2025 HMG-COMMUNITY NEWS SPRING ALL-AREA TEAMS: New divisional format leads to unexpected, but pleasant, deep playoff runs

By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X

Now, the CIF-Southern Section’s new divisional format which is based off power rankings is complete with all sports, and because of that, competitive equity was the best friend for many baseball and softball teams. Six area baseball teams advanced to the playoffs with Artesia High and Norwalk High, both in Division 7, getting to the quarterfinals while of the five area softball teams who extended their seasons, Cerritos High made it to the Division 5 semifinals.

Here are the recipients of the 2025 HMG-Community News All-Area Teams.

BASEBALL

FIRST TEAM

P-Noah Irwin (Gahr High)

P-Riley Jones (Valley Christian High)

C-Nate Guangorena (Gahr High)

1B-Jason Rodriguez (La Mirada High)

2B-Dalton Chi (Cerritos High)

3B-Maverek Russell (La Mirada High)

SS-Aiden Aguayo (La Mirada High)

LF-Jake Curneen (Gahr High)

CF-Braxton Reed (Cerritos High)

RF-Kevin Jeon (La Mirada High)

UTL-Bryce Morrison (Gahr High)

SECOND TEAM

P-Jacob Hoosac (Cerritos High)

P-Jacob Oropeza (La Mirada High)

C-Raymond Acosta (John Glenn High)

1B-Brandon Rivera (John Glenn High)

2B-Nico Villafana (Valley Christian High)

3B-Lucas Witt (Valley Christian High)

SS-Seth Dahlenburg (Valley Christian High)

LF-David Pelayo (Norwalk High)

CF-Travis Friend (La Mirada High)

RF-Adrien Ramirez (Gahr High)

UTL-R.J. Estrada (Valley Christian High)

THIRD TEAM

P-Kaden Corns (La Mirada High)

P-Jake Ourique (Gahr High)

C-Israel Molina (Norwalk High)

1B-Quintin Ekstrom (Valley Christian High)

2B-Jonah Mason (John Glenn High)

3B-Cesar Urueta (Norwalk High)

SS-Andres Gonzalez (Gahr High)

LF-Max Douglas (Valley Christian High)

CF-Taison Miller (Gahr High)

RF-Micah Tamminga (Valley Christian High)

UTL-Bert Rodriguez (John Glenn High)

HONORABLE MENTION

P-Daniel Albidrez (Norwalk High)

P-Daniel Carbajal (Artesia High)

C-Kaden Brickner (Cerritos High)

1B-Hector Alvarado (Norwalk High)

2B-Marcus Castillo (Norwalk High)

3B-Josiah Alcala (John Glenn High)

SS-Adrian Regis (Cerritos High)

LF-Justin Sagun (Cerritos High)

CF-Austin Abrahams (Valley Christian High)

RF-Alex Escobar (Artesia High)

UTL-Ian Nunez (La Mirada High)

CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR-There weren’t too many players who batted over .400 and played in over 20 games, but Cerritos senior second baseman Dalton Chi and La Mirada High senior right fielder Kevin Jeon fell into that category. Chi led all area players with a .449 average with 31 hits, 10 doubles and two home runs while driving in 26. He spent his entire high school career on varsity, playing in 94 games with a .401 average, 79 hits and 64 RBI.

Jeon, who will be pursuing his baseball career at Boston College University, led the Matadores with a .419 average, 31 hits, 26 runs scored, 17 RBI, seven doubles and six home runs.

CO-PITCHERS OF THE YEAR-If you needed someone to go the distance or limit the opposition from touching home plate, then Gahr High senior Noah Irwin and Valley Christian High senior Riley Jones are your guys. In 42 innings of action, Irwin allowed 13 earned runs and 33 hits while striking out 36 and posting a 2.17 earned run average. Irwin went 6-2, had a pair of saves and went the distance three times, all shutouts which came in Gateway League action.

Jones was a workhorse for the Defenders, going 9-3 in 75 innings with 56 hits and 12 earned runs allowed while striking out 108 of the 306 batters he faced. Jones pitched seven complete games and yielded six runs in those games with four shutouts.

COACH OF THE YEAR-Two seasons ago, Norwalk felt like it was on top of the world, capturing the Mid-Cities League, winning 23 games and advancing to the quarterfinals. The Lancers won three games last season and did not pick up a victory in 12 Gateway League contests. But back in the Mid-Cities League in 2025, first-year head coach Jose Rodriguez guided Norwalk to a 17-9 record, good for third place in league, and won 14 of the last 18 games of the regular season. The team’s quarterfinal loss in the playoffs came to top-seeded Channel Islands High, 8-0. It was just the third time the Lancers had been shutout.

SOFTBALL

FIRST TEAM

P-Alison Ortega (La Mirada High)

P-Rachel Zhang (Valley Christian High)

C-Riley Hilliard (La Mirada High)

1B-Reese Hilliard (La Mirada High)

2B-Brianna Ramirez (Valley Christian High)

3B-Michelle Meza (Cerritos High)

SS-Amanda Urbina (La Mirada High)

LF-Noelle Martinez (Cerritos High)

CF-Choyce Chambers (Valley Christian High)

RF-Tallulah Ireland (Valley Christian High)

UTL-Aubrielle Ramirez (Valley Christian High)

SECOND TEAM

P-Isabella Gonzalez (Gahr High)

P-Montserrat Reyes-Cardenas (La Mirada High)

C-Peyton Kingery (Valley Christian High)

1B-Kayla Martin (Valley Christian High)

2B-Alyssa Avila (La Mirada High)

3B-Kaleyse Foster (Artesia High)

SS-Nayeli Sanchez (Norwalk High)

LF-Zoee Barrett (Valley Christian High)

CF-Angelie Kennedy (La Mirada High)

RF-Megan Wong (Gahr High)

UTL-Alexis Johnson (Gahr High)

THIRD TEAM

P-Ava Ceron (Cerritos High)

P-Alyssa Hurst (Norwalk High)

C-Alianna Calderon (Cerritos High)

1B-Zoe Corrales (Cerritos High)

2B-Julie Vega (Norwalk High)

3B-Angelyna Conde (La Mirada High)

SS-Katherine Villegas (Cerritos High)

LF-Emma Maldonado (Gahr High)

CF-Malaia Huskey (Gahr High)

RF-Bettie Mae Acevedo (La Mirada High)

UTL-Juliana Rivera (La Mirada High)

HONORABLE MENTION

P-Carissa Galvan (John Glenn High)

P-Alea Medina (Artesia High)

C-Mya Laroya (Gahr High)

1B-Lea Hilbert (Gahr High)

2B-Mylah Burrowes (Gahr High)

3B-Molly Douglas (Valley Christian High)

SS-Britton Brown (Valley Christian High)

LF-Diana Avina (Norwalk High)

CF-Anaya Granflor (Cerritos High)

RF-Demi Lagare (Cerritos High)

UTL-Cierra Contreras (Gahr High)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Last season, we didn’t get to see too much of the talent from La Mirada’s Riley Hilliard as an injury forced her to play in nine games. Still, she collected 13 hits with five of them leaving the yard. This season, the sophomore catcher proved why she is one of the biggest threats in Southern California. Hilliard played in all 30 games, leading the Matadores with a .471 average and 41 hits. She scored 27 runs (third on the team), drove in 25 runs (fourth on the team), had 17 extra base hits (second on the team) and was the Gateway League’s most valuable player. As a bonus, of the regular defensive starters, she was one of three players not to commit an error; the other two were the pitchers.

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2025 HMG-Community News Player of the Year Riley Hilliard led La Mirada High in batting with a .471 average. The sophomore catcher was also tops with the Matadores with 41 hits and was among the leaders in runs scored (27), runs batted in (25) and extra base hits (17). PHOTO BY LOREN KOPFF.

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PITCHER OF THE YEAR-The 14 games played and four wins under her belt last season prepared La Mirada’s Alison Ortega for an outstanding sophomore campaign. She shared time in the circle with San Diego State University-bound Montserrat Reyes-Cardenas and posted a 13-2 record with half a dozen saves, had an ERA of 1.61, struck out 125 batters while walking 18 and had three shutouts.

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La Mirada High sophomore Alison Ortega proved that she will be a force to be reckoned with for the next two seasons. The 2025 HMG-Community News Pitcher of the Year had an earned run average of 1.61 in 109 innings of work, struck out 125 batters, walked 18 and allowed 25 earned runs.  PHOTO BY LOREN KOPFF.

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COACH OF THE YEAR-You don’t need to have a turnaround season if you have gone 58-2 in 605 League games since 2019 or have won at least 15 games since 2021 and nine out of the last 11 seasons. But in her first head coaching job at any high school, Michelle Steck guided Cerritos to a 17-7 record and a trip to the Division 5 semifinals. There, the Dons scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning against West Ranch High and had the potential game-winning run at first base as the rally fell short. Cerritos reached double digits in runs scored nine times and bounced back after losing the first three games of the season.