Softball Girls Went 9 For 16
By Steven Serafini
Sonoma Valley Sun Sports Editor
In the wake of a bogged-down Vine Valley Athletic League (VVAL) fourth-place finish, the Sonoma Valley High School varsity baseball boys finally found their traction in the postseason and zoomed past four opponents to capture the 2026 North Coast Section (NCS) Division 5 title.
While the NCS-champion Dragons ended their regular season with a 16-12 overall record, which included a VVAL 6-6 mark, they had a string of standout performances, highlighted by senior Colin Buckley, who received the VVAL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Along with earning the league’s MVP honor Buckley recently garnered another impressive accolade by being named an All-Metro second-team infield selection by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Buckley achieved the dual honors for both his stellar defensive play at shortstop with a .920 fielding percentage, and for his offensive prowess in posting a .400 batting average and .509 on-base-percentage, with 34 hits, 25 runs scored, 18 stolen bases and 14 RBIs.
Besides being the MVP, Buckley also received VVAL first-team all-league status along with senior Cayden Waldrop, while junior pitcher Max Trexler was a second-team all-leaguer.
In VVAL action, Waldrop accumulated a .423 batting average and .539 on-base-percentage with 33 hits, including two home runs, 25 RBIs and 21 runs, as junior pitcher Max Trexler finished with a 1.77 ERA and 63 strikeouts.
By capturing the challenging NCS Division 5 title the upbeat Dragons ended their 18-year sectional baseball drought, with their first-ever title being earned in 2008 with the late Don Lyons and Mario Alioto serving as head and assistant coaches, respectively.
En route to claiming the NCS crown, the Sonoma boys blanked both Brave Christian 9-0 in the tournament opener, and Healdsburg 4-0 in the quarterfinals, then upended Concord 13-5 in the semifinals, before defeating Montgomery 5-2 in the title game.
As NCS champions, the Sonoma boys earned a spot in the prestigious NorCal playoffs, where, as the eighth seed, they faced top-seeded Half Moon Bay and ended up dropping a 3-0 decision to the eventual champion.
Comprising the NCS Division 5 champion Dragons, directed by head coach Sean Boisson and assistant coach Clay Dunkle, were seniors Buckley, Waldrop, Johnny Campbell, Jordaz
Lopez, Ben Methner, Dylan Hudspeth, Luciano Hernandez and Aiden Todd; juniors Trexler, Mason Peterson, River Gilardi, Ty Clark, Jack Johnson and Chris Murphy; and sophomore Mason Pucci.
SONOMA’S VARSITY GIRLS softball team, directed by head coach Mike Fanucchi and assistant coaches Brian Casey, Gary Garcia and Marty Herrick, finished its 2026 season with a 9-13 overall record and 5-7 VVAL fifth-place mark.
Leading the Lady Dragons with VVAL honors were senior Tatum Mullins and junior Ellie Llanos being named first-team all-league, and freshman Reese Rogina as a second-team all-leaguer.
The Sonoma softball girls consisted of seniors Mullins, Morgan Briggs, Sofia DeTorres, Chelsea Herrick and Eliana Landry; juniors Llanos, Delilah Olivier, Riley Rhodd, Madison Samson, Jacquelyn Strand and Gracie Weaver; sophomore Lalane Francis; and frosh Rogina and Evelyn Quintero.
Pictured: League MVP Colin Buckley (middle) is flanked by Cayden Waldrop (left) and Johnny Campbell. (submitted photo)
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