A very bright future still lies ahead as Imperial’s improbable 2023 comes to a close
Lady Tigers fall to top seeded Santa Paula just one game shy of title game
IMPERIAL, Calif., (KYMA, KECY) - Imperial softball changed hands at the top for the start of the 2022 season - and for head coach Ashley Caro and the Lady Tigers, they may have not imagined how quickly the transformation to championship form would be.
A transformation that culminated in the program's most wins since 2015 and a CIF title to hang in the Tiger gym forever.
With the 2023 season just days into the rearview mirror, the focus is already on what's next. A future that looks so promising and bright that the wait for next season's first pitch will be an excruciating one.
"They're just really fired up for next year," said head coach Ashley Caro. "They're excited that they all get to come back and play together."
The Tigers came up just short of coming back to the Imperial Valley for a showdown with Holtville for the southern California crown in Division IV - losing a 2-1 lead late and falling 5-2 to top seed Santa Paula.
A game they wish they could get back.
"The girls were really bummed. I had to remind them that they had an amazing season. They're CIF champions and a lot of people can't say that," said Caro. "They really wanted to win state and I honestly think they could've."
But now the focus is on the future and taking immense pride away from the season they put together.
The Tigers took southern California by storm this spring, starting off with a lot of challenging games in the San Diego area - traveling each and every week to prepare themselves for what they would face in the postseason.
By the time they hit Desert League play across the Imperial Valley, the Tigers were a well-oiled machine - cruising through league play at (9-0) and even beating IVL champion Holtville in late March.
After receiving the top seed in Division III of the San Diego Section tournament, it was smooth sailing for the Tigers who won convincingly in each of their three wins that led them to the title game at UC San Diego.
For one of the few times all season, the Tigers would have to battle from behind - entering the bottom of the 6th inning down 2-1 to Christian - a team they lost to earlier in the year. Fittingly, the Tigers clawed back, scoring two runs to take the lead and closing it out in the top of the 7th to claim another CIF title.
The most incredible part about the run the Tigers made could be found out by just simply looking at their roster - a team made up of mainly freshman and sophomores.
Five juniors, and no seniors.
"Being able to get a bunch of girls that have never played together, a bunch of freshman and be able to build this team chemistry and be able to pull off all these wins, it feels good," added Caro. "The future is bright for us, for sure."
A bright future indeed. A team to have a keen eye on when the 2024 season comes around.
