Two former Knights helping the cause of the Otters’ successful softball team | District Meetings

Once a batter at Soquel High, Ellie Escalante and Nevaeh Martinez now play very different positions for Cal State University Monterey Bay’s softball team.

However, one thing hasn’t changed for the first-team Knights: their ability to power the team into the tournament with their bats. Together, Escalante and Martinez have led CSUMB — ranked 25th in NCAA Division II as of this writing — to a 22-13 overall record and 5th place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association entering this week’s four-game series at Cal Poly Humboldt.

A catcher from Soquel, Escalante plays right field for Monterey Bay. That position has been his home for the rest of his senior college career.

Although, at first glance, the catcher and right fielder may not seem like much in common in terms of the tasks and skill sets required, Otters coach Emily Montanez recognizes one clear benefit from Escalante’s days shooting would-be steals behind the plate.

“His arm strength is very high,” Montanez said. He can throw a long distance over the fence.

When asked if Escalante threw runners out, Montanez replied, “Often.”

Martinez, meanwhile, armed Soquel as a freshman. With Escalante calling signs, Martinez did well enough to advance Soquel to the Central Coast Section Division III quarterfinals.

Martinez now splits time between first and third base at CSUMB. Primarily a first baseman as a freshman, he now spends more time at the hot corner.

“She’s gone really well,” Montanez said. “She’s handled it so well because she’s older, she’s got such a high softball IQ that anything I ask her to do is easy for her.

Their current situation is not at all unusual for them: Escalante has seen time on the field with several travel softball teams and occasionally in Soquel. Martinez moved to third base for the Knights while Sofie Seese – who later transferred to Scotts Valley High and is now a relief pitcher at the University of Nevada Reno – became Soquel’s first hitter in the bullpen.

For Escalante, the most difficult part of moving to the outfield was running more than chasing balls, while as a catcher, he almost always – though not always – stood up. But he came to accept his part.

“I’ve always enjoyed covering a lot of ground, diving and all that stuff,” Escalante said.

Martinez takes third base his natural position.

“I’m really enjoying the third,” he said. “It’s amazing how quickly the ball gets to the corners and how quickly the game moves there.”

However, at first base, Martinez and Escalante begin to rekindle their relationship, although they work together in a different way than they used to in high school.

“Me and him, our friendship shows on the field,” Martinez said. “Our personalities complement each other.”

Escalante agreed: “We have each other’s backs and we communicate well together,” he said.

They also complement each other on the plate.

Martinez is CSUMB’s top power hitter: Batting primarily in the No. 4 spot, she leads the Otters in home runs (eight) and RBI (33). Both stats are in the top five in the CCAA.

Last Saturday, Martinez hit two back-to-back homers against Cal State San Marcos, the nation’s No. 1 team. Those hits were his first since CSUMB’s last game before the start of non-conference play. Martinez also had a two-homer game against Azusa Pacific in early March.

“He works hard in the weight room to get stronger,” Montanez said. His attitude when he gets in the (batter’s) box is to hit everything hard.”

Martinez has also been a consistent player: At one point this season, he had a 10-game hitting streak that included a 4-for-5 effort against Menlo. He is currently batting .301.

Not bad for someone who had to overcome a torn anterior cruciate ligament near the end of his junior year at Soquel to reach the NCAA D-II level.

Escalante hit in different spots in the heart of Monterey Bay’s batting order – as high as the second, as low as the sixth. While he doesn’t have Martinez’s power — he’s a gap hitter — he has some, as his three goals this season show.

The senior has also been one of the Otter’s better hitters in terms of average: He is hitting .375, ranking second among CSUMB starters.

“I was very aggressive,” Escalante said. “I feel like I’ve been seeing the ball well.

“I want to be productive for my teammates so that we can win and do well. I try to do my part by putting the ball on the ball and hitting it hard somewhere.”

He is also a disciplined player, according to Martinez.

“Ellie has very beautiful eyes,” said the sophomore. “His style has matured a lot. He hunts down one track and hits it really hard.”

In addition, Escalante has been a threat on the basepaths: He is tied for the Otters’ team lead in stolen bases with eight and has not been caught.

Escalante and Martinez aren’t the only players from Santa Cruz County who have excelled in Monterey Bay this season: Junior center fielder Abreanna Alba, a Watsonville High student, is hitting .365 with six home runs and 30 RBI for the Otters, placing her just behind Martinez in the final two rounds.

“Right now, our team culture is really crazy,” Martinez said. “We connect outside the field. We want to improve and hold each other accountable.”

A social work major, Escalante aims to graduate after this spring. She plans to attend grad school, and while she’s eager to begin her career in social work, she’s also well aware that her acting career is coming to an end.

He said: “It’s really fun. “I’ll be very sad when it ends.

“I love this team so much. I love Monterey Bay so much. I’m not happy to leave. It will be very sad.”

For now, though, Montanez is excited to see how much Escalante and Martinez take his team forward.

“As athletes, their performances speak for themselves,” the Otters coach said. “The thing I’m proud of is that they’re very flexible as people, they’re very mature, they’re very thoughtful – the way they think has been the key to leading our team to success.

“Both have been huge for us.”

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County Connections runs every Thursday during the school year. If you have information about a local college athlete, email Ray Hacke at raydhackelaw@gmail.com.