Coaches: Rod Engel (head coach), Alia Marquez (assistant coach)
Top Returners: Samantha Apolinar (11), Samaya Holguin (11), KristiAnn Gomez (12), Riley Gonzalez (12), Elayna Marquez (11), Zoey Matthews (12), Alexis Perez (12)
Top Newcomers: Amelia Herbert (10), Saraya Jhawar (10), Jackie Kim (10)
Last season: The Lady Lancers finished second in the Freeway League with a 7-3 record (overall 11-10) and qualified for CIF Division 2 playoffs, losing in the first round to Ruben S. Ayala High School in Chino Hills.
Outlook: With a roster stacked with returning players and the addition of a new coach who was hired at the start of the school year, the team’s goal is to return to the CIF playoffs and advance beyond the first round.
“We practice consistently every week and try to focus on successfully executing all the basics, from hitting, pitching, throwing and catching,” said Engel, who was a travel ball assistant coach at Yorba Linda High School from 2023-2024 and Valencia High School in Placentia from 2024-2025. “They’re [Lancers] a cohesive unit and working hard to go to CIF playoffs.”
Athletic director Paul Jones said Engel has already made a significant impact on the team, and his focus on basic techniques ensures that players understand their roles while maintaining a positive team culture.
“He does a really good job of clearly communicating and teaching the girls what they should be doing and when they should be doing it,” Jones said. “He makes sure they feel supported while also pushing them to improve.”
Working with the players for only seven months, the coach said he has seen some positive outcomes with the team.
“We have a really good returning core, and the players stepping into bigger roles have been working hard,” Engel said. “It’s exciting to see the chemistry forming.”
Perez said Engel brought a new style to the team, one that has been well-received by the players.
“The transition has been very good; he is a good coach, and he is extremely nice as well,” she said. “His coaching style is very calm; he isn’t the type to yell, but he gets his point across.”
Apolinar said she has appreciated Engel’s guidance.
“He’s a very detail-oriented coach who effectively plans and structures us as a team,” she said.
Another transition the Lady Lancers will make involves the CIF’s decision to releague its Southern Section schools. Instead of the Fullerton Union High School District [FJUHSD] Freeway League, which comprised of schools in the FJUHSD, Sunny Hills has been moved to the newly formed Century Conference Freeway League, including Sonora High School (6-4), Villa Park High School (1-10), La Habra High School (5-5) and El Dorado High School (4-5).
Such a change brings about exciting new possibilities for the team, Perez said.
“Our league this year is a lot tougher with the team going up against new teams from Villa Park High School and El Dorado High School, so even just qualifying for CIF would be a huge accomplishment,” she said.
The team started non-league play on Tuesday, Feb. 18, with a 2-1 home victory over Edison High School, where Perez got the credit for pitching the shutout.
“I hope to finish off the season strong with a personal goal of 75-100 strikeouts and have at least 12 wins under my name,” the senior said. “I want to help carry my team to CIF and pitch the best games possible.”
The team (5-4) will have its first league game on Tuesday, March 18, at 3:30 p.m. as it visits Sonora High School (10-1).
