The Times' softball coach of the year: Rick Robinson of Norco
During a softball season when top pitchers were hard to find, coach Rick Robinson of Norco High was patient, wise and comforting in helping sophomore Coral Williams make the kind of improvement that could lead to a championship.
Then came the biggest game of the season — the Southern Section Division 1 final against El Modena. And all Williams did was complete a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 victory, rewarding Robinson and Norco with an eighth championship.
For guiding his team to a 29-3 record while mixing in a combination of young and veteran players, Robinson has been selected The Times' softball coach of the year for 2025.
The Cougars were seeded No. 1 and started the season 11-0 before losing to El Modena 5-4. That loss immediately punctured the invincibility of Norco and had Robinson making sure his players kept working hard. Then there was a 1-0 loss to Orange Lutheran in April.
His players responded by dominating in the Division 1 playoffs.
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The Times' softball coach of the year: Rick Robinson of Norco
During a softball season when top pitchers were hard to find, coach Rick Robinson of Norco High was patient, wise and comforting in helping sophomore Coral Williams make the kind of improvement that could lead to a championship. Then came the biggest game of the season — the Southern Section Division 1 final against El Modena. And all Williams did was complete a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 victory, rewarding Robinson and Norco with an eighth championship. For guiding his team to a 29-3 record while mixing in a combination of young and veteran players, Robinson has been selected The Times' softball coach of the year for 2025. Advertisement The Cougars were seeded No. 1 and started the season 11-0 before losing to El Modena 5-4. That loss immediately punctured the invincibility of Norco and had Robinson making sure his players kept working hard. Then there was a 1-0 loss to Orange Lutheran in April. His players responded by dominating in the Division 1 playoffs. Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
The Times' softball coach of the year: Rick Robinson of Norco
During a softball season when top pitchers were hard to find, coach Rick Robinson of Norco High was patient, wise and comforting in helping sophomore Coral Williams make the kind of improvement that could lead to a championship. Then came the biggest game of the season — the Southern Section Division 1 final against El Modena. And all Williams did was complete a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 victory, rewarding Robinson and Norco with an eighth championship. For guiding his team to a 29-3 record while mixing in a combination of young and veteran players, Robinson has been selected The Times' softball coach of the year for 2025. The Cougars were seeded No. 1 and started the season 11-0 before losing to El Modena 5-4. That loss immediately punctured the invincibility of Norco and had Robinson making sure his players kept working hard. Then there was a 1-0 loss to Orange Lutheran in April. His players responded by dominating in the Division 1 playoffs.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
The Times' 2025 All-Star softball team
A look at the Los Angeles Times' 2025 All-Star softball team: Pitcher, Coral Williams, Norco, So.: She threw a one-hit shutout in the Southern Section Division 1 championship game while finishing the season with a 17-0 record. Pitcher, Mia Valbuena, Marina, Jr. : The Michigan commit led Marina to the Division 3 championship. She had 293 strikeouts in 175 1/3 innings while going 19-10 with a 1.88 ERA. Utility, Aliyah Garcia, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Jr.: She led the Knights to the Mission League title while batting .465 and was the league MVP pitcher. Cather, Alyssa Torres, Valley View, Jr.: She had 22 home runs while batting .506 and driving in 46 runs. Infielder, Ki'ele Ho-Ching, Long Beach Poly, Jr.: The Oklahoma commit led the Jackrabbits to the Division 4 championship. Infielder, Leighton Gray, Norco, So.: She led the Division 1 champions in hitting with a .435 average, including eight home runs. Infielder, Kaitlyn Galasso, El Modena, Sr.: The Loyola Marymount commit led her team in hitting with a .462 average, including 48 hits and 12 home runs. Infielder, Taelyn Holley, Murrieta Mesa, Sr.: The Tennessee commit batted .598 with 52 hits, 40 runs, 40 RBIs and 15 home runs. Outfielder, Tamryn Shorter, Norco, Sr.: The Boise State commit batted .404 with nine home runs. Outfielder, Jazmine Leyva, South El Monte, Sr.: The UCLA commit had 47 hits, a .691 batting average and hit 16 home runs. Outfielder, Kai Minor, Orange Lutheran, Sr.: The Oklahoma commit concluded a fabulous four-year career by hitting .500 with 44 hits and 34 RBIs.
