ESCONDIDO – Escondido Charter High School, enrollment 925, sits on East Valley Parkway, a busy thoroughfare lined with stores, shops, gas stations and restaurants.
The school’s nickname: White Tigers, although the softball team’s uniforms are almost solely black. The softball team plays home games about half a mile away at a community park, the outfield “fence” consisting of netting that protects the apartments in left and center field and the car wash in right field.
The Taj Mahal it is not.
“We’re here, how many hours a week? Ten?” said sophomore pitcher Lilly Harper. “This is our home. It’s fun to play here. There’s nothing better than home games.”
The team is putting Escondido Charter on the map, boasting a 17-4 record after Tuesday’s 7-3 home win over The Bishop’s School.
The White Tigers have been ranked in the Union-Tribune’s top 10 for most of the season, the first time in school history the team cracked the poll. They’re currently tied for 11th in the Union-Tribune poll and 10th in the section by MaxPreps.com.
“It’s fun to see our team evolve and come together,” said Harper. “We’re not a big school, but we can play with the big schools. We battle it out.”
Escondido Charter is led by sophomores Harper and shortstop Zaliyah Jones, whom head coach Jeff Johnson has dubbed “The Super Sophs.”
Harper pitched a complete game against Bishop’s. She gave up two earned runs on nine hits while striking out 10 and walking none. Her most impressive work was in the first inning when she escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam by striking out the last two batters.
“I’ve played with pitchers who would have crumbled in that situation,” said Jones. “She goes at it. I love Lilly. She’s an amazing pitcher.”
Jones led an offense that banged out 14 hits. She went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, finishing a home run shy of the cycle. For the season, she’s batting .595 (44 for 74). Of her 44 hits, 22 are for extra bases.
“I’m glad she’s on my team and I don’t have to pitch against her,” said Harper.
Johnson said he attended a travel ball tournament last fall and talked to a UCLA coach who said the school was there solely to scout Jones.
The White Tigers are 7-1 in the Coastal League and trying to win their fifth straight league title.
Escondido Charter opened in 1996. In 2022, the softball team won the Div. 4 section title, the school’s first section championship in any sport. The White Tigers have moved up to Division 2 and are currently ranked fifth in the section.
“I take great pride in what we’re accomplishing,” said Jones. “It makes me feel happy for our team and our school.”
Added Johnson: “We just like the opportunity to put our program on the map.”
