Fresno Bee’s Best: See the Softball Player of the Year, our list of Bee All-Stars
Ryan Maddox, already on top of the Fresno-area high school softball heap after a dominant 2021 season, added a new pitch before her junior year at Clovis North High.
Bad news for the competition.
“My off-speed drop really helped me with throwing hitters off balance,” she said. “That really helped me keep up with hitters and I can throw them something different each at-bat, but that was mainly the big difference that I feel helped me. It made it almost easier to pitch.”
Maddox finished the season 20-2 with a 0.36 ERA and 264 strikeouts.
And she more than pitched in at the plate, batting .506 with 16 RBI, 11 doubles, a triple and three home runs.
Maddox, already committed to Arizona, is The Bee’s Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.
“I work really hard because I know where I want to be in college,” she said. “National championship is the goal.
“It’s just not for me. I do it for my team. I want to be good for them and I want to play this championship game with them.”
The Broncos won the Central Section championship in 2021 but came up short this past season. Maddox suffered an ankle sprain that forced her to miss the last two weeks.
Clovis North coach Courtney Dale described Maddox as a “true competitor.”
“She thrives under pressure,” Dale said. “She is the one you want to have the ball when the game is on the line. The best thing about Ryan is she is such a team player. Her team loves playing behind her. She set the tone at practice and also in the dugout.”
Co-Coaches of the Year: Mike Noel, Clovis and Victor Contreras, Orange Cove
Noel guided the Cougars to a Central Section Division I championship after a 2-0 victory over Central.
He has an overall record of 719-207-5, good for ninth in state history, according to Cal-Hi Sports Record Book.
Contreras has been at Orange Cove just four seasons but is on his way to a Noel-like record at 73-34. The Titans this season won the section and Southern California Division IV titles.
Contreras is 73-34 in four seasons at Orange Cove, according to section historian Bob Barnett.
Other player awards
Large School Player of the Year: Lauryn Carranco, Sr., P, Clovis: Struck out seven in a section-championship shutout. She was 25-5 with two saves with a 0.80 ERA in 210.2 innings pitched. Carranco had 309 strikeouts.
Medium School Player of the Year: Morgan Hunter, Jr., P/1B, Monache: She helped the Marauders to a Central Section Division III title after a strong pitching outing. She finished the season 15-4 with an ERA of 1.30 and hit .463 with 44 RBIs and six home runs.
Small School Player of the Year: Mia Castillo, Soph., P/INF/OF, Orange Cove: She drove in 31 runs with five home runs and went 17-3 with a 1.24 ERA in 25 appearances. She also had two saves.
The Bee All-Stars
Noemi Aldana, Fr, IF, Woodlake
Karsyn Bauer, Soph., P/OF, Liberty-Madera Ranchos
Brinnon Beigel, Jr. P, Sierra Pacific
Karlie Bilbrey, Sr., P/INF, El Diamante
Brooke Brazil, Sr., INF, Clovis
Michaela Brown, Jr., P, Redwood
Autiana Buck, Jr., C, Buchanan
Emma Bumatay, Sr., INF, Clovis North
Mary Joe Camaquin, Sr., INF, Orange Cove
Lauryn Carranco, Sr., P, Clovis
Alexus Carter, Sr., INF, Golden West
Anahi Castillo, Jr., C/INF, Orange Cove
Mia Castillo, Soph., P/INF/OF, Orange Cove
Paige Chapman, Sr., OF, Liberty-Madera Ranchos
Grace Chojnacki, Jr., P/INF, Mission Oak
Brynn Close, Fr., P, Riverdale
Gracyn Coleman, Sr., C/INF, Hanford West
Kamerynn Cordova, Sr., P, Fowler
Jeslyn Cuellar, Sr., INF, Tulare Western
Makayla Davila, Sr., Fresno Christian
Duregan Davis, Sr., P/INF, Hanford
Alexis DeBoer, Soph, INF, Clovis North
Samantha Delgado, Sr., C/INF, Kerman
Khamara Dement, Soph., INF, Selma
Hanna Dobbs, Sr., P/UTL, Bullard
Alexis Galvan, Sr, P/INF, Madera
Lily Garcia, Sr., P, Hanford
Kaylee Grealy, Sr., 2B, Clovis North
Taylor Hastin, Jr., P/INF, Tulare Union
Hailey Haynes, Jr., INF, Chowchilla
Morgan Hunter, Jr., P/INF, Monache
Rylee Jones, Soph, C/INF, Kingsburg
Christal Lopez, Jr., P/DP/INF, Buchanan
Ryan Maddox, Jr., P/OF, Clovis North
Alyssa Martinez, Soph, INF, Sanger
Vanezza Martinez, Jr., P/INF, Sunnyside
Hanna Medina, Sr, P/INF, Reedley
Sarah Moite, Sr., C, Bullard
Candince Moreno-Hairbedian, Soph, C, Reedley
Mia Nishikawa, Jr., P/INF, Central
Erika Perez, Sr., INF, Madera
LeeAnne Raney, Sr., P/INF, Dos Palos
Jayden Ramos, Soph., P/INF, Central
Haley Reeve, Jr., OF, Bullard
Marissa Sanchez, Jr., OF, Kerman
Paige Sterling, Sr., INF, Caruthers
Noemi Uribe, Jr., Washington Union
Morgan Trigueiro, Jr., P/INF, Caruthers
Emmie Walker, Sr., INF, Coalinga
Gaby Zapata, Jr. P/INF, Selma
This story was originally published July 14, 2022 at 2:10 PM.
