Cuesta Softball is back in action this weekend at the season-opening Glendale Tournament. The Cougars return eight players from the 2023 team, which fell just one-game short of the program's first playoff berth since 2015. Cuesta also boasts six new recruits ready to step in and make an impact. This weekend shall be the Cougars' first test with four games over two days in Glendale. Cuesta opens the tournament on Friday with games versus both Compton (12:30) and 2023 Playoff team San Diego Mesa (4:30). The Cougars close out the tournament by playing Los Angeles Valley (12:30) and host Glendale (2:30) on Saturday.
The Cougars returned their entire three-woman pitching staff and a total of four all-conference selections from the 2023 campaign. All-Western State Conference Second Teamers Reese Tartaglia, Kaylynn Gray and Isabella Garcia should be even better this year. Tartaglia will remain in the middle of the infield and the batting order. Last year, she led the Cougars with 37 runs batted in, while also finishing second on the team with 29 runs scored. Tartaglia batted .331 on the season and was second on the team with a dozen extra-base hits. Gray will roam the outfield and add punch to the batting order. She batted .328 and finished second on the team with 31 RBI as a rookie. Garcia is a dual threat and expects to be at first base, when she is not in the pitching circle. In 2023, she was an even 9-9 with a 3.59 ERA over a team-high 117.0 innings, while also pacing the rotation with 47 strikeouts. Garcia also helped herself on offense by batting at a .291 clip and driving in 22 runs. Returning Pitcher Hannah Hollingsworth was accorded 2023 All-Western State Conference Honorable Mention. She was the Cougars' winningest pitcher, with a 10-5 record, and her .667 win-loss percentage ties her for 7th all time (minimum 15 decisions) at Cuesta. Hollingsworth also owned a team-best 3.18 ERA over a 101.1 innings on the season.
Cuesta also returns veterans Ashley Kober, Alexis Sargenti, Gabriella Pool, and Idalia Lopez. Kober batted .265 for the Cougars last season, while splitting time behind the plate and in the pasture. She expects to be back in the outfield this year. The Cougars are eager to see what Sargenti can do with a full season. She only played four games last season, before receiving a medical redshirt after a season-ending injury, however she was hitting at a .545 clip when she went down. Pool adds speed and a good glove to Cuesta's roster, while Lopez provides a different look as the Cougars' third effective pitcher. Lopez was 4-1 with a save last year, while posting a 3.57 ERA over 31.1 innings in the circle.
Among the new Cougars is Freshman Hailey Hallford, who is fresh off earning all-WSC honors as a member of the Cuesta Women's Soccer team, and local bounce back Danya Boyd. Boyd returned to the Central Coast after spending a season at Shoreline College in Washington. The Dolphins' season ended after only eight games, but Boyd was credited with a team-high five RBI. Freshman Skylar Freutel (St Helena HS), Hailee Bussard (Lakeport, CA), Kylyn Parker (Hauula, HI), and Abigail Haller (Templeton HS) complete the Cougars' roster. Freutel brings an impressive resume from Northern California. She was three-time all-League player and led the Saints to a CIF title. Bussard is also an accomplished import from the State's higher latitudes, where she earned all-County Honors for Lakeport High. Parker hails from Hauula, Hawaii and is the Cougars' sole out of State recruit. She and Bussard will compete for a spot in Cuesta's double-play combination. Haller is expected to battle for a starting spot in the outfield.
Coach Jenel Guadagno begins her seventh season with the Cougars and the program is projected to battle for a Western State Conference title and a playoff spot. Guadagno spent her first two campaigns at Cuesta rebuilding the program and it has paid off. She has posted winning seasons in three of the past four years, with a combined record of 62-47 (.580). She will be joined in the clubhouse by program stalwart Ted Rich, who is in his sixth year on the bench, and former Cuesta Star Natalie Ziegler (pict), who just completed an all-Conference career at Westcliff University.
