Pitman softball’s Mettler slugs way to Offensive Player of Year in CCC

The University of Virginia softball program was sold on the power and potential of Alexis Mettler, Pitman High School’s red-headed right-hander.

Central California Conferences coaches agreed, awarding the pride of Pitman softball with a major individual award at their season-ending coaches’ meeting.

Mettler was named the CCC’s Offensive Player of the Year following a quintessential season from the versatile four-year star. She led the Pride in hitting (.448), runs (33), hits (39), stolen bases (31), RBIs (27) and doubles (tied with three others at eight).

Mettler also commanded the chalked circle, where she was 22-7 with a 1.71 ERA. She went the distance in 25 of the 29 games she started and racked up 235 strikeouts in 176 innings.

Virginia took notice, offering Mettler a stake in their program. She originally committed to the University of Delaware, according to a report in the Turlock Journal, but was let out of that agreement after Delaware changed coaches.

Mettler led Pitman to an 11-4 mark in league play and a No. 5 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I tournament. The Pride won its first two games at the Sacramento Softball Complex but was eliminated with back-to-back losses to the eventual runner-up, Vacaville, and River City.

Mettler was joined on the all-CCC first team by freshman Lehua DeLeon (.326, 30 hits, seven triples) and seniors Nicole Bailey (.371, 33 hits) and Spencer Bronken (.314, 27 hits, eight doubles).

Pitcher Mariah Gonzalez (started 25 of 29 games, 131 strikeouts in 153 innings pitched) was Turlock’s only first-team selection, and the Bulldogs’ Jill Ogden was named Coach of the Year.

Golden Valley’s Shyan Crutcher was named the Most Valuable Player, ending a two-year reign by Merced junior Maddy Nickles, the Pitcher of the Year.

“When I heard, I didn’t know what to say,” Crutcher told the Merced Sun-Star. “The coaches voted for me, so that means I won.”

The Offensive Player of the Year the past two seasons, Crutcher continued to do her part at the plate. She batted .531 with five home runs and 16 runs in 15 conference games. She earned three MVP votes, edging Nickles (two) and Mettler (one) to break through with her first MVP award in her final prep season.

“It means everything that the coaches voted for me,” Crutcher said. “I worked hard all four years, and it finally happened.”

Nickles guided Merced to its fifth consecutive CCC championship but just missed out on a third consecutive MVP. Instead, the ASA/USA junior national team player will have to settle for Pitcher of the Year.

She was deserving, tossing five no-hitters, including four in conference play. Nickles also notched eight of her 11 shutouts against CCC opponents. She was 22-6 with a 1.18 ERA and 287 strikeouts in 1782/3 innings.

This story was originally published June 1, 2015 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Pitman softball’s Mettler slugs way to Offensive Player of Year in CCC."