Hancock Receives No.12 Seed, Draws No.5 Santa Ana in First Round
April 26, 2014

Hancock Receives No.12 Seed, Draws No.5 Santa Ana in First Round

The Bulldogs received the No.12 seed in the Southern California Regional Playoffs on Saturday morning. The Allan Hancock College softball team will travel to fifth seeded Santa Ana for a best of three-game series that opens next Saturday, May 3, at 2 p.m. The second game, and if needed a third game, will take place on Sunday at noon and 2 p.m. The series marks the program's first postseason appearance in fifteen years.

"The team is so excited and ready to make more of a statement in the postseason," said fifth-year head coach Scia Maumausolo. "We are not satisfied with winning conference or making the postseason, we believe we can make a run at the state title."

The Bulldogs completed the regular season 26-13 for their most wins in a single season since 1999, which also happened to be the last time the program qualified for the postseason. Hancock captured its first outright Western State Conference title in 16 years this season by going 15-3 against conference opponents.

Santa Ana tied for sixth in the latest State Poll and was ranked third in the Southern California Regional Coaches Poll. Santa Ana went 32-8 in the regular season and finished runner-up to Santiago Canyon in the Orange Empire Conference with a 16-5 mark. The Dons will enter the postesason on an eight-game winning streak. They are 13-3 at home this season.

The two teams have several common opponents, like Santa Barbara, Ventura, Moorpark and Desert, of which Santa Ana went 20-4, while Hancock went 10-9. Dons outfielder Emily Whitecavage is fourth in the state with a .545 batting average to go with 49 runs and a state-best .630 on-base percentage. Keila Tenorio is hitting .433. Lindsey Esparza, a freshman, and Frances Campoy each have 10 wins this season. 

Hancock freshman Katie Chenault enters the postseason the state leader with 355 strikeouts in 224 innings. The freshman is 26-8 with a 1.38 ERA. Sophomore outfielder Kristine Ramos ranks second in the state with 42 stolen bases, while freshman first baseman Jessica Rothanzl ranks third with 53 RBI and 10th with 15 doubles.

The winner of the Hancock/Santa Ana series advances to the Super Regional.

Cuesta, which finished second in the WSC standings behind Hancock, received the No.13 seed and faces No.4 Santiago Canyon in the first round.

For complete bracket, click http://cccaasports.org/Fastpitch/Women/2014_CCCAA_Softball_SoCal_Round_1_Bracket.pdf