Redwood Softball Heads to DII Section Finals

For the first time in years, Redwood High School softball is heading to the Division II Central Section championship game, and according to the players, the journey has been built on chemistry, grit, and trust in one another.

By: Ariana Lopez and Sophia Rodriguez

The Rangers will take the field at Fresno State on Friday, May 29th, 2026, a moment many players say they have dreamed about since childhood.

Junior pitcher Jackie Ramirez, ’27, believes the team’s chemistry has been the foundation of Redwood’s postseason success.

“All of us get along so well,” Ramirez said. “We do team dinners and stuff like that because we actually want to hang out with each other.”

That bond has helped the team push through difficult playoff moments, including a highly anticipated match against Kingsburg after losing to them earlier in the season.

“We lost to them earlier in the year. So we knew that it was gonna be a good close game,” said ramirez

Heading into finals, Ramirez feels strongest about her team’s energy and desire to win it all. Ramirez says, “I think that we know that we all want it so bad, we know everyone’s gonna be trying their best and have a lot of energy.”

Getting the opportunity to play at Fresno State for DII section Finals is a dream for many high school softball players. 

Ramirez says, “It’s exciting ’cause we all want to play there. A lot of us grew up going to Fresno State games. So it’s exciting that we get to have the opportunity to play there.”

For this postseason, the girls’ coaching staff has been preparing them for game-day pressure. “We’ve been looking a lot at the other teams we play and what they do, so we know what to expect. We’re prepared.”

For Ramirez, advancing to the DII section finals means a lot not only to her but to her team.

“We have a chance to win, especially with the seniors we have this year. The seniors we have this year have been here for a while, and I’ve put in a lot, so it’s exciting. They get to potentially have one of their last games at Fresno State.”

Jackie Ramirez, ’27, Redwood Girls Pitcher

So far, her favorite memory this season has been “before our first game and before playoffs, we’d TP our coaches’ houses. So that’s been hecka fun, because we all bond together and get dinner.”

On the field, Ramirez says her biggest supporter is “Kenzie Cantu.”

Kenzie Cantu, ‘26, is the starting first baseman. She says not getting down on her mental side and her teammates picking her up no matter the circumstance has been her biggest key to success this postseason

Cantu recognizes that the challenge of “not letting the other team get more energy,” than their own team has been a key component. “Staying up the most that we can and making sure that our energy stays on our side, and they don’t get anything at all and we keep it up,” said Cantu.

Heading into the section finals, Cantu is most confident of the team’s offense and defense, with Friday going to be “a win-win.”

“It’s actually really cool,” says Cantu about playing on the Fresno State field.

“Last time I was there, I was nine, watching Redwood play because that was the last time that they ever went to Valley. Knowing that my last year, being a senior, I was able to make it to valley, it’s nice.”

Kenzie Cantu, ’26, Redwood Girls starting first baseman

Head coach Stevie Johnson said Redwood’s difficult regular-season schedule helped prepare the Rangers for moments that held the girls under pressure.

Johnson intentionally scheduled Division I opponents throughout the season to expose the team to high-pressure competition early.

“We play a really tough schedule,” Johnson said. “At the beginning of the year, I only play us against Division I teams, so seeing them compete against really tough competition and settle into that has been huge for our success.”

Johnson, now in her fifth year coaching the program, said this year’s group has evolved tremendously since the beginning of the season.

“They’ve done a really good job improving based on the competition we play,” Johnson said. “They’ve learned how to compete and be ready for pressure situations.”

Throughout the playoffs, Johnson said she has been most impressed with how selfless the team has become.

“They play for each other,” Johnson said. “They’ve done a really good job preparing themselves, whether that’s scouting pitchers, understanding game strategy or just making sure they’re ready mentally.”

Johnson called this season’s chemistry “probably the best” since she arrived at Redwood.

“They talk all the time about playing for the girl next to them. That chemistry has been a huge reason why we’ve been able to propel ourselves this far.”

Stevie Johnson, Redwood Highschool’s softball Coach

Freshman second baseman Carsyn Moncada, ’29, said joining a varsity team filled with upperclassmen has been a major adjustment, but one she has embraced.

As a freshman starter, Moncada says being with her upperclassmen this season and making it to the DII section finals and her time spent at softball has been a “very good vibe. It’s different from travel ball because we’re all usually the same age, so just being able to adapt to the older girls, it’s fun.”

As one of the youngest players on the team, Moncada said one of her biggest lessons during the postseason has been learning how to support her teammates no matter the situation. 

Moncada says her toughest challenge she has faced during the playoffs is having to stay strong to “support my team, no matter what. You just have to be a selfless player and work for everybody.”

Heading into the finals, Moncada said her confidence has grown significantly. 

“I think I’ve grown a lot of confidence,” Moncada says about heading into the section finals. “Being able to just know that I can back up my team no matter what, and not lack that confidence.“

“I’ve gone to camps for Fresno State for colleges and stuff, so I’ve got to see around the campus, and I really love playing on that field. I’m excited to be able to [play in] a live game on it,” says Moncada about getting the opportunity to play at Fresno State.

Entering the postseason adds a lot of extra pressure to the team. Moncada gives credit to the coaching staff for “almost taking away the pressure.


They didn’t make the game as big as others may see it. We really just simplified it, and took it one game at a time. So I think just working on the small details, we’ve done really well at.”

“It’s crazy. The other girls told me that it’s been their lifelong dream.
I think it’s crazy I get to experience it as a freshman. I just really take all of it in because you don’t know if you’ll ever experience it again. So I think it’s exciting, very exciting.”

Carsyn Moncada ‘29, Redwood Girls second baseman

Moncada’s favorite memory so far this season is her home run. She says
”I don’t remember the exact team, but I just remember it was a close game. [The score was] like one to zero. 
We had about two innings left, and I was able to at least score some extra runs.”

Moncada gives credit to her key success during the postseason with her training for fielding and hitting with her dad outside of practice, with her biggest supporting teammate, Jaden Lopez.

Jaden Lopez, ‘26, starting third baseman for Redwood varsity softball gives her biggest success credits to her “faith in God and trusting every one of my teammates.
I feel like being able to rely on them has helped, you know, taking pressure off my shoulders and just do what I need to do to be successful.”

Lopez admitted the biggest challenge has been avoiding the temptation to focus too much on the championship itself.

“I feel the toughest challenge has probably just been keeping our minds off the end goal,” said Lopez. “I mean, obviously, you know, you just need to take it pitch by pitch, and I feel it has been a tough challenge just to not put the extra weight and anxiety of winning or losing, and just being able to take it pitch by pitch has helped.”

Still, Lopez said she feels extremely confident in her game entering the finals.

“I feel most confident about my hitting,” says Lopez. “I feel that right now, I’m in a state where no pitcher can beat me, and I feel like no matter who I’m up against, I always have a chance to make a big impact for my team.”

Playing at Fresno State has been a dream Lopez says she has been praying for since freshman year and is an obvious goal for the team. “Only six [out of] 12 teams from all the girls in the valley, get to be able to come and do this from D1 to D6 level. I’m just honored to be able to play for our school and represent our school in this way.”

With the pressure of the postseason at a high, Lopez says the coaching, specifically Coach “Johnson has really stepped up this year. Not that she’s not done well, but she’s really stepped up, and been able to help more with the scouting reports and just making sure we’re ready to go.”

“I feel like the girls also have been really locked in, and we’ve been looking sharp in practice. And the coach keeping us in line has helped really well,” said Lopez.

Lopez says advancing to the section finals means everything.

“This is what you dream of. When you play a sport in high school, this is literally what you dream of. I mean, there’s nothing better than going on to the biggest stage you can, and playing for your school and playing for each other. So, I’m just grateful.” Jaden Lopez ‘26, Redwood Girls starting third baseman

“My favorite memory this season has probably been seeing how close we’ve gotten as a team, and being able to just go out there and have fun,” says Lopez. “I feel like every single girl on the team is my best friend, and I feel like just going out there and having that bond with each other is gonna help propel us to victory this Friday.”

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