The bar is set very high at Palomar College.
The Comets have won two California Community College state softball titles and played in the championship game in five of their last 10 seasons. Palomar has won the last 10 Pacific Coast Athletic Conference titles.
Yet coach Lacey Craft believes there might be something special about the 2025 Comets, who are off to a 14-2 start with 10 straight wins.
“This team is a lot more talented offensively than a lot of teams we’ve had,” Craft said earlier this week. “We’re young. We’re still developing defensively. But we’re talented. We’re tough outs from (No.) 1 through 9 in the order.”
One number says it all. The Comets are hitting a state-leading .425 as a team.
Beyond that, Palomar hitters are averaging 10.3 runs per game with a team on-base percentage of .489 and a team slugging percentage of .641; that’s a team OPS of 1.130.
The individual leader is reigning California State Player of the Year Breanna Lutz.
The Ramona High School product is hitting a state-leading .676. That’s not a typo. The corner infielder is off to a 25-for-37 start with six home runs and 26 RBIs. She has a .745 on-base percentage and a 1.270 slugging percentage for a 2.015 OPS.
And she is far from alone.
Freshman outfielder Gisele Gonzalez ranks eighth in the state with a .545 batting average. She carries a 1.338 OPS. Sophomore infielder Zoe Karam is hitting .494 with five homers, 19 RBIs and a 1.507 OPS. Freshman Lauren Dropping is batting .442 (19-for-43) with a home run, 13 RBIs and a 1.059 OPS. Sophomore second baseman Josephine Heuberger is hitting .423 with two homers, 15 RBIs and a 1.143 OPS.
A freshman from Oceanside High School, Taylor Armstrong is hitting .400 with a .955 OPS.
Only one of Palomar’s regulars is hitting under .300.
Plus, the Palomar pitching staff, led by Maddie Bedolla (Tri-City Christian) and Nevaeh Haywood (Ramona High School), has a 1.46 earned-run average that ranks fourth in California. Bedolla is eighth in the state with 70 strikeouts in 45 innings. She is 8-0 in eight starts with a 1.40 ERA. Haywood is 6-2 with a 1.69 ERA.
What makes Palomar College a perennial power?
It starts with Craft, who is in her 14th season as the Comets’ coach. The daughter of former San Diego State quarterback and football coach Tom Craft, she played softball at Palomar before returning as an assistant coach.
Under Craft, Palomar was the 3C2A state champion in 2013 and 2015 and lost in the state championship game in 2018, 2019 and 2023. Craft was the National Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2015 and the California Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2023.
Palomar has won 11 PCAC titles in 12 seasons under Craft while winning 93% of its conference games. Her career record at Palomar is 445-104-1.
Craft recruits the softball-rich territories of northern San Diego County and the Temecula-Murrieta area while attracting bounce-back players from four-year schools.
“One of the great things about being a coach at this level is you can have an impact on your players’ next step,” she said.
Heuberger, for example, went to high school in the small Northern California town of Klamath. Her travel team coach, K.K. Frond, played at Palomar and was a member of a Comets’ state championship team. And her mother once tried out for the Palomar softball team.
“I wanted to go to Division I out of high school, but I had two knee surgeries and things were on hold,” she said. “My mom and coach pointed me toward Palomar. I didn’t know what to expect.
“But after getting here, I learned several things. Some players had bounced back from four-year schools where they had been disappointed … sitting on the bench or moved to the side and had wasted their first years of eligibility.
“Here, I got to play every day as a freshman. It’s definitely been a good experience. And I think I’m now in a better position to decide what’s next. Plus, this is the best coaching I’ve ever had.”
Although she was the Avocado League Player of the Year and an All-CIF selection, Lutz wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school.
“I decided Palomar was right for me. It was the best decision I’ve made,” she said. “It’s a great program with a legacy. A lot of people don’t think a community college is a good route. But I’ve grown here as a player and a person. It’s a great stepping stone.”
Lutz says her success is a combination of coaching, hard work and her Catholic faith. “I drive 45 minutes to school every morning on the (state route) 78,” she said. “I’ll turn off the radio, think about what I need to do and pray. It gives me strength.”
Then comes the game.
“See ball, hit ball,” she said. “If I see a strike, I’m swinging. Knowing me, I’m surprised by how aggressive I am at the plate.”
Every week, U-T contributor Bill Center highlights one San Diego college team that’s making strides on and off the field. To nominate a team, email [email protected].
