Eleven Orange County softball standouts inducted into Coaches Hall of Fame

Some of the Hall of Fame inductees with the OC all-stars Wednesday night at Deanna Manning Stadium. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Eleven prominent Orange County softball figures were inducted into the 2025 OC Coaches Hall of Fame last week between games of the annual all-star games at Deanna Manning Stadium.

The event was presented by the Premier Girls Fastpitch, which was founded in 2013. Organizers said those honored were players and coaches for their achievements on and off the field.

Fans were informed of their achievements and the inductees were supported by those who coached or played with them.

To see additional photos, click on the first picture:

Suzie Barnett, Villa Park: Dave Shelton, Barnett’s coach at Villa Park, presented her the award.

A 1988 graduate of Villa Park High School, Barnett was a standout multi-sport athlete, excelling in softball, volleyball, and track. She was a three-time All-Century League first team selection in softball, a two-time League MVP, and earned All-CIF Southern Section honors in both her junior and senior seasons.

Barnett broke multiple school records, including home runs, runs scored, and total hits, and was named Villa Park’s top scholar-athlete her senior year. She was also the Century League volleyball MVP and a track champion in the 220-yard dash.

Garland Cooper Tsarouchas, Santa Margarita: Former Santa Margarita Athletic Director Rich Schaaf. Cooper was a league MVP in both softball and basketball, a multi-time All-CIF honoree, and was named the school’s female athlete of the year in 2003.

She continued her softball career at Northwestern University, where she was a three-time All-American, three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, and led the Wildcats to two Women’s College World Series appearances. In 2012, she was inducted into the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Garland was a first-round draft pick in the National Pro Fastpitch league and earned rookie of the year honors in the Japanese Professional League. After retiring, she stayed close to the game as an analyst for ESPN and the Big Ten Network.

Lisa Dacquisto Tuck, Ocean View: Her brother Pete Dacquisto accepted the award. Doug Myers, an OC Softball Hall of Fame member who was the coach at Ocean View during Dacquisto’s senior year, presented the award.

A 1993 graduate of Ocean View High School, Dacquisto led the county in batting average in both 1992 and 1993, finishing her senior season with a .613 average. She was named The Los Angeles Times Orange County Player of the Year, and earned first team All-CIF, all-county, and All-Sunset League honors for three consecutive years.

She went on to star at Arizona State University, where she was a four-time All-Pac-10 and All-Region selection, a two-time first team All-American, and still holds ASU records for career stolen bases, and top rankings in career hits and batting average. In 2008, she was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of
Fame.

Dacquisto also competed in multiple Team USA events and advanced to the final selection
round for the 1996 Olympic team.

Amber Freeman, Mater Dei: Accepting the award on her behalf was her father, Scott Freeman. Doug Myers, Freeman’s coach at Mater Dei, presented the award.

Freeman was a standout collegiate catcher at Arizona State University, earning All-American honors three times. She was named the 2013 Pac-12 Player of the Year and was also a two-time Academic All-American and the 2015 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Freeman represented Team USA, earning gold at the 2010 Pan-American U-18 Championship, a junior world title in 2011, and a World Cup silver medal in 2013. She was selected 11th overall in the 2015 NPF Draft by the USSSA Pride.

Freeman transitioned into coaching with impact roles at Georgia, Cal, Vanguard, and now serves as the hitting coach at the University of Arizona.

Chelsea Gonzales, Rosary High School: Tom Tice, Gonzales coach at Rosary, presented the award. A 2013 graduate of Rosary High School, Chelsea Gonzales was a four-year varsity athlete, Trinity League MVP, and a two-time All-Orange County selection. At Arizona State University she became one of the
top shortstops in the country.

During her collegiate career, Gonzales earned All-Pac-12 honors every year, was named ASU’s MVP and offensive player of the year in 2017, and made the All-defensive team in 2015. She also stood out nationally as a Top 25 finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year.

Gonzales went on to play professional softball in both the NPF and WPF, and represented Mexico on the international stage, competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where her team earned a historic fourth-place finish.

Andrea Harrison Gasso, Pacifica: Rob Weil, Harrison’s head coach at Pacifica, presented the award. A 2008 graduate of Pacifica Harrison was one of the premier softball players in Orange County. She earned All-County honors three times, was named all-state and all-CIF in both 2007 and 2008, and capped capped off her high school career as the Orange County Player of the Year in 2008.

She continued her standout career at UCLA, where she was a four-time All-Conference selection, a three-time All-Region honoree, and earned first team All-American honors in both 2011 and 2012.

After her playing days, Harrison made an impact on the coaching side, joining the staffs at Michigan State and then the University of Oklahoma, where she helped lead the Sooners to back-to-back national championships in 2016 and 2017.

Brittany Lastrapes Thackery, Laguna Hills: Cary Crouch, her coach at Laguna Hills, presented the award. A 2007 graduate of Laguna Hills, Lastrapes was one of the most dominant hitters in program history. She finished with a .460 career batting average and 183 hits, second all-time at the school. A four-time first team all-league selection, she was named All-CIF in both 2004 and 2007, and earned the title of Division III Player of the Year her senior season.

She took her talents to the national stage at the University of Arizona, where she became a four-time first team All-Pac-10 and All-Region selection, and a four-time All-American, earning first team honors three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011.

Lastrapes helped lead the Wildcats to three Women’s College World Series appearances, including a runner-up finish in 2010, where she was named to the All-WCWS tournament team. She still holds the program record for career doubles (66) and ranks in the top 10 all-time in batting average, hits, slugging percentage, runs scored, walks, and at-bats.

Internationally, Lastrapes was a member of the USA National Team from 2007 to 2010, winning gold medals at the World Cup and Japan Cup, and earning the title of ISF World Championship Most Valuable Player while bringing home gold for Team USA.

Laura Crawford Miklos, Orange Lutheran: Steve Miklos who began his coaching career during his
daughter’s freshman year at Orange Lutheran, presented the award.

A 2001 graduate of Orange Lutheran High School, Crawford was a standout pitcher and shortstop who led the Lancers to their first-ever CIF championship in her senior season.

During her four years, she helped guide the team to four deep CIF playoff runs and two Olympic League titles, finishing with a 43–12 pitching record, a 0.26 ERA, and a .471 batting average in her junior year.

She was a four-time All-CIF selection, a two-time Olympic League MVP, and the 2001 CIF Division V Player of the Year. She also earned First Team All-Orange County honors, was a two-time Orange Lutheran athlete of the Year, and has since been inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Crawford continued her softball career at Concordia University Irvine, earning NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors and posting standout seasons both at the plate and in the circle.

Brooke Turner, Kennedy High School: Michelle Turner who graduated from Kennedy in 2002, five years before her sister, presented the award. Brooke Turner led the Fighting Irish to four straight Empire League championships and a CIF Finals appearance. She was a two-time All-American, three-time All-State honoree, and the OC Register Player of the Year in both her junior and senior seasons. She graduated with an 84–18 record, 0.31 ERA, and over 1,000 career strikeouts.

At Long Beach State, Turner was named Big West Pitcher of the Year, earned All-American and All-Region honors, and set multiple school records, including 27 wins, 17 shutouts, and 237 strikeouts in a single season. She was also a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and made national
headlines with a 54-inning earned run-less streak.

Lauren Young, Canyon High School: Dan Hay, who was Young’s coach at Canyon, was the presenter.

A 2012 graduate of Canyon High School, Young was a standout on the softball field, earning first team All-Conference honors in both 2011 and 2012, and being named all-county, all-state, and Canyon High School MVP her senior year. She Lauren continued her athletic and academic journey at the collegiate level.

Starting all four years of her career at the University of Arizona, she earned Pac-12 freshman team honors
in 2013 and All-Academic Honorable Mention in both 2014 and 2015.

Internationally, she represented the Junior USA National Team in 2013, and later played for the Philippines National Softball Team in 2019.

Dan Hay, Marina co-head coach: Shelly Luth, co-head coach at Marina, presented the award.

Hay has been a successful high school and travel coach for the past 25 years. He was
head coach at Huntington Beach from 2004-2006 and also coach at Canyon High School (Anaheim Hills) from 2007 to 2015 with a 190-74-1 record.

During his tenure at Canyon, his teams had two league titles, four trips to the CIF semifinal playoffs and one trip to the CIF finals. He was inducted into the Canyon Softball Hall of Fame in 2022 with the highest winning percentage as a Coach in Canyon softball history.

Hay joined Marina’s softball program in 2017-18 season as an assistant coach and was named the co-head coach along with Luth in the 2018-19 season. They both have qualified for the post season every
year since.

Ending the 2025 season Hay has a total high school coaching win/loss record of 311-170-2. Marina finished the 2025 season with a 19-13 record, going undefeated in the CIF Playoffs and winning the CIF Division 3 crown.

Hay founded the Victory USA travel ball club in 2001, along with Rob Weil and Mark Campbell. He is the President/CEO/Co-Founder of Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) and Surf City Tourneys.

Hay talked with Adam Kunin of OC Sports Zone about his career and the induction after the second game of the all-star doubleheader. The East and West battled to a 7-7 tie in the six inning game.

The South defeated the North 3-0 in the first game.

Send sports news to timburt@ocsportszone.com