The562’s season previews for the 2022-23 school year are sponsored by Vertical Raise, the official team fundraising partner of The562.
The562’s high school softball coverage for the 2023 season is sponsored by Long Beach City Councilwoman Megan Kerr.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly athletics in the 2022-23 school year is sponsored by Poly alum Jayon Brown and PlayFair Sports Management.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly athletics in the 2022-23 school year is sponsored by JuJu Smith-Schuster and the JuJu Foundation.
The arrival of a trio of talented freshmen have expectations sky high at Long Beach Poly. The Jackrabbits’ program has had plenty of quality players before, but has been short on team success over the 50 years that the Moore League has offered the sport. Poly has only won two Moore League softball titles (2000, 2006).
“We want to win every game we play, but we also understand that with these very talented young kids, they’ve been thriving in 16U nationally, but they haven’t played as much against 18 year-old women,” said longtime Poly coach Elizabeth Sanches-Martin. “We want to win. This team is full of competitors: on the field, in the classroom, in passing period, in anything they can. I love that about them.”
The trio of freshman is: catcher Janelle Morris, third baseman Emoni Lam Sam, and middle infielder Kiele Ho-Ching. All three compete nationally on premier 16U teams and have been highly-ranked since middle school. All three will bring elite defense as well as big bats–Lam Sam hit 21 homeruns in the Fall, according to Sanches-Martin, and Morris’ first at-bat at Poly ended with a homerun bouncing on the school’s track.
“They’re good, they’re difference-makers, and they’re all no-ego kids who came in ready to work and compete,” said Sanches-Martin.
Fortunately for the Jackrabbits, there’s a strong senior class and some excellent returning talent to help lead the way. Senior Nyla Springer (a Pomona College signee) and junior Lana Chao will handle pitching duties, while senior centerfielder Sakarah Buckner will command the outfield. The Azusa Pacific signee is a strong leader, said Sanches-Martin.
“She’s a quadruple threat offensively, and she’s a remarkable leader,” she said. “Today at practice she stayed an extra 40 minutes after getting in more work.”
Buckner said it’s exciting that her team has added some fresh talent, and that she’s taking it on her shoulders to help bring them along.
“I want to take them under my wing and show them how we run our program and what’s expected from them,” she said. “They have the mentality and the talent so that shouldn’t be hard. But we all want to help them out.”
Besides returning First Team All-Moore Leaguer Buckner, the Jackrabbits have three other all-league Second Team selections back as well. Shortstop Tiare Ho-Ching is a massively talented junior, and outfielder Brianna Bailey is a speedy junior who’s verbally committed to Dartmouth. Sanches-Martin’s daughter, Daisy Martin, is moving from third base to first.
Asked about her expectations for the year, Buckner didn’t mince words.
“We’re going to have a good season, we’ve got talent, we’ve got a high bar, and we’re really excited,” she said. “We want to accomplish great things this year.”
The Jackrabbits have tons of power, with double-digit runs scored in four of their first five games, and they have plenty of defensive skill as well, especially with the Ho-Chings anchoring the middle infield. What remains to be seen is if they can put that all together this season in the Moore League and the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs.
“We don’t care who we play or what division we’re in,” said Sanches-Martin. “We’re playing higher division teams, we’re playing loaded teams. We’ve always been the underdog and that’s a good position to be in. Our mentality should be fierce–nobody expects the underdog to win.”
Projected Starting Lineup
P- Nyla Springer, Sr. / Lana Chao, Jr.
C- Janelle Morris, Fr.
1B- Daisy Martin, Sr.
2B- Kiele Ho-Ching, Fr.
SS- Tiare Ho-Ching, Jr.
3B- Emoni Lam Sam, Fr.
OF- Sakarah Buckner, Sr.
OF- Brianna Bailey, Jr.
OF- Audrey Chun, Sr.
UTIL/DH- Ariana Molina, Jr. / Jendell Moe, Sr.
