It’s hard to build a program when you have different players shuffling through every year, but this year Cabrillo coach Gabriel Tablada has a young group that he hopes to be the start of a new era for Cabrillo softball.
“We have a handful of seniors and everyone else in the group is young,” Tablada said. “Every game I’m going to put new players at different positions as we get better. I’m still just trying to build a program here.”
Within the young group the Jags’ have a handful of key seniors who Tablada says have been leading the way. Tae’Sia Davis will be one of those seniors at first base alongside Breanna Gonzalez at left field.
“I always try to encourage the girls and since it’s my last year I’ve been trying to give them advice on what to do and how to be better,” Davis said.
Sophia Fabrigas will also bring some experience for the Jags and Tablada plans to have her playing all around the field. Fabrigas is naturally a short stop but she’ll be stepping up inside the circle as Cabrillo’s most experienced pitcher.
“She’s not only an amazing person but she’s a heck of an athlete,” Tablada said of Fabrigas. “She just got done playing basketball and she played flag football in the fall. So she’s only been to a couple of practices but she’s been playing travel ball. She’s a really good leader too.”
Senior Valerie Quintero will also be utilized around the field and will make the start at center field. Quintero will also step up in the infield and at catcher when needed, meanwhile Junior Jayden Garcia will be at second base.
The rest of the Jags’ roster includes seven total freshmen and sophomores who make up nearly two-thirds of their entire roster. Sophomore Valeria Meza will step up at catcher and occasionally shortstop, meanwhile freshmen Fatima Gallegos will be at third and Samantha Lopez at right field.
Cabrillo’s roster is built predominantly on multi-sport athletes, which Tablada adds as another hurdle for the team to overcome with the lack of experience the girls have playing softball together. He says that despite the lack of experience he’s still seen plenty of growth and only anticipates his players to get better as they gain experience.
“We share a lot of athletes at the school so a lot of my kids are playing other sports and are just showing up in the last week or two,” he said. “They’re all learning and getting the idea of throwing and hitting. Fielding is coming around too and has been pretty good. I haven’t seen them in game situations yet so that’ll be a little different for them.”
Cabrillo will open its season with three back-to-back non-league games that Tablada says will set the tone for the season. The Jags picked up two wins in the Moore League last year against Compton, and they’ll open their league schedule against Long Beach Poly on March 13.
Projected Starting Lineup
P – Sophia Fabrigas, Sr.
C – Valeria Meza, So.
1B – Tae’Sia Davis, Sr.
2B – Jayden Garcia, Jr.
SS – Sophia Fabrigas, Sr / Valeria Meza, So. / Valerie Quintero Sr.
3B – Fatima Gallegos, Fr.
LF – Breanna Gonzalez, Sr.
CF – Valerie Quintero, Sr.
RF – Samantha Lopez, Fr.
