WATSONVILLE — When looking at Watsonville High pitcher Jessica Rodriguez’s season statistics, the words “incredible,” “unbelievable” and “otherworldly” come to mind. Heck, even the word “gross” applies to her final numbers.
Watsonville High head coach Scott Wilson did not disagree with any one of those descriptors.
“All of those are pretty good,” Wilson said in a recent phone interview. “Her stats were phenomenal and it speaks volumes as to the type of pitcher she is.”
So does her latest honor.
Rodriguez, a sophomore already committed to play at NCAA Division I UNLV, was recently named the Monterey Bay League Gabilan division’s Pitcher of the Year by the coaches of the seven-team league.
Rodriguez guided the Wildcatz to an 8-4 league record, which was good enough for second place during their first year in the MBL-G. She beat out several other aces for the award, including San Benito High junior Amanda Moisa and Notre Dame-Salinas junior Vanessa Gonzalez.
“I think it’s a pretty cool thing,” Rodriguez said in a recent phone interview. “There are bunch of great pitchers in the league that could have won this.”
Both rival pitchers held a 2.05 earned run average or lower and Gonzalez, who earned the league’s Pitcher of the Year last season, led the Spirits to the Central Coast Section Division II title. But Rodriguez’s numbers and performances were voted the league’s best.
According to the stats kept by MaxPreps, Rodriguez finished with a 20-4 overall record and posted a 0.85 earned run average over 149 innings pitched, which was fifth best in the CCS. She also led the section in strikeouts with 242, which were also the 18th most in all of California, and had 11 shutouts.
With Rodriguez in the circle, Watsonville captured its first-ever CCS title, winning the Division I crown over Homestead High. The Wildcatz’s section title was also the first by any softball team from Santa Cruz County in the 42 years that the CCS has held a tournament.
Rodriguez allowed only two runs over four playoff games en route to the historic championship.
“I knew that I needed to step up my game this year,” said Rodriguez, who sparingly stepped into the circle as a freshman. “This year I really proved what I could do.”
Watsonville’s ace also earned a spot on the league’s 16-player First Team.
Sophomore catcher Juliana Wilson, Scott Wilson’s daughter who is already committed to NCAA Division I University of Central Florida, and junior Savanah Quintana also made the First Team.
Wilson, who was named the Pacific division’s Most Valuable Player last season, led the MBL-G in batting average (.608), on base percentage (.659), RBIs (43), walks (13) and triples (6) and was second in runs (35), hits (45), home runs (8) and doubles (11).
Quintana, meanwhile, wasn’t too shabby either. The speedy and smart shortstop earned her third straight all-league First Team selection after hitting .473 with 17 RBIs, eight doubles, two triples and 33 scored runs.
Since winning the CCS title, coach Wilson and his Wildcatz have received congratulations in the form of cards, texts and emails from numerous Watsonville and Santa Cruz County residents.
Wilson said his team was in talks to walk in Watsonville’s Fourth of July parade and was also set to receive a proclamation from the Santa Cruz County Supervisors in the coming weeks.
“The adrenaline probably wore off on Monday,” Wilson said. “The significance of it has finally settled in.”
San Benito won the MBL-G title for the fifth straight season behind senior centerfielder Brittnee Rossi, who was named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Watsonville junior third baseman Zaira Pena and senior outfielder Nicole Wilson made the MBL-G Second Team.
Pena was second on the team in slugging percentage (.776), hits (41), triples (3) and home runs (4) and third in RBIs (26), runs (29) and doubles (7).
Wilson, the Wildcatz’s leadoff hitter, hit .400, with 28 hits, 25 scored runs and five doubles. She was also second on the team in walks (12).
Watsonville freshman outfielder Angelina Heredia earned honorable mention and senior infielder Liyah Lopez was named to the Sportsmanship team.
MBL-Pacific
Five locals made the MBL-P First Team, the coaches from the seven-team league recently announced.
Monte Vista Christian sophomore Gianna Vanni and freshman Drew Barragan and North Monterey County High juniors Nicole Garcia and Michaela Galli and sophomore Erica Furtado were all named to the 15-player team.
Vanni, the Mustangs’ top pitcher, led the team in RBIs (24) and triples (4) and was second in batting average (.429), hits (30) and doubles (6).
Barragan joined MVC late in the season but was still one of the top players in the lineup. She led the Mustangs in batting average (.551) and was third in hits (27), runs (18) and RBIs (16) despite playing in only nine fewer games than her teammates.
MVC finished fourth in the MBL-P at 6-6. The Mustangs were 13-10-1 overall.
Garcia, Gallo and Furtado pushed the Condors to an 8-4 league standing and a third-place finish behind league champ Salinas High and second place Alvarez High.
Salinas’ freshman Kyla Stone shared the MBL-P’s Most Valuable Player award with Seaside High sophomore Jordan Olivares.
Pajaro Valley High’s Lluvia Alvarez, NMC’s Amber Duplissie, Alivia Peters and Kaitlyn Villarreal and MVC’s Samantha Baer, Marisa Angulo, Mariah Gonzalez and Rachel Vanni made the MBL-Pacific Second Team.
The Mustangs won the team Elgie Bellizio Sportsmanship Award.
