Scottsdale Chaparral softball second baseman Tessa Braga saw her first action of the season on Friday in a 4-0 win over Tucson Catalina Foothills.

Braga broke her wrist in January and then dealt with mononucleosis soon after. The defensive whiz is signed to play with Villanova next season.

“It’s amazing how quick she was able to get back,” Chaparral coach Wes Little said. “I didn’t expect her back until the end of March. Now it’s just a matter of shaking the rust off.”

Braga hit .452 last year and stole 27 bases. She had a fielding percentage of .992.

TROJANS CRUISING

It’s going to be far from a cakewalk for Chaparral in the 4A-I Desert Sky Region, which it won easily last season. Paradise Valley — a school that dropped down from the 5A-II ranks — is 10-0, and Annie Lockwood is one of the best softball players in the state.

She is batting .679 with seven homers and 18 RBIs in 28 at-bats. Her slugging percentage is a ridiculous 1.571.

Chaparral and Paradise Valley played two years ago, and Little could see the potential of a young and talented team back then.

“They are going to give us a run for our money,” Little said.

The teams don’t square off until April 22.

OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS

Phoenix Brophy lost in last year’s title game, but had so many pieces returning that it was tabbed the preseason No. 1 baseball team in 5A-I. Phoenix Horizon beat the Broncos for the title, but lost top pitchers Tim Alderson and Kevin Rhoderick, so the expectations were tapered a bit.

Lately, though, the Huskies have been playing better. After starting the year with three straight losses, they have turned it around to win six straight heading into today’s game against Chandler Hamilton. Brophy, meanwhile, is 5-3 after losing 7-1 to Tempe Corona del Sol on Friday.

Two fresh faces

Mesa Red Mountain graduate Kayla Pedersen was named the Pac-10’s Freshman of the Year last week. Pedersen becomes the third Cardinal in four years and seventh all-time to nab Pac-10 Freshman of the Year accolades.

The Fountain Hills native made an immediate impact this season, posting a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds in Stanford’s 60-58 victory at then-No. 3 Rutgers on Nov. 11. She finished the regular season third in the conference in rebounding (8.2), sixth in field goal percentage (.497), and ninth in free-throw percentage (.726) and scoring (12.6). Pedersen notched five double-doubles and scored in double figures in 19 games.

One of Pedersen’s teammates last season from the 2007 5A state champs, guard Amanda Bartlett, was also named freshman of the year at Queen’s College (N.Y.) in the East Coast Conference.

Bartlett was the lone Knight to be named all-conference as she was chosen first team All-ECC. Bartlett won or shared nine ECC rookie of the week awards this past season in leading Queens College to a 14-14 overall record (12-8 in conference), good for a sixth place finish and a playoff berth.

This marked a 7 1/2-game improvement from 2006-07 when Queens finished with a record of 6-21. For the week of Jan. 21-27, Bartlett swept the ECC player, rookie and ECAC player of the week awards.