Resurgent El Cerrito softball steamrolls its way into NCS postseason
As the seventh seed in Division 4, El Cerrito's softball team doesn't figure to win a North Coast Section championship this season.
But the Gauchos are definitely playing with house money.
Buoyed by a top slugging freshman and mainstay senior on the mound, El Cerrito (19-3) has already set a school record for wins while winning the Tri-County Athletic League's Stone Division with a 14-0 record.
It's the Gauchos' first winning season since 2021.
Arlie Tatum, a freshman shortstop and catcher, is hitting .746 with North Coast Section bests of 53 hits and 52 RBIs in 71 at-bats to go along with 10 home runs, 23 doubles and 30 stolen bases, helping the Gauchos outscore league opponents 276-25. Tatum hasn't struck out once.
'One of the most dominating hitters I've seen in high school softball over the last five years,' said El Cerrito assistant coach Ken Miles.
Senior captain and Occidental College commit Courtney Miles is 11-0 on the mound with 119 strikeouts in 53 innings. She's also batting .500 with 32 hits, 24 RBIs, 41 runs, 13 doubles and 28 stolen bases, earning her first-team All-TCAL for a third straight year.
Natalie Gawlikowski (7-2, 0.63 ERA) is the other mainstay on the mound and one of five freshmen on the 17-person squad. Other top hitters are freshmen, Mia Martinez-Rojas (.510, 27 RBIs), Olive Calvin (.450) and Leah Sundstrom (.413).
'Admittedly our league wasn't as tough as some of the others in the Bay Area, but the team took care of business at hand and in nonleague beat NCS playoff teams Albany (14-0) and Piedmont (15-2),' coach Miles said.
The Gauchos open NCS play at home Wednesday against No. 10 seed Las Lomas (13-8), with the winner traveling to second seed Berean Christian-Walnut Creek (16-3) in the quarterfinals Friday or Saturday.
Top seeds in each division are Liberty-Brentwood (D1), Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (D2), Del Norte (D3), Northgate-Walnut Creek (D4), McKinleyville (D5) and Kelseyville (D6).
Top NCS baseball seeds are: Granada-Livermore (D1), Cardinal Newman (D2), California-San Ramon (D3), Arroyo-San Lorenzo (D4), Pinole Valley (D5) and John Swett-Crockett (D6).
State swimming: While the Metro stars were many at the CIF State Swim Championships in Clovis on Saturday, Foothill-Pleasanton sophomore Luke Mijatovic stood out by setting a national 500-yard freestyle record (4 minutes, 11.91 seconds) and breaking the state meet 200 free record in 1:33.52. The previous national record was 4:12.70 set in 2023 by Rex Maurer of Loyola-Los Angeles, and the state meet 200 record was 1:33.84, also by Maurer.
Valley Christian junior Yury Kuzmenko was a double winner, taking the 50 and 100 freestyles, breaking the 50 meet record in Friday's prelims at 19.55 (the previous mark was 19.57 set by Palo Alto's Ethan Harrington). The Princeton commit also anchored the winning 200 medley relay team and was part of the third-place 200 free relay squad.
Dougherty Valley-San Ramon's Songrui Wu also took two boys events, winning the 100 backstroke (47.20) and 200 IM (1:44.55). Other Metro winners were Mitty sophomore Shareef Elaydi (boys 100 breaststroke, 53.18), Gunnar Grubbs (boys diving, 611.80), Campolindo-Moraga freshman Stella Canoles (girls 100 free, 49.26) and Granada's Brooke Bennett (girls 500 free, 4:49.15).
In the team competition, San Ramon Valley-Danville's girls (170.5) placed second behind Santa Margarita-Rancho Santa Margarita (Orange County) (229.5). Monte Vista-Danville (144.5) was third, Campolindo (139) fourth and Mitty (106) fifth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
NBA's Thompson twins receive honorary degrees from Pine Crest. Plus state baseball honors
At the behest of their father, Troy, then 9-year-old twins Amen and Ausar Thompson were already manifesting greatness on a family vision board titled 'Amen and Ausar's 6'9' Dreams'. The first twins in NBA history to get drafted top 5, and to whom Lebron James describes as 'They different. They ain't like the rest of us. I've been able to go against some dudes in my career, and those two guys, man, they're just pure athleticism', tacked two major accomplishments onto that vision board recently. Amen (drafted No. 4 by Houston in 2023 and Ausar, taken No. 5 by Detroit) were bestowed honorary high school degrees by Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest School at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. 'It means a lot,' said Amen, minutes before receiving the honorary degree with his brother. 'This is where I grew up -- from 8th grade to 11th grade. I had to look for new opportunities in the 12th grade, but I always felt like a Pine Crest Panther. For them ... to present me with an honorary degree means a lot.' After winning a state title with the Panthers in 2021 and becoming Miami Herald Co-Players of the Year for classes 4A-2A as juniors, the 6-8 wings left high school for Atlanta-based Overtime Elite, a developmental professional basketball league, before entering the 2023 draft. The ceremony at FAU followed earlier news that day that Amen was selected to the All-NBA defensive first team. Amen's defensive tenacity, length and athleticism helped the Rockets rank fifth in defensive efficiency and finish with the fourth best record in the league (52-30). 'I have always taken pride in my defense since the Pine Crest days, even before that,' Amen said.'That was one of my goals going into this year was to make first team All-NBA on defense. So just being one of the youngest players to do that in my second year that is one of the goals I established for myself.' Ausar appears to be on a similar defensive trajectory as Amen and helped the Pistons enjoy a historic 30-game turnaround from last season and break a streak of 15 consecutive playoff losses. State baseball honors The Florida Diary Farmers announced the state's classification winners for FHSAA baseball, following balloting by a statewide panel of high school baseball coaches and prep media representatives. Each is eligible for Mr. Baseball honors, representing the best of the best. Coach of the Year recipients were also announced. They are eligible for the state's overall Baseball Coach of the Year accolades. Here are locals who won classification honors. ▪ 7A: Gio Rojas, Junior, Pitcher, Stoneman Douglas, Class 7A Player of the Year Led his squad to the state title with a 12-0 record. Posted an 0.72 ERA in 68 innings pitched with 119 strikeouts and 16 walks. Had a .388 batting average with 24 runs and 32 RBI. Committed to the University of Miami. 7A: Todd Fitz-Gerald, Stoneman Douglas, Class 7A Coach of the Year Led his squad to a 31-2 record and a fifth consecutive Class 7A state title. ▪ 6A: Zack Malvasio, Senior, Outfield, St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 6A Player of the Year Helped his team to the Class 6A title by hitting .414 with 16 doubles, 16 home runs, 45 runs and 48 RBI. Signed with the University of Central Florida. 6A: Joe Wardlow, St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 6A Coach of the Year Led his squad to a 29-6 record and the school's first state baseball title since 2018. ▪ 5A: Humberto Bencomo, Mater Academy, Class 5A Coach of the Year Led his team to a 27-6 record and the school's first state baseball title since 2014. ▪ 4A: Danny Machado, Senior, Shortstop, Archbishop McCarthy, Class 5A Player of the Year Helped his squad to a 19-13 record by hitting .442 with 6 doubles, 5 home runs, 36 runs, 20 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Signed with Florida Atlantic University. 4A Bruce Aven, Plantation American Heritage, Class 4A Coach of the Year In his second coaching stint at American Heritage, Aven finished as the 2024 state runner-up, and in 2025 led the program to the state title with a 29-6 record, It's Aven's second state championship (2012) with the Patriots. ▪ 3A: David Fanshawe, Miami Springs, Class 3A Coach of the Year Led his team to a 28-3 record and the Class 3A state championship, the school's first state title. ▪ Other locals who were in the top 3 in voting for top classification honors: 6A: 2. Gabriel Milano (Doral Academy). 5A: 2. Alfrin Rosario (Mater Academy). 4A; 2. Jordan Rich (Plantation American Heritage). Send sports results For high school and middle school athletes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have summer sports results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@ They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online. New athletic directors, coaches For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have new sports administration and/or coaching hires to announce, email hssports@ --- Compiled by Jim Varsallone jvarsallone@
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Nuggets Trade Idea Lands Nikola Jokic Perfect Co-Star
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Denver Nuggets are coming off a disappointing end to their postseason run, falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the second round. This marked the second straight year that Denver fell in the second round, and the team is expected to be very active this offseason. More NBA news: Suns Preparing to Make Big Decision on Devin Booker Amid Roster Rumors With star Nikola Jokic still in his prime, the Nuggets will look to maximize this core group in place. But there could be some changes coming to Denver following another failed title run. In a new trade idea from NBA writer Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, the Nuggets land a perfect co-star for Jokic. Swartz has Denver landing All-Star big Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz. Here is what the deal could look like: Denver Nuggets Receive: F Lauri Markkanen Charlotte Hornets Receive: F Michael Porter Jr. Utah Jazz Receive: G/F Josh Green, PF Grant Williams, F Josh Okogie, F/C Zeke Nnaji, 2027 first-round pick (lottery-protected via Miami Heat, from Charlotte Hornets), 2032 first-round pick (unprotected via Denver Nuggets) PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 07: Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz attempts to steal the ball from Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Footprint Center on February 07,... PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 07: Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz attempts to steal the ball from Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Footprint Center on February 07, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. More Photo byLanding Markkanen could take some of the pressure off Jokic in the frontcourt for Denver. Jokic isn't the best defender, and teams will directly attack him to give themselves a better chance at scoring. But with Markkanen in the mix, teams would need to figure out a different way to gain an advantage. Markkanen could take on the tougher defensive assignments, giving Jokic more energy to run the offensive attack. A trio of Jokic, Markkanen, and guard Jamal Murray would be lethal to deal with offensively as well. All three can space the floor extremely well, and it would force teams to pick their poison on which big man to focus more on. Markkanen is a very capable shooter from deep, which would give the Nuggets even more room to space the floor. But he can also take defenders off the dribble to the basket, giving them a different type of big man than they have been used to. Losing Porter Jr. would be tough, but the writing has been on the wall for him in Denver for some time. Porter Jr. has been in trade rumors for years, and it seems that the Nuggets may want to move on. Denver has multiple different routes that it can go this offseason, but this could be a move to get them closer to winning another title. More NBA news: Russell Westbrook Could Receive Unprecedented Offer From EuroLeague Team: Report Hall of Famer Don Nelson to Wear Luka Doncic Shoes in Protest of Mavericks Trade For more on the Nuggets and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Suns May Make Major Decision on Devin Booker This Offseason
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Phoenix Suns are among the handful of teams expected to make a significant roster moves. The Suns are coming off a season in which they failed to meet expectations, resulting in a disappointing season for Phoenix. However, the Suns are hoping that their future is bright. Phoenix hired its 23rd head coach in franchise history, Jordan Ott. Ott will try to lead Phoenix back to the heights they reached during the 2020-21 season, but it may take some time. The Suns are expected to make some huge moves this summer, but one of those may not include their superstar guard Devin Booker. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Suns are expected to make a seismic contract offer to Booker this summer. Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns waits for a free throw during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on April 01, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns waits for a free throw during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on April 01, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo byREPORT: The Suns are expected to offer Devin Booker a 2-year, $150M extension, per @TheSteinLine. ( — Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 8, 2025 The future of Booker in Phoenix was a bit unclear, but it appears that the Suns will do all they can to keep him in the Valley of the Sun for the foreseeable future. Booker becomes eligible for a two-year, $150 million extension on July 6, and all signs point to the 28-year-old locking in that massive deal once the window opens. Booker is coming off a season in which he was healthy and played like his All-Star self. In 75 games, the former Kentucky Wildcat averaged 25.3 points per game, 7.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 0.9 steals while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from beyond the arc. It's clear Phoenix still values Booker as a centerpiece, and they'll have the chance to show it in just a few weeks. This massive extension wouldn't just keep him under contract through the 2029-30 season — it would further cement his legacy as a Suns icon and long-term franchise pillar. Will Kevin Durant Remain in Phoenix? While this is good news for the Suns, it could spell trouble for Kevin Durant's time in Phoenix. The expectation for Durant and the Suns is that he will be traded as the offseason looms. Not only is Booker younger, but he is their first great, home-grown Sun in a long time. That is not the case with Durant, and that may be one of the many reasons why the front office will be willing to trade him this summer. Even at 36 years old, Durant will demand a massive package in return that the Suns could and should benefit from. Booker has played all 10 seasons with the Suns. In his career, he averages 24.4 points per game, 5.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 673 games. More NBA news: Russell Westbrook Could Receive Unprecedented Offer From EuroLeague Team: Report Hall of Famer Don Nelson to Wear Luka Doncic Shoes in Protest of Mavericks Trade Kevin Durant Trade Speculation Will Reportedly Get Aggressive in Coming Weeks For more on the Phoenix Suns and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
