In its first year with a new coaching staff, LA Mission Softball finished its season with a 20-20 overall record. The team went 11-5 in Western State Conference play, placing 3rd out of 9 teams in the division, behind College of the Canyons and Antelope Valley College.
Head Coach Chris Hylland was hired in January of last year just before the season started, coaching the team through a rocky 2017 campaign that still resulted in 5th place in the WSC.
After his first full year of working with the athletes, they increased their wins from 14 to 20 and jumped up 2 spots in conference rankings. LAMC Softball has only placed 3rd or higher in the WSC one other time since 2009 (2013: 3rd place, coached by Sandra Durazo).
The team also increased its statistics in every offensive category, including batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and homeruns. Most dramatically, the Eagles jumped from 186 runs scored in 2017 to a whopping 273 runs scored this season.
With the addition of Pitching Coach Emily Seidel, the Eagles also saw marked improvement in the circle this season, especially from returning sophomore Carmen Vargas.
In her 2nd year as the team's ace, Vargas lowered her ERA from 6.07 to 3.5, and improved her overall record from 2-14 (0-6 WSC) to 10-9 (5-1 WSC). Freshman Gabriela Monge made an impressive debut on the mound this season, throwing competitively against the top teams in the conference, and she looks to be a strong asset for the Eagles in 2019.
Mission finished heartbreakingly close to earning a playoff spot, but unfortunately did not make it to post-season this year. However, there were more than a few shining moments throughout the Spring.
The Eagles picked up several wins against automatic playoff qualifiers, including Imperial Valley and Allan Hancock. They also stole an incredible walkoff win against WSC rival Citrus College to knock the Owls out of the playoff running.
In addition, two of the five departing sophomores have signed to play for 4-year programs so far. Kristal Bendfeldt will continue her career at North Central College, an NCAA Div. III school in Illinois, and Isabel Mercado has signed with La Sierra University, an NAIA school in Riverside.
With a strong returning sophomore class which includes a handful of All-Conference winners, the 2019 Eagles will be likely be contenders for a WSC title and their first post-season appearance in a decade.