struck out just twice in 73 plate appearances. The Monarchs have talent around the horn, though, starting behind the plate with the sophomore duo of Madeleine Kim (.353 average, 15 RBI, seven extra base hits) and Megan Nordin (.344) who split time. When one isn’t starting behind the dish, the other DHs. They are two of six sophomores on the roster. The Monarchs are blessed with nothing but experience on the infield with seniors Ashley Chestnut (first), Catherine Callaway (second) and Kiersten Nordin (third). Chestnut is hitting .325 with a team-best 18 RBI, Callaway is hitting .379 with 22 runs and 16 hits (half for extra bases) and Kiersten Nordin is at .342. All three will play in college. Chestnut is headed to UC San Diego, Callaway to Harvard and Nordin to Cal Poly. Nordin hits second, Callaway third and Chestnut seventh. Combined with Jackson, Mitty might have the best infield in Northern California. “Kiersten is a four-year letterman and been all-league the last two years,” Yocke said. “Cat is a great kid and hard worker and Ashley has given us clutch hits all year.” The outfield is led by sophomore right fielder Danielle Bowers, also a pitcher, who is hitting .385 with 20 hits, 15 RBI and five doubles. Bowers was all-WCAL as a freshman and hits cleanup. Center fielder Haley Wymbs, another sophomore, is hitting .429, second best on the squad. She’s contributed 21 hits and 17 RBI and great range in the outfield. Senior left fielder Rachel Silva is tremendous with the glove and is the captain of the outfield.
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It was a true team effort while winning the Stampede as the Monarchs posted impressive wins over California (2-0), WhitneyRocklin (6-2) and Livermore (4-2). Those three teams have combined records of 32-11 as of April 15. In the win over Livermore, Jackson was 3-for-4 with a double and two steals, Kiersten Nordin had a home run and Bowers singled in a run and doubled. For the tournament, Bowers was 6 of 18 with a homer and three doubles, Jackson was 11-17 with a double, triple and seven steals and Kiersten Nordin and Kim combined for nine hits and six RBI. “Just the way we like it,” Yocke said. “Everyone contributes.” Yocke, a former baseball and football standout at Mitty, has fallen for the game he watched his sister Megan star at. Megan Yocke graduated in 2007 and was a star second baseman before playing catcher at the University of Kentucky.
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April 18, 2013
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All-State junior shortstop Jazmyn Jackson leads the Monarchs with a .532 batting average and five home runs through April 15. Brian Yocke is a 2003 Mitty graduate, and played two seasons at Mission JC before transferring to San Jose State where he played and graduated in 2007. He coached baseball at Mitty and San Jose State before former softball coach Sarah Thomas stepped down after a highly successful seven-year round. Brian Yocke took over, and with the help of assistant Ed Barclay, who handles the pitching and catching, has won two CCS titles in his first two seasons. He credits Barclay heavily, his sister and the talented, hard-working players he’s worked with for the team’s success. “From the get-go I was excited for the change (from baseball to softball),” he said. “I’ve always been a big believer in bunting players over and getting runs early. I enjoy small ball. “Every one asks me the biggest difference between baseball and softball and in my honest experiences, the best softball players – like Vanessa Alvarez and Jazmyn Jackson — have much smaller egos than the top baseball players. They take advice and are receptive to criticism. Boys, myself included at that age, some times let their egos get in the way.” ✪ Mitch Stephens is a senior writer and national columnist for MaxPreps.com.
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