FRESNO COUNTY – For the Dinuba Emperors, a season of great turnaround and stellar play helped catapult them back to the head of the class in the West Yosemite League (WYL). Five players from the Lady Emperors helped spark this historic turnaround, led by a player who walked away with the highest honor in the land.
Sophomore infielder Kiley Gomez bagged the Player of the Year honor for her role in fueling Dinuba’s return to relevance in the WYL. Gomez punished the ball offensively this season, leading the WYL in batting with a .505 average. She also led the league in On Base Percentage (.605) and ranked in the top 10 in most of the other major offensive categories.
With Gomez sitting atop Dinuba’s throne, the Lady Emperors finished 19-9 overall and 7-3 in league play. Gomez also helped lead Dinuba to the CIF Central Section D-III Playoffs, where they lost to Mission College Prep 3-0 in the opening round. Last season, the Lady Emps’ finished a disappointing 7-18 and 3-7 in the WYL.
Juniors Cambria Alderete and Naveah Garcia shared 1st Team Honors this season. Alderete provided plenty of muscle in Dinuba’s lineup, leading the team, and ranking 2nd in the WYL, in home runs (6). As for Garcia, the senior hurler was virtually an automatic win in the circle, ranking in the top 50 in the state with 17 wins.
Seniors Hope Diaz and Ashlee Orozco round out the Dinuba honors by sharing in 2nd Team honors. Diaz was one of the most reliable run producers in the WYL, ranking second in the league with 32 Runs Batted In (RBI’s). Orozco ranked 9th in the WYL with a .450 batting average, and she also ranked 7th with a .494 On Base Percentage.
