In a year of first-year coaches, the biggest splash of the 2019 season for all of San Pedro Prep Softball was made by Mary Star High softball.

Bringing back Jesse Espinoza to coach the program provided a sudden jolt to a team that was coming off both a Camino Real League championship and a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 final the prior season, and…

They came together in 2016 as wide-eyed freshmen just hoping to make a name for themselves at Port Of Los Angeles High for the softball program.

Two years later in 2018, they both combined for their magical signature moment.

Finally on Wednesday after their respective four-year prep careers came to an end in early May 2019, senior…

TORRANCE- This time... there was no blemishes. It was squeaky clean.…

REDONDO BEACH - Mary Star High will always have that stigma about them in sports because of the 'small school' syndrome that they can't compete with schools with larger enrollments. No matter how hard the Stars try, even when they do come out on top, that stigma seemingly will never go away.

So whenever the Stars do come away victorious against the…

For the third time in five years, a San Pedro Prep Softball pitcher has thrown a seven-inning perfect game, and this time it's San Pedro High softball junior pitcher Briana Velazquez .

On Wednesday, the returning All-City Open Division & All-Marine League first team selection, who is having one of the best prep careers imaginable, adds another…

In early July 2013 I took on the role of a sports columnist for San Pedro Today magazine, and since then, I have seen a rise of spectacular student athletes and special teams that have made my hometown a beautiful place to live. Some teams stood out more than others, even if they brought home a CIF championship or not.

San Pedro, Port Of Los Angeles and Mary…

Elizabeth Sambrano.

Sarah Gascon.

The Vitalich sisters.

And now Alessandra Samperio.

The Mary Star High softball pitching sensation, All-CIF Southern Section Division 6 selection, 2018 Camino Real League Pitcher Of The Year and 2018 San Pedro News Pilot Prep Softball Co-Player Of The Year,…

Thanks to a long run which ended on June 1 in a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 final, the two most critical players of Mary Star High softball making that incredible run got rewarded with a rare postseason honor.

Sophomore pitcher Alessandra Samperio, the 2018 San Pedro News Pilot Prep Softball Co-Player Of The Year, and sophomore shortstop Ashley Rico, a San Jose…

As always, the CIF-Los Angeles City Section piles on the postseason awards for softball, and not surprisingly, San Pedro and Port Of Los Angeles High were well represented once again in 2018.

San Pedro's sensational trio of sophomore P/INF Briana Velazquez, senior catcher Anessa Quiroz and senior OF/SS Taiya Reyna all were selected to the All-City Open Division team,…

For the second year in a row, a San Pedro Prep Softball team made it to a CIF championship game. 

In fact, two of the three teams reached the limit in 2018, as both San Pedro and Mary Star Of The Sea High ended two magnificent and improbable runs to reach a CIF-Los Angeles City Section Open Division final (San Pedro) and a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 final (Mary…

Friday, June 1 ended a special season of San Pedro Prep Softball, and two of the three schools in particular ended their respective years in a CIF championship game, but were unable to bring home a title.

San Pedro High softball was not expected to repeat their heroics of 2017, but they definitely made a run of it in the brand-new CIF-Los Angeles City Section Open…

RIVERSIDE - No one could have ever imagined this could ever be possible.

Mary Star High softball made it a reality.

Carnegie-Schools of Riverside had everything in place on Tuesday for a possible trip to a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 championship game. Home field advantage at La Sierra University, a perfect 27-0 record, and a state record 479 runs scored…

SUN VALLEY - Left for dead in late March during the Las Vegas Spring Jamboree Tournament at Spring Break.

Made a change at the top in early April by bringing back a legendary coach.

Losing their Marine League championship in the early part of May, having more than their fair share of doubters as they were the last of eight teams chosen to participate in the…

CARSON - San Pedro High softball was not able to repeat as Marine League champions in 2018, as a red-hot Carson team removed the Pirates from that status by winning all ten league games.

If the Pirates want to repeat as CIF-Los Angeles City Section champions, they knew at some point they were going to face the Colts again, and they got their opportunity sooner than…

It's the kind of finish that seemingly becomes a trademark for San Pedro High softball, and the stuff that dreams are made of.

The latest installment of the Harbor Area showdown between the host Pirates and Banning of Wilmington was like a heavyweight bout in the seventh inning, with both teams delivering body punches, but when it was all said and done, the defending…

A return to the top... a process that happens with hard work and belief in each other as a cohesive unit.

That perfectly describes the 2018 Mary Star High softball team.

Once the 1,154 strikeouts of Marina Vitalich graduated and was headed for George Mason University after capturing four Camino Real League championships in five seasons, along with a first-ever…

No one said it was going to be easy for Port Of Los Angeles High softball.

Gone are the days of when they ran roughshod in the Coliseum League when they had the likes of Nicolle Miranda, Kelsea Short, Allison Bayer, Savana Ramirez, Brianna Grayson, Rose Garcia and Analise De La Roca running amok and causing havoc, winning every league game they competed in with little…

HARBOR CITY - With the final week of the regular season looming, the San Pedro High softball team came to Narbonne High to continue to stay on an upswing.

Turns out they wanted to do some yard work in the process.

From the moment the game began, the visiting Pirates went to work as the first four batters took advantage of the wide open softball field without a…

LONG BEACH - If there's anything that unnerves Mary Star High softball, right now it's hard to see.

For the third time this season, the Stars would defeat host St. Anthony of Long Beach, 2-0 to grab complete control of the Camino Real League championship picture with three games remaining. It's also the second time Mary Star was victorious over the defending…

Just 19 days ago, Mary Star High softball posted a seismic-style victory over powerhouse St. Anthony of Long Beach, a 5-2 upset win on the road that announced to the rest of the Camino Real League, that the Stars didn't come to mess around in 2018.

So what could the Stars possibly do for an encore?

On Tuesday, a big third inning scoring surge combined with…