Softball's Jaimie Harris Named All-SCC 2nd Team

Jaimie Harris, a freshman slugger from Glendale High, was the lone selection from Pasadena City College on the 2022 All-South Coast Conference Softball Team selected Thursday at the coaches' postseason meeting at Rio Hondo College.

Harris led the Lancers in batting with a .357 average as the team closed the '22 season earlier this week in a 3-0 loss at state #1-ranked and SCC champ Mt. San Antonio. PCC finished the year at 14-26 overall and placed seventh in the 8-team conference at 3-18. 

An outfielder and designated player, Harris led PCC in a number of hitting categories, including powering five home runs, driving in 23 RBI, hitting 10 doubles and three triples. 

Kiley Kraft, who had a strong freshman campaign in the pitching circle, was chosen All-SCC honorable mention. Kraft, from Ramona Convent Secondary, crafted a 12-7 pitching record with a 3.13 ERA in 125.1 innings. 

The Lancers had a tale of two seasons in a year that marked the return of the program from a 2-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PCC had just two transfer sophomores and no returning players from a talented 2020 team that had its season cut short.

PCC opened the season 2-13 but played better as the freshmen experienced more games. Pasadena was a respectable 12-13 over its final 25 games and pressured some of the tougher teams, including Mt. SAC in the season finale, during the season's last few weeks.

Third baseman Priscilla Ortega (.351, 20 RBI) and second baseman Montserra Fukumoto (.269, 19 RBI) both ended their community college careers. 

Other freshmen who stood out this season were lefty-hitting first baseman Marcella Ordonez (.295, 10 doubles), shortstop Gizelle Leyva (team-high 18 stolen bases), and Kimberly Dea, a pitcher and outfielder, who hit .342 with 11 steals and 13 RBI. 

"The way we played over the last month of the season, you can see the improvement and the fight in our squad," said PCC head coach Monica Tantlinger, who will return for her ninth season in 2023. "I'm excited about several of our young players as they become sophomores next season, and I think we will do well in the off-season recruiting wars to bring in a solid frosh class. There's no reason to think we can't be a playoff team again by 2023."