No. 16 SMCC Softball Eager to Get Started in 2022

PHOENIX --- 

The 16th-ranked South Mountain Community College softball team opens its 2022 with six games this weekend in Henderson, Nev., as part of a tournament hosted by the College of Southern Nevada. Third-year head coach Brittney Matta and SMCC feature a roster of 18 student-athletes, including five returners, for an upcoming campaign with 35 home games.

The Cougars are coming off a successful 2021 season, with a 27-13 overall record and 25-9 mark in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference. The Cougars' .735 conference winning percentage also set a new program record, and the 25 league wins tied a school record.

That success created momentum evident to Matta early on as practices began. 

"Practice has been wonderful last few weeks. We have a two-a-day style set up in the first week, where we have weights in the morning, offense or defense before lunch, speed and agility after that, and then we go into whatever we didn't do in the morning," said Matta. "It is a lot of work, and I was skeptical in the fall after we had a rough start, but I am happy in the amount of work we've put in since starting back up. We are positive, upbeat and learning a ton. I am excited about our upside."

The team returns five players from the 2021 squad. Christian Smith earned Second Team All-ACCAC and All-Region I honors as a dual-threat in 2021, Tara Lorona returns after batting .348 with 19 extra-base hits and 41 RBIs, and Taylor Mount comes back after batting .348 with 26 runs and 16 stolen bases. Jaudrey Ah Quin returns after blasting eight home runs and batting .408 with 30 RBIs, and Natalie Torres batted .378 with four home runs and 10 RBIs.

"Our returners play a huge part and set the standard for our program," Matta said. "I couldn't ask for a better five student-athletes for the other girls to see how we do things. They hold each other accountable and get the most out of their teammates at practice."

The team's newcomers feature several transfers and a host of first-year students. The transition to intercollegiate athletics can be difficult, but Matta is happy with what she has seen.

"The first-year students are great and have bought in with two feet. They are listening to returners and picking coaches brains on how to be better," Matta said. "We are in a good place and feel prepared for the competition level that we'll see in the next weeks." 

The schedule starts with some challenging competition at preseason tournaments in Nevada and Yuma. Matta hopes these early tests will pay off for the squad when they enter ACCAC action.

"We like to push the envelope and elevate our playing standard. We want to deliver on the field and win games against higher levels of competition," Matta said. "The preseason tournaments will challenge us to get better and prepare us for our tougher league games. Our conference should see better play this year, and that will make the region competitive."

The continuity also extends to the coaching staff. Chelsea Gonzales (assistant coach) and Brandon Telesco (associate head coach) enter their third seasons on the staff, and Marisa Stankiewicz (volunteer assistant coach) returns for her second year.

"My assistant coaches are my ride-or-die group who are loyal people, and I think we complement each other well," Matta said. "Brandon works well with me, and we have a brother-sister dynamic. Marisa comes from a large baseball/softball background, and it is great to have her back. Chelsea brings a lot of mental toughness and challenges girls to think about the mental aspects and communication. They don't leave anything unturned, and that is beneficial for the squad."

The expectations around the program are higher after the success 2021 brought. SMCC checked in at No. 16 in the NJCAA Division II preseason national rankings. Matta and the Cougars wouldn't want it any other way.