The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
It’ll be a thin roster for the Wilson Bruins this season with plenty of new faces, as 12 newcomers are set to take the field. Among them, however, is a small core group of returners who are about as solid as they come.
The Bruins will look to draw on the veteran leadership through Wilson’s only two seniors, with four-year standouts Charlotte White and Tatum Yates set to return in the Bruins outfield. Wilson also returns star shortstop Sacha Zalamea, a two-year All-Moore League First Team honoree and University of San Diego commit.
“Those three are our three captains and we need to lean on their experience,” said Wilson coach George Molina. “They’re setting the example for the younger girls who are learning just watching. Even in practice, they’re diving and making the plays, showing the girls that this is how we practice. They practice the way they play, which is a good example to set.”
The trio not only brings leadership but also a sense of familiarity to a team with so many newcomers.
“Tatum and I have been playing together for forever, and Sacha and I go way back playing travel ball,” White said. “So I feel like that chemistry is great and it’s definitely a positive going into the year where we can lead the team and a younger group. I feel really comfortable with them out there.”
That leadership will also be felt at the top of the order, where the trio of captains will look to generate some early success at the plate. White will be the leadoff hitter after getting on base at a .616 clip last year while batting .486, and she’s keeping her approach simple this season.
“My approach is to just be confident and know that I’m winning every at-bat until I’m not,” she said. “I just wanna stay ahead of the count and get after it.”
Zalamea will hit behind her after sitting out the first half of last season due to injury. The junior is poised for a big campaign after representing the U-18 USA Women’s All-Star Team against Metro Tokyo Softball in the 2025 USA Softball SoCal x Tokyo Exchange Event over the summer.
“She’s just such a great hitter,” Molina said of Zalamea. “She sprays the ball everywhere and that’s the sign of a great hitter. She takes every pitch she gets. If she gets it outside, she can go outside with it, and she’s just very talented.”
Yates will round out the top of the order in the No. 3 hole after finishing last season with a .489 on-base percentage while batting .392. The senior is also coming off her basketball season, where she played in a handful of games during Wilson’s recent playoff run.
The Bruins’ three veterans will be especially important on defense to support what will be a young Wilson pitching staff this season. Mia Garcia and Madeline Bowser are two freshmen to look out for in the circle, while senior Jassiel Belmonte should also see time alongside junior Beatrix Gschweng.
“They’re young kids so they’re going to have to go out there and get some experience,” Molina said of his pitching staff. “There’s going to be some good hitters out there and they just need to throw strikes and make them hit to get on. We have to try and limit the walks and so they’re going to have to hit their spots and let our defense help them do some work.”
In Wilson’s infield, Paulyne Henderson should get the start at first base, with Garcia also listed as a candidate. Sophomore returner Giselle Joaquin is expected at second base alongside Zalamea at shortstop, while Bailey Lao and Bowser could both see time at third.
White and Yates are expected to make their usual highlight plays from center and left field, respectively, while sophomore Katherine Theriault will be back in right field.
Last year, Wilson finished 8-4 in the Moore League for a third-place finish. The Bruins dropped both of their matchups to Millikan and Long Beach Poly, and Molina expects nothing less than another challenge within the top four teams in the league including Lakewood.
“Those are three tough teams for sure, and we’re going to have to play our best softball to beat those teams,” Molina said. “They have some good hitters and we’re not going to shut them out, so we’re going to need to be able to produce some runs. The situation that always comes to mind is the runner on third with two outs. We need to capitalize on those types of situations.”
Wilson will have tough non-league matchups including games against Warren, San Clemente, Trabuco Hills, Valley Christian and Mayfair. The Bruins will open their Moore League slate against Jordan on Mar. 12 and will face Poly on Mar. 24 and Millikan on Mar. 26.
Projected Starting Lineup:
P – Mia Garcia, Fr. / Madeline Bowser, Fr. / Jassiel Belmonte, Sr. / Beatrix Gschweng, Jr.
C – Katelyn Aguiniga, Jr. / Delilah Gardner, So. / Bailey Lao, So.
1B – Paulyne Henderson, Jr. / Mia Garcia, Fr.
2B – Giselle Joaquin, So.
SS- Sacha Zalamea, Jr.
3B – Bailey Lao, So. / Madeline Bowser, Fr.
LF – Tatum Yates, Sr.
CF – Charlotte White, Sr.
RF – Katherine Theriault, So.
