High school softball: Top 25 Class of 2022 players to watch from Sac-Joaquin Section

The southern part of California might get the spotlight in terms of being a hotbed for high school softball talent. But don't sleep on the ladies from the north, particularly those from the Sac-Joaquin Section. The SJS is the second largest among the 10 in the state.

We first take a look in our Greater Sacramento area preseason coverage by looking at 25 of the top players from the Class of 2022. These players were selected based on statistical data entered into MaxPreps, prior year accomplishments, college commitment and player rankings.
Sac-Joaquin's Top 25 softball players from the Class of 2022

Lauren Asia, Bear Creek (Stockton), OF
College: San Diego State
Batted .595 as a junior for the Bruins. She had at least one hit in every game in 2021.

Tayler Biehl, Vista del Lago (Folsom), IF
College: Arizona
A career .600 hitter for the Eagles. The do-it-all player is a threat in every part of the game.

Jenna Birch, Del Oro (Loomis), IF/P
College: Oregon State
The Golden Eagles second baseman can hit for power and also brings it in the circle.

Imani Black, Sheldon (Sacramento), OF/IF
College: Sacramento State
The future Hornet hit .429 and returns as part of a loaded Huskies team heading in 2022.

Brooke Davis, Escalon, P
College: Eastern Kentucky
She struck out 152 batters last spring. In seven games, the Cougars ace K'd 10 or more hitters.

Ava and Gianna Domenici, Lincoln, P/C
College: Embry-Riddle Daytona
The twins will look to help the Zebras repeat as Foothill Valley League champions.

Emma Falen, Folsom, P
College: UC Riverside
Set a school record with 173 strikeouts in 100 innings pitched for the Bulldogs in 2021.

Jazzy Fines, Sheldon, IF
College: UC Santa Barbara
The lefty had multiple hits in 12 games against some of the toughest competition in the area.

Hazyl Gray, Vanden (Fairfield), P/IF
College: Santa Clara
A dual threat weapon as a powerful left-handed pitcher and dominant hitter.

Brooklyn Heffernan, Ceres, P
College: Undecided
She stuck out 139 batters in just 71 innings of work for the Bulldogs last spring.

Grace and Hope Jenkins, St. Francis (Sacramento), C/P
College: UConn
The twins are a huge reason the Troubadours will be one of the top teams heading into 2022.

D'uana Johnson, Sheldon, UT
College: Cal
Johnson is a dynamic player that brings all the tools any lineup would desire.

Malaya Johnson, Roseville, P
College: Santa Barbara
The CVC returning league MVP was second in the section with 184 strikeouts.

Dakota Kennedy, Sheldon, OF
College: Arizona
Another Huskies standout returns after batting .581 and blasting nine home runs as a junior.

Grace Matej, Capital Christian (Sacramento), C
College: Utah State
A cannon of an arm behind the plate who also can hit for power and average.

Trisha McCleskey, Merced, P
College: Cal State Fullerton
The Bears ace has already struck out over 300 batters, even with COVID-shortned seasons.

Shaylen McDowell, Roseville, IF
College: Oregon State
She's one of many talented players returning for the Tigers. Finished 2021 batting .507.

Naomi Moore, Golden Valley (Merced), OF
College: Undecided
The returning Central California Conference League MVP helped the Cougars to a section title-runner up in 2019.

Makayla Newsom, Roseville, OF
College: UC Santa Barbara
The speedy slapper will enter 2022 with 40 career stolen bases.

Emma Olsen, Capital Christian, OF/P
College: Texas Tech
Olsen, Matej and others will be nice weapons for new coach Caitlyn Olan.

Sydney Polli, Bella Vista (Fair Oaks), UT
College: UC Davis
A career .454 hitter as a three year starter for the Broncos.

Breanna Romero, Sheldon, P
College: Delaware State
She threw in more than 69 innings last season striking out 71 batters and finished with a 1.82 ERA.

Ava Tingey, Lincoln, OF
College: Fresno State
The speedy lefty batted .533 for the Fighting Zebras in 2021.

Brielle Wright, Rocklin (Calif.), P
College: Princeton
A lefty in the circle will be back after striking out 74 batters for the top team in the section last spring.

Reina Zermeno, Sheldon, UT
College: San Jose State
She smashed eight home runs and hit above .500 as a junior.