Imagine the pressure of pitching in the biggest game of your life, the Central Coast Section Division II title game, and you’re only a freshman.

Not only that, but the coach of the opposing team, Carmel’s James Pingree, is the father of your coach, Santa Catalina coach Alex Pingree, who also pitched for him and won a 2012 CCS Division III softball title at Santa Catalina.

Fortunately for Emma James, she had some experience against Carmel before facing them in the CCS Division II championship at the PAL facility in San Jose.

James, who is not overpowering and lets her defense make the plays behind her, was cool as a cucumber despite her tender age. She only struck out one, but she scattered four singles and only walked one to record the shutout in a 5-0 victory that earned Santa Catalina its second CCS title.

Last year, the Cougars lost in their two meetings with Carmel and then went out in the first round of the playoffs, but that was in Pingree’s first season at the Santa Catalina helm and when James was still in middle school.

This season James, who pitched all but one inning all season and had all 21 wins and the loss, had three previous meetings with Carmel, and she and her Cougars teammates won them all.

In the first meeting with Carmel she scattered eight hits with four strikeouts in a 5-1 victory. The next outing took 11 innings and she pitched them all in a 6-3 triumph. Then, in early May, James gave up six hits and struck out six and the Cougars bats exploded in an 11-2 rout.

For the season her ERA was right around 2.00 and she hit over .300 with around 20 RBIs with four extra base hits.

The good news for the Santa Catalina faithful is the best for James is almost assuredly yet to come as she grows stronger and matures as a pitcher.

For now, James is a perfect example of a developing young pitcher that isn’t always trying to overpower hitters but throws strikes and gets outs, and what she’s also getting is recognition from Prep2Prep as the Central Coast Section Freshman of the Year.

Other players considered for this award include Watsonville’s Anastacia Alba, Leland’s Sydney Poole, Los Gatos’ Alaana Panu, Valley Christian’s Aubrie Thomas, and Hillsdale’s Mika Chong.

NOTE: We would like to thank our media partners, coaches, parents, players and fans for contributing photos for our all-section features. We salute all of the players that have made this a wonderful season of CCS softball.