The Cerritos College Falcons softball team played its first of two scheduled scrimmage games against Moorpark College on Jan. 21 ahead of the 2026 season and showed glimpses of what to expect.
Following a 31-12 campaign in 2025 and head coach Kodee Murray’s 17th consecutive postseason appearance, the softball team is set to begin its 2026 season on Jan. 23 on the road against Saddleback college.
As a team, the Falcons posted a .303 AVG, a .410 OBP and a .409 SLG last season which reflected in the scrimmage as the offense showcased an ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field, take its walks and even included a grand slam by freshman outfielder Chelsea Bomani.
From the pitching staff, a 3.01 ERA and 1.31 WHIP and a .971 fielding percentage from the defense were significant in the Falcon’s success last season.
Josh Musselman, who is returning to Cerritos as the associate head coach of the softball team, praised his team’s performance in all facets of the game and provided an outlook on the team for the regular season.
“We’ve got pitching and hitting and this program’s always been known to have great defense,” Musselman said.
He attributed the success of the offense during the scrimmage to being able to see close to 200 pitches in six innings and said that defense is the part of the game head coach Murray takes pride in.
“I think our pitching staff is just going to get a whole lot better and that’s kind of scary,” Musselman added.
The defense reflected Musselman’s statements as they made a couple of impressive plays in the game to hold Moorpark scoreless.
Key returners to the Falcons softball squad are third baseman Marley Cortez, pitchers Tatyana Cortez and Mia Star Miramontes.
Marley Cortez led the team in 2025 with a .413 AVG which included 13 doubles and 39 RBI.
She said, “She [Murray] is a very hard working coach, always has very high expectations of us. So, we try to meet those expectations and I think we do a good job of executing what she likes.”
Musselman credited Marley Cortez as being a “tough out”.
Tatyana Cortez, who Musselman said is coming off an injury, started the game for Cerritos and pitched three scoreless innings with three strikeouts and looks to carry her 2.94 ERA and 6.67 K/7 into the 2026 season.
New additions to the team include a talented crop of freshmen. Jaelynn Barragan, Riley Davison, Bella Salas, Luna Villa and Cynthia Hernandez all look to contribute to the team.
“I think we have a really strong team,” Barragan, who opened the scoring for her team and showcased her baserunning ability, said. “Once we put it all together and we just stay strong as a team, mentally and physically, we’ll be great.”
On expectations for the upcoming season, Barragan said, “One game at a time. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because that’s how you’re going to grow and get better. Let it all out there and just play the game you know how to play.”
Musselman spoke to Murray’s success at Cerritos, spoke to the hard work the team’s did in the fall leading up to the 2026 season and said, “I’ve never seen a team work as hard as we work in the fall. There are staples that have to be done here and all the players know that.”
“We know we’re going to the playoffs, it’s never a surprise to us and a lot of that is because of the money we put in the bank in the fall with hard work,” he added.
