Coach Trani gets milestone win, wants focus on players

Head coach Nick Trani (sitting in the dugout) won his 500th game as head coach against Grossmont College. (Photo courtesy of Saddleback Sports Information)

Saddleback College’s softball team is off to a fantastic start this season and it is much to the credit of head coach Nick Trani. Trani recently won his 500th game at Saddleback and his team is a whooping 5-0 to start the season. The credit should be given to his players though, said Trani, because they are the ones playing and winning the games

“It really is all about the players and getting them signed,” Trani said. “The players are the ones that win the games.”

Trani said he felt humbled at the chance to be recognized for his feat. He even joked about his long tenure at Saddleback.

“It’s nice to be recognized and it’s a coaching milestone,” Trani said. “500 to me probably means I have been doing this for too long.”

On the field, the Gauchos have been on a winning streak, only allowing eight runs in five games and having scored more than 15 runs in two different games. Trani believes that this combination of hitting and pitching excellence could get the Gauchos deep into the regionals and possibly a championship, which would be Saddleback’s first softball title since 1987.

“We really have all of the weapons and I think it’s just a matter of putting it all together,” Trani said. “We have everything it takes to be successful. If we show up and play our game, we are going to beat anybody we play.”

Trani also thinks very highly of his pitching staff and said he believes that they are the best pitching staff in the state.

“[This is the] first time I can remember having an actual pitching staff where you don’t have to rely on one person,” Trani said.

Trani also praised freshman pitcher Kaylee Cranmer, who has been the winning pitcher in four of Saddleback’s games.

“She has pretty much been unhittable to this point,” Trani said.

Saddleback will look to remain undefeated when they play Palomar College on Tuesday, February 10 and Golden West College on Wednesday, February 11.

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