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 Millikan athletics in the 2022-23 school year is sponsored by Curtis Boyer.
The motto for the 2023 Millikan Softball season is simple: Unfinished Business.
The Rams were one win away from a CIF title a season ago, coming up one run short against perennial powerhouse Mission Viejo in the Division 2 finals. Millikan remains in Division 2 this season, and will only need to replace one starter off a team that won 22 games and claimed a second straight Moore League title.
With so much returning talent, it’s no surprise that Millikan was included on the preseason watchlist for Division 2. The Rams are positioned not just to continue their Moore League supremacy, but also to take the next step and contend for the third CIF title in program history.
“I really think the one thing that will help us win this year was the experience we had last year,” said second-year Millikan head coach Michelle Lehr. “There’s nothing better than being in the moment–whether you succeed or you fail. The fact that the girls had the opportunity to be in that moment, feel that kind of pressure, and then be able to come back next year, is a huge advantage to us.”
Success often starts in the circle, where the Rams have a legitimate three-headed monster. Senior Victoria Byrum has logged a number of important innings during her career, but the Eastern Kentucky commit will have plenty of support–and competition–in the bullpen.
Junior Ava Schaffel is back as the returning Moore League Pitcher of the Year, though she won’t quite be ready to pitch at the start of the season. The recent San Diego State commit showed how dominant she could be last season, leading the Rams to a league title with 105 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched.
Lehr is also high on sophomore Lauren Cantwell, who will be in the rotation after joining varsity as a freshman. Cantwell should help cover innings while Schaffel works her way back from injury.
The Rams only needed to replace their catcher from last year’s CIF runner-up squad, and sophomore Jocelyn Owen is stepping in behind the plate. Lehr praised Owen’s bat and believes there won’t be any holes in the Millikan lineup this season.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to hit in order to be in the lineup, so I think that’s going to put pressure on a lot of the returning position players to kind of defend their spot,” said Lehr. “We talk about it a lot, that nothing’s guaranteed. I don’t care if you’re a senior, I will do my best to make sure you have a great senior year, but that doesn’t mean that you are an automatic starter. You’ve got to earn the position.”
The Rams will again be strong and experienced up the middle, with the longtime middle infield duo of second baseman Shorty Wright and shortstop Emily Hanniff. The pair have played together since they were 10 years ol, and are both reliable in the field and in the batter’s box.
“I think that our chemistry just as a team is crazy, because a lot of these girls we’ve been starting since we were freshmen,” Hanniff said. “So just playing with each other, and especially in all these high pressure moments, we’ve been there before. And we want that pressure, so we’re excited to have it again.”
“This year as seniors, it’s finally our year,” said Wright, who is committed to Arkansas Tech. “I’m super excited, because last year we almost pulled it all off, and this year I hope we do win CIF. That’s our goal as a team … We all get along super well, and I feel like a team that gets along is a winning team.”
The Rams feature power bats at the corner infield spots, with junior Katie Knarr (Rhode Island commit) at first base, and last year’s RBI leader and current team captain Ari Ramirez (Southern Utah commit) over at third. Ramirez is also a lights-out fielder at the hot corner, and will likely be a stalwart in the middle of that Millikan batting order.
Senior speedster Erica Estrada will lead off for the Rams and cover a ton of ground in centerfield. The corner outfield spots could be up for grabs with several talented players battling for at-bats. Mikaela Pacheco is the returning starter in left and senior Robin Garcia has a strong arm in right field, but as Lehr said, players will need to be productive at the plate in order to stay in the lineup.
The Rams have 20 healthy players on this year’s varsity roster including nine seniors, making it a tough challenge for Lehr and assistant coach Mike Mathis to find enough at-bats for everyone. That’s known in the coaching business as “a good problem to have” and it’s a sign of the overall strength of the program.
With so much experience and depth, it’s no wonder the Rams have high expectations for the 2023 season. They hope to take care of that unfinished business, winning just one more game in the playoffs–and another game at Lisa Fernandez Field, too.
“Last year our goal was to go undefeated in the Moore League and it didn’t happen, we had a loss to Lakewood,” Lehr said. “So this year, without a doubt, we don’t want any losses in league. Don’t get me wrong, (Lakewood pitcher) Laci (Berecochea) is still gonna challenge us, but our goal is to go undefeated in league.”
Millikan will get a big test in the middle of the Moore League schedule this year, taking on top Division 1 program Murrieta Mesa in their first game of the Michelle Carew Tournament on Mar. 29.
These Rams are no strangers to big games or pressure moments, and all that’s left to do now is win it all.
2023 Millikan Starting Lineup
C – Jocelyn Owen (So.)
1B – Katie Knarr (Jr.)
2B – Madison “Shorty” Wright (Sr.)
SS – Emily Hanniff (Sr.)
3B – Ari Ramirez (Sr.)
LF – Mikaela Pacheco (Jr.)
CF – Erica Estrada (Sr.)
RF – Robin Garcia (Sr.)
DP – Morgan Fontela (Sr.) / Lela Asi (Jr.) / Addyson Everett (Fr.)
P – Victoria Byrum (Sr.) / Ava Schaffel (Jr.) / Lauren Cantwell (So.)
