Turlock High softball standout Shelby Frutoz is the 2019 Turlock Journal Player of the Year and she ended her high school career leaving a legacy that will be difficult to repeat.
“Shelby is a unique talent. Her willingness to put in extra work on her own is what sets her apart,” said head coach Jill Ogden. “Shelby is well-respected in this area. It is quite an accomplishment to be selected MVP two years in a row in different leagues and with different coaches. There are a lot of good players in the CCC and CCAL, but Shelby has stood out as a dominant pitcher and an accomplished hitter.”
“I am honored to be named player of the year for the Journal and am grateful for the people who helped me throughout the season,” said Frutoz. “I couldn't have the successful season I did without my teammates, coaches and parents helping me through every practice and game through their endless support."
Despite Frutoz’s season not going as well as she had hoped, her individual numbers still looked good.
Frutoz was first on the team with a batting average of .415 to also go with a team-high in RBI (19) and home-runs (2).
After pitching 139 and ⅓ innings over 22 games, Frutoz finished with an ERA of 1.06, a 15-6 record, nine shutouts, 14 complete games and 233 strikeouts.
“My senior season did not go as well as I hoped it would. We fell short of winning CCAL by finishing in close second and lost first round of playoffs,” said Frutoz. “Overall, I had a fun and exciting final season as a Bulldog and will never forgot the amazing memories and friends despite not reaching our goals as a team."
Frutoz assisted the Bulldogs in earning the final CCC championship in their final year in 2018 after they went 10-2.
Heading into the newly created Central California Athletic League, Turlock was eager and hungry to leave Frutoz with a final league title.
Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out that way as they took second to Enochs with an 11-4 CCAL record.
Turlock finished with a 17-9 season.
Turlock never saw a losing season during the four-year span that Frutoz played.
“Shelby joined the team for the 2015-16 season and had an immediate impact,” said Ogden. “The program was starting to turn around and Shelby, along with her teammates, bought in to the ‘we before me,’ expectation. With Shelby in the circle, we always had a chance to compete in games. She was able to take over a game with her pitching, often shutting down very good hitters. We made the CIF playoffs the last three years and were able to win the CCC last year. Shelby was a major reason for our recent success. She also has been a role model on campus.”
Frutoz also leaves THS with a 4.0 GPA and earned Academic All-Conference (3.5 GPA and above) all four years.
Frutoz leaves THS to join Long Beach State after setting a program-record in strikeouts with 783 during her four-year career.
Her lifetime ERA stands at 1.59 and her batting average sits at .398 lifetime while playing for the ‘Dogs.
“My goals for Long Beach next year is to work on my mental game in order to stay focused and be successful at the next level. If I stay on track and focused then I think I'll be able start on the field next year,” Frutoz added.
Madison Aguiniga of Hilmar is the Pitcher of the Year after she overcame some major obstacles during her four-year career that started in 2016, just like Frutoz.
Aguiniga stood out during her freshman year, but following an injury that sidelined her during her sophomore year it was unsure how she would recover or how long the process could take.
Aguiniga recovered and came back out to help her Yellowjackets squad reach the Sac-Joaquin Section Championship game during her junior year.
That year they went 20-9 and were eager to repeat, bringing back almost the entire squad.
They pulled off upsets and saw big wins, earning their way into the playoffs this past season and Aguiniga was in the mix of it.
They went 18-11, finishing as one of the final four teams in the SJS Division-V playoffs.
Aguiniga capped off her senior season with a 12-6 record, a 2.72 ERA and 101 strikeouts to 25 walks.
The Offensive Player of the Year honors go to Hilmar High sophomore sensation Genavieve Fontes, who batted a staggering .636 for the year in league play and had an on-base percentage of .657 in the Trans-Valley League.
Fontes closed out the year with a batting average of .569 in 29 games.
Player of the Year: Shelby Frutoz (Turlock)
Pitcher of the Year: Madison Aguiniga (Hilmar)
Offensive Player of the Year: Genavieve Fontes (Hilmar)
All-Journal Softball Team
Lauren Edh (Turlock)
Faith Hernandez (Turlock)
Morgan Amarante (Hilmar)
Kai Deleon (Pitman)
Gracie Alves (Pitman)
Madison Steelman (Hilmar)
Cheyann Hughes (Hilmar)
Valerie Mercado (Delhi)
Faith Erb (Turlock)
Adison Machado (Turlock)
Steele Shumway (Pitman)
Elle Price (Turlock)
Mackenzie Campbell (Turlock)
