#4 Vikings host #13 Sierra in opening round of the 3C2A NorCals
West Valley has landed the #3 NorCal seed and a potential home path to the regional finals. First, however, the Vikings (29-8) will need to get past #13 Sierra (16-22) this weekend at Viking Field in Saratoga. The perennial NorCal powers meet for a series for a second time in 2024, this one a winner-take-all, best-of-three 3C2A NorCal Regional.
The Vikings finished 10-4, good for 2nd place in an ultra-competitive Coast Conference that sent six of its eight members to the playoffs. The Wolverines compiled a 12-12 mark and finished 5th in the rugged Big 8, which sent five teams to NorCals, including #1 seed San Joaquin Delta (who WVC defeated 8-0 Feb. 6).
The teams split an early non-conference twin-bill Feb. 15. Sierra took the opener 6-1, with the Vikings battling back to blank the Wolverines 4-0 in the nightcap.
West Valley is led by nine Vikings who earned All-Coast accolades. Brianna Chambers Lee (OF), Andrea DeJesus (SS) and Gabriella Diotalevi (3B) were named to the All-Coast 1st Team, while Jasmine Mixco (OF) and Ashlie Nakano (P) were 2nd Team selections. On the Coast Honorable Mention squad were sisters Kayla Gonzalez (C) and Keithleen Gonzalez (OF), along with Larissa Higgins (1B) and Samantha Mader (P).
As a team, the Vikings slashed (AVG/OBP/SLG) .312/.398/.408 and led the 3C2A in stolen bases (121). DeJesus topped the team in thefts (24) and homers (3). Diotalevi slashed a team-high .392/.483/.514, Chambers Lee knocked in a team-leading 30 RBI and roped a co-team-high six doubles (Kayla Gonzalez, Alina Perez). Mixco led WVC in extra base hits (10).
Nakano went 12-5 in the circle with team highs in innings (111.1) and strikeouts (52). Mader led the pitching staff with a 1.88 ERA and 8.25 K/7.
Sierra, under first-year coach Taylor Martinez, was led statistically by P/DP Kendal Manley. Manley slashed a team-best .376/.434/.545 and stroked a team-high 11 doubles. She was 2nd in homers (2) behind Kayleigh Lugowski's four. Jessica McPartland controlled the Sierra circle, leading the team in wins (10), innings-pitched (150.2), ERA (2.14), K's (156) and K/7 (7.25).
Tickets are available (credit/debit cards only) at the Viking Field gate or in advance through the WVC Athletics website:
https://westvalley.prestosports.com/camps/Game_Tickets
All games will be streamed on the WVC Athletics YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@westvalleycollegeathletics5398/streams
