school from that moment.”
IE VARSITY COACH OF THE YEAR
Jose Hernandez, Corona
Corona once was the Inland Empire’s premier softball program, but the Panthers struggled in the decade following the retirement of Jo Ann Byrd. Corona averaged nine wins between the 2014 and 2024 seasons and finished in the cellar in the Big VIII League nine times. Hernandez took over the program last year and guided the Panthers to a 13-13 record. Corona finished with 22 wins this season (most since 2010), finished third in the Big VIII League and also secured the program’s first playoff berth since 2012.
IE VARSITY FIRST TEAM
P: Marley Audoma, Riverside Poly, Jr.
Led Inland pitchers with 20 wins and also hit seven homers with 31 RBIs.
P: Brooklyn Dent, Yucaipa, Jr.
UNLV-committed hurler went 14-4 and had 1.77 ERA inside the circle.
P: Peyton May, Norco, Sr.
Oklahoma State-bound ace went 13-1 with a 0.35 ERA and 151 strikeouts.
P: Coral Williams, Norco, Jr.
UCLA commit finished up with a 15-2 record, a 0.87 ERA and 142 strikeouts.
C: Macy Clark, Murrieta Mesa, Jr.
Long Beach State commit hit .500 with 11 homers and team-best 39 RBIs.
C: Alyssa Torres, Valley View, Sr.
Arizona State-bound slugger hit .527 with 15 homers, 51 runs and 38 RBIs.
C: Lacy VanTuninen, Ganesha, Jr.
Mississippi State commit hit .571 with 10 homers and team-high 38 RBIs
IF: Cassidy Adams, Vista Murrieta, Sr.
Quinnipiac signee batted .435, hit 11 homers, and scored area-best 58 runs.
IF: Dailynn Battee, Etiwanda, So.
Batted .616 with 15 homers, 50 runs and 38 RBIs and also drew 31 walks.
IF: Savannah Gonzalez, Norco, Jr.
CBU commit led team with a .481 average and also belted seven homers.
IF: Brooke Lebsock, King, Sr.
Nebraska signee finished season with a .464 average, 38 runs and 31 RBIs.
IF: Amani McField, Etiwanda, Sr.
Tennessee signee batted .534, scored 43 runs and led team with 45 RBIs.
IF: Jayla Ruiz, Upland, Sr.
Finished the season with a .560 average, 11 homers, 32 runs and 32 RBIs.
IF: Nevaeh Wilson, Ganesha, So.
Speedy leadoff hitter had .552 batting average, scored team-high 37 runs, and stole 26 bases.
OF: Zoey Galindo, Aquinas, So.
Leadoff batter led team with .638 average, 10 homers and 35 runs scored.
OF: Macai Johnson, Orange Vista, Jr.
UCLA commit led team with .639 average, 42 runs scored and 10 homers.
OF: Aubree McLaughlin, Roosevelt, Sr.
UCLA signee led team with .500 average, 37 runs, 14 homers and 41 RBIs.
OF: Tatum Wolff, Murrieta Mesa, Jr.
Hit .495 with 52 runs, 11 homers and 32 RBIs; also 8-2 inside of the circle.
UT: Lilianna Acosta, Ayala, Sr.
Long Beach State signee hit .612 with 37 RBIs and won nine games in the circle.
UT: Lilly Hauser, Murrieta Mesa, Sr.
Arizona signee went 17-0 with a 0.25 ERA and also batted .542 with 36 RBIs.
IE VARSITY SECOND TEAM
P: Ryder Bishop, King, Fr.
P: Katie Coldiron, Aquinas, Jr.
P: Kaydence Koepsell, Paloma Valley, Jr.
P: Andrea Varela, Colton, Jr.
C: Savanna Estrada, Aquinas, Sr.
C: Honesty Romero, Riverside Poly, So.
C: Mia Zuniga, Corona, Fr.
IF: Violet Espin, Riverside Poly, Sr.
IF: Leighton Gray, Norco, Jr.
IF: Tiffany Karg, Murrieta Valley, So.
IF: Milena Medyn, Chino Hills, So.
IF: Reece Van Arsdall, Yucaipa, Jr.
IF: Tiffany Villegas, San Dimas, Jr.
IF: Jordin Washington, Rancho Cucamonga, Sr.
OF: Jaylene Guadagnino, Murrieta Mesa, Fr.
OF: Lily Matthews, Liberty, Jr.
OF: Kendra Nelsen, Norco, So.
OF: Sydney Smith, Great Oak, Sr.
UT: Ryanne Womack, Hemet, Sr.
UT: Peyton Reel, Alta Loma, Jr.
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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 12:22 PM.