Here’s a softball name to keep in mind: Kristiana Watson.
A freshman shortstop at Amphitheater High School, the daughter of two-time Arizona All-America shortstop Laura Espinoza Watson has emerged as one of the top softball players in Arizona.
Kristiana is hitting .770 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs even though the Panthers have played just 21 games. Those aren’t video game numbers, either. Her slugging percentage is 1.836. Nor is it totally unexpected.
Playing for her mother’s AAU travel team, the Arizona ThunderCats, Kristiana was part of the nation’s No. 2 ASA team for 10U players four years ago. Her older brother, Amphi junior David Watson, is a 6-foot-6-inch, 290-pound tackle who has already been offered a scholarship at Arizona. His father, David Watson, was a useful offense lineman at Arizona in the mid 1990s.
Laura Espinoza Watson, who grew up in Southern California, established NCAA records for home runs in a season (37) and career (85) during her Arizona career, as well as driving in more runs (128) in a season than anyone in college softball history. She helped the Wildcats win national titles in 1993 and 1994.
