Yokota senior Zaylee Gubler has gone 20-2 the last two seasons and threw a no-hitter in March. (Yokota softball)
KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa – Solid pitching, in right-handers Erica Haas and Zaylee Gubler, propelled Yokota to the Far East Division II championships the last two years.
But this season, the Panthers have turned up the bats several notches en route to an 18-4-1 record and the label of favorite entering next week’s four-day D-II tournament at Humphreys.
Gubler went 10-1 for the second straight season, while Haas fashioned a 5-1 record this season after going 8-1 in 2024. But as a team, the Panthers have batted .551 with a 1.496 OPS, 102 extra-base hits, 22 home runs, 220 RBIs and an incredible 420 stolen bases in 23 games.
“I feel like the balance is very important,” Gubler said, adding that in past years, the Panthers’ more limited offense made her job a bit more challenging.
“Having a team that hits as well as runs, execute well in the field, make the routine plays and keep the runs from scoring, staying ahead and good pitching. Me and Erica have worked hard the last four years to be consistent and keep the balls easier for the team to play.”
Another Panthers team, which has won the last two titles in the Far East Division I tournament, is Kadena.
The Panthers also have a strong stable of arms including seniors Julia Petruff and Nao Grove, and strength at bat, led by shortstop Jada Wolfgang (.556, 3 home runs, 20 RBIs, 13 stolen bases).
As a team, the Panthers (8-2-2) are batting .390 with a 1.212 OPS, 5 home runs, 61 RBIs and 126 stolen bases.
“I think we have a ton of balance,” Wolfgang said. “We have a lot of depth and we’re strong in all aspects, hitting, fielding and pitching.”
Sophomore shortstop Jada Wolfgang provides Kadena with plenty of power in the cleanup spot. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki sophomore Breslyn Weeks is the reigning D-I Best Pitcher. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kadena senior Julia Petruff earned D-I tournament Best Pitcher honors in 2023 before mising most of last season with an arm injury. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Gabby Martens is one of Perry's pitching options. (Ren Foslin/Special to Stripes)
Humphreys' Lexi Montalvo is one of three seniors returning for the Blackhawks at Far East. (Ashley Angell/Special to Stripes)
Right-hander Leanne Douke is one of Daegu's pitching options at Far East D-II. (Ashley Angell/Special to Stripes)
Second baseman Gracie Kenney is one of nine in Yokota's lineup batting .500 or better. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
It’s a small D-I tournament field for a four-day tournament being played Monday-Thursday at Camp Foster. Joining the Panthers will be island rival Kubasaki (4-11), Nile C. Kinnick (10-7) and Humphreys.
After having won the last two D-II titles at Zama, Yokota heads to Korea for a tournament hosted by Osan but played at Blackhawks Field on Camp Humphreys. Construction near the Osan fields necessitated the move, athletics director Bridget Heffele said.
The D-II tournament features six teams, all the DODEA-Pacific D-II programs except for host Osan. The Cougars lost three players to family emergencies and one to an unexpected transfer, leaving them with just eight players, Heffele said.
That leaves Daegu, Yokota, Zama (7-6), Matthew C. Perry (4-4), E.J. King and Robert D. Edgren (3-13).
Nine Yokota hitters are batting .500 or better. Claire Smith paces the Panthers with five home runs and 35 RBIs. Gubler leads Yokota with 36 RBIs, while Haas is tied for the team lead with 53 stolen bases.
Haas and Gubler have worked four seasons under pitching coach Steven Cruz, who’s been the head coach the last two.
“One of the most important factors is having a coach who’s consistently there for us,” Haas said of Cruz. “We get lots of reps in with good mechanics and we practice different zones and pitches on different types of hitters.”
Elizabeth Shoop paces Perry in batting (.765) and Laney Mullins and Alex Altig share the team lead with 14 stolen bases. Seniors Miu and Moa Best bolster the infield and Mila Nishimura-Reed is steady at first base and on the mound.
Veterans Kaitlyn and Kaiya Pasion and pitcher Keira Marrero make the Eagles competitive, as do newcomers Cinfani Davis and Joslyn Hernandez. Zama can put up some runs thanks to Alicia Brinegar, Emma Sakamoto-Flack, Hailey Momerak and Kira Herring.
In the D-I tournament, twin Petruff sisters have two spots in Kadena’s lineup, including Julia, the 2023 D-I Best Pitcher, and Jessica, the 2023 D-I Most Valuable Player. But it’s the entire team and its attitude that makes the difference, Julia said.
“Our focus is on having fun and being together and that leads to victory,” said Julia Petruff, who missed most of the 2024 regular season with an arm injury before returning in time for Far East.
Kubasaki, which lost to Kadena in the last two D-I finals, brings its own prior Best Pitcher, sophomore left-hander Breslyn Weeks, who won the honor last year. Senior Cadence Vandentop closes out her high school career next week, as do six Kadena seniors.
Humphreys, which hasn’t played any Japan teams, is senior-laden with Charlotte Langley, Gracie Farneman and Lexi Montalvo returning.
The Red Devils have plenty of juniors, including Sydnee Walker and Teora Miyashiro, and freshman transfer Lilly Lucas, a rising pitching star. Senior Reina Gardner can be a force at the leadoff spot; she leads the team with a .583 average and 1.282 OPS.
Though Humphreys is the unknown in the field, “it doesn’t matter who we play; we’re just going to have fun,” Julia Petruff said.
