Pacheco pitcher Gia Rodoni named WAC Most Valuable Player
Gia Rodoni had little left to prove in her high school career.
The Baylor-bound star and two-time Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year had the Pacheco softball team in position for the school’s first league title in any sport and ranked 10th in the state with 256 strikeouts. Still, a league MVP remained absent from her résumé.
The final game of the regular season presented the senior an opportunity to rectify that and exorcise some demons against a Ceres squad that knocked her around in their previous two meetings. Rodoni rose to the occasion, striking out 20 and limiting the league’s most potent offense to three singles over nine shutout innings. She even scored the winning run in the ninth for a walkoff win as Pacheco earned a share of the league title.
The performance likely gave Rodoni the edge over Offensive Player of the Year Nicole Bates of Ceres, as Rodoni was named the WAC’s Most Valuable Player.
“I think that game might have been the difference-maker for some of the coaches,” said Pacheco coach Charlie Pikas, who was named co-Coach of the Year with Los Banos’ Dustin Caropreso. “It was an extremely close vote that I don’t think we could have gone wrong with either way if it was Gia or Nicole Bates. Both deservedly received special recognition.
“The one thing I’ve heard over and over from some of the coaches and people that know softball that have come and watched us play is (Rodoni) has incredible composure. Even when things aren’t going her way, she never really shows it. It’s a great attribute, because things are only going to get tougher when she’s pitching in the Big 12 next year.”
Rodoni was a useful addition offensively for Pacheco as well, hitting .324 with a team-high 22 runs scored. She went 13-6 in the circle with a 0.58 ERA in 1211/3 innings. Rodoni was joined on the first team by sophomore shortstop Sammy Jacquez, who hit .329 and had a team-high 21 RBIs.
Los Banos and El Capitan also had two first-team representatives.
Senior Brianna Flores helped lead Los Banos to a playoff appearance, winning seven games while hitting .344 with two home runs and 21 RBIs. She was joined by sophomore Ali Waltman, who hit a team-best .397. El Capitan had two sophomores earn first-team honors in their first varsity season – Cassie Gasper (.397 average, team-high 23 RBIs, 15-9, 2.37 ERA, 218 strikeouts) and McKenzie Schumacher (team-high .481 average, 36 runs, 37 stolen bases).
Los Banos had Haley Quintana and Kylee Cardoza make the second team. Jennifer Eagleton made the second team for Pacheco.
Crystal Gutierrez (Livingston), Mel Silva (Los Banos), Kyla Valdez (Pacheco) and Jasmine Yruegas (Pacheco) were honorable mention.
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All-Western Athletic Conference softball
Coaches of the Year: Charlie Pikas, Pacheco; Dustin Caropreso, Los Banos
MVP: Gia Rodoni, senior, Pacheco
Offensive Player of the Year: Nicole Bates, junior, Ceres
First team: Mahlena O’Neal, junior, Ceres; Rayohna Sagapolu, sophomore, Ceres; Cassie Gasper, sophomore, El Capitan; McKenzie Shumacher, sophomore, El Capitan; Brianna Flores, senior, Los Banos; Ali Waltman, sophomore, Los Banos; Samantha Jacquez, sophomore, Pacheco; Kianna Garza, senior, Patterson; Riley Kuderca, freshman, Patterson.
Second team: Nayeli Pelayo, freshman, Central Valley; Ariel Knights, junior, Ceres; Callie Nunes, sophomore, Ceres; Mackenzie Veuve, junior, Ceres; Kylee Cardoza, junior, Los Banos; Haley Quintana, junior, Los Banos; Jennifer Eagleton, senior, Pacheco; Ebony Garza, sophomore, Patterson; Leanna Lindsey, senior, Patterson.
Honorable mention: Gaby Bonales, sophomore, Central Valley; Jessica Arreola, Ceres; Crystal Gutierrez, senior, Livingston; Mel Silva, junior, Los Banos; Kayla Valdez, junior Pacheco; Jasmine Yruegas, junior, Pacheco.
This story was originally published May 22, 2015 at 10:57 PM with the headline "Pacheco pitcher Gia Rodoni named WAC Most Valuable Player."