High School Softball Preview: League to be exciting prelude to playoffs

Local softball teams come into the 2018 CIF Southern Section playoff chase with much to prove.

A year ago, local teams went 1-5 in the postseason, with none advancing out of the first round of the main draw.

Some of that was bad luck. Edison could make a claim that it was in for a long playoff run, but the Chargers fell to eventual Division 2 champion Camarillo 4-3.

In a way, the Chargers’ competitiveness in their opening game demonstrated the parity of Division 2. Edison qualified for the 2017 playoffs as a wildcard team.

A wildcard team nearly knocked out last year’s Division 2 champion. That is also evidence of how the Sunset League prepares a team for the playoff fight.

League was no walk in the park. Los Alamitos went on to win the Division 1 title, led by the terrific battery of pitcher Ryan Denhart (Maryland) and catcher Mary Iakopo (Oregon).

From there, Huntington Beach, Marina and Edison all battled for their own spots in line. The Oilers would take second. Marina, which had the worst case for a wildcard berth, won a must-win third-place tiebreaker game against Edison.

All of those teams deserved to get in, and all of them did. Each of them brings back a key set of contributors from last year’s squads.

Los Alamitos (12-0, 1-0 in league) currently holds down the No. 1 ranking in Division 1, but there are others champing at the bit to take their best shot at the Griffins.

Huntington Beach (7-3, 1-0) brings back a roster with 11 committed players. Oregon-bound shortstop Allee Bunker and Washington-committed center fielder Jadelyn Allchin lead the Oilers.

Allchin led the Oilers offensively last year, posting a .430 average with 18 extra-base hits, including six home runs. Bunker hit .376 while leading Huntington Beach in stolen bases with 19.

Recent Missouri commit Grace Uribe, a sophomore who started in key games last year, is the ace of the Huntington Beach pitching staff.

Edison (7-2, 1-0) split its meetings with Huntington Beach last season, and with the arms the Chargers possess, they have a shot against anyone.

Chargers coach Melissa Roth said that she feels equally confident with Jenna Bloom or Talia Hannappel in the pitching circle. It was Hannappel who drew the start against Marina in the teams’ league opener on Thursday, and she struck out nine in a 4-3 win over the visiting Vikings.

Edison, which is ranked eighth in Division 2, has five committed players. They are Bloom (Arkansas), shortstop Serena Starks (Princeton), catcher Jayden McKeague (Iowa State), third baseman Gio Liggett (Manhattanville College) and utility player Alex Loomis (NYU).

Marina (6-5, 0-1) may have lost on Thursday, but the Vikings will not be deterred. The Vikings swept the Chargers in three meetings last season.

“When league starts, it’s all about winning and getting to that playoff spot,” Vikings coach Mandee Farish said following Thursday’s game. “Unfortunately, today is a loss, but we’ve got nine more [league] games.

“That’s what we’re going to focus on is beating everybody that we can and getting to that playoff spot.”

Three players have earned college commitments thus far for Marina. Outfielder Jennifer Swartz will be playing for Southern University. Pitcher Julia Carreon is headed to Pomona-Pitzer, and corner infielder Shayla Thomas has committed to Cal State Northridge.

Fountain Valley (5-9, 0-1) can swing the bats a little bit, but Barons coach Rick Aldrich says his team’s biggest concern has been inconsistency. Aldrich said he has also tried to give a longer leash to starting pitcher Sarah Johansen as a senior.

Newport Harbor (4-11, 0-1) has a roster filled with underclassmen, although it was enough to win the Battle of the Bay against Corona del Mar (4-11-1, 0-1).

The Battle for the Bell provided its own fireworks at the end of last season. Estancia won at Costa Mesa in the final week of the season to wrap up the third automatic playoff bid from the Orange Coast League.

Costa Mesa (12-3) was an injury-riddled team last year. Haley Sheffner finished the season at pitcher, but with Haley Wolf healthy, Sheffner is back behind the plate.

Katie Belmontes also returned to play center field after taking her sophomore season off.

The Mustangs head into league play ranked sixth in Division 7. The crosstown rivalry should be a good one this year, as the Eagles are ranked sixth in Division 6.

Estancia (9-3) is led by its shortstop, Emily Kubisty. Freshman third baseman Dylann Douglass has been a nice addition, and the Eagles know what to expect from returning starting pitcher Brittany Walker.

The Eagles also notched the area’s only playoff win last season, earning a 12-1 victory at Pomona Garey in the Division 6 wildcard round.

Laguna Beach (5-5), which is led by shortstop Cienna Wunder, is already challenging last year’s win total of eight.

Ocean View (5-6, 0-1) looks to be competitive in the Golden West League behind the leadership of Rutgers commit Po Russ, who is the Seahawks’ everyday catcher.

andrew.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner