HANFORD — They played together as youngsters, developed close friendships, excelled in school, and helped turn Hanford West High softball into one of Kings County’s premier sports programs.

But next fall, Angela Castellon, Morgan Facchini, Tiffany Gonzales and Courtney Wilcox will be taking their softball talents in different directions.

Well, sort of.

Gonzales is bound for Los Angeles, and Loyola Marymount University. Facchini is headed for La Mirada, and Biola University.

Yet best friends Castellon and Wilcox will stay together, attending Dominican University of California, which is located in San Rafael, near San Francisco.

In any case, it’ll be a bit strange watching the Hanford West softball team next season without Castellon, and Wilcox manning the left side of the infield, Gonzales on the mound and Facchini behind the plate.

They’re all fourth-year varsity players who have become fixtures on the Hanford West diamond as well as part of a tight-knit group off the field.

“Our senior night is next Thursday against Golden West,’’ said Hanford West coach Norm Boyles, who’ll be saying goodbye to the four as well as six other seniors. “I’ll tell you, that’s going to be tough.’’

In fact, it’s already becoming a bit surreal for the players as they realize they’re playing their final seasons in high school.

“It’s really weird,’’ Castellon said. “We’ve been playing together since we were little kids.’’

And they’ve grown into high-caliber players, as well as superb students. Their grade-point averages range from 3.8 to Facchini’s 4.29.

Gonzales is going to an NCAA Division I school, following in the footsteps of former Hanford West star Kayla Meeks, who played the 2005 season at Loyola Marymount before transferring to Sacramento State.

Of course, Gonzales has done a pretty good job following Meeks, taking over Hanford West’s pitching position after Meeks graduated and hurling Hanford West to its first section championship last season.

Gonzales, who wants to study to become a psychiatrist, had plenty of college options, including UC Davis, Fresno State and San Diego. She found a nice fit with Loyola, which made the NCAA Regionals in 2005 and is 25-17 this season.

“They have good academics, and I get to play softball,’’ she said, also noting that she enjoyed the idea of attending “a private school by the beach.’’

It’s uncertain whether Gonzales will have a chance to pitch for Loyola Marymount.

“I’ll probably start off with outfield as my main position, and maybe I’ll be able to pitch later,’’ said Gonzales, also a dangerous hitter.

Boyles notes that Gonzales is an all-around player.

“She can play second base, she can play outfield; for me she’s played everything except for catcher, shortstop and third base,’’ Boyles said.

With Wilcox and Castellon around, the Huskies haven’t needed a shortstop or third baseman. The two are steady defensive players and compete with gusto.

“Courtney just loves the game, and Angela, too,’’ said Boyles, who has coached many of his seniors when they played at the youth level.

“They love to get dirty. They’ll dive for balls in practice.’’

Wilcox is athletic enough to play shortstop, but “she’s got a lot of power,’’ Boyles notes.

So does Castellon.

“She’s consistent, she’ll hit .333 all year round,’’ Boyles said.

Best friends since they’re elementary school days, Wilcox and Castellon have long planned on attending college and playing softball together.

“We’ve had that dream since we were 11,’’ Wilcox said.

The two studied their option — considering private and public colleges, looking in and out of California.

There were opportunities to play at universities much larger than Dominican, including NCAA Division 1 schools. But when they visited the Division III Dominican, they just liked it too much.

“I just fell in love with the campus,’’ said Castellon, who plans to major in Liberal Arts.

Ditto for Wilcox, who is looking to major in Liberal Studies.

“I stepped on campus and fell and love with it,’’ she said. “We just had feeling that this was the right place.’’

So how did they find it?

Castellon came across the school through a search on the computer.

Facchini found her school by a more direct route.

“My travel ball coach is the coach at Biola,’’ the Huskies catcher noted.

Facchini plays for the Southern California Jets Gold team, which is based in Agoura. The Jets head coach is Carrisa Millsap, a former UCLA catcher who coaches Biola.

Invited to the campus in La Mirada, Facchini liked what she saw and whom she met and eventually signed on.

She’ll be playing for an NAIA power, as the Eagles are 30-11 and ranked No. 18 in the nation.

Facchini should see at least familiar face at some games next season.

Her friend Allison Dennis, who plays for Hanford High, has signed with Cal Baptist, which faces Biola in Golden State Athletic Conference play.

In fact, the two teams play a doubleheader on Saturday.

While Facchini’s definitely provided Hanford West with some big hits over the years, her reputation rests mostly around her defensive play, and ability to handle pitchers.

“She’s dedicated, really dedicated,’’ Boyles said. “She’s a great defensive ballplayer. Last year, she had no errors. This year, she only has two.’’

Facchini started every game at catcher for Hanford West since her freshman year before finally having to sit out a game because of injury last week.

Her dedication carries over to academics, and she figures to continue that in college where she’ll major in Health Science. She has yet to decide whether she’ll pursue a career in medicine or become a pharmacist like her father, Mark.

Of course, the Huskies would still like to finish the 2006 season with a flourish and defend their Central Section Division II championship.

“”We’ve had ups and downs, but we’re going to enjoy it no matter what,’’ Facchini said.

It has, of course, been quite a ride for the Huskies’ seniors, who helped make their team a West Yosemite League powerhouse almost immediately upon their arrival.

Their experiences, and the bonds they’ve created are precious to them.

“Nothing can be like what we have,’’ Facchini said.

(The sports editor may be reached at jmatsune@hanfordsentinel.com.)

(April 28, 2006)