Fata takes home top honor, coach was hoping for co-MVPs
When your leadoff hitter has a .610 batting average, scores 22 runs and steals 18 bases and your No. 3 batter hits .543, slugs .846 and drives in 18 runs, how do you choose which one to nominate for the league’s Most Valuable Player award?
San Benito coach Scott Smith was hoping he didn’t have to make that decision.
“There’s never been a more clear cut should’ve been co-MVPs in all the years I’ve been coaching,” he said.
Yet, the rest of the league wouldn’t have it and junior shortstop Elena Fata, the Haybalers third-place hitter who also had three homers, three triples and seven doubles, took home that honor, denying Smith’s request to have her share it with sophomore second baseman JC Clayton.
“Elena absolutely deserved MVP, but how do you say JC doesn’t deserve it too?,” Smith said. “You absolutely can’t be disappointed with Elena as MVP. She plays both sides of the ball, her defense was solid. The number of two-out RBIs she got was phenomenal.”
And many of the times she was driving in runs, Clayton – who received first-team All-TCAL recognition – was the one scoring them. As the team’s slapper and leadoff hitter, she constantly provided a spark at the top of the order.
“When she gets a single, it’s almost like a triple because of her speed,” Smith said.
While there was some debating the MVP award, there was no debate in naming sophomore Marisa Ibarra the league’s Most Valuable Pitcher for the second straight season.
She had a 0.25 ERA, allowing three earned runs in 12 league games. She had an 11-1 record, 10 shutouts, one perfect game and three no-hitters.
“When you look at all these teams going to CCS, to have her only giving up three runs in that league is pretty impressive,” Smith said.
Joining those three on the first team were junior third baseman Lizzy Gatto and senior first baseman Audra Brown.
Gatto hit .452 in league and blasted three homers, six doubles and stole 10 bases.
“She’s just the epitome of a hard worker,” Smith said.
Brown took over the first base spot this season and batted .300 in league play and also hit three home runs.
“She came up with some really clutch hits for us and played really good first base,” Smith said.
Earning second team honors were senior catcher Ashley Perreira, junior designated player Lindsey Clay and junior center fielder Rachel Maheu.
“I don’t think Marisa has nearly the quality games without Ashley back there,” Smith said of Perreira, who also was named to the Pursuing Victory With Honor team.
Clay batted .300 in league, but her power numbers boosted her slugging percentage to better than .700.
“She had a couple real key hits for us, in the Notre Dame game in particular,” said of Clay, who tripled home a first-inning run and later added a double in the ‘Balers 3-0 win over the Spirits.
Maheu started the season hitting in the No. 9 spot, but quickly moved to the two-hole and was a big spark. She hit .274, despite often being forced to take the first two pitches as Clayton attempted stolen bases.
“She never complained and then would come through and put the ball in play,” Smith said.
With eight of San Benito’s 10 starters receiving All-TCAL honors and helping the ‘Balers hit a remarkable .354 in league play, it’s not hard to see why the team went 11-1 on its way to the league title.
“It’s a total team effort,” Smith said. “At the start of year, I thought we had maybe four blue chip players, but others flourished because the core group made them flourish.”
