Big names headed to big places

By ECS Staff
Updated: November 11, 2016

Patrick Henry trio Cristiona Caccamise (middle) will head to LSU, Madison James (right) will head to Ohio State and Hannah McEwen will attend Arkansas.

2016 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO (11-11-16) — It was a great day for the sport of softball in the East County as 13 girls – or what many would call a baker’s dozen – all inked their college futures with their signings on national signing day at the San Diego Hall of Champions on Tuesday.

Included in signing their letter of intent was a trio of Grossmont Foothillers.

JESSICA WILSON who batted .391 for Grossmont this past season inked her way to Division II Central Washington where she will play for head coach MIKE LARABEE and the Wildcats. The Wildcats play in the GNAC Conference.

CHLOE CAMARERO, who batted .521 and was named first team All-CIF along with All-East County, was one of the big cogs in helping the Foothillers win the Division III CIF Championship last year with both her offense and defense at third base. She also plays for the 18-Under SoCal Breakers. For her hard work she earned a scholarship to Weber State where she will play for MARY KAY AMICONE. The Wildcats of Weber State play in the Big Sky Conference.

Finally, ALEXIS COLLINS, who batted .405 and was also a key part to the Foothillers, signed with the Golden Eagles of La Sierra University who are in the Cal Pac Conference and are a NAIA school.

Cassidy Matthie (left) will attend UC Riverside, while Rachel Wilson is headed to Thomas University. Head coach John Failla, of Santana, shared the moment of NIL day with his players Tuesday at the Hall of Champions.

For the Santana Sultans, CASSIDY MATTHIE a second team All-East County selection who batted .342 helped the Sultans to a great season in which they tied for second and came within a game of winning the league championship.

Besides playing for the Sultans, Matthie also plays travel ball for the So Cal Athletics Marinakis. Her talents helped her ink her way to University California of Riverside who play in the Big West Conference and where she will play for head coach NIKKI PALMER.

Also for the Sultans earning a scholarship is RACHEL WILSON who was dynamic at third base this past season. She was one of the big boppers in the Sultan lineup and a key reason for the turnaround of the program.

This past season Wilson batted .347 while driving in 39 RBI which earned her first team All-East County. Like Matthie, Rachel also plays for the So Cal Athletics Marinakis.

The hard work paid off as Wilson will take her talents to Thomas University where she will play for head coach BILL WILSON. The Night Hawks play in the Sun Conference of the NAIA.

Next on the list of signees is a pair of teammates who helped Steele Canyon tie for second place in league and also always made the games more exciting. Leading the way is MAKAYLA STROMENGER who was a team captain this past season. She batted .284 and drove in 23 runs. Defensively she was solid behind the plate as catcher. She earned second team All-East County honors. Stromenger plays for the San Diego Bat Busters. In the end her hard work will take her to Massachusetts Amherst or UMASS of the A10 Conference in Division I.

Also for the Cougars moving on to the four year level is GENTRY HOFFMAN who was a key piece this past season in the outfield and also at the plate. At the plate she batted .371 which included 33 hits. Her play helped the Cougars compete in their side of the league and tie for second place with Santana. Hoffman earned second team All-East County for her efforts. Her hard work paid off in a scholarship to Simpson University where she will play for head coach WAYNE STOWER. The Red Hawks are an NAIA school.

The next three who will move on to four year colleges are a trio of teammates who have helped Patrick Henry be one of the top programs in San Diego.

HANNAH MCEWEN who was player of the year in the East County, first team All-CIF and first team All-East County. She was the spark that made the Patriot offense go last year and also on the defensive end in the outfield. McEwen tallied a .519 average and driving in 33 RBI and scoring 49 runs. Besides playing for the Patriots, Hannah also plays for the So Cal A’s Richardson travel team. She will be taking her talent to Fayetteville, where she will be playing for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks who compete in the Southeastern Conference.

Just like McEwen, her teammate will also be joining her in the SEC.

CRISTIONA CACCAMISE who was very solid last year behind the plate catching for the Patriots. Besides solid defense, she batted .411 and drove in 30 RBI. Her play earned her first team All-CIF, first team All-East County and first team All-Eastern Conference honors. Besides playing for Patrick Henry Cristiona also plays for the Corona Angles Tyson travel team. She verbally committed early on and the hard work paid off as she will be playing next year for the LSU Tigers and head coach BETH TORINA.

Finally also out of Henry is MADISON JAMES who will take her pitching talents to Ohio State of the Big Ten Conference. James is a three time first team All-Eastern League and CIF selection. She was named the Most Valuable Pitcher in 2014 for the Eastern League. She tossed 99 innings and winning 12 games last season and boasted an 18-5 record as a sophomore. Like Caccamise, James committed early and the hard work on and off the field paid off as she will be part of the Buckeyes in Columbus next year.

HALLE KYLER, of Granite Hills.

Next on the list of East County signees is shortstop and pitcher HALLE KYLER out of Granite Hills High.

Kyler helped propel the Eagles to the Grossmont Hills League crown and also the semi-finals of the CIF Division II playoffs last season with her 12-5 record.

She was named as a Pitcher of the year in East County, first team All-East County, first team All-Grossmont Hills League and also Player of the year for the Hills as well.

The previous season as a sophomore she helped pitch the Eagles into the Division II CIF Title game. Her hard work on and off the field paid off as she has decided to stay local and play for head coach MELISSA MCELVAIN and the USD Toreros who play in the WCC Conference.

ALEX GUAY is headed to Binghampton University.

Out of West Hills, it was ALEX GUAY whose hard work like the rest of the East County signees on and off the field and in the classroom paid off in a scholarship.

Guay who was a team captain last season for the Wolf Pack will take her talents to Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY, where she will play for the Bearcats and head coach MICHELLE BURRELL.

The Bearcats play in the competitive American Eastern Conference.

As a multiple All-East County selection and All-Grossmont Hills selection, Guay this past season batted around .330 while driving in 23 runs.

Travel ball wise Alex Guay plays for TNL aka The Next Level as part of their 18 Gold team.

Volleyball star GRACE BURKETT, of El Capitan.

Finally, out of El Capitan, GRACE BURKETT, who signed a letter of intent in Volleyball to go play at the University of Massachusetts Lowell or UMASS-LOWELL.

Besides playing volleyball she was also on the softball team.

For volleyball, Burkett was a 4 year varsity starter as well as a 3 year captain.

Club wise she played for Coast Volleyball Club.

In softball it was her leadership that helped propel the Vaqueros to a Co-Grossmont Valley League Championship with a victory over Helix on the last day of the season.

NIL signings Tuesday at the Hall of Champions

Grossmont’s Jessica Wilson (Central Washington)

Grossmont’s Alexis Collins (La Sierra)

Grossmont’s Chloe Camarero (Weber State)

Santana’s Rachel Wilson (Thomas University)

Santana’s Cassidy Matthie (UC Riverside)

Steele Canyon’s Makayla Stromenger (Massachusetts Amherst)

Steele Canyon’s Gentry Hoffman (Simpson)

Patrick Henry’s Hannah McEwen (Arkansas)

Patrick Henry’s Madison James (Ohio State)

Patrick Henry’s Cristiona Caccamise (LSU)

Granite Hills’ Halle Kyler (USD)