22-05-2025
Coach with California roots leads American Heritage to softball state final
Sam Banister lost 24-0 in her first game as a softball coach.
'After that game, I was thinking, 'I don't know if this coaching thing is for me,'' said Banister, a former first baseman for the University of Arizona softball team.
Fast forward 11 years, and everything has flipped.
Banister is in South Florida and no longer her native Northern California.
And now it's her squad – the American Heritage Patriots – that is run-ruling opponents.
On Thursday morning, American Heritage routed Seminole Osceola 15-1 in a Class 4A state semifinal in Longwood.
The Patriots (23-2) will play Fort Walton Beach (22-8) on Friday night at 6:30 for the 4A title.
In Thursday's win, the Patriots got a huge game from freshman right fielder Bella Benton, who went 3-for-3 with a career-high seven RBIs. She had a three-run homer, a three-run double and an RBI single.
'I was really hyped and excited to play at state,' Benton said.
She wasn't the only hyped Patriots player. That list includes Emma Griffith, who went 3-for-3 with five RBIs; Sam Santana (2-for-2, two RBIs): Mia West (solo homer); and Adri Layne (3-for-3 with a triple).
Eighth-grader Lyric Rodriguez (13-2) started and got the win. Benton, who is 10-0, pitched two innings in relief.
'We have young leadership in the circle,' Banister said of her pitchers.
The Patriots also have a young leader in Banister, a 38-year-old native of Petaluma, California.
She comes from an athletic family, including her father, Jon, who was a professional rodeo cowboy before retiring.
Banister accomplished some amazing things in high school, serving as student body president, earning MVP honors for Petaluma High's volleyball team and getting named first-team All-State for three straight years in softball.
In 2004, she hit a walk-off homer to give Petaluma the Northern California State title. In 2025, she homered in all three of her postseason at-bats as Petaluma won the NCS again. She was intentionally walked in all her other plate appearances.
At Arizona, Banister was a four-year starter, helping the Wildcats reach the Women's Softball World Series four straight years. The Wildcats won the national title in each of Banister's first two years at Arizona.
After college, Banister married and started a family with former Piper High outfielder Tom Collaro, who made it as far as Triple-A with the Chicago White Sox.
'We met at a house party while I was at Arizona,' Banister said light-heartedly. 'I decided to date him because he could hit.'
The couple settled in Petaluma, which is where Banister started giving private softball lessons to kids.
When COVID hit in 2020, the family moved to South Florida, where Collaro is from.
'My husband saida: 'South Florida needs a female coach like you,'' Banister said. 'We sold our house. We sold our business. We sold our belongings.
'It was a giant leap of faith.'
The couple rented a house in Coral Springs, and Banister landed a job as an American Heritage assistant coach under Marty Cooper, who has won all eight of the Patriots' state titles, most recently in 2018.
Then, prior to the 2023 season, Cooper said he was ready to retire and asked if she would like to take over as coach.
'l immediately started to cry,' Banister said. '(Cooper) has done so much for softball. He has changed the game. He's a legend with more than 600 wins.
'It was sad to see him go, but it was a big moment for me – an honor.'
It would be an even bigger honor if Banister on Friday can become the first coach other than Cooper to win a state softball title for the Patriots.
