Tribune names SLO County softball Player of the Year, all-stars
Landrie Hinrichs has played three years of high school softball and has been part of Mission Prep teams that have won two section championships, including a CIF-Central Section Division 4 title this year.
Hinrichs, who excelled as a dominant pitcher, as well as a standout hitter, is this year’s Tribune San Luis Obispo County softball Player of the Year.
The 5-foot-10 junior right-hander, who has verbally committed to play softball at Cal Poly, tallied an 8-5 record on the mound with a 2.46 earned run average and 119 strikeouts in 96.1 innings pitched. At the plate, she batted .372 with 23 RBIs, four home runs and 12 doubles.
In the section title game versus South, of Bakersfield, Hinrichs tossed a shutout and recorded 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 win on Fresno State’s field. In that game, she had an RBI triple.
The Royals also won the Division 4 title in Hinrichs’ freshman year, 2024-25, also playing in the Bulldogs’ stadium and beating Pioneer Valley 11-2.
“Landrie is a well-rounded competitor who can pitch, hit, and supports her teammates to the fullest on and off the field,” said Sheila McGuire, Mission Prep’s coach. “She rises to the occasion with pressure and was able to help our team succeed through CIF championship play as well postseason play. She is an outstanding role model in our area often spending her free time helping give lessons, clinics, and to our youth.”
Hinrichs said it was a thrill to play with a skilled and well-rounded Royals team, while putting in work to perfect her own craft.
“I think I had a lot of success because I had a really good team behind me, and I loved playing for them,” Hinrichs said. “I feel like my energy was a lot better, and I had a lot of confidence, because we all had each other’s backs.”
Splitting the pitching duties with junior star Dani Rivas, a University of San Diego commit, the Royals (18-16) placed third in a competitive Mountain League, posting a 7-8 record and trailing two strong Santa Maria teams, 15-0 powerhouse St. Joseph, and Righetti, which finished 11-4.
On the mound, Hinrichs can make the ball rise and drop effectively, reaching speeds in the mid-60s, with a personal best of 66 mph.
“I feel like all my coaches have told me to just have a bulldog mentality,” Hinrichs said. “I go into the games knowing that I’ve put in all this work to do my best, and that it shows.”
In the last stretch of the season, the Royals rattled off eight straight wins, including the section title victory and a 4-2 win over Venice High in the state playoffs.
“We were getting into situations where we were passing the bats, and just lifting each other up,” Hinrichs said. “I feel like playing in high school should be fun. We enjoyed our season.”
And her hitting success has come with hard work and regular batting practice to prepare for games, including home contests at Cuesta College’s field, where Mission Prep hosts its games.
“We didn’t necessarily need big hits; we just needed people to get on base because our team was super fast,” Hinrichs said. “So once we knew someone got on base, we would score them.”
Hinrichs plays softball year round, including summer and fall ball with the I-5 travel team. The organization is based in Santa Clarita, and her team plays out of Santa Maria and is coached by Jesse Acevedo. I-5 games are mostly played in Southern California, but also some are held in the Sacramento area.
Separately, she instructs youth players, giving lessons, and also helps with the 8-U all-star team out of Atascadero for players age 8 and under; she is starting to help with clinics led by Coach Sheila McGuire’s facility in SLO, Aspire Softball Academy.
She cites a love for the game because of “the happiness it brings me when I do well.”
“It has taught me how to work through hard things and how to be a team player and really value my teammates,” Hinrichs said. “I also really love helping coach the young up and coming girls, and seeing them succeed and work on their confidence and love the game. Softball is much bigger than a game to me and I am thankful for all of the opportunities it has given me.”
At Cal Poly she has been recruited as a pitcher, and the Mustangs coaches have come to see her games, including a contest played on the Cal Poly softball field against Arroyo Grande High this year.
“Ever since I was 8 years old, I’ve always just wanted to play close to home (in college),” Hinrichs said. “I went to probably nine Cal Poly softball camps, so I’ve been really talking to the (Mustangs) coaches a lot. And then they just contacted me, which is cool, and then I talked to them. They’ve been coming to my games for travel.”
Hinrichs said that she expects the Royals to be successful again next season with some key returners in her senior season.
“I think we’re going to be really strong,” Hinrichs said. “(Rivas) and I will be on the mound again. I think we’re going to be very strong with our fielding, too, because we have some players coming up, so we’re definitely going to be set on that.”
Tribune All-SLO County Team
Player of the Year: Landrie Hinrichs, Mission Prep
Hitter of the year: Kaylee Kopp, Arroyo Grande
Pitcher of the Year: Annisa Crespin, Atascadero
Utility Player of the Year: Isabelle Murphy, Paso Robles
First Team:
Sarah Kelley, San Luis Obispo
Dani Rivas, Mission Prep
Roxanne McLean, Nipomo
Rose Guerra, Mission Prep
Jessie Branch, Templeton
Bella Trout, Paso Robles
Ava Crespin, Atascadero
London Sutton, San Luis Obispo
Alyssa Van Muysen, Nipomo
Noemi Ayon, Paso Robles
Second Team:
Audrey Youngs, San Luis Obispo
Grace Morris, Templeton
Riley Moore, Paso Robles
Emma Milne, Atascadero
Kailani Howard, San Luis Obispo
Alie Camacho, Nipomo
Malia Okimoto, Mission Prep
Sadie Huff, San Luis Obispo
Haidyn Cooks, Atascadero
McKenzie Gordon, Mission Prep
Honorable Mention
Mikayla Schaffer, San Luis Obispo; Kiera Armstrong, Atascadero; Reese Kelly, Morro Bay; Vena Fryer, Morro Bay; Karly Ortega, Arroyo Grande; Elaia Fink, Arroyo Grande; Michaela Cooper, Paso Robles; Ava Crespin, Templeton; Brooklyn Michel, San Luis Obispo; Avila Esty, San Luis Obispo; Meli Tonga, Atascadero; Violet D’Orazio-Lelli, Mission Prep.
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